By himself now, Zoro had two options. He could take a nap, something he did quite often and always seemed like a nice choice and considering he was going to be a father soon to twins and would probably never sleep again... Or he could go through Sanji's things, just like the blonde had told him not to. Then again he wasn't going to do anything to get on the cooks bad side. He considered himself lucky Sanji even talked to him ever again.
In his restricted boredom, he rolled his head over to rest in his hand. He was about to close his eyes when something on the cooks beside caught his attention, something he'd never seen there before. It was a photograph, of himself and the cook at the beginning of high school, their freshman year. If it was such an older picture, why hadn't he seen it up in his room before? Had he always hid it before Zoro came over? Was he always such a sap? The swordsman reached over, grabbing the photo and bringing it closer to study.
He looked at his former self, wondering what exactly he was thinking back then. If only he knew some of the things he'd get into these days, would he change? No, he wouldn't, not when this version of himself, he remembered, was shy and in love. It didn't need to change. His eyes glanced to the younger Sanji. That Shit cook. Zoro wondered if at this point Sanji had a crush on him, unlike later that year when he finally admitted to having one. Zoro couldn't tell, but remembered how ecstatic he'd been hearing that news. Would this Sanji have still accepted his feelings if he knew what Zoro would eventually do to him?
"Oi, the fuck did I say about touching my stuff?" Griped Sanji as he yanked the photograph from Zoro's hands. His eye's were wide.
The blond was holding a towel up around his waist, his hair in another. He turned and put the photo back onto the nightstand. He paled, already a nervous wreck about being so exposed in front of the marimo. It wasn't like he'd never been before, it was just strange, considering the circumstances.
Zoro raised his eyebrows, not complaining about the view at all. But didn't say anything, since it could only make matters, which were already fragile, worse. Still he watched the nearly flustered cook as he moved to his dresser to pick out his next outfit. He couldn't control his eyes that couldn't help but fall lower to just above the towel at Sanji's waist. there was a curve that extended outward there. The twins. He didn't mind the change in Sanji at all, it didn't both him, but he couldn't forget even still what he'd told him. But even past that he couldn't help but smile faintly. Those were his twins in there. His family. Sanji must've felt is gaze though, hurrying up.
"What's wrong?" Zoro pondered aloud finally, watching as Sanji froze.
The blond had slipped on a new pair of boxers, found himself some pants that weren't too tight, but he froze, horrified after putting his arms into his shirt. His fingers were paused at the last few buttons. He could try to clasp them, but he could already tell it would be in vain. The shirt wasn't going to fit anymore. And Zoro was here to watch it. Would he laugh? What would he do even if he did? Sanji let out a slight hiss, closing his eyes. Just what he needed to happen, really, since life had been so great regardless. Finally he irritably took off the shirt and tossed it on the side where another one already lay, no doubt there for the very same reason.
"Doesn't fit." He muttered lowly and shamefully under his breath, but the marimo's freak hearing still heard it.
Zoro's lips grew into a grin at that, while Sanji's back was still turned. He knew he shouldn't be feeling so happy and thrilled so soon after what had happened but since this morning he did know he was going to be a father and Sanji was having his babies. Sanji was pregnant and growing and… Now Zoro was getting to notice all of that. He'd learned it was true and he was generally excited, even if he felt he shouldn't be. Was it so bad that it made him excited?
It was probably the only thing so far about the pregnancy that got on Sanji's nerves though, growing so fast. Except of course needing to pee a lot more and wanting to shove all food into his face, which luckily he'd been able to resist so far, even though it was getting a lot harder to do. He tried another shirt, an older one, relieved to find that although snug around his curve, it would at least button up. He pursed his lips. Soon he wouldn't be able to fit into any of his clothes... He'd have to go shop for more... and he highly doubted there was a section like this at some store for him.
Sanji turned around to face the spying Zoro, his cheek's lightly flushed. Zoro was looking at him with such fascination he wasn't sure he liked, especially when his eyes were straight at his tummy. Should he brace for the insults now? It made him bite into his lip, knowing it was coming. He cleared his throat, gathering the swordsman's attention back and away from his growing frame. He scowled at the way Zoro didn't even mind getting caught staring there.
"They are really in there… Aren't they?" Zoro found himself wondering out loud.
Sanji's throat began to swell. "Disgusting, isn't it?"
Zoro's face softened back and he glanced down embarrassingly. He'd already over stepped his boundaries again, hadn't he?
"No I don't think that. I shouldn't have said anything."
Sanji frowned, his own guilt rolling around inside his chest. To think he was the one that decided he wasn't going to bring up the night and spare Zoro the embarrassment, so long as he did the same - yet here he was pushing Zoro back into the dirt. But it wasn't his fault. His concerns and obstacles just happened to be attached to him. He lowered his eyes as well. He wasn't a mean person, he didn't willingly think about making people feel worse. He wanted Zoro to be happy, he wanted them to be happy together. The past was the past.
He lowered his chin and took a deep breath, then brought his hand up to cuff at his tiny curve. "Do you want to feel to feel it?"
Zoro was pretty surprised. "You, sure?" he asked hesitantly.
Other than helping Sanji inside he'd been pretty sure he'd never be allowed close to him again, least of all feel the bump that housed their children. Still, he wasn't going to pass up the opportunity if it helped them heal. So when Sanji just nodded quickly, he edged to the end of the bed. His own hand slightly shaking, he curved it and brushed it against the cook's body. It was a firm, very real. Damn he'd been such a bastard before.
Sanji was biting into his lip, watching Zoro's expression closely as he felt. It was like looking back at the old Marimo he knew and crushed on, painfully. If he'd really felt him so disgusting, he wouldn't have wanted to do this. He would have brushed him off and continued to help him from afar. Sanji didn't know what this meant, but alot of the frustration and mild hate towards the swordsman that he'd harbored from before seemed to vanish. This was the father to his children. They would be a family, he was confident. He'd make it work. Everyone had bad nights.
After a moment he reached and pulled Zoro's hand away, taking it in his own and yanking the swordsman up. He was about to lead him to his death no doubt, while also walking to his own, as he let go and moved towards Zeff's office.
When they opened the door they caught the end of Zeff walking into his office. Having heard the door open the restaurant owner called out to them, "Get in here you shitty morons!"
The two of them exchanged glances before doing just that. Zoro's hand reached into his pocket, checking to make sure the ultrasound was still there. Hopefully Zeff would be more open in terms of the weird situation than he had been. They both sat down on the couch opposite Zeff's desk, trying to avoid the annoyed glare he was giving, no doubt wondering why the hell Zoro of all people had joined them if it was Sanji who had to tell him something.
Zeff leaned back in his chair lazily, looking the pair over before clearing his throat. "Alright, spit it out eggplant."
Sanji looked to the floor, his tongue rolling around in his mouth as he tried to think of some words. He knew he said he was going to make Zoro do this, but he wasn't that mean. He'd have to help. But still what was he even supposed to say? 'Remember that birds and bees talk we had once geezer? Whelp guess who's going to be a grandpa' 'You know when a man loves a… Another man...' Nope all the things he could think of weren't working. He scratched at the back of his head.
Zoro shifted his chin, his eyes catching the nervous Sanji slightly shaking, and no doubt about to flip out from his nerves. He was about to tell this to his old man, the one that took him in and gave him a home, a family, a job, a life, when he didn't even need to. Now that Sanji and Zoro were going to have to do that with their twins, would Zeff be a support or would he not approve? Feeling the atmosphere grow tenser in each passing moment, Zoro took charge of what he was asked to do and dug back into his pocket, grabbed out the ultrasound picture and tossing it onto Zeff's desk. Sanji watched it leave his hand with wide, freaking out, eyes.
Zeff lowered his eyebrows, confused what the hell some green kid was throwing to him, before sitting up in his seat and reaching out. It was backside up, nothing but white with Sanji's name written formally and a date that was suspiciously that morning. He turned it over and his eyes widened. It was an ultrasound and from the look of it, twins. Oh hell, most definitely twins. So what were they trying to say here? Did that shitty kid go and knock some chick up? Dammit, hadn't he raised him better!? Then again, why would the green kid still be there? He glared back up at them.
"Whose are these?" He demanded to know.
Sanji still had his head lowered, not knowing what to even say. He felt suddenly really vulnerable and ashamed. Zoro however just rolled his shoulder's a moment, being nothing but calm and confident, something far different from how he'd been before. His hand reached over and took Sanji's lightly as he stared ahead.
"They're mine." Zoro replied, confidently.
Sanji stared down at the hand holding his and gulped. How did he do that? How could in the course of a morning could he change so dramatically from how he'd been the previous night to someone so confident about what he wanted to do?
Zeff looked at him a little bewildered. His? How in the hell were they his…? He turned over the picture just to make sure it had Sanji's name. Wasn't Sanji the father? But then why would this kid say it? It's not like they could have a kid together... He stopped, his eyes falling on Sanji. Why hadn't he seen it before? The constant breaks during the blonde's shifts, his abnormal weight gain. Zeff's mouth went dry as he realized just what they were getting at.
"WHAT?!" He yelled, standing straight up on his feet.
Sanji winced, half expecting something to come hurdling at him, but then opened his eyes to see Zeff just staring at him angrily.
"You stupid eggplant! What the hell did you get yourself into!?" Zeff waved the ultrasound around. "You think this is some sort of joke!?"
Zoro averted his eyes downward. So maybe Zeff was having the same reaction he had? But, then to both the boys surprise Zeff sat back down, massaging his temple.
"Kureha told me... To be expecting some interesting news but this!?" He continued, staring back at the ultrasound. He was breathing out of his noise hard, trying to calm down before finally looking back up at Sanji. "The hell were you thinking letting this happen?"
Sanji gritted his teeth. Yes because he willingly let this happen. He met his adoptive father's eyes. "I'm sorry." Was all he could say prompting another sigh from Zeff.
"Getting pregnant at your age. Are you serious? Babies take a lot of shit eggplant, shit you can't afford. You'll need a place and supplies... You haven't even finished school yet!"
Zeff looked back at the picture. He couldn't not keep glancing down at it. Then he looked up at Zoro. So this guy was the father then?
"And what the hell are you going to do about this?" He directed towards the sperm donor.
Zoro's frame tensed, but only from being put on the spot. His composure never faltered though. Although he'd been nervous before, he'd trained himself not to break face in the presence of intimidating men. To never allow the enemy to have that over you.
"I'm going to take care of him." He said , as if it were the easiest thing to say in his life.
He let Sanji's hand go then, sensing a bit of his discomfort, or what he felt might be discomfort, then stared determinedly at Zeff. "I'll provide for him and our family. I'll even marry him. Leave all this to me."
Sanji jerked his head to look over at Zoro. The fuck did he just say? Did he somehow without saying it, ask his hand for marriage and declare he'd take care of everything? Perhaps the one that was mental this whole time had been Zoro? Where the hell did he get off saying something like that after... after... well, he'd sort of proved that everything he'd said before had been a lie. And if anything, promising this much so strongly, he destroyed any lingering suspicions. He was dead serious wasn't he? What an asshole though he could have told him he was going to mention something like that in front of Zeff! Bastard! This was embarrassing!
Zeff glared Zoro down, challenging him to crumble, but he didn't. Finally he pinched at the bridge of his nose before quickly getting up from his seat.
"Alright you shitty kids." He cursed, glaring at them again. "Well you better figure it out!"
He walked around the desk and to the door, having a restaurant to run, but he paused, glancing back at them with a softer expression. He couldn't afford to take care of Sanji and two twins and then some bastard baby daddy around him. Though he wasn't shutting him out completely.
"Just... Let me know what I can do."
Sanji waited until his adoptive father left for the restuarant again before glaring hard at Zoro's stupid face and giving him a hard kick.
"The hell was that!? Marry me? Some shitty proposal you got there! You have some nerve Marimo!" He snapped.
Zoro just smiled though because honestly, he meant everything he had said and he'd gotten to say it to Zeff of all people making it very legit. He'd also kept his word for Sanji. Now, he'd get a full second chance right? Maybe he was an idiot taking that bargain to heart, but he would do anything.
Finally, things could go back to normal.
how are you guys reading this stuff im so embarassed XDD it wasnt very well planned back then at all