A/N: I had no idea I didn't upload this. damn, i suck as an author. no excuses, no reason, just a profuse apology and three chapters for you to enjoy.
Leaving It All Behind Chapter 8
The smell of something burning pulled him from his sleep and Sanji sprang out of bed, pulling on the sweats from yesterday over his naked body as he rushed to open the bedroom door, ignoring the aching protest of his bruised chest and feet. The alarm began sounding and smoke billowed out from the kitchen as a hunched over figure stumbled into view making Sanji immediately go to the man's side to help him to sit down. A quick glance at the stove revealed the source of the fire, so Sanji hurried to turn off the burners first, before searching the cabinets for baking soda. The charred remains of something indescribable covered the bottom of the skillet, making the blonde cringe at the thought of someone being able to do such unspeakable things to food. Shaking his head, he walked over to turn the alarm off and opened a window to air out the apartment, sparing a glance at the slumped over man at the kitchen table. Sanji was torn between thinking the fool was pathetic and cute at the same time or just an idiot.
The exquisitely muscular man was dressed in a pair of long black gym shorts and a sleeveless white shirt that was now smudged with black streaks. His hands were linked together behind his head of green hair while resting his elbows on his thighs, shielding his face from Sanji's direct view. Muttered curses caught his ear as Sanji padded back over to the table and took the seat opposite his new guardian. The blonde waited a full minute before realizing that the man wasn't going to explain what had happened and decided to start asking questions.
"I take it you're not used to cooking." Sanji frowned at the undignified grunt he received in reply. "I have enough shitty people out there trying to kill me; I don't need to add you to the fucking list too. You are supposed to be keeping me alive, asshole, not poisoning me."
Hardened black eyes emerged when the green head lifted and the intensity behind them startled Sanji slightly.
"You know most civilized people have the decency to fucking say something when talked to." Sanji stood and leaned forward, placing his hands on the table so he could bend over and get eyelevel with the other man. "What is your fucking problem?"
"You're wearing my favorite sweats."
Sanji blinked a few times in surprise, not expecting anything near that reply, before anger set back in again. "It's not like I had a choice, bastard! All my shit has either been burned or otherwise destroyed on my oh-so-fun-journey around the state over the last few months. After last night I'm lucky to have my head, so shut the fuck up and piss off."
Zoro cocked his head to the side and wondered how in the world this prissy little bitch had ever gotten the better of him yesterday. This thought brought him back to what Smoker had said about the skinny blonde taking out a few men during the attack. This was the second attack on the man in less than a week. Whatever he knew, it must be important; either that or he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The curled eyebrow started to twitch and Zoro stared at it in annoyance as the swirl began to burn into his mind. He tried to remember if the one hidden beneath the blonde curtain of hair matched or if it was a freak disfigurement.
"Who the fuck did your hair, a fucking moron? You look like you let a little kid have a go at cutting it. If I looked like that I'd probably have a bunch of people trying to kill me as well," Zoro scoffed and wrinkled his nose in distaste as he began to scan over the rest of the blonde's face, or what he could see of it. His eyes kept drawing back to the brow as if it were one of the old hypnotizing swirls that made your head spin.
"As if you have any room to talk, cabbage head! Who the hell goes around with green hair? Aren't you a little old to be rebelling against your parents?" Sanji pushed up off the table to stand upright.
Zoro followed him, rising to his feet as he kept their eyes locked. "I'd rather have odd colored hair than your ugly ass face. No wonder you keep it hidden all the time."
"You're just jealous that I can get anyone I want," Sanji taunted with a mischievous lilt to his voice and slid his left hand up over the front of his pants, across his stomach and bruised chest and finally up his neck to card his fingers into his hair and pull it back from his face. He watched in amusement as dark eyes flickered to follow the movement and the scowl deepened on the tanned face when their eyes met again. Sanji smirked as he let his hair fall back in its usual manner, although it was still messy from sleep. "Don't flatter yourself. I said anyone I wanted."
"You don't have a damn thing to offer me, Blondie." Zoro stepped around the table and jabbed a finger in the middle Sanji's chest as he spoke, just above the bruised line. "I have my own standards, so keep your perverted thoughts in your head or I'll turn you over to those freaks myself."
Sanji immediately bowed up and became defensive, poking his own slender finger at Zoro's hard chest in return as he leaned in to argue. "Just whose side are you on? Smoker told me you were independent and not connected to the police, so where do your loyalties lie? I saw the picture of Chief Garp with your faghh-"
Zoro's hand circled tightly around Sanji's neck and he pulled the slender man up close so that their noses were brushing and the blonde had no excuse for not hearing what he had to say. "My father is none of your concern, nor is my involvement with the police. Smoker put you here because this is the last place anyone in the precinct would think to look for you. Now I've had a really shitty week and I didn't ask for this babysitting job but it pays the bills and allows me the opportunity to do things my way so I'll play along for now. But, if you think I'm going to give you special treatment because you're some big shot witness you've lost your mind."
The hand around his throat relaxed enough for Sanji to gulp in air and as soon as his lungs were full again, he decided it was time that he issued his own ultimatum. He took hold of the wrist below his chin in one hand and placed the other on Zoro's chest to try and get some distance between them. "If you don't get your hands off of me right now…"
A light knocking came from his front door, followed by heavy pounding that made both men jump. The door flew open and in walked a tall, broad shouldered man with blue hair and dark glasses. As soon as he was inside, a yellow and red blur ran straight for the two arguing men, causing Zoro to release Sanji abruptly to intercept the bundle. A huge smile graced the face of an adorable little girl with golden pigtails and a cherry colored winter jacket as she clung to Zoro's leg for a moment before backing up and looking at Sanji questioningly.
"Is he why you cleaned up?" she asked in awe.
Zoro patted her on the head and nodded, thinking that it was an easier explanation than the truth. She smiled again, disinterested now that she had her answer and wandered off into the living room to inspect the area where the coffee table had been the day before. He turned his attention to his friend and groaned at the delight on Franky's face as he looked back and forth between Zoro and Sanji. The mechanic hadn't been in when Zoro stopped by last night, but Robin had been kind enough to take the order for new locks and assured him everything would be ready in the morning. Zoro knew he should have insisted on picking it up himself.
"Franky." Zoro nodded in greeting. It was then that he finally realized just how close he was still standing to his new houseguest and also the fact that Sanji still had one hand splayed over his chest while gently held his wrist in the other hand. Zoro jerked out of the hold easily, a light dusting of pink barely able to be seen beneath the tan on his cheeks. "Um, hey."
Sanji too realized how the situation must have looked to the visitor and chuckled at how awkward of a position Zoro kept putting himself in front of others. As it was now, they would have a hard time convincing anyone that they were not involved. Watching them intently was the man that Zoro had addressed as Franky. Knowing that Zoro probably didn't have enough manners to introduce them, Sanji took it into his own hands and walked up to the large man. "Hey, Franky was it? I'm Sanji. Good to meet you."
Franky's smile only grew as he took the blonde's hand in his own, pumping it several times as he clapped the slender man on the shoulder, impressed when the man didn't outwardly wince. He took in the bruises on the pale skin, noting that they were consistent with the size of Zoro's practice sword and wondered if that was how the two had met. "Sanji? Well it sure is a surprise to meet you. I knew that something was going on with the boy, but I had no idea…" Franky trailed off as he looked over at Zoro who had something akin to panic in his eyes. "I gotta say though, bro; you really pick them special."
"He's special all right," Zoro swore under his breath as he gave said blonde a warning look. He noticed Sanji grabbing his cigarettes and looked over to where Chimney was searching for the remote in the couch. "Hey shithead, take your smokes outside."
The gruff voice grated on his nerves and Sanji looked up, ready to snap back at the man before realizing that Zoro's eyes were on the child in the room. The kid probably wasn't used to being around smokers, and Sanji could understand not wanting to expose the little girl to unnecessary bad habits. Nodding in resignation, Sanji looked around and saw the heavy wool pea coat; knowing that it was much warmer than the ratty jacket that he had been wearing when he came. Not caring if Zoro liked it or not, Sanji walked over and slipped it on before heading to the window with the fire escape. Once outside, he realized how cold his bare feet were, but stubbornly refused to go back inside for shoes. He'd just smoke one or two to get his fix and hurry back in.
As soon as the blonde was out of earshot, Zoro turned to level a hardened glare at his blue-haired friend only to be caught up in a bone crushing embrace.
"I'm so happy for you, bro. I knew that something was different with you lately, but I would have never figured it to be this! This is super! When did you guys meet?" Franky finally let go and clapped Zoro on the back a few times as the man tried to catch his breath. "I bet it's one of those cool classic things where you guys fell for each other at first sight, right?"
"No, nothing like that at all," Zoro managed to get out. "He's just a shitty jackass who's crashing here for a while. He'll be lucky if I don't kill him by the end of the week."
Franky winked at him. "Ohhhhhh, gotcha. You guys aren't ready to announce this to everyone yet."
The vein at Zoro's temple began to pulse visibly as he fought with the desire to pummel everything in sight. First Ace, and now Franky; would this nightmare ever end? "There's nothing to announce. I'm serious Franky. He's just a…" Zoro stopped and looked out the window to where the blonde was sucking on another cigarette. What was he? Not a friend, and definitely not a lover, so what? A blue eye met with his and that disturbing curled eyebrow rose in question. "…a fucking pain in the ass."
Sanji smirked at the angry look on Zoro's face and decided that he needed to put that shitty bastard in his place, and soon. If he had to be stuck with a sourpuss jackass as a guard for who knows how long, he could at least have some fun with it. Sanji tossed the spent cigarette over the rail and stepped back through into the welcoming warmth of the apartment, the hearty boisterous laughter from Franky filling the room. Sanji returned the jacket to it peg by the door and wondered who exactly the man was exactly. Seeing that a young girl was in the apartment now, Sanji decided that he should probably get dressed. Zoro had already started down the hall so the blonde quickly followed and shoved his way into the bedroom before the green-haired man could shut the door.
"What the fuck asshole?" Zoro shouted, shutting the door out of habit.
"Calm down, moron. I just need to get some clean clothes," Sanji said offhandedly as he began searching through the closet for something that might fit him.
"The hell you will! Damn it! Give me back my pants." Zoro reached for the clothes that had just been pulled out only to end up empty-handed.
Sanji held up a pair of skinny jeans that looked like Zoro would have to be melted and poured into, and nodded approvingly, tossing them over his shoulder as he continued his quest to find an outfit.
"Wait, what are you doing? No." Zoro grabbed the blue shirt from Sanji's hands and tossed it back into the closet, not caring that was now wadded into a ball on the floor.
"You idiot! You don't treat such delicate stuff like that. You don't even deserve to have you hands on something that exquisite." Sanji hurried to pick up the wrinkled garment and frowned. "Now look at it. It'll take forever to get it to hang right."
"I told you not to mess with it in the first place." Zoro rolled his eyes as he pulled the dirty shirt over his head and tossed it almost on top of Sanji's feet.
Sanji frowned as he looked down at it before glancing back up at the larger man expectantly. When Zoro continued to ignore him, appearing more interested in finding clean clothes, Sanji sighed and dropped the sweats he was wearing without any mind for modesty. He pulled the jeans on over his bare ass and checked out their fit in the mirrored doors. Satisfied that they looked acceptable, he reached for where he had laid down the shirt. Even though the silk wasn't in pristine condition anymore Sanji sighed happily as he slipped the fine material over his shoulders and began to fasten the buttons. He used his feet to kick up the dirty clothes on the floor; Zoro's shorts having joined the pile at some point while Sanji had been dressing. Not bothering to see if Zoro was decent, Sanji opened the door and walked out, stopping at the bathroom to drop the laundry in the basket. He was walking back out when Zoro passed by, a large tanned hand shoving the blonde back into the tiled room and out of the way.
"Fucker," Sanji grumbled under his breath as he caught himself on the edge of the sink. He ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath to steady his anger before stepping back out and walking to the kitchen. He watched as Zoro ruffled the girl's hair and a gentle smile graced the man's lips, the soft look almost endearing if it were only on someone else's face. Not wanting to interfere in the tender moment, Sanji headed for the refrigerator and began to search the contents for something he could work with for breakfast. Not knowing if he should cook for just the two of them, or the additional guests, Sanji called out "Hey, you guys hungry?"
Almost instantly the small blonde had inserted herself between Sanji and the shelves of the fridge, the little girl on her tiptoes as she seemed to search for something specific.
"Where are the donuts?" Her large eyes filled with innocent curiosity as she looked up at Sanji.
Sanji shuddered as he thought about the likely eating habits of his guardian, especially if this morning's catastrophe was any indication of the man's cooking skills. "How about I cook some Belgian waffles for you? And then I'll add some…"
"None of that fancy shit, cook, just some eggs and bacon," Zoro interrupted.
"…whipped cream and strawberries if we have any. If not, then we'll just have to come up with something else." Sanji smiled sweetly down at the girl as she beamed with excitement at the prospected food. "Then we'll see about getting Mr. Grumpy over there his eggs, but I think he's ruined most of them already." Sanji gestured to the pan on the stove and both blonde's giggled.
Zoro yielded to joining Franky in the living room to watch a rerun of Yankee Workshop, though as soon as the green-haired man leaned back in the leather chair, his eyes closed and he was asleep. He woke a short time later to the delicious smells of sausage, pancakes, eggs, biscuits and gravy, and the sight of his new charge happily running around in a frilly pink apron. Never before had his little table seen that much home cooked food stacked upon it, and the display both warmed his heart and tore a hole through it. Cooking was always associated with his mother and family, neither of which he had. The sight of the lavish spread was a blatant reminder of that fact. Feeling sick to his stomach, Zoro went to the front door and slid on his boots, the need to get away pulling at him hard. He had almost escaped when a hand caught him by his upper arm and he spun around to look into the pissed off face of the blonde cook.
"Where the hell are you going?"
"None of your concern," Zoro grumbled and jerked his arm out of Sanji's hold.
"You know, I'm getting really sick of being left alone. If you're not careful, one of these times you're gonna come back to an empty apartment." Sanji folded his arms across his chest and evenly met Zoro's glare, though he noticed the larger man tense visibly at the threat.
"Your loss," was all Zoro said before picking up his black case and stepping out the door. Just before it closed behind him, he heard the disheartened 'goodbye' from his little neighbor. Completely feeling like an asshole now, Zoro headed for the stairs and slowly descended, not really sure where he was going, but he knew that he needed to be anywhere but there.
-/-/-/-/-/-
The practice rooms at the dojo were full with students and private lessons, so Zoro decided to head down to the river and see if either Johnny or Yosaku were anywhere around. The winding path behind the building was covered in leaves that had been buried beneath the snow, making the walk a bit slippery as Zoro began his descent. An empty bank greeted him when he emerged from the trees and Zoro almost turned back, but a strange pull urged him to go ahead and take a seat on the driftwood that had been pulled aside for a bench. He stared out at the water and wondered how different his life would be if his parents were still around to influence him. If nothing else, his father would be prodding him into action to practice and ready himself for the next tournament.
Zoro calmed his mind and closed his eyes, listening to every sound that came from the water and beyond. Dogs were barking at something off in a distance, and the thumping of someone's too loud base in their car faded as it drove by. The noisy chatter of birds and squirrels arguing over newly uncovered food drifted from the trees as the creatures began to emerge from their winter retreats. The notes of a familiar tune caught Zoro's ear and he spun around, searching for source. Not even the sounds of the animals could be heard anymore as Zoro's threatening aura began to seep into the clearing, warning everyone and everything to be wary of the young man.
-/-/-/-/-/-
"He's not ready," the white-haired man argued.
"Maybe, but he's pretty good, and Master says that he wants him." Absalom huffed in annoyance, silently agreeing with the man's assessment, but knowing that their opinions weren't of much importance. "Now that Perona has been caught, we're short on men. Master wants that thief found and soon. The trial date is approaching fast. You're not getting soft, are you, Ryu?"
They continued looking down on Zoro's still figure, where it sat on the old log in meditation, until the older man turned and walked away. Absalom turned to watch him leave and wondered why the usually quiet man was putting up such a fuss about the green-haired swordsman, but dismissed it as one of his coworker's odd quirks and left it at that. The soft whistling from the man faded as his white coat disappeared into the foliage. Absalom turned back to see Zoro on his feet, alert and searching the trees for something. He wondered if the green-haired man had heard them speaking or if it was the musical notes that caught Zoro's ear. Either way, Absalom knew he had been found, so he hopped out of the tree where he had been perched, almost silently making his way onto the sandy shore.
Absalom noted the case by Zoro's side and made sure that his own weapons were ready should he need to draw them quickly. "You're a hard person for us to talk to."
"What the fuck do you want?" Zoro's eyes never left the man, but he continued to listen for the sound of any others that might appear.
"Your cooperation is necessary now. We are running out of time."
Zoro shoved the strange feeling aside that the whistled tune had provoked and tried to focus solely on the man before him. "Just what is it you're wanting from me? You keep saying that you need my help, but you never say what it is that you need help with."
"Just the acquisition of a single man."
"You want me to find someone for you?" Zoro stared at the idiot in disbelief for a moment before it dawned on him that he might already have the man they were looking for in his apartment. For a split second he was ready to tell them to come get the blonde.
"Here is the information we have on him." Absalom pulled out a large manila envelope and handed it to the skeptical swordsman. "We have included a ten thousand dollar incentive, and are willing to pay another twenty when the guy is handed over alive. All we can tell you is that he's somewhere close."
Zoro wondered where Smoker was at the moment, and if the detective could get there before he ended up killing this arrogant asshole, or if he should bite his tongue and keep his cool until next time. Slowly, Zoro took the proffered envelope and gave the other man a curt nod, hopefully enough of an acceptance of the terms to satisfy him. He watched as Absalom walked back into the trees and mysteriously disappeared into thin air. Lifting the flap on the envelope, Zoro withdrew a large picture of a face he was beginning to know all too well. Sanji stared back at him from the black and white gloss paper, a chef's uniform on and looking exceedingly happier than when Zoro had left him in the apartment. The restaurant in the background was unfamiliar, but then the fanciness of the décor was a totally different level than what Zoro would ever consider going to.
His stomach growled at him again and he thought about the breakfast he had passed up back home. Maybe he should head back there and… Well there was no way he was apologizing, but he could at least head back and not let all that food go to waste. The envelope was tucked inside his waistband, and Zoro hurried back up the path to check his schedule for the rest of the week. Koushirou had done his best to give Zoro plenty of time off, but staffing was short; not to mention the fact that Zoro was the most sought after instructor in the school. The green-haired swordsman muttered several curses as he realized he was on the list for teaching today.
-/-/-/-/-/-
It was late afternoon by the time that Zoro returned to the apartment, still dressed in a borrowed keikogi and drenched in sweat. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the state of his kitchen and the white powder covered blondes standing in it. Chimney and Sanji were laughing happily as they worked to sweep up the spilled flour and the smell of cookies filled the air around them. Their smiles didn't waver as they looked up at him, a slightly guilty flush gracing their cheeks at being caught in the middle of their mess. Unable to contain his own amusement, Zoro turned his back to them as he closed his door so he could control the smile that had started to escape.
"Zoro! We're making cookies! I got to mix everything, but then the bag of flour got in the way and fell over. This huge cloud of white puffed into the air and made us both sneeze." Chimney covered her mouth to try and hold back the giggles, but failed miserably.
"So I can see." Zoro walked over to toss his bag onto the couch, not noticing that the confidential envelope had slipped out and fallen to the floor. "Where's Franky?"
"He said he had a few errands to run and that his sisters would be picking up the little princess around four, so they should be here anytime now," Sanji called out as he bent down to sweep the pile of ruined ingredients into the dustpan. "I promised Chimney she could take some cookies with her so I hope the ladies don't mind waiting a few extra minutes."
"Whatever." Zoro started off to take a shower when he noticed Chimney still standing there watching him with a sad look in her eyes. He remembered his abrupt departure earlier and wondered if she was still upset about it. Women, no matter what their age, would continue to confuse him for as long as he lived. He ruffled her hair as he walked by, scowling at the white cloud that hung around her head after. The small action seemed to ebb the sadness a little and took some of the guilt off of Zoro's shoulders. The feeling of hot water against his skin beckoned him, so Zoro gave her a half grin as he resumed his path and stepped into the bathroom. He would make it up to the girl properly later. The door closed, blocking out most of the noise coming from the other end of the apartment and leaving Zoro to take his shower in relative peace.
In the short time it had taken him to clean up, Mozu and Kiwi had arrived and taken the energetic little blonde with them to their own apartment. He didn't dare ask how things had gone, for fear of some new twist on the already messed up lie that he had planned on telling everyone in regards to his new houseguest. Zoro glared over at the cook and his scowl deepened when he noticed the manila envelope in Sanji's hands.
"Don't you know better than to stay out of other people's shit, asshole?" Zoro reached to snatch the package and was instead met with a solid kick to his face, bloodying his nose and sending him flying backwards. He bounced up quickly and prepared to go on the offence when he noticed the trembling in the cook's hand which held his picture. Realizing how bad it looked, Zoro tried to calm down enough to explain what was going on. "Before you came to stay here, Smoker asked me to look into the guys that were carrying out the hits on all the witnesses. As you can see, it looks like I've found them."
"There's quite a bit of money in here. You thinking about taking the offer?" Sanji's body shifted and Zoro could tell he was preparing to react depending on what the response was.
"Maybe… You are a severe pain in my ass, and I could use the extra cash."
The envelope fell, sending all the papers and photos scattering to the floor as Sanji charged at him, anger fully renewed and obviously reenergized after a decent meal and night's sleep. Zoro caught him mid air and threw him into the couch, deciding that he had given the scrawny little shit enough leeway since his arrival. Sanji literally bounced off the furniture as he sprang back at the larger man, not a care in the world for anything standing in his way. One of the chairs to the table splintered beneath them as they fell in a jumble of punches and kicks, each using every little dirty trick to their advantage to get the upper hand.
Sanji kneed Zoro in the groin hard, doubling over the man for a moment, but not long enough to get more than one good hit in. Pissed off now, Zoro grabbed a handful of golden hair and used the hold to throw the blonde across the room into the kitchen. Sanji slid across the stone tile and rolled over to his feet, jumping up on the counter and leaping back onto Zoro, knocking them both to the floor again. Zoro's face was slammed into the rug and when he opened his eyes, his body froze, not even noticing the blonde atop him, trying to turn him over. The second his eyes focused, Zoro forgot all about the fight, the case, and even the presence of another being in his home. All that mattered now was the faint imprint of artwork under black type. The skinny cook was tossed to the side like a forgotten rag doll and never given a second glance as Zoro's eyes stayed focused on the single piece of paper beneath his nose.
Zoro snatched up the document and scrambled to his feet, heading directly for the phone. He had to hang up and redial twice due to mistakes, the anxiousness making his hands tremble as his mind filled with past horrors. When the line was picked up on the other end, Zoro had to clear his throat before he could speak intelligibly, and even then his voice sounded dead.
"Get over here. I've found something." There was a long pause of silence before Zoro nodded and cradled the phone again without saying goodbye.
Sanji watched him from his still crouched position on the floor, unsure of what was going on, but knowing that it had to be something important to change the man's aura that fast. Zoro had gone from pissed to stone cold in less than a heartbeat. Sanji slowly rose to his feet and cautiously walked over to where Zoro was standing silently by the phone. He could see the slight tremor in the calloused hand that held a letter size sheet of seemingly inconspicuous paper. It was now slightly crumpled due to the tight grip in which it was being held, but Sanji could see that it was a list of people and address of those that were close to the cook, as well as some of the restaurants that he had worked at in the past. Chills ran down Sanji's spine as he realized how much the enemy knew about him and how much danger some of his friends might be in.
Nothing on the page really stood out to him as odd except the unusual watermark, barely visible in the background: a strange skull with what appeared to be flames on each side of it and wings coming out from behind. It looked like something that belonged on an old pirate flag, not a symbol for a company of any sort, but Sanji had to admit he was familiar with it and had seen it several times in the past. It was the same symbol that appeared on the papers that he had seen passed around during the meetings at the Baratie between the people who were trying to kill him and several other groups. He wondered what connection Zoro had to it.
"Zoro?" Sanji approached the man cautiously. "What the fuck is going on?"
Zoro's shoulders drew back as he took a deep breath in and turned to look at the oddly concerned blonde. "What can you tell me about these people after you?"
"First you tell me what's so important about a shitty piece of paper, and then maybe I'll think about answering you." Sanji took his cigarettes off the counter and shook one out of the pack.
There was a flash of anger across Zoro's face before he took a deep breath to settle himself and answer. "I've seen this paper before. It was used to print a shipping list of packages that accompanied my parents on the flight that sent them to the bottom of the ocean."
Sanji's hand holding his cigarette paused, inches from his mouth as his mind tried to make the connection. If it truly was the same, then both of their worlds had gotten a lot more complicated. "Wait, you think the same guys who are trying to kill me are the ones responsible for your parents' death? How do you figure that?"
The silence was deafening between them as they stood there, glaring yet not at each other. Both men were on defense, guarding their secrets cautiously as they tried to decide what bits of information to reveal to the other. Sensing the genuine concern from the blonde, Zoro looked back down at the paper and began to smooth out the wrinkles in effort to make it flat again.
"Because this logo was on the side of the boxes that were shipped on the flight with my parents, yet mysteriously never found at the crash site, just as my parents were never found. It's the only link I have and the first clue to surface in over three years."
"Shit… and here I thought that Ace was exaggerating about your parents." Sanji shook his head in disbelief as he struck a match. The flame jumped to life and was brought to the tip of the cigarette dangling from the cook's mouth. "So all these years, you've been running after a shitty looking logo when you should have been looking for a specific man instead."
"I couldn't find it associated with anyone, so how the hell was I to know who to look for? The only surveillance footage was too blurry to make out anything of use." Zoro brushed past the cook to return to the spilled contents of the envelope on the floor. He picked them up and sat down on the couch to look through the papers intently. When there was knocking at the door, Zoro seemed unfazed by it and continued to read each document carefully. Sanji crushed out his cigarette in the ashtray he had found in the cabinet and went to greet their visitor.
-/-/-/-/-/-
Sanji had been expecting to see Detective Smoker on the other side of the door, so when he opened it to find a handsome young man instead, it somewhat threw him off his game. He blinked owlishly a few times before finding his voice, and his manners.
"Can I help you?" Sanji took in the proud way the man carried himself as well as the way his left arm seemed to be favored and wondered if maybe he shouldn't have opened the door so far. This could easily be one of the attackers, and Sanji had practically invited the man in.
"I…" The silver haired man peeked inside the apartment and looked around, a bit confused. He stepped back and looked at the door plaque, seeing that it indeed was the right apartment before chuckling lightly and shaking his head. "I guess you're Sanji. The guys weren't kidding when they said that Zoro had changed."
"I am, and what guys?" Sanji shook hands with him and stepped aside to let the amused man enter. "Why is it that he tells me not to tell anyone I'm here, but he goes out and tells everyone he knows."
"I didn't, they're just a bunch of women who like to gossip," Zoro argued from his seat on the couch. He gave just enough effort to look over his shoulder and nod to the visitor before returning to his study. "Saga, did you bring the file?"
"I got it."
Saga had just started out as a private investigator when Zoro's parents died. He worked diligently on the case for six months before sitting his best friend down and telling him that although he wasn't giving up, there was just nothing left to go on. It was at this point that Zoro finally broke down and held the funeral. After Zoro had called earlier, Saga immediately jumped at the thought of a new lead and hurried over as soon as he could get away. He began taking his jacket off and was surprised when Sanji was right there to help him out of it. He thanked the blonde before making his way over to the couch to sit beside his friend, noticing the shattered chair and odd positions of the remaining furniture. He didn't have to use any of his PI skills to discern that a heated fight had occurred and recently.
Saga was about to ask about the scuffle when Zoro reached under the hem of the investigator's shirt and pulled the folder from the waist band. He'd hidden it there to keep his wife from seeing and insisting that she come along. With her this far along in pregnancy, she didn't need any of this extra stress, so he would shield her as much as possible. Saga watched as Zoro slipped off the couch to the floor and finally realized that the coffee table was missing from the empty space. Old and new papers were lined up, side by side and Saga whistled low as the missing pieces of the puzzle began to appear.
"I thought you were probably just following another dead end, brother, but it looks like you've actually found something." Saga looked up from the picture of Sanji on the floor to the real thing currently washing dishes in the kitchen and wondered what the story was behind the blonde's appearance in Zoro's life. He had seen Luffy and Usopp last night at Makino's where they had proceeded to tell him all about his friend's change in appearance. Saga dropped his voice to a hushed tone and kept his eyes on Sanji as he spoke. "You do realize he's the only one who can lead you to the guy behind the symbol, right?"
"Yes." Zoro followed Saga's line of sight and watched Sanji for a moment before the cook turned and caught him staring, giving Zoro a flirty wink. The swordsman scoffed at the action and returned to reading over the papers again. "If I don't kill him first."
Saga smiled warmly down at his friend and patted him on the shoulder. "I'm assuming that the reason he's here is so you can protect him, so I find that hard to believe."
"Why should you. No one else believes what I tell them about him," Zoro grumbled as he turned another page.
"Maybe they see something you don't," Saga offered, holding up a hand in front of him to ward off any arguments from the green-haired man. "Just think about it. This change in your life might be just the thing you need. It's all right there. The only thing you have to do is open your eyes and see it."
Sanji came out of the kitchen carrying a large tray filled with cookies and two tall glasses of milk. He had changed out of his flour covered clothes into a baggy pair of pants and a slightly large t-shirt with the Galley-La logo on it, showing to whom the clothes originally belonged. The blonde sat the snack down on the floor next to Zoro and gave the grumpy man a sly smirk before taking a seat in the adjacent side chair next to him. Zoro glared at the bare feet that were now only inches from his thigh and debated pouring the glass of milk on them, but deemed it a waste of a good drink. Saga edged Zoro even closer to the blonde as he joined the green haired man on the floor and happily dug into the sweets, humming in appreciation around a full mouth. Sanji's smile increased at the positive response and the blonde relaxed further into his chair.
"So tell me a little about yourself, Sanji," Saga asked after washing down several cookies with the ice cold milk. "How did you get mixed up in all of this?"
Zoro lifted his head at the question and looked over to see Sanji frowning as the cook stared intently at an unlit cigarette. He could see the troubled expressions pass over the blonde's face as they waited for a response and was honestly curious about the answer himself. All Smoker had told him was that the guy was testifying in a major case and he needed to stay alive. What did he know? How was he connected to the people who were possibly responsible for his parent's death? Zoro watched as Sanji sat up and finally lit his cigarette before forcing a smile.
"Since you're looking at my file, you're either another hitman or connected to the police somehow, I'm guessing. But, if Zoro trusts you, I guess it's alright." Sanji looked up and held Saga's pleased gaze as he spoke. "About a year ago, these guys start coming in and booking one of our banquet rooms to hold meetings in every so often. They never had a schedule; sometimes coming in the morning for breakfast, or late at night just before closing. I always made sure the bastards were well taken care of, sometimes serving them myself if necessary. That's probably my first mistake."
"One night, a new girl joined their group. I'm sure that underneath all the scars, she was beautiful, but whatever had happened changed that. The biggest man in the group, the one they all called Master, ignored her like she wasn't even alive. But the other one…" Sanji's lip curled into a sneer as he remembered the way the bastard treated the delicate creature. "She began crying, so as any gentleman would, I started over to see if I could comfort her. That's when I sealed my fate."
"A tall man grabbed me and pulled me into the shadows, shoved a box into my hands and made me swear that I would hide it at all costs. Shots rang out between the two groups and everyone left on staff that night was gunned down. The office and computers were trashed and if it hadn't been for the cops showing up when they did, they'd probably have burnt it down as well. It was the first time the old man had left me in charge," Sanji laughed bitterly. "I doubt he'll ever do that again."
"So you're the only one left who could identify the shooters. Not to mention you could probably point out some of the other men that they had met with," Saga mused as he grabbed one more dessert from the plate.
"Why give the box to you?" Zoro had picked up one of the cookies and was studying it like it might be poisonous.
Sanji shrugged his shoulders as he leaned back and nudged Zoro's leg with his foot, earning him a nasty look. "It's a snicker doodle, shit-for-brains. Just eat it."
Saga switched his empty glass for Zoro's untouched one as Zoro took his first tentative bite. The slight raise of his eyebrows and the speed at which the rest of the treat disappeared told how much he liked it. He wolfed down two more greedily as he realized how hungry he actually was, this being the first solid food he'd eaten all day.
"Do you have any other names you can give us?" Saga asked, grinning sheepishly when Zoro reached for his drink. "I know you said that they called the one guy Master, but what about the others?"
"Doctor H. Everything was paid in cash and the place was always reserved under Doctor H." Sanji took Zoro's cup from his hand and headed for the kitchen, returning a moment later with another full glass of milk. He sat it down by Zoro as he took a seat on the arm of the chair. "They were usually at the restaurant with one other guy; a little short round guy with beady eyes and long canines, making him almost vampire like. Hodgens, Higgins, Hilton… damn, I can't remember. The detective should have it all written down somewhere."
"Maybe I'll go see what Smoker is up to. Hey, Sanji, can I take some of these to my wife? Maya's expecting and it would probably help get me out of trouble for coming over here without her if I brought something sweet back." Saga grinned like a hopeful child as he tried to gain a bargaining chip.
"Anything for a woman in need," Sanji said dramatically as he stood up and snatched the tray from under Zoro's nose, watching in amusement as Zoro pouted at the loss of his snack. "Don't worry, Marimo, I'll make you some more tomorrow."
Zoro bristled at the name, knowing exactly what the word meant. His mother had tried to bring back specimens of the algae to grow in their koi pond, only to find it wouldn't survive in the vastly different habitat from its native home. He opened his mouth to argue back just as his apartment phone rang and Zoro paled when Sanji reached over without hesitation to answer it.
"Roronoa residence, how may I help you?" Sanji turned his back to Zoro and grabbed a pen off the counter, flipping over one of the envelopes from the stacked up mail to use as a note pad. "Hey! ...Uh huh… OK… Not a problem. I'll talk to you later, then. Ciao."
Saga looked back and forth between Zoro and Sanji quickly before deciding it was definitely time for him to be leaving. He could almost see the steam coming out of Zoro's ears as the hot-headed man tried to glare holes through Sanji's back. Saga began gathering up the papers on the floor, making sure to leave all of the photos and unrelated material in a neat stack beside his friend before sliding the rest back in the envelope he had brought with him.
"That was Ace." Sanji spoke loudly, so his voice would travel clearly from the kitchen to where the men were sitting. He paused for a moment as he dug around in the cabinet for some aluminum foil. "He said that he didn't have anything for you yet, but he's checking on something tonight and he'll get back with you as soon as he can."
"I'll check back with you too, Zoro. I need to check on Maya before I run down to the precinct." Saga accepted the metal origami swan filled with cookies and thanked the proud cook several times before allowing the blonde to help him with his jacket. Something about the way Sanji acted made him realize the man wasn't helping out of pity for his disability, but rather as a kind gesture of deep rooted manners and etiquette. True, he and Zoro seemed to clash constantly, but maybe that's what made them so perfect for each other. Saga turned to the blonde and looked him deep in the eyes, making sure that the seriousness of what he was about to say would sink in. "That buffoon over there might be rough around the edges, but if this turns out to be a solid link, I want you to promise me that you'll watch out for him. I can't be here to keep him from trying to play vigilante, and I know he'll want to. You two let the law handle this, and stay put when we tell you."
"I want these clowns brought to justice just as much as you do," Sanji assured him with an elusive answer and walked with the PI to the door. "Give our best to your wife. Let me know if she wants more."
Saga smiled, happy with how comfortable he felt around Zoro's houseguest and hoped that his stubborn friend would take his advice to heart and seek out companionship with the blonde. They both looked like they could use some stress relief, and what better way than with someone who could possibly be the missing link to resolving past issues. Saga waved goodbye to Zoro who was still seated on the floor and shook hands with the cook once more before heading out the door.
Sanji stretched dramatically as he wandered into the kitchen and began getting things out to prepare the evening meal. The grumbling of Zoro's stomach hadn't gone unnoticed and he felt it served the oaf right for running out on breakfast that morning. At least Franky and Chimney had appreciated it. Sanji chuckled to himself as he thought about the eccentric blue haired man, and wondered if Zoro had any idea what they had talked about in his absence. Strange enough, the topics ranged from the new dinner theater aboard a renovated steamboat to the possible reasons that Chimney was so taken with Zoro. Franky treated Sanji as an old friend; like he had been there forever and they were just catching up. The sense of nostalgia helped to relieve a great deal of tension that had built up, and Sanji began to consider even thanking the detective for sending him to stay here.
His mind began to wander over all the people he had met so far since Zoro had entered his life. Ace wasn't someone new, but for as long as they had been apart, it was close enough to starting over. Smoker was also technically before he met Zoro, but he still counted him since the detective was the person who brought them together. Chimney had been adorable, though he and Franky never did come to a conclusion on why she liked the grumpy swordsman. The twins were also a welcome site. It had been far too long since Sanji had been in the presence of one beautiful woman, let alone two. Mozu and Kiwi kept telling him how happy they were that he was living there and if he ever needed anything to come down and see them. They had barely been gone a full minute when Zoro came out of the bathroom after his shower. And finally there was Saga, who seemed to be closer to Zoro than any of the others. If the private investigator turned out to be half as good as he claimed to be, Sanji actually stood a chance to be back home before Memorial Day.
Out of the corner of his eye, Sanji watched Zoro get up from the floor and walk over to the surround sound system. He messed with the buttons for a moment before Fly Me To The Moon, by Frank Sinatra echoed out of the speakers. The choice in music startled him, as did the pained expression on Zoro's face as the green-haired man stood looking at a small photo in his hand. Sanji turned down the burner on the stove to let the contents of the pot thicken and walked into the living room cautiously. He was about six feet away when Zoro spoke.
"He told you to not let me go after them, didn't he?"
It took Sanji a moment to process the question before he realized Zoro was referring to Saga. "He said to not let you do anything stupid like trying to play jury, judge and executioner."
Zoro snorted and slipped the photo back into a book, replacing it to the shelves before Sanji could get a good look at it. "He'd better hope he gets to him first then. If that guy is really responsible for the plane crash…"
"And if he's not?"
There was a long pause of silence before Zoro shook his head and shrugged his shoulders, silently admitting that he had no idea what would happen then.
"It looks like we both have a lot on the line with this case then," Sanji pondered, returning to the kitchen when the timer on the oven went off. "Dinner's ready."
They ate in relative silence; the widening of Zoro's eyes at the first bit the only indication he was impressed with the food. Sanji was glad he had decided to keep the meal basic; London broil, roasted potatoes with stock gravy, a simple side salad and garlic biscuits. Nothing was left on their plates or in the bowls when the two young men finished eating their fill and then some. Zoro stood side by side with the cook washing dishes that night, the only words breaking the silence were the soft murmurs of Zoro's name from the Sanji's lips as he passed a clean dish to be dried.
Together, they sat on the couch watching random channels as Sanji searched for something of interest. Zoro's eyes glazed over, unfocused as he lost himself in the new information he had received. Sanji was the missing link he needed to find the man behind the suspicious boxes and that same man wanted the blonde dead. There were at least three assassins that he could discern, the annoying girl fortunately behind bars thanks to Sanji. Absalom was another, and it was he that Zoro had the pleasure of doing business with lately. The third was still a mystery, but Zoro was sure he'd heard a second person in the woods with the cattish man earlier. 'Fly Me to the Moon.' Why was he whistling that tune? It must be pure coincidence. Zoro turned to look at Sanji and was a bit surprised to see the cook slumped over, fast asleep. Liking the idea, Zoro turned off the TV and headed for his room, but not before haphazardly throwing a blanket over the snoring man on the couch. There was much to do tomorrow and he needed to be well rested to endure it.
Dreams of jazz bands and his mother's laughter haunted him the entire night.