Sanji was surprised to find that the Marimo had actually found his way to the computer lab. He was really expecting to have to wait, so it was a surprise. Even if he was scared beyond belief, he still couldn't help but smile seeing Zoro leaning up against a table in the empty room. He closed the door behind him and pulled the shade down. This lab had been closed all year thankfully, but for some reason it was never locked. Often they found themselves having their meeting's here on the rare occasion they did meet during the day.
The swordsman jumped up straighter when he saw Sanji walk in, drop his bag and head over to him. Instantly though his months of training not to be so affectionate at school were tossed out the window and Zoro had his arms around Sanji, drawing him in closer. Sanji was surprised but used to this, the Marimo was basically like a puppy dog, always craving for more affection. It made Sanji laugh into the kiss that Zoro had moved back to make, until finally pulling apart, studying the blonde's expression.
"Alright Cook, I got you where I want you." He grinned. "Now tell me what the hell is going on with you. Are you sick?"
He'd be a bad boyfriend if he didn't at least know about how Sanji kept feeling under the weather lately and the way he'd been getting so tired during their dates. At first he had thought it was just the idiot cook overworking again, but now he wasn't entirely sure. He loosely held his arms around his sides.
Sanji blushed a little at the others words. He hated when he got all concerned, it was unlike him. Though he'd like to stay like this, stay in Zoro's arms however, he had to step back.
"I told you I'm fine, we just..." He began, trying to find his voice and the determination he had had earlier. "We need to talk."
The famous break up line was enough to tense Zoro's body. He straightened up, fearing for the worst. Did the cook, want to break up with him? But he had thought that they'd been close, something they both liked a lot. Perhaps he was misled and Sanji wasn't enjoying the relationship just as he did? He furrowed his brows.
"Alright. 'Bout what?" He tried keeping his voice neutral.
Sanji looked down, unsure how to just come out with it. He could do it like the doctors had, just spit it out and show the ultrasound, but for some reason it didn't seem like it would go that well with Zoro. He could just tell him and offer to show the ultrasound picture, if he really wanted to see it.
"Zoro I…" He gave a nervous laugh. "I really don't know how to say this but..."
The swordsman balled his hands into fists, preparing himself for it. Sanji was laughing now? During this assumed break up scenario? But the words see other people or just be friends never came. He looked up though at what he had heard.
"I'm pregnant... Somehow."
Zoro stared at Sanji a long moment until he just couldn't hold it in anymore. He let out a nervous laugh, relief flooding over him. Thank god this wasn't a break up, the Marimo didn't know how he'd react to it. He really cared for Sanji. Though, he looked back at him curiously, regarding what he had said. Dumbstruck, he tilted his head.
"What?"
Sanji's face was burning hot. He didn't want to have to explain this kind of shit. Damn it he didn't want to be pregnant and have to tell Zoro about it. It was fucking weird. Didn't help the shit head had laughed!
"I said I'm pregnant. It's yours."
Chopper did something he never usually did. He lied. He wasn't about to just sit idly by while his patient went and did something that was no doubt about to get his heart racing. That and if Zoro became skeptical, hopefully he could help right? He snuck into the hall of the computer lab, happy to find that it was empty. Usually all the halls were because who was going to pass up on lunch, it proved very helpful.
When he got to the front of the computer lab, he sighed, finding that the door had been closed and the blind shut. That could only mean one thing, this was how Sanji and Zoro had entered. The mini doctor didn't want to just barge in unannounced, but the not knowing what was happening with Sanji was killing him. Instead he went down the hall to the storage closet, luckily finding it open and making his way in.
It was filled with brooms and cleaning supplies, as it should be, but it also had something very handy. The back door to the computer lab. He didn't question the setup of the school, mostly accepting it when it helped him out. This door was also unlocked, prompting the doctor to whisper out in his excitement 'score'! He slowly turned the knob, opening the door slowly just an inch so that he could look in to watch and listen.
Zoro crossed his arms, staring at Sanji for another few seconds. The cook was serious about this wasn't he? Was this some kind of joke? He really didn't like playing around, even if it was Sanji making the joke... He shook his head.
"What is this, a joke?" He asked hesitantly. "You're a guy, curly. I've seen it myself. Guys can't get pregnant."
Sanji gritted his teeth. Yeah, he knew that, but apparently that wasn't always the case.
"Yeah... Well I can."
Zoro still scowled at him. He didn't see where this joke was supposed to be funny. Actually it was kind of sad. Why would Sanji tell him something like that? Had he gone nuts? Is that why he quit his teams? Sanji glanced up, noticing the annoyed expression on the Marimo's face.
"I can prove it." He said to defend himself. He really didn't like the way Zoro was staring at him like he was crazy.
Zoro seemed irritated and skeptical still. "Oh? How are you going to do that?"
Sanji looked over at where he'd dropped his bag, gesturing to it. "I have an ultrasound and everything. Zoro I'm serious I really am-"
The cook had begun to walk towards his bag to retrieve it when a tight hand grabbed on his arm and pulled him back. He was slightly surprised at the roughness, but found himself being held by his shoulders by the swordsman, who was staring at him pleadingly.
"Sanji, why are you saying this?" Zoro asked lowly.
Zoro couldn't even wrap his mind around why his boyfriend had suddenly gone off the wall. Was the pressure of school and work getting to be too much for him? Perhaps it was because they hadn't been seeing each other as much as they used to. Surely that was it, for attention reasons. Why else would he have even apparently gotten an ultrasound for this trick...?
"Is it because I've been busy with Kendo? I can take some time off, see you some more if that's it…"
Sanji stared up at Zoro's face as he tried finding out an answer. The cook knew Zoro wouldn't understand it. He was a man who believed in logic, telling him that some guy was pregnant was like telling him there was a ghost sticking shit in his ear. It actually made Sanji really upset. He knew Zoro was going through all the excuses of why he would be acting like this, totally ignoring the truth that had already been said.
Zoro let go of Sanji when he saw those blue eyes he loved to gaze into, start to water. He'd made him cry? The hell was going on here. He watched as Sanji stumbled back until he was using a table for support.
"Zoro… I'm not lying." Sanji repeated again, fighting back his hormones. "I'm having… Your babies. It's real and there's two. Twins."
Zoro was staring at Sanji, unable to decide what even to say. This was sick and it was sad.
"Really? Now there's two." Zoro repeated, his jaw tensing. He turned back toward the door. "Cook I don't know what you're problem is but…" He started, not even sure what words to say. He scratched at his head, annoyed. "I'll talk to you in a few days. You need some rest."
Sanji slid down to his knees as he watched Zoro stomp off to the door and shut it with a little more force than necessary as he sped out. This was not how he had wanted things to go. He brought his hands up to his eyes, which were producing a significant amount of tears at this point. He was shocked though to feel a comforting arm go across him
He quickly glanced up, hoping that maybe it had been Zoro, only to find Chopper with a piece of tissue stuck in his hair, helping him up.
"Chopper." Sanji said, wiping his eye's with his sleeve. He hadn't been crying, what? "What are you doing here?"
Chopper frowned, looking up at Sanji and then finally getting the tissue out of his hair. He looked at it, inspecting that it was clean before handing it to a person who could use it. Sanji reluctantly took it.
"I didn't want to leave you alone. In case... Well…"
Sanji let out a sad laugh. "I knew this would happen. It's so fucking insane, why would he believe me?"
He pushed Chopper's comforting hand away before staggering over to his backpack. He lifted it up and against one of the other tables, a sad feeling rolling around in his abdomen. He hadn't even gotten to show Zoro the photo, the first photo, of their apparently fake hysterical babies. Chopper came over and stopped at his side.
"Sanji, are you going to be okay?"
Honestly Sanji didn't know how to answer. Would he be okay? At the moment it didn't appear so but he didn't have a lot more options. He wiped at his eyes again, giving a sniffle. He'd just have to keep eventually trying until Zoro got sick of it, he guessed. There was nothing else to do. Then after that it was just going to be him and…
He lightly brushed across his pouting abdomen. It'd just be him and his babies. It was a weird feeling to jump into, to think he wasn't alone anymore, but it was fitting. He was beginning to come to terms. Sanji pulled the backpack up over his arm.
"Come on Chopper, let's go. Don't wanna be late to class."
Hating that he couldn't do more for his new friend, Chopper looked back down at the floor and followed Sanji out.
Much to Sanji's dismay, Zoro was true to his word. He didn't try talking to him or seeing him for quite some time. It was unnerving and depressing to the cook, who was beginning to feel the pregnancy instead of just believing it. Each day it felt like he was getting bigger, the twins inside him growing fast. And yet instead of being even the tiniest bit excited about having children, Sanji wasn't happy.
At first it started happening slowly, his interest in anyone or everyone else diminishing. It was childish in a way, to let himself get so bent out of shape just because Zoro wouldn't listen to him or answer his texts, but still it was changing him. Suddenly he didn't want to go into the lunchroom and seek out his friends anymore. Hell he didn't even want to talk to anyone, that included fawning over the ladies he'd seen.
He kept low, only going to class and using the halls to get to those classes quick. When he wasn't there he was hanging out in the science lab with Chopper. He still hadn't told Zeff about the babies, or that he had quit his after school activities. So the old man never asked when Sanji came home late still, never knowing he'd actually been at the clinic, the only place he seemed to feel comfortable.
The changes were becoming obvious to other people too though. His friends he met up with at lunch, the crew minus Zoro, had picked up right away that something wasn't right between the two of them. Yes they fought all the time, but it wasn't like this. They still looked at each other, spoke to one another, could stand being in the same room with one another. They tried talking about it among themselves, to see if any of them might have known the cause and overlooked it, but they were all stumped.
Finally, it was Luffy who asked the question they all had wished they were brave enough to ask. He was chomping down on his lunch and the extra's he had smuggled out of his crew mates when he turned to stare at Zoro, who seemed to be in his own world. Zoro was usually a quiet one, but lately even more so. There had to be a lot on his mind.
"Oi, Zoro." Luffy called out to him, smiling when the Marimo finally glanced up. "What happened to Sanji?"
Zoro stared at Luffy for a while before turning away, refusing to answer that question. Hell, he didn't know himself. What had happened to Sanji? For a while it seemed like they were having the perfect relationship and then this crazy mess had started. It didn't help that it only seemed to keep escalating. At first he was only going to wait a few days for Sanji's head to cool off so that maybe they could have a sane conversation, but then something started to happen.
In the home room class that they all seemed to share, Zoro noticed something about the cook. Lately during the first period he would get up and excuse himself to the bathroom, occasionally asking straight up to go to the nurse. He supposed before he might have just looked over it, thinking the cook was sick with the flu or something, until he thought of the sour joke he'd tried to pull. Then something even scarier came to Zoro's mind.
Had the blonde lost it so much, gotten so tangled up in his lie he was trying to play it out? He knew how farfetched it sounded but it seemed clear as day. Having to leave for morning sickness or constant bathroom breaks, hell he was even letting his figure go and Zoro wasn't the only one to notice that, though he did have the help by some of the bitchy popular girls he sat behind to notice that one. He even had some sort of ultrasound picture that he'd probably pulled from the internet too. It made him run his fingers through his hair, groaning while ignoring the worried looks of his friends.
He knew that they knew something was wrong but he wasn't sure he wanted to share this. Then again, could he really handle an unstable cook alone? There was a part of him that told him he should just keep leaving him alone, love him at a distance, but that was so damn hard. Zoro loved Sanji, though he'd never really gotten to say it much in their on-again, off-again relationship through high school. He just couldn't get the cook off his mind, especially if he was suffering some sort of hysterical pregnancy.
However one thing they did say reached out to the Marimo.
"Zoro, tell us what's wrong with Sanji, or I'm doubling your debt." Nami threatened, glaring at him.
It wasn't unusual for her to threaten that. Zoro unfortunately did owe her some money, but ultimately was in her hands when she threatened to double it or add interest because he was taking too long to pay it back. He glowered at them all.
"You really want to know?" He growled.
Luffy and Usopp stared at him blankly as Nami let out an irritated sigh. Why else would she have even asked? Usopp finally nodded his head.
"Yeah we're really worried about him." He attempted to explain.
"Something has to be wrong if he's not bringing back leftovers..."
Nami hit Luffy on the back of his head. "You idiot! Don't focus on just the food! This is about Sanji!" She bitched. Luffy let out a whine.
Zoro scowled down at the lunch table. They already knew that Sanji and Zoro were a couple, even though they didn't let Sanji know about it. Maybe they could try and help him with Sanji's, odd condition.
"He thinks he's pregnant. Had an ultrasound and everything." He said, like it was the most normal thing to come out of his mouth.
The three of his friends just stared blankly at him and then exchanged glances.
"Pregnant?" Luffy repeated, letting it sink in.
Nami rested her chin in her hand, sighing. "Well… It'd make sense."
Usopp, next to her nodded. "I mean he's a guy but… That'd explain why he's been hanging out with Chopper so much."
"Mhm, and why he's been gaining weight lately."
Luffy and Usopp glanced at her, causing her to lightly blush. "What? So I check him out, so sue me."
"Sanji's having a baby? Sugoi!"
Zoro was stunned. Were they even listening to him? He slammed his fist down on the table, angry. "No he's not having a baby. He's a guy! It can't happen."
Usopp cowered back into his seat a bit, slightly shaking. "But you said he had an ultra sound and you know, green hair isn't supposed to happen but-"
"I'm out of here." Zoro finally decided, getting up quickly from his seat and storming off.
The trio watched as he left, slightly confused. Luffy frowned.
"Shouldn't Zoro be happy? He's going to be a dad!" He asked.
Nami shook her head. "I think it's a lot more complicated than that, Luffy."