His face was so round and adorable. It was quite impossible to hate something like this, a baby was so sacred and precious, everything in Sanji's head was telling him to love him, to cuddle him and to let all his stupid misplaced motherly instincts win. They were creeping up in full swing anyway, since the chubby little legs and arms from such a bundle of joy sitting right across from him at the table in the food court was practically impossible to look away from.

Soon, Sanji would have a baby like this. Well, not exactly like Nick, his kids wouldn't have super blue hair, they'd most likely be forever stuck with something more moss related. But if they were perfect and quiet, cuddling up inside of their car seat and just hanging out with their mom going everywhere she, or he, decided to go, it didn't seem so bad.

The cook swallowed thickly, his heart seemingly rolling inside his chest. Nick's eyes slowly opened and brightened with life and he stared over across at him, initiating the silent conversation both of them had. Then he smiled, because the nervous anxiety on Sanji's face just had to be amusing as hell or something the precious angel could feed off of. The blond sighed, sitting back in his chair, a hand resting on his abdomen – considering it was just out there like a stupid hand rest anyway – and grabbing another fry with his other.

"You know, you can hold him if you'd like." Robin mused, having occupied the seat her son's chair seat was settled, resting her chin in her palm as she watched the little confrontation. "He loves being held."

Sanji's cheeks flushed lightly and he sat up again, quickly averting his attention over to his drink and straw to distract himself. Dammit, she'd been watching that? He probably looked like some creep just having a staring contest with Robin-chan's kid!

"Ah, no, it's fine I was just watching him," he explained, glancing back at Nick who was still watching him ever so curiously, his head cocked to the side a bit now. "He looks so much like Franky."

Robin shrugged, easing back in her seat and pulling the blanket off of Nick lightly. "Maybe, but this guy will keep his pants on. Isn't that right?" Her soothing tone coaxed Nick's attention back to her and a tiny chubby hand reached out for her hair, accompanied with a tiny giggle.

It was so fucking cute Sanji's teeth were rotting. On one hand he felt awkward, watching an interaction between mother and child and being an outsider, then the other he felt awkward because despite what had very publically gone down at the school the day before last, he'd pulled himself out of his bed, with his two little shit's in tow, to still meet up with Robin and Nami and take up their offer of taking him shopping.

Honestly, he really didn't want to have to agree to letting his lovely ladies spend precious currency on his stupid needs, but after assurance from the shitty Marimo, who was pretty obvious with his feelings about simply not saying no to free money despite their pride (The babies were more important anyway…), he decided to come. Of course it turned out to be far from what he expected.

Sanji had thought they'd show up here and if he wasn't already chased out of here with pitchforks and torches for being an actual pregnant man, they'd lead him away to the maternity store and make him try on each god awful shirt with pregnancy slogans from the cheap rack. Thankfully, so thankfully, that wasn't the case. Already, since they were trying to enjoy lunch now, they'd hit up several stores with big and tall sections and under Nami's guidance, found the best deals to get Sanji's new ever growing pregnancy wardrobe cheap.

In fact, the cook glanced over mid bite of a fry, the frugal shopping guru was approaching them now with a few more bags that she'd stayed behind in the store to insure getting her discounts. The blond quickly withdrew his hand from his bump, where unconsciously he'd started to rub in a circle to calm two eager beings inside him and let his old personality take hold, waving his hand with near hearts in his eyes to wave her down.

He felt like an idiot to do it, but hell he was going to do anything he could to seem like nothing was bothering him. It was enough he had to deal with the decisions that had to be made, or that Zoro did as well, but he didn't want to concern and alert his friends any more than they had to be. He wanted them to think that he was going through this with flying colors, a real champ and nothing was going to knock Sanji black off his game, even something as small as what was happening.

Nami gave him a slight grin, then sat down in the chair next to him, gesturing to her bags a bit before putting them next to their chairs with the rest. "Told you I could get them to mark it down lower."

She reached out, grabbing the last fries that were unclaimed on the table, but purchased for her and began to snack down. She winked over in the direction of tiny Nick, reaching over to wiggle her fingers at him playfully. "So what were you guys talking about?"

"Babies." Robin sighed, moving her straw in and out of her drink. "Apparently Sanji agrees I've got a miniature Franky on my hands."

"I didn't mean it like-"

Nami giggled, shooting down Sanji's fears of saying something inappropriate before he could fully have them. "He is kind of a mini clone of Franky, isn't he? I wonder when he'll be striking a pose."

Then as if something particular crossed her mind, she glanced back over to Sanji who, granted, was unable to get on his feet and serve them like he would have liked, but still was a bit quiet. "Your babies are moving a little, aren't they Sanji?"

The question made Sanji's mouth go a little dry. If there was one thing that was heavily overshadowed by the bigger events that happened at the school, it had to be the debut of the twin's movements being strong enough now to be felt. Of course neither the blond nor Zoro had to even leak that information out, it had all been caught on camera and seen by the whole student body, as well as the first initial reaction.

Sanji averted his eyes downward at the table. He hated thinking negatively about that, especially involving his twins. He thought of what happened later that night instead, back at the apartment he shares with his stupid baby daddy, where despite their lives being yet again shaken on its foundations, a certain Marimo wore nothing but a goofy, tease worth grin and went to feel for kicks himself. That was a far better memory.

In his few minutes of silence though, Nami's eyes widen, seemingly realizing what she probably brought up to make the cook go so silent. Quickly she shook her hand out in front of her.

"No I didn't mean to make you upset Sanji I just-"

"It's fine Nami-swan." Sanji smiled politely at his beautiful swan, shifting in his seat a bit to get more comfortable. "They are. I think they've heard all the commotion about it too, because now they don't even want to stop."

"Just wait until you try and sleep." Robin added in, her tone a little more chipper than it should be.

"That's so cute, though! It's like they want you to know they're always there-"

"BREEDER!"

Sanji visibly stilled. Just hearing his new personal nickname and insult here in public so soon was, well, alarming. It'd only been a few days, after all, and he wasn't sure how long after the drama occurred that they released his new medical information out to the public, despite having read this name a few times on the internet on the schools page, because what else did idiots have to do then to personally slam him?

Breeder. Because to their knowledge he had both the parts and was already carrying out what they affectionately labeled his twins as a litter. The words didn't hate since well, he supposes he and the Marimo unknowingly bred but they still had a way of making his heart stop and sending chills down his spine. He glanced over at the assholes in question, a few guys at a table in the food court that was a safe enough distance away and ignored the rest of their 'crime against nature' chatter.

They were cowards. If they had a problem with him, they should approach him with it, or at least Sanji dared them too inside his head. He wasn't weak, dammit, and he knew personally he could kick all of their asses, but for the safety of his children he wouldn't waste his time. He had to take the high road about it, even if he didn't want to, even if his pride wanted to show them a thing or two. But he had to be calm about this, for his babies and in front of his precious ladies. There's no way Sanji couldn't have known the risks of running into people from school in public, he'd just have to get used to this.

He looked back at the ladies, surprised to find they had the same glint of desire to go and kick some ass, in their eyes. It made him feel a little better, being harassed in front of them didn't turn them away, but at the same time he wished they didn't have to experience that, certainly not with a tiny nick in their presence. Though arguably he didn't know anything was wrong and was just purposely taking his pacifier out of his mouth and getting fussy about it.

"Sanji, you don't have to listen to them," Nami said softly, reaching out to comfortingly grab at his arm, but wasn't quick enough, Sanji was getting up, only bumping himself into the table accidentally once, but bracing the laughter at him that followed and gathered his trash together.

"I know I don't Nami-swan, I'm just sorry they had to ruin both your lunch as well," he explained, reaching to grab at Robin's trash as well, but she gestured him to stop and gathered it herself.

"It's fine. They didn't. But it's probably best we move our shopping elsewhere for now."

They were so polite about it. Both having probably witnessed the stress and change of Sanji's expression at their unwelcomed bullies, agreed it was probably time they left the mall for the day and Nami took care of the trash while Robin secured Nick and picked up the car seat. Sanji, feeling a bit helpless and aggravated just picked up the bags, pausing for a moment to press his lips together silently, noticing the weight to the bags. Nami-swan and Robin-chan, they were doing so much for him. What had he done to deserve that?

Damn fucking hormones, he shouldn't be getting too emotional about it now, the last thing he needed in the middle of such a scene was to give them more material to work with. Instead he just followed the girls out, somewhat proud he was still man enough to carry the bags despite if they were for him or not, and left the store to later return home.

When Zoro returned home later, from one of his many part time occupations, he wasn't exactly sure what to be expecting. Certainly when he stepped inside, closing the door behind him and noticed the trail of clothes, which he assumed to be Sanji's cause he'd been getting better about being a slob for the cook actually, leading to the bedroom. Putting his stuff off to the side, he sighed and followed the trail, cautiously peeking his head through the bedroom's doorway to see what the hell was up because he doubted this was the invitation he really wanted it to be.

His face softened at what he saw. Sanji was up on the bed on his side, blanket shoved off him as he grumpily glared down at his frame, which was exposed minus his boxers. His hands were on both sides of his bump, his fingers walking up and down the sides of it as he was deep in concentrated thought, thinking about something Zoro could only guess to be stressful, or perhaps related to the shopping trip he insisted Sanji go on and mooch off the kindness of their willing friends.

"What happened?" Zoro finally broke the silence and walked in, starting to unbutton his uniform shirt as he always did, considering a shower next. "Did you find clothes?"

Sanji's glare moved to him. "Wouldn't you like to know." He sighed.

Zoro just furrowed his brows. Why the fuck would he have even asked if he didn't- never mind, he shouldn't even try to understand the blond sometimes. But Sanji, sensing his disinterest, didn't let the subject drop.

He spread himself out and stretched a bit, sitting up on his side and gestured over to the bags by the closet. "They bought me a whole store."

"What'd you expect? They've been trying to get you to go with them since they found out, you're their new toy. Can't complain with free stuff though, cook. We needed it."

Sanji swallowed thickly, looking down again and ignoring the tiny movements inside him. "Yeah."

Zoro found himself sighing once more. He tried to ignore the obvious change in Sanji's demeanor at first, but now he just couldn't shake it. Something had happened on their trip probably, but he wasn't going to pry if the cook really didn't want to tell him. Instead he just fell back onto the bed and positioned himself next to the cook on his side, his head resting on his hand. Quietly, and without asking permission he moved his hand up to gently touch at the smooth stretched skin of Sanji's abdomen and lightly massaged a spot, smirking slightly at the tiny vibrations he could feel from inside.

"Well," he began, looking up at Sanji's face, who was still giving him the glare down. "You gonna show me what you got or what?"

Author's Note: first ;; I'm sorry to everyone about basically making you wait forever and just giving a crappy filler chapter -I've just had a lot of stressful things happening in my life one after another and its hard to find motivation to work on things sometimes while also trying to keep sane! But I'm very serious about this not being on an absolute hiatus, so even if I don't know when I will update regularly again, please know this has not yet been abandoned.
Thank you everyone who has continued following and reviewing and favoriting regardless! QuQ You are all so nice
Thank you also to MyladyDay for betaing this~

Ive just been kind of ashamed for taking so long.