Merry Late Christmas everyone! I should know better than to make promises about update times, because I never keep them. The new promise is that this will definitely be done before the end of winter maybe.
Also, general warning for homophobic language in this chapter.
Enjoy.
Zoro turned the little wooden tiger over in his hands. The detail was impressive, the craftsmanship exquisite, and it was even painted green.
"Do you like it?" Reiju asked from where she was seated in front of her vanity applying mascara. The moth necklace Zoro had given her moments before dangled from her neck.
"Yeah," he said, turning it over once more before placing it in his bag, "Thanks."
She smiled at him in the mirror, "I got a duck for Sanji from the same stall. It's like you two have a matching set."
He smiled at the thought, digging around in his bag until he pulled out the box containing Sanji's cufflinks, "Do I really have to wear a suit to this thing?"
"Yes, absolutely," she put down the mascara and picked up her foundation, "I'm surprised you don't own one already."
"Not really a suit guy," he shrugged, putting the box in his pocket and heading for the door, "Sanji'll probably have something."
"Does Sanji dress you often?" Zoro paused and turned. Her smirk was just as mischievous as her brother's.
"He doesn't dress me," he sputtered out, completely indignant. He wasn't a child, he could dress himself, it was just, "Sometimes I need a certain look and he's just, he's better at picking it out."
Her smirk grew, and shit, Zoro didn't mean to admit that, "But I'm better than him at lots of other stuff," he crossed his arms and looked away, definitely not pouting, "More stuff even. I'm better at the best stuff."
"I'm sure," she said as she stood up and opened the door for him.
Zoro followed her out into the hallway and she grabbed his shoulders, forcefully turning him around.
"The stairs are that way. Just walk straight, you can't miss them," he turned to glare at her, but she just smiled and continued, "The first floor up is Ichiji's. The second floor up is Niji's. The third floor up is Sanji's. When you're climbing the stairs, just count up three floors, okay?"
"I can count to three!" the growled out.
"If you reach Yonji's floor, you've gone too far," she gave him a light shove forward, "Good luck."
She gave him a small wave and went back into her room.
How dare she, Zoro fumed as he stomped towards the stairs. She wasn't much better than him with directions. He could find Sanji's room easily.
Thirty minutes later he finally found the door with the giant yellow three on it and went inside.
Sanji was standing in front of the floor length mirror in his room, adjusting his pale yellow tie. He looked up when he heard the door open and smiled before going back to his task, "About time you got here."
"Shut up," he stepped forward and noticed a second suit laid out on the bed, "That for me?"
"Yeah. I stole it from Yonji. He probably won't notice, but don't let him know," he finished tying his tie and turned around, "You need help putting it on?"
Like sister like brother, "I can dress myself," he growled as he started stripping.
"Suit yourself," he shrugged and took a seat in a nearby chair, content to watch the show.
Zoro grumbled under his breath as he changed, a little self-conscious as Sanji's eyes followed him around the room. It wasn't like it was anything he hadn't seen before, but there was a heat in his gaze as his eyes ran up his body, an intensity in his stare as it locked on to every bit of skin that was revealed and traced over every scar that he knew was there, that made him shiver.
"Where's Pudding?" he asked as he finished buttoning up the shirt and picked up the dark green waistcoat with a dubious look.
"Getting ready in one of the guest rooms," Sanji said, and the knowledge that they were alone excited him.
Sanji's eyes narrowed as he tossed the waistcoat back on the bed, "You gotta wear that too."
Really? He was wearing so many layers already, and he still had the jacket to put on. How Sanji did this on a regular basis was beyond him, "Why?"
"It's a three piece suit, dumbass. You have to wear all three pieces," he stood up, grabbed the waistcoat, and pushed Zoro's shoulder until he was facing the mirror, "Arms out."
He frowned and did what he was told, holding his arms out to his side as Sanji tugged the waistcoat over his shoulders.
"There," he said, smoothing out the shoulders as Zoro buttoned it up, "Now you look presentable."
"Fuck you, I always look good," he grumbled as Sanji smirked at him in the mirror. His hands lingered on his shoulders for a bit before he slid them slowly down his back. He leaned back into the touch, and Sanji slid his hands around his front, pulling him into a tight hug.
"Yeah," he breathed into his neck, and Zoro could feel the goosebumps forming across his skin, "You do."
His hands moved to cover Sanji's, squeezing them tight as Sanji kissed his neck.
"Shit," he whispered in his ear, breath jostling his earrings, "I just got you into that suit and I already want to take it off."
Zoro inhaled sharply as Sanji's hands spread and wandered over his waistcoat. He let his fingers fall in between Sanji's and squeezed his hands tight, wanting nothing more than for Sanji to throw him on the bed and start taking these layers off.
"But," Sanji said, right in his ear, making him shiver as he leaned back into him more, "I know that if I do, you'll never put it back on."
With that, he pulled away from Zoro completely, leaving him standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, a little disoriented and very much frustrated.
"You fucking tease," he snarled as Sanji went over to the drawers and started digging around. Eventually he pulled out a dark green tie and tossed it at him.
"Put that on," he said as he wandered over to his bags and started rooting around in there.
After a few minutes of awkward fumbling he'd managed to get the tie looking decent enough in his opinion. Sanji came back over and paused, staring down at the knot he'd managed to make with a look of horror on his face.
"You're hopeless," he sighed, undoing the knot and tugging the tie away, "Or maybe you do it on purpose."
Before Zoro could react, Sanji had looped something else around his neck and pulled him in for a searing kiss that he opened up to and accepted eagerly. His hands ran down Sanji's sides until they settled on his waist, and he kissed him back with everything he was worth.
"Merry Christmas, Marimo," Sanji said as he pulled away and let go.
Zoro looked down at what he'd given him. It was a simple twine necklace, with a small bottle of water tied at the end of it. He picked up the bottle to find a small moss ball floating in the water and smiled, running his thumb over the jar as the moss ball bounced inside.
He looked back up at Sanji, "You still got me my bokken, right?"
"Yes," he rolled his eyes, "Your swords are at home, you'll get them when we go back. This is just, a little something special," he leaned in and tapped the bottle, "A marimo for my Marimo."
Sanji smiled at him, and it made his whole face softer, his gaze vulnerable as he looked at him, and Zoro felt his stomach flip as he fell just a little more for him.
"Do you like it?" he asked.
As a response, Zoro leaned forward and kissed him softly, cradling his face in his hand as Sanji opened up to him and his tongue slowly explored his mouth.
When they pulled apart, Zoro touched his forehead to Sanji's and said, "I love it."
And he did. It was the kind of dumb romantic gift that only Sanji would think of, and that made it all the more special.
Sanji grinned at him, tilting his head forward and giving him a light peck on his lips as he tucked the little marimo under Zoro's shirt. He picked up the tie he had dropped, looped it around Zoro's neck, and tied it properly.
He stepped back and took a look at his handiwork, a satisfied smirk on his face as he walked back towards the bed to grab the jacket.
Zoro took the opportunity to pick up the pants he'd tossed aside earlier and fished out his gift for Sanji. When he returned with his jacket, Zoro shoved the box in his face with a, "Here."
Sanji blinked in surprise, handing him the jacket while he took and opened the box. He smiled as he ran a finger over the cufflinks, then looked up at Zoro and said, "Did you get my pots?"
"Yes I got your damn pots," he grumbled as he slipped on the jacket, eyes falling to the box, "Just a little something special."
Sanji's gaze softened as he stepped forward and kissed Zoro sweetly.
"Thank you," he said as he pulled away, already taking off his jacket to put the cufflinks on, "I love them."
"You don't have to wear them right now," he said, but Sanji had already inserted one and was rolling up his shirt cuff to do the other.
"They're a gift from my boyfriend," Sanji said as he locked the second one in place, "Of course I'm wearing them now."
Zoro grinned wide and took a step forward, hand reaching out for him.
Just then the door to the room burst open, causing them to jump away from each other as Yonji came in.
"Three, do you have my socks?" he asked.
"Why the fuck would I have your socks?" Sanji said as he threw his jacket back on.
Zoro tried not to pout as he turned back towards the mirror and adjusted his tie, making sure the bulge from the marimo's jar was covered.
"Do you have any socks?" he said as he flopped down on the bed, "All mine are missing." He looked over and finally noticed Zoro, "Oh, hey, what are you doing here? You need socks too?"
"Idiot can't tie a tie," Sanji responded, subtly kicking Zoro's clothes under the bed as he chucked a pair of socks at Yonji's head, "Now go away."
He caught the socks as they bounced off his head, and raised an eyebrow at Zoro, "Is that my suit?"
"Is it?" Zoro asked, tugging at the jacket a little, "It's a bit tight."
"Can't be mine then," he bounced the socks off his hand as he walked to the door, "Later haters."
Once he was gone he looked back towards Sanji, who was adjusting his sleeves under his jacket. He stepped forward into his space, but Sanji looked away.
"You should," he paused, running a thumb across the cufflinks before he sighed and said, "You should probably go back to Reiju now."
"Oh, right," he glanced down at the cufflinks on Sanji's wrist, reaching out to stroke his hand as he leaned in and kissed his cheek.
He pulled away and looked at Sanji. The last thing in the world he wanted to do was go, and from the look on his face the last thing Sanji wanted to do was let him go.
But Sanji took a deep breath and stepped away, so all Zoro could do was give him a brief, "See you later," as he left the room and tried to find his way back to Reiju.
Reiju was parading Zoro around the party like some sort of show dog, introducing him to people whose names he instantly forgot. It was seriously starting to piss him off.
"Relax," Reiju said, stroking his arm, and that only succeeded in riling him up more.
"Why do I have to meet all these people?" he grumbled, eyes darting to Sanji. While he'd been friendly and greeted a few people so far, it hadn't been nearly as many as Zoro and Reiju.
"I'm Judge Vinsmoke's only daughter and one of the heirs to Germa Group," she explained as she guided him away, "As my escort for this evening, it's important people know who you are."
That was so stupid. Rich people were dumb. He never would have agreed to this if he knew this was part of the deal.
Reiju must have sensed his growing frustration, as she leaned up, kissed his cheek, and said, "Why don't we take a break? Go get something to eat."
Zoro was all too happy to agree, and he left Reiju to find the nearest server.
As he was stuffing his face with shrimp puffs, someone said "Hey, Zoro!" and hugged him from behind. He fought the urge to immediately fight back and instead turned to see who his attacker was.
"Rebecca!" he looked down at the girl with surprise. This was the last place in the world he expected to run into one of Luffy's friends, "What are you doing here?"
"My cousin was invited, and she brought me as her plus one," she grinned as she pulled away, "Is Sanji here?"
"Yeah," he glanced around the room, but was having trouble locating him, "Somewhere."
"Right here, actually," Sanji said, grabbing Rebecca's hand and kissing the back of it, "It's wonderful to see you again, Rebecca, as always."
Rebecca giggled, and once he let go of her hand she leaped forward to hug him as well, "Always a pleasure, Sanji."
Sanji pulled away with a grin, holding back a glass of champagne so it didn't spill, "You grow more beautiful each time I see you."
"Stop, you big flirt," she playfully smacked his arm, "Have you seen Viola yet? She was looking for you."
"Viola's here?" he perked up, his head swiveling around the room.
Zoro crossed his arms and frowned. That's right, Sanji and Rebecca's cousin dated for a bit, "Excited to see your ex, Cook?"
He blushed and grinned at him sheepishly, "I, well, it's been a while and," he froze mid sentence, face growing pale as his eyes went wide, "I need to find her before Pudding does."
He absently handed Zoro his champagne flute and hurried off.
"Wow, Pudding's here? Weren't they like high school sweethearts or something?" Rebecca laughed and nudged her elbow into his ribs, "Two exes in in the same room as his boyfriend. Must be super awkward for you."
"Yeah," he sighed, eyes trailing after Sanji as he found Viola. They were talking animatedly, and he noticed the glint of Sanji's cufflinks every time he gestured. He reached up and touched the marimo bottle hidden underneath his shirt as he finished Sanji's champagne, "It's a little weird."
"Uh-oh, here comes trouble.," Rebecca said as Pudding walked up to Sanji and looped his arm around his.
"How dare she! Doesn't she know Sanji's with you now?" She fumed, and started towards them, "I'm gonna set her straight."
Zoro could see how that was going to end, and it was not good. He grabbed her wrist and said, "Don't, it's fine."
"Fine?" she gestured at them, "You and Sanji are the epitome of true love and she's putting her hands all over him. If you're not going to tell her what's what, I will."
He appreciated how offended she was getting on his behalf, Luffy did always manage to find the best people, but now wasn't the time, "It's fine. It's, it's just pretend."
She gave him a incredulous look, "What."
He placed the champagne flute down on the nearby table and ran a hand over his face, "It's complicated. Just, the Vinsmokes don't know about Sanji and me and we're trying to keep it that way."
"Ugh, it's the 21st century, isn't homophobia dead yet?" she pouted and crossed her arms, "Terrible."
"Yeah," he sighed. Sanji glanced over his way and he caught the panicked look of embarrassment on his face. He imagined how he would feel if their situations were reversed, if he was stuck talking to two of his exes as Sanji looked on. He was not on speaking terms with any of his exes, so that right there would be terrible, and with Sanji judging from the sidelines he could only imagine how awkward that would be for both of them, "It sucks."
A server passed by carrying a tray of champagne. Zoro grabbed two and offered one to Rebecca.
"I'm not twenty one yet," she said.
"I don't think anyone here cares," he pointed out, handing he the glass
"True," she said, holding her glass out, "To awkward situations."
"I can drink to that," Zoro laughed and clinked their glasses together and took a sip.
Just then, Reiju returned, sliding up beside him and wrapping her arm around his, "Who's your friend?"
"Oh," he pointed at Rebecca with his glass, "This Rebecca Riku. Rebecca, this is Sanji's sister, Reiju Vinsmoke."
"Oh, nice to meet you," Rebecca said, shaking her hand, "This is a great party your having. Thank you for inviting me."
"Thank you for coming," Reiju smiled at her, "Sorry, but I need to steal him for a moment."
"Yeah, sure."
Without waiting for Zoro's response, Reiju dragged him away.
"Who is she?" she asked as Zoro took another sip of champagne.
"Rebecca? Just a friend of a friend," he smirked at her, "Why? Jealous?"
She rolled her eyes, the smile slipping from her face, "How much does she know?"
"She knows about me and Sanji," she frowned, so he clarified, "She already knew about me and Sanji. She doesn't know about you."
"Will she tell anyone?"
"Probably not."
She stopped and stared at him, "Probably?"
Zoro was yanked back by the arm she still had in her grasp and glared at her, "What?"
"I know you don't particularly care if this whole charade becomes exposed," she said, eyes darkening as she leaned in closer, "When this whole thing is over, you can just go back to your friends and your life. But this is my life. I still have to see these people once this is over. I still have reputation to keep," she grabbed on to his shoulder and hissed in his ear, "And you're asking me to bet all that on a probably?"
"I'm not here to out you," he hissed back, "I agreed to do this and I'm trying to play my role as best I can. Rebecca's a good kid," he tugged at his arm to get them moving again, but she wasn't budging, "I told her we were keeping it a secret, so she will too. If I thought there was a risk involved with her being here I would have had her leave."
Reiju closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.
"It's fine, I trust her," he reassured her and tugged once more, "Can we just go meet whoever you want me to meet and get this over with?"
She exhaled and opened her eyes, "Alright. If you trust her, then I'll trust you."
"Thank you."
She nodded and continued leading him through the throng of people.
"Oh, Zoro! Reiju!" Nina waved them over from where she was standing with Niji and a tall man with long dark hair tied back in a ponytail, "Come and meet Daddy!"
Zoro winced and tried to ignore them and walk away, but Reiju's grip on his arm was tight as she guided them over there.
"Daddy, this is Niji's older sister Reiju and her boyfriend Zoro Roronoa. Aren't they adorable?" she smiled as she leaned on her dad's arm, "Reiju, Zoro, this is my daddy."
"Far out," her dad said as he shook both of their hands, "Digging the earrings, man. Really ties your whole rebel look together, yeah?"
"Uh, thanks," he said, touching his earrings.
"Nina's been like, telling me so much about you guys. I'm surprised one of the Vinsmokes found love so outside their social circle, but I guess the heart wants what the heart wants, you know?" he clapped them both on the shoulder, "I'm happy for you, man."
"Yes, I've heard much about you as well, Mr. Labrinna," Reiju said with a smile as she carefully removed his hand.
"Oh, right on," he laughed, "But like, Mr. Labrinna was my dad. My friends call me Nat and we're like, so friends now. "
As he started talking to Reiju more, Zoro felt the hair on the back of his neck rise. He looked around and saw Ichiji and Dani talking to a couple with flaming red hair the same shade as Dani's. Ichiji seemed to be engaging Dani's father in an intense discussion, but Dani's gaze was focused only on Zoro.
Just as he was starting to get uncomfortable, she excused herself from the group, giving Zoro a subtle head tilt to follow her.
Curious, he turned to Reiju to see if it was alright to leave, and found that she'd already let go of his arm. Taking that as all the permission he needed, he finished the rest of his champagne, placed the empty glass on the table, and followed after her.
The hallways of the mansion were so twisted, that he found himself quite a bit away from the main party. He sighed, wondering what that had been all about, as he tried to find his way back.
He turned a corner and found Dani there, looking almost as startled to see him as he was to see her.
"So," he said, leaning against the wall, "What's up?"
"I believe you know precisely what is happening here."
He really didn't, but before he could process what she was doing, she slammed him against the wall, pinning his wrists above his head, "W-what the-?"
"Shh," she placed a finger over his lips, effectively silencing him as she leaned in closer, "No words," she leaned in and nuzzled his face.
Internally, Zoro was freaking out. This was the second time in two days that one of Sanji's brother's girlfriends had made such an obvious move on him, which was two more girls than he was used to. What the hell was he supposed to do?
"Um," he said, freeing on of his hands as her hand found its way into his hair and she nibbled her way up his chin, "Aren't you with Ichiji?"
"Hmph," she exhaled against his skin, causing him to reel back as much as he could, "Ichiji. So tame. So controlled," she stroked his face, "He's got nothing on you, so wild, so unpredictable," she practically purred into his ear.
He scrambled behind him, looking for something, anything, to help him out of this as his last two brain cells tried to come up with something to say, "I, uh, well…"
"Ichiji is safe," Dani continued, tugging on his tie, "Ichiji is the kind of boy you bring home to your parents and end up marrying," her eyes darted towards his, and all the blood drained from his face, "He's not the kind of boy you fuck."
He inhaled sharply in an attempt to get his bearings, "Reiju…"
"Gets it, I'm sure," Dani scoffed as she mouthed her way towards his lips, "Extramarital affairs are quite common amongst families of our caliber after all. She most likely already has one or two of her own."
Just as she sealed her lips over his, Zoro found a doorknob behind him. He quickly turned it and pressed back, opening the door to what turned out to be a closet and stumbled inside.
"Oh perfect," Dani practically purred as she followed him in. He turned his head away, and she continued nibbling across his neck, "No one will find us here."
Zoro staggered backwards, trying to get some space between them, but Dani just followed his lead as they fell further into the closet. Shit, how the hell was he going to get out of this mess?
"Uh," a voice said from the doorway. They both turned and saw Sanji standing there awkwardly against the still open door, "What's going on here?"
Zoro had never been more relieved to see him ever in his life. Dani awkwardly stumbled away from him, fixing her appearance as she turned to face Sanji.
"Nothing, nothing at all," she said in a high pitched voice, eyes darting to Zoro before she stepped briskly out of the closet, "If you'd excuse me."
She left quickly, giving Zoro a chance to catch his breath, "Thanks for the save."
Sanji hummed as he stepped forward, "You've got to stop this."
"Stop what?"
The next second Sanji had shut the closet door and pinned Zoro up against it, "Being too irresistible to resist."
And then Sanji was kissing him, and Zoro really didn't mind being violated if Sanji was the one doing the violating, so he kissed him back and then some.
Sanji groaned as he pulled away, "Stop," he said, biting at his earrings and doing everything but stopping.
"Stop what?" Zoro asked, breathing heavily, not knowing exactly what was going on but liking the direction it was heading.
"You're hard enough to resist in a suit," he said, stepping back and dragging Zoro with him by his tie. His hand brushed up against the hidden marimo and pressed it further into Zoro's chest, "How am I supposed to resist you in a disheveled suit?
That wasn't something he was prepared to argue with, so he cradled Sanji's head in his hand and kissed him with everything he was worth.
Sanji groaned into the kiss and eagerly opened up, accepting everything Zoro was offering as he moved from his lips to his neck.
"Zoro," he moaned as Zoro nibbled his way down his neck, his hands sliding down his sides until one rested on his waist and the other grabbed his ass. Sanji's hand found its way under his jacket and started playing with the buttons on his waistcoat as the other dug into his hair. He lifted his leg to wrap around his waist, bringing them even closer.
Yes, Zoro thought, finally.
Suddenly light hit his eyes, almost blinding him as the closet door was open a second time.
Sanji froze in his arms, and Zoro turned to glare at whoever was intruding on this moment.
"Uh," Fiona said from the doorway. She stared at the two of them before slowly shutting the door.
"Closet's locked, Babe," he heard her say from the other side, "We'll have to go somewhere else."
Sanji was shaking in his arms, his touch going from needy and desperate to clawing and frantic in mere moments.
"Hey," Zoro whispered in his ear, trying to comfort him as he curled up further into himself.
"I can't believe," he heard Sanji mutter as he clung to him like a lifeline, "So stupid."
"You're fine," he said with a little more force, "She won't tell anyone."
Sanji buried his face into his shoulder, "You don't know that."
"I don't, no," he admitted as he held him closer, "But she could have told Yonji right there, and she didn't, so that's something."
He focused on rubbing circles into Sanj's back as he calmed down. Eventually, after a few deep breaths, he got himself together and pulled away.
He stared at Sanji for a bit, brushing the stray hair away from his face, and he said, "I'll go talk to her, if you want."
Sanji captured his hand in his own, "It's fine," he said, rubbing circles into his knuckles, "I'll do it. It's my family and my secret, I should do it."
"If you're sure."
He nodded, and Zoro leaned in and kissed his forehead.
Sanji took a deep breath and made his way to the door. Before he opened it, he turned around and said, "Wait a bit, before you come out. Get yourself presentable again."
Zoro nodded, already fiddling with his tie.
Before he could say anything else, Sanji had stepped out of the closet and back into the real world.
It took some time before Sanji was able to catch Fiona away from Yonji.
She had just placed her empty champagne flute on a server's tray when he walked up to her and held out his hand, "May I have this dance, Mademoiselle?"
Her eyes darted between his hand and his face before she looked away, "Um, I don't think-"
"Please," he insisted.
She looked back at him, sighed, and took his hand.
Sanji led her out onto the dance floor, guiding her around until they were in a spot no one could overhear them.
"About what you saw earlier," he started. She stiffened a little in his arms, but he pressed on, "Did you tell anyone?"
She gripped his hand tight and snarled, "You're despicable, you know that?"
He felt sick, the blood draining from his face as he looked away. It wasn't like he hadn't dealt with that kind of attitude before. Hell, he'd had that attitude towards himself for years, and it was only after meeting Luffy and the others that he had learned to accept his bisexuality for what it was and not be ashamed of it. Still, hearing those words spoken aloud always put him on edge and revived memories and feelings he didn't want to think about.
"I have no patience or sympathy for cheaters," Fiona hissed, and Sanji's eyes went wide as he looked back at her, "Let alone someone who would hurt his own family like that. Reiju is your sister! How could you fuck around with her boyfriend behind her back?"
Oh, yes, well. That wasn't where he was expecting this conversation to go, but from an outside perspective it probably did look something like that, "I, uh-"
"And what about Pudding?" she barreled on, completely ignorant of the emotional rollercoaster he was currently on, "She's crazy about you, you know? And you can just, betray her trust like that? You're the worst kind of scum."
Sanji had no idea what the appropriate reaction was for this. The whole situation just left him speechless.
"And then you have the cast iron balls to tell me to keep me mouth shut about the whole thing," she shook her head and glared at him, "You really are something. But no, I haven't told anyone, yet."
He felt a weight leave his chest, "Fiona, please-"
"But you can bet your pathetic ass I'm going to tell Pudding and Reiju."
"That's fair," and if they were the only two people she told that would be the best possible outcome. He should probably just tell her the whole truth and try to explain, but he couldn't think of a way to do that without outing Reiju and Pudding in the process. No matter what she currently thought of him and Zoro, he didn't feel right doing that to them, "Just, please don't tell anyone else, especially Yonji."
Her glare intensified, "Why shouldn't I? Why shouldn't I tell everyone?"
His eyes went wide, anxiety pounded in his chest and his steps faltered as she continued, "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't let Yonji know what a complete sack of shit his brother is."
And the only thing he could think to say to that was the truth.
"Because Yonji doesn't know I'm bi," he stared directly into her eyes and tried to convey the urgency of his request through just that, "None of the others do."
She was visibly taken aback, and she bit her lip before saying, "He wouldn't care about something like that."
"I respectfully disagree," he squeezed her hand, "And even if he did, the whole coming out thing, its personal. It should be my choice who finds out and when. If you want to tell Pudding and Reiju that's fine, they already know I'm bi, but please don't out me to the rest of my family."
The song ended, and the both took a step back.
"I don't like this, I'm not the kind of person who sits back and lets men betray women they claim to care about, especially ones I consider friends," she sighed, "But I'm also not the kind of asshole that outs people."
"Thank you," he said sincerely, his heart skipping a beat with pure relief.
"But," she stepped forward and poked him hard in the chest, "You better end it with Zoro tonight or I will tell Pudding."
Before he could respond, she walked off.
So his secret was once again safe from the Vinsmokes, but a beautiful lady thought Sanji was the lowest of the low and was cheating on his fake girlfriend with his real boyfriend. Par for the course for his life really, so he was just going to count it as a win.
He brushed his finger along his cufflinks as he looked around the rest of the party.
Suddenly Pudding was there, snagging his wayward hands as she smiled up at him, "Care for a dance?"
He had been trying to avoid her most of the night, still haunted by the look on Zoro's face at the skating rink, but it would raise questions if he didn't at least dance with her, "With you, always."
He let Pudding lead him back out onto the dance floor, spinning them around in that graceful way she always seemed to manage.
"Is it weird for you, with Viola being here and all?" she asked, "I mean, you two were a thing not too long ago, right?"
"Oh, uh, yeah, we dated a bit," but they'd ended it about two years ago, a few months before he started dating Zoro, so he wasn't sure why she was bringing it up, "It's not really that weird, for me at least. Maybe for Zoro."
"Hm," she frowned, "It's just, you were talking before like you were friends."
"Well, yeah, we're still friends," he shrugged as best he could while still maintaining the slow rhythm of their dancing, "Our break-up was pretty amicable."
"Really?" she asked, a slight edge to her gaze, "How so?"
"It's just, we were after different things. I wanted something more serious but she was looking for something casual." It hurt, of course, break-ups hurt, but they'd talked about it and both realized that they were going in different directions, so they decided to end it before they both got in too deep, "Ending it was a mutual decision, so we were still able to keep our friendship when all was said and done."
"Hm," she glanced away for a second before looking back at him, "Do you think you and Zoro would still be friends if you broke up."
His steps faltered for a bit, his heart beating rapidly in his chest at the thought, "I, I don't know."
They were friends before they'd started dating, and they did have the same group of friends and run with the same people. But he was so in love with Zoro that the thought of not being with him romantically physically hurt. Would he be able to go to a friendly gathering and see Zoro there and know he couldn't leave with him? What if Zoro started seeing someone else and he started bringing him along? Sanji could barely handle seeing Zoro fake a relationship with his sister, how could he possible deal with Zoro actually with someone else?
He shook his head. This was all hypothetical. He was getting himself worked up over nothing.
"I haven't thought about it," he said to Pudding.
"Oh, really?" she said, surprised, "Huh."
He raised an eyebrow, "What?"
"No," she shook her head, "It's nothing."
The song played on, and Sanji waited a moment before he asked, "You don't, really like Zoro, do you?"
She blushed, "Is it that obvious?" Sanji nodded and she sighed, "I'm usually better at hiding things."
"Yeah," he agreed, twirling her a little as he continued, "I mean, he's a good guy underneath it all.'
"I'm sure he is," she leaned in a little closer to him and said, "I came here expecting not to like him, and I don't, but it's not for the reasons I thought. I just have some stuff to figure out, and Zoro's caught in the middle," she pouted at him, "So stop trying to make me like him."
He wanted to ask her more about it, maybe offer an ear if she needed someone to listen, but the look in her eye told him she'd rather not talk about it, "Okay."
The song ended, and he guided Pudding away from the dance floor to join the rest of the party.
A few hours later found him sitting at a table with his mom, Viola, Rebecca, Niji, and Nina. Niji and Nina were having their own private discussion while Rebecca was going into a detailed description of what sounded like Luffy's last birthday party. Sanji was content to just sip his champagne and listen.
"And there was so much food, of course," Rebecca was saying, "Like, I'd never seen that much food in my life. Sanji made it all, right?" she turned to him.
"Oh, yeah," he swirled his champagne. Luffy had requested a barbecue, but when Sanji asked what meat he wanted for the barbecue, he just said all of it. So Sanji, being a sarcastic shit, brought and barbecued whatever meat he could find. Luffy was thrilled.
"You cooked for so many people?" his mom asked, "Wasn't that hard?"
He shrugged, "The amount of people wasn't the challenge, it was just keeping Luffy fed," he took a sip of his champagne, "That boy's stomach is a black hole."
The others laughed, and Rebecca dug out her phone, "Oh, wait, I have pictures."
As she leaned over to show his mom, Viola poked at his hand. He turned his attention towards her as she said, "You look good."
"Oh," he blushed and smiled a little, "Thanks. You look absolutely stunning."
And she did. She'd always been gorgeous of course, but there was a certain glow about her tonight that just made her shine.
"Thank you," she laughed, "The restaurant's doing good?"
"Yeah, the Baratie's great," he took another sip of champagne and leaned forward, "How's your dancing going?"
"Very well," she said, sipping her own champagne, "I've been traveling a lot as part of a troupe, but recently I've been offered a solo opportunity at-"
"Hey wait," Niji said suddenly from where he was looking at Rebecca's phone, "What's that?"
"Nothing," she said, quickly sliding her finger across the phone screen.
"That looked like something," he said, reaching across to tap at her phone, "That looked like Sanji and Zoro."
Sanji froze, ice running through his veins as he turned his attention towards the other side of the table.
What had they been talking about, Luffy's party? He'd spent most of the party by the barbecue. Was Zoro there? Of course Zoro was there he was Luffy's best friend, and he'd spent most of the party hanging around Sanji by the barbecue. They must have hugged or kissed or something right? A few times? What exactly did Rebecca get on her phone? How bad was it? Why did she have it at all?
Niji and Rebecca fought over the phone, causing it to slip out of both of their grips and land on the table right in front of his mother. On the phone screen was a picture of him and Zoro at the
barbecue at Luffy's party, Zoro hugging him from behind as they kissed, both clearly enjoying it.
"Hey, Yonji," Niji shouted across the room, a wicked grin on his face, "Come look at this!"
Fuck.
He heard Nina gasp and Niji's "What the hell," but his focus was on his mom and her reaction. She was staring at the picture, eyes wide with the most heartbreaking expression he'd ever seen on her. Slowly, she looked up at him.
"Sanji…"
Sanji couldn't handle this, he couldn't be here right now, didn't really want to be anywhere but he sure as shit didn't want to be here. Before anyone could say anything else, he'd bolted out of his seat and got as much distance as he could between him and the table.
He didn't know where he was heading, but he found himself in the kitchen. It was thankfully empty, so he sat down at the counter and cradled his head in his hands as he tried to figure out what to do next.
What the hell was he supposed to do now? He could try and deny it, but it was impossible to deny it when the evidence was right there and irrefutable. He could try and explain it, but what good would that do when the explanation was the problem. There was no clever strategy left to him, no quick thinking or right thing to say to make it all go away. There was nothing he could do.
The secret was out. Everybody knew.
He heard someone enter the kitchen and tensed up, heart pounding in his chest as they stepped closer. He was still nowhere near ready for an actual confrontation.
"Of course you'd hide in the kitchen," Zoro said, and he relaxed immediately. He sat down next to him and put an arm around his shoulders.
He leaned into the touch, taking comfort in it even as his brain was going a million miles a minute.
Eventually his thoughts turned from himself to his sister. Sure the picture had nothing to do with her, but now people will wonder why she had shown up to Christmas with Zoro, and they might figure out her secret too. He mumbled into the counter, "You shouldn't have left Reiju. People might suspect-"
"She can take care of herself," he kissed the top of his head, "I'm not leaving you when you're like this."
Gratitude washed over him in a comforting wave, but it still wasn't enough to erase the guilt. Not only had he fucked up and exposed himself, he might have exposed Reiju and Pudding, and the consequences for them could be far worse than anything he'd face.
"I fucked up," he groaned, burying his face into the counter and clenching his hands in his hair.
"S'not your fault," he said, rubbing circles into his shoulder with his thumb.
He closed his eyes and focused on breathing, inhaling and exhaling in time with Zoro's rubbing, trying to calm down to a state where he could think rationally again.
Suddenly the door burst open, and Sanji was already curling into himself before Judge even started shouting, "The fuck kind of games do you think you're playing at?"
Zoro's hand tightened on his shoulder as he fingernails dug into his scalp.
"You've always been a disappointment and a fuck-up, but this is a new low, even for you," he snarled, "You leave home and instead of making something of yourself, you come back a disgusting fag."
Sanji was shaking all over. His heart was beating so loudly in his ears he was sure Zoro could hear it too, and his breath was only coming in panicked gasps. He could barely feel Zoro's touch now as Judge's words sunk further into him.
"So what is this? Just one more shot at me? You haven't ruined this family enough by your mere existence?" he slammed a fist on the counter, causing Sanji to jump, "Answer me! You useless, miserable failure!"
"Hey!" Zoro snarled, "You don't get to talk to him like that!"
Judge growled, "You stay out of this you two-timing little-"
"You don't get to talk to me like that either!" he slammed his hands on the table, "You think your opinion matters here? You're just a twisted old man who's obsessed with power! When you find something you can't control you try to break it! Well you sure as shit can't control me, and you couldn't control Sanji either! He doesn't need you or your approval, he never did! And that just eats you up doesn't it, you shit-eating fuck."
"I will not be spoken to in that way in my own house!" he thundered, "Get out! Both of you faggots, right now! Go, and don't come back!"
"Fine!"
"Don't."
Sanji lifted his head off the counter as his mom entered the kitchen. She stood in the doorway, gripping the doorframe tight but with her head held high and gaze steady, the picture of poise and grace. He could see his brothers lingering in the hallway behind her, but he only had eyes for her.
"No one is getting kicked out," she said, and her tone held no room for argument.
"But-" Judge tried anyway.
Sora glared at him with enough force to silence him completely, "It's Christmas Eve."
He felt hope bubble up in his chest. Maybe his mom wouldn't hate him, maybe she still loved him and would accept him, maybe-
"What would the guests think?"
The bubble popped, and he was left feeling colder and more miserable than he had before. Of course, it was all about their reputation. Of course it would look bad if her son was thrown out into the cold night on Christmas. Of course she could never accept him for who he was. Of course she couldn't love a fucked up failure like him. His stomach turned inside out and he almost wanted to puke. As he sunk further into his seat, he felt Zoro's hand on his shoulder once more.
"We'll leave in the morning," Zoro said as he pulled him to his feet and escorted him out of the kitchen before anyone said anything else.
Sanji didn't really care where Zoro was taking him. He was numb all over, the shock of everything still setting in, so he was surprised when he felt his knees hit something and he fell on his bed.
He looked down to find Zoro taking off his shoes. When he was done, he moved to the buttons on his jacket, but Sanji knocked his hand away and worked on those himself. Zoro walked away, and he found he only really had enough energy to strip down to just his shirt and pants before he just collapsed onto the bed and threw his arm over his eyes.
After what felt like hours but couldn't have been more than a few minutes, Zoro got into the bed next to him. He wrapped an arm around his waist and kissed his neck softly, whispering into his ear, "It's gonna be okay."
Sanji's breath hitched, and he could feel tears streaming down his face past his arm. He turned over on his side and Zoro went with him, holding him close to his chest and nuzzling the back of his neck.
"You'll be okay," he said as he kissed the back of his neck.
Sanji closed his eyes and hoped those words were true.
Zoro stared at Sanji's back, drawing random patterns into his sides with his finger. He'd finally managed to fall asleep, but Zoro was still too keyed up to even try.
He knew Sanji had issues. Hell, who didn't have issues, he knew he his own baggage was quite hefty. But when he remembered the way Judge yelled at him and how Sanji just shriveled up on himself, he had a good guess where most of Sanji's came from.
He thought back to every time Sanji sacrificed his own well-being for someone else, or shouldered all the blame for someone else's problems, or when he focused on being needed and useful instead of loved, and the anger burned hot under his skin. How dare he treat Sanji that way. How dare he hurt him like that. How dare he make him think he's less, that he's not enough.
Zoro wanted to kill him. He wanted nothing more than to punch him and keep punching him until he stopped breathing. But that would most likely end up with Zoro in jail, and it wouldn't really help Sanji at all.
Instead he held Sanji close, trying his best to comfort him with just his presence. He leaned over to kiss his temple and muttered, "I'm sorry," into his skin.
He didn't really know what he was apologizing for. Not being there for him before maybe, but he hadn't even known Sanji when he lived here, and he wasn't one to be caught up on vague what ifs. Maybe he was just sorry any of this ever happened to him at all.
He thought about what Sora had said too, about that cold, distant look on her face and how she couldn't even look at Sanji. He couldn't believe that she'd reject her own son over something so trivial. If she really was like Sanji though, then maybe-
There was a soft knock on the door, interrupting his thoughts. He hesitated, not wanting to leave Sanji's side even if he was already asleep, but curiosity and the possibility of punching someone won out, so he crawled out of the bed and answered the door.
Reiju was there, arms crossed in front of her and looking beyond tired, "How is he?"
Zoro leaned against the doorway, "Sleeping."
He was still a little peeved at her, remembering how she'd tried to stop him from going after Sanji when he left the party in a panic, more concerned with preserving her own secret than making sure her brother wasn't falling to pieces.
She sighed and looked away, "Rebecca feels just awful about the whole thing."
That's right, he had been too busy comforting Sanji to deal with Rebecca, "Is she still here?"
She shook her head, "Her cousin left with her shortly after," she trailed off waved her hand in a vague gesture, "Anyway, she wants you to know she's sorry, and she'll understand if you never want to see her again."
"It wasn't her fault," he sighed, running a hand across his face, "I don't blame her, and neither does he. I'll talk to her later and get everything sorted out."
"Good," she nodded, and they fell into silence.
More to fill the eerie quiet then out of curiosity, he asked, "Where's Pudding?"
"She's staying in one of the guest rooms."
That was surprising. Zoro tilted his head, "Not with you?"
"No," she looked up, "May I come in?"
He considered not letting her in, just closing the door and heading back to Sanji, but in the end he stepped aside.
"Thank you," she said, closing the door behind her.
The room was dark, the only light coming from the faint moonlight the streaked through the balcony windows, but he could still see a look of apprehension on her face, "Is everything alright?"
"Yes, well, as alright as it could be," she took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, "Um, we did manage to keep our relationship a secret. Pudding's story was that Sanji called her up and asked her to fake being his girlfriend for the weekend since Mom was expecting him to bring one. I said I'd recently broken up with my boyfriend, and rather than admit it, asked Sanji if I could borrow his boyfriend for the weekend."
"Well as long as your secret's safe," he spat out and crossed his arms, "That's the least of my worries right now."
"I know," she sighed, "And I'm sorry. You were right to go look after him, I was just," she bit her lip, "I panicked, and I fell into old habits, trying to protect only myself while letting Sanji suffer. I shouldn't," she paused, wiping at a stray tear from her eye, "Even after all this time I still can't help him."
He thought back to how Judge had shouted at Sanji. It didn't seem likely the others were able to escape Judge's wrath unscathed, and he wondered just how much abuse the rest of the Vinsmoke siblings suffered over the years.
"How is he really?" Reiju asked.
"M'fine," Sanji said, startling both of them as he turned over on the bed, "Don't worry about it."
As he sat up, she walked over and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug, "I'm sorry."
"S'not your fault," he hugged her back, "We're the ones that got exposed."
"That wasn't your fault," she squeezed tightly before she pulled away and stood up, "I don't blame you at all."
"Right," he sighed and looked away.
"Hey," she ran a hand through his hair as he looked back up at her, "I don't care what the others say. I love you, no matter who you love. You'll always be my little brother."
Sanji leaned forward, resting his head against her stomach as he wrapped his arms around her again, "Thank you."
They stayed like that for a moment before pulling away.
Reiju ruffled his hair and said, "Get some rest."
He nodded, already falling back on the bed as she walked to the door.
Zoro walked with her, stopping at the doorway.
She turned back and looked at him, "You know, you're the best boyfriend I've ever had."
Despite everything else going on, he chuckled, "You're not the worst girlfriend either."
She grinned, leaning forward and kissing his cheek, "Thank you, Zoro. For everything."
Zoro smiled as she left, closing the door behind her as he climbed back into bed with Sanji.
"Hey Zoro?" Sanji said as he buried his face into his chest, "Thanks for coming."
Zoro leaned in and kissed him softly, "Anytime."