A/N: If you google 432 Park Avenue (a residential building in New York), you can find images that inspired what Sanji's place looks like. It's pretty neat.
Zoro knows Sanji is rich. It's a fact that is ever present in his mind, what with the guy giving up three hundred thousand Beri for him like it was nothing. But when Zoro pictures rich, he pictures Kaya or Vivi.
He thought he couldn't be more impressed than when he first visited Vivi's castle, but boy was he wrong.
Sanji lives in Joha, a small city in New World. His apartment complex—if it can be called that; skyscraper seems more fitting—is located on top of a hill looking out to part of the Grand Line Sea, the largest sea in the world. When they first arrive, Zoro has to literally stop to take everything in, he's so overwhelmed.
The outside entrance is paved with smooth cobblestone, with a fountain of two mermaids grooming their hair leading up to the front doors, made of a dark mahogany wood. There is a doorman standing watch at the front door and a couple of people milling around the lobby. Sanji drives to the back, where an entrance leads them down to the underground garage, which is filled with cars that are worth more than what Zoro makes in a year.
"This is my area," Sanji says as he parks the car in the bottom floor. "This space and the two to the right are mine."
So he was right when he thought Sanji owned more than one car. Zoro only gives them a fleeting look, recognizing the blue mustang and admiring the black BMW before he follows Sanji to the elevators.
The elevators have panels on both sides, the numbers reaching all the way up to eighty-five, plus five underground levels. Zoro swallows hard when Sanji takes out a key and inserts it next to the number eighty-five, twisting it before the button lights up and the elevator starts moving.
"Top floor?" Zoro asks quietly.
Sanji shrugs, taking out the key. "I liked the view."
"Of course."
What's wrong with getting the penthouse that probably cost millions of Beris simply because you 'like the view'? Zoro suddenly feels very small next to Sanji who, even while wearing his spare suit, looks like he's worth more than Zoro will ever see in his life. He can't believe Sanji ever allowed him to touch him.
The elevator doors open to a wide room with light gray concrete walls and marble floors. A crystal round chandelier instantly catches the eye, taking center stage as dozens of glittering lines fall from the ceiling, illuminating by a warm light. It literally looks like it's raining diamonds. To the side, Zoro can see the very simple living room—yet, it looks extremely fancy. A free-standing compartment wall divides the living room, the other side showing a large piano and another sitting section, this one with a ground table made entirely out of marble. The windows are large and seamless, giving off the impression that there are openings in the wall.
Sanji's apartment is clean and classy—everywhere he looks, there's glass and marble, white and metal, expensive and luxurious.
"I only have one guest room, so you and Chopper can sleep together if you want," Sanji says awkwardly, giving his own house a once-over. "Or…you can stay with me…if you want."
"I, uh…that's fine," Zoro says softly. Just the living room alone is the same size as his apartment.
Sanji nods and briskly leads the way to the guest room. They have to pass through the gym—entirely made out of glass, mirrors, and matted floors, the center wide open with weights and lifting machines lining the sides—and the kitchen—chrome and white, with a wide cooking table top, two ovens, and a refrigerator that looks about three times the size of Zoro's—to get to the guest room.
The room is about the same size as their apartment, but it looks very simple. A wooden platform with a queen-sized bed, a dresser, a bedside table, and a flat-screen TV. There's a white, simple table facing the outside windows, a closed laptop on top and a pencil case next to it. The back wall has two large windows, similar to the ones in the living room, except these face the outside patio—and farther off, the open sea. On the wall to the right of the bed is a simple black door.
"The bathroom is through that door," Sanji says, opening it to give them a view into the small, but beautiful room. The right wall and ceiling are completely made out of glass plates, light shining through the cracks when Sanji turns on a switch. The floor and sink counter are made out of a dark gray marble and the counter has small shelves underneath where he keeps dark brown towels. The plumbing of the sink is hidden from view by three wooden plates, but when Sanji reaches down to pull on the bottom one, he reveals a drawer full of toiletries. The toilet seat is in front of the sink, with the shower on the wall opposite the door. There is no bathtub, just the shower, but there is a stone seat inside the shower, and the shower head is one of those that you can pull out like a hose.
"I know Devil's Fruit eaters can't touch water, so I suggest you sit down before showering," Sanji says. "Or call your dad to help you. Don't worry about the glass—no matter how hard you hit it, it won't break."
"Okay," Chopper nods. "Thank you for letting us stay here, Sanji."
"Anytime, Chopper," Sanji smiles. "I'm really glad to have you guys here."
"Alright, buddy, let's go to bed," Zoro says before he's forced to lie and tell Sanji he's glad to be here. He feels too uncomfortable, like he can stain everything around him just by touching it. He picks up Chopper and dumps him on the bed, grinning when Chopper bounces then sinks into the soft and plush bed. Chopper squeals in laughter and quickly hides underneath the thick covers.
"This bed is so comfy!" his squeaky voice shouts. "And so soft!"
"Okay. Now remember: tomorrow Sanji is taking us out shopping, so we have to be up early," Zoro says seriously. "So no staying up to look up things in the computer—I saw you looking at it!"
"I didn't—fine," Chopper grumbles. "I'll go straight to bed."
"Bonne nuit," Sanji says. "Do you want me to only dim the lights?" Sanji asks Zoro quietly. The marimo nods, knowing Chopper is still a little afraid of the dark, kisses his son goodnight, and follows Sanji out of the room. Chopper gives him a parting smile before he snuggles deeper into the blankets and closes his eyes.
Sanji's room is in the opposite end of the building, the farthest room on the left. The east wall faces the pool outside, which is connected to the patio outside of Chopper's room. The south side, which also gives a view into the ocean, is blocked by the entrance into the bathroom.
Sanji's bed is bigger, about king sized, with a platform frame and headboard made out of a grayish wood. There is a sitting area near the large windows, both chairs facing the ocean view with a glass coffee table in the center. Two shorter square tables sit at either side of the bed, a small alarm clock sitting on the one in the right. There's a painting that looks more like somebody just splattered paint on a white canvas on the wall facing the bed with a bench underneath it, and a cluttered desk opposite it with a large computer screen facing the bed.
Despite the furnishing, the room looks empty. Looking at his bedroom—and the rest of the house, really—Zoro would never think that somebody lives here. This is Sanji's house, and so far, Zoro hasn't seen anything that can make him believe the cook actually lives here. It's…sad, really.
Suddenly, it makes a lot of sense why Sanji chooses to spend most of his time at his home.
"I kind of went all out on the bed," Sanji says, his voice oddly quiet. "I don't get much sleep, with my working hours, but the bed is comfortable as hell. It's made out of foam, gel, and latex so it's never too hard or too soft. And it doesn't get too hot, either, so I don't wake up sweating even though I kind of run hot."
"You sound like one of those commercial people with all the hype," Zoro snorts. "Are you trying to sell me one?"
"Shut up," Sanji snaps, smacking him in the arm. "I'm nervous here, you moron. We're basically living together now."
"You were the one who suggested it," Zoro reminds him. "And I'm the one who should be nervous—I feel like I'm gonna break something just by looking at it. Seriously, how much did you spend in this place?"
"Not that much, actually," Sanji shrugs. "Robin's husband is the vice-president of the company that built the entire place, so he gave me a pretty big discount. Most of the stuff here came with the place already, so I'm not too attached. The only things I care about are in the kitchen, and you won't ever mess around in there, so don't worry about messing things up. Everything can be replaced."
Zoro snorts and crosses his arms. Yeah right, replaced. The cheapest thing around probably cost more than he makes in a month. Seriously, how can people even be this rich? It's not that he thinks Sanji is a bad person, but there are people back in East Blue living paycheck to paycheck while others are living like…well, like this.
Maybe that's why Sanji helps you out. Because he knows he can.
"Do you want to borrow something to sleep in?" Sanji asks, breaking the tense silence again. "I think I have an old shirt that might fit you loose."
"Nah, that's alright," Zoro shrugs, kicking off his shoes and lifting up his shirt. "I can sleep in my boxers."
"Oh….well, I'm gonna change into something more comfortable," Sanji says, averting his gaze. "Make yourself comfortable."
Zoro nods. Sanji opens the light wooden door on the right side, and Zoro gets a brief look into his walk-in closet before the door closes behind him.
He finishes stripping down, then folds his clothes and puts them on the bench, his boots neatly placed next to it. He feels kind of weird climbing into the strange bed though the feeling quickly leaves him once he realizes that the cook was right: this bed is fucking comfortable as hell.
He groans loudly, feeling his muscles loosen out and his tension seep away. He closes his eyes and it almost feels like he's floating. The fur bed throw underneath his legs is super soft, as are the white comforter and the linen sheets underneath. Even when he turns on his side, he feels amazing—and he hates sleeping on his side. There is literally no wrong position to sleep in, and when Sanji walks out wearing a long-sleeve cotton shirt and loose pajama pants, he finds him almost purring and huddled underneath the thick and soft blankets.
"What did I tell you?" Sanji grins, climbing in next to him. "Fucking comfortable as all shit, right?"
"I feel like a baby," Zoro admits, opening his arms to let Sanji cuddle against him. "Can we never get up? I feel like that's a thing that should happen. We should make Sundays our bed day."
"Totally," Sanji agrees, and Zoro feels him smirking against the tender skin of his neck. "You know what else is great about this bed? It won't creak when we're having sex."
"Is that right?" Zoro hums, grinning when he feels Sanji kiss his collarbone. "And how are the walls?"
"Soundproof," Sanji says, moving up to kiss him eagerly. "So you can be as loud as you want."
"If I remember correctly, you were the noisy one," Zoro says breathlessly, swallowing down an embarrassing noise that threatens to escape when Sanji's hand kneads at his growing member.
"Yeah, let's see how composed you are when I'm the one fucking you," Sanji murmurs, and once again kisses him roughly. Zoro moans softly and eagerly accepts Sanji's lips, opening his mouth to taste the other man. He tastes sweet and minty, like chocolate mint ice cream.
"Had some at the Baratie," the cook hums when Zoro mentions it out loud.
"I like it," Zoro grins, letting Sanji push him on his back.
They move gently, nothing like the day before. Sanji takes his time with Zoro, biting and sucking on every stretch of skin, painting the tan canvas with touches of red. He uses his hands to learn Zoro's body, dragging his fingertips down the length of him, tracing the grooves of his muscles.
It's slow and sensual, the kind of sex Zoro has never had before. He wants to touch every part of Sanji's body, learn his touch, his taste, his smell. He catalogues the things that make him gasp, like when he bites at his hips or his collarbone; Sanji moans when Zoro sucks on his neck, licks at his belly button, drags his nails down his sides. But when Zoro bites on his Achilles' tendon, sucks on the groove where leg and torso meet, scrapes his teeth on the tender skin behind his ear, then the cook absolutely shakes with pleasure, biting at his lips to keep his sounds in.
Sanji explores him, too. He touches and licks, rarely using his teeth. The cook relies on his hands and his mouth, tracing the contours of Zoro's body with both. The swordsman feels exposed, more naked than he has ever been as Sanji's eyes graze over his body, but it's a good feeling. The cook finds all of his scars, even the ones Zoro didn't know he had, and kisses them softly, lips almost a whisper as they graze his scarred chest. His fingers follow the natural line of his body, stopping to explore especially sensitive areas. Zoro learns new things about his body through Sanji's touch. He learns that he likes it when Sanji traces each vertebra, his eyes roll back in pleasure when the cook suck on his nipples, his whole body turns to putty when the cook bites his ear, tongue licking at his studs.
Sanji takes extra time spreading him open. His fingers are long, reaching deep inside of him, but they're thin, so he works his way up to four before he deems Zoro prepared enough. Zoro eagerly spreads his legs and hugs the cook as he works his way inside, breath hitching as Sanji's hot length pierces him and immediately strikes that sensitive spot inside of him.
"Fuck," he groans, back arching as Sanji bottoms out. He feels Sanji's soft lips brushing the stretched length of his throat, a contrast to the rough graze of his goatee. Zoro's legs are wrapped around the cook, his heels digging into his back and Sanji's arms are wrapped around Zoro's torso.
Sanji moves steadily, his powerful legs giving his thrusts just the exact amount of force they need to completely unravel Zoro. Zoro can't keep quiet, his vocal cords completely controlled by the movements of Sanji's hips, his entire body ablaze with heat and want.
Sanji is fucking perfect like this: his cheeks stained red, his legs working to push into him, his hands raking down his back. Sanji leans back, dragging Zoro into his lap, and the swordsman quickly follows, pushing down every time Sanji's thrusts up.
Sanji's hair is damp with sweat when Zoro grabs it, but he doesn't mind one bit, loving the feel of its softness on his fingers as he grips it and drags Sanji to a hot, open-mouth kiss.
"You feel so fucking amazing," Sanji murmurs, his voice rough and his breath hot. "I'm so close."
Zoro moans, meeting Sanji's gaze. They're not kissing anymore, more like gasping into each other's mouths, their lips touching. Every so often, Zoro licks his lips, asking for a taste of Sanji's mouth, getting his fix of the addicting flavor.
Sanji's tempo increases, grunting with effort as he fucks up more roughly into Zoro. His deft hands wrap around Zoro's hardened flesh, working it slickly. Zoro gasps and tightens, laughing breathlessly when Sanji curses and sends him an accusing glare.
"I can't…come before you," Sanji gasps out and digs his thumb into Zoro's slit.
"It's fine," Zoro assures him, letting his own hand join Sanji's. "You can come. I'm close, too."
Sanji shakes his head stubbornly and squeezes his eyes shut, head falling against Zoro's shoulder. One of his hand moves down to squeeze Zoro's balls, the other moving up to pinch and play with Zoro's hardened nipple. Zoro keeps working himself, rubbing at the head, digging into the slit, pressing on the base: all the things that get him off when he's by himself.
But despite his efforts, it's the feeling of Sanji finally unraveling inside of him that gets him to come. The heat reaches its boiling point as Sanji coats him white, and the sound of his name on the cook's lips makes him shudder deliciously. He works himself through his orgasm, flexing around Sanji and milking him of his spent until it starts to hurt both of them.
Sanji slips out and pushes him back on the bed, falling next to him.
"Goddamn it," Sanji groans into Zoro's shoulders. "I wanted you to come first."
Zoro rolls his eyes. "We both came, what's the point?"
"The point is, I came without you having to touch my dick when you fucked me!" Sanji snaps childishly.
"I have more experience than you do," Zoro shrugs. "Besides, some people just like bottoming more."
"What, you're saying you didn't like it?" Sanji demands in, raising himself a little to look down at Zoro, his eyebrows scrunched angrily. Zoro decides not to tell him his hair is pushed back, enjoying the unobstructed view of his face. Sanji's eyes are a stark blue, a color purer than the ocean outside. He looks beautiful—even with the weird eyebrows.
"I liked it," Zoro assures him. "I don't like it more or less than topping, though. It's just…different, I guess. So stop worrying about your sexual prowess, cook. You blew my mind."
"Oh oui," Sanji says, grinning widely. "I fucked your brains out."
Zoro rolls his eyes and shifts to face the cook. Sanji glances at him, a childish grin still in place, and Zoro can't help but kiss him again. Sanji makes a happy sound that warms Zoro's heart and eagerly returns the kiss. They don't say anything, but they keep on kissing, limbs tangled so closely that it's impossible to tell where one begins and the other ends.
They fall asleep like this.
Zoro has never slept better in his entire life. Sleeping on Sanji's bed is like sleeping on a cloud, surrounded by warm, fuzzy puppies, while being fanned by large leaves like they do in the movies. He never wants to get up.
But Sanji isn't in bed with him, and after a while, he decides he much rather find the cook than stay in bed. His sticky ass reminds him that needs to take a shower, though.
He opens the door he remembers leads into the closet—if the room can be called that. It's about the same size as Chopper's room, decorated like one would decorate a shop. There is a three-way mirror in the center, set up atop a small stage. The walls are lined with shelves, dressers, cubicles, and sliding doors, each thing perfectly aligned to organize everything the cook owns.
There are sliding shelves that reveals rows upon rows of shoes, cabinets holding ties in every color he can think of, hangers that hold suits, some double breasted, a few single breasted, and some three-pieces. Sanji has dress shirts in every color, ranging from plain white to bright orange. A small drawer reveals gold and silver cufflinks, another one rows of watches, and a third one has those handkerchiefs the cook likes to put in his breast pocket.
There is a section with more laid back clothing, but that is kept near the back of the room. There, Zoro finds a pair of dark jeans that fit him perfectly, a shirt that fits him snug around the shoulders but loose everywhere else, and a drawer full of underwear.
He frowns down at the clothes he picked. They look brand new, and despite being similar to what Zoro himself owns, he's sure they cost a lot more. But he needs to shower, so he balls them up under his arm and goes looking for the bathroom. Luckily, he tries the only other door inside the room first and sighs when he sees the bathroom.
Like everything else, it's amazing. The door opens and immediately faces yet another window with an amazing view. This one offers a look into the coastline, the right side miles and miles of ocean blue, and the left side covered with the other tall skyscrapers that line the coastline. This building is the tallest, though, so Zoro gets to look down on everyone.
There is a bathtub directly in front of the window that looks like an egg cut in half on its side. To the right of it, there are two sinks and light fixtures embedded on the wall around the wide mirror. The cabinets below the sinks are made out of the same wood that makes the cook's bed frame, and on the opposite side of the sinks, a single glass wall separates the shower.
Every wall is made out of marble, including the floor, so the cook has a rough carpet inside the large shower to keep from slipping. There are various knobs embedded on the wall, but no shower head. Inside the shower, there is yet another wide window, this one showing mostly just the other skyscrapers with a sliver of ocean. Next to the shower, there is a plain white door that hides the toilet, and directly across from it—next to the sinks—there is a small shelf that holds a couple of rows full of fluffy, white towels, with bathrobes hanging above it.
Zoro grabs a towel and places it on the sink counter with his clothes, then decides to brave the shower. It takes him a while of fumbling with the various knobs to try and get water running. The first knob he tries only fills the glass room with steam. The second one gets him cold water—but it shoots out of the walls around him not from above. The one directly next to it does the same, except with hot water. When he finally gets cold water to shoot from above him, it comes out like rainwater from a metal plate above him. He turns the knob next to the one he tried last, and the water starts to warm up.
"Stupid cook with his stupid, complicated shower," Zoro mutters, but he can't deny that the water pressure is amazing. He spends a little more time than necessary washing his hair—the shampoo he uses smells flowery and it reminds him of Sanji's hair—but he's sure Sanji has already prepared breakfast, and the cook's food is better than anything.
He dries quickly with the fluffy towel and slips Sanji's clothes on before he rushes out in search of the kitchen.
It's harder than he expects; the cook's house is like a maze, the walls moving every time Zoro turns around. He finds Chopper's room first, then somehow ends on the edge of the pool. When he traces his steps back, he finds himself in the living room and notices for the first time the huge painting on the wall. It depicts the terrible battle between a lone ship and a giant Sea King. The detail in it is amazing, from the raging storm around the two entities, to the scales on the Sea King's back, to the miniature people fighting to keep their vessel afloat. It's surprisingly morbid, especially to be in the living room, but it has its charm.
After that, he finds the gym again, and he takes a short minute to explore it. The cook has a used kicking bag hanging off the side, the leather skin roughly used and stitched back together in some places. There are two more brand new ones leaning against the wall next to it. Most of his weights are lighter than what Zoro is used to lifting, though there are a few that even he would struggle with—maybe those are for his legs. Most of his equipment, though, is gymnastic. Zoro recognizes the long balance beam, the pommel horse, the vault, the rings, the uneven bars, and the high bar. There are a few other things he doesn't recognize, but it all looks self-explanatory.
When he exits the gym looking for the kitchen, he finds himself in the hall outside of the cook's room, where he finds Sanji exiting the bedroom.
"Cook!"
Sanji stops and glances at him, scowling. "What the hell are you doing, idiot marimo?"
"Your stupid house keeps moving!" Zoro snaps. "I was trying to get to the kitchen, but every time I turn around, there's a new door!"'
"I knew you'd get lost," Sanji mutters. "C'mon, Chopper's already in the kitchen."
Sanji leads him back to the kitchen, where he finds Chopper seated in one of the stools around the kitchen island. Just like Zoro thought when he was shopping for him, the cook has everything a chef could possibly need: a set of knives, a standup mixer, a cabinet full of ceramic plates, pans, woks, skillets, and a lot more.
"Morning, Dad," Chopper greets brightly, happily eating what looks like a really big pancake.
"I made Dutch pancakes," Sanji says, raising his skillet for Zoro to see. "Don't worry, yours are not too sweet."
"Thanks," Zoro says, taking a seat next to Chopper. He watches as Sanji moves to the counter to fiddle with what looks like a commercial espresso machine. He has a whole system set up, which looks even more professional than the one at Ririka's place. Zoro can see an industrial coffee maker, various syrup containers, a couple of bags of ground coffee, and other equipment he recognizes but doesn't know the name of.
"Sanji's house is really pretty, isn't it, Dad?" Chopper says happily, stuffing his mouth full of pancake.
"It is," Zoro agreed as Sanji set a plate and coffee cup in front of him. "Though there are too many windows. Anyone can just break one and steal all your shit."
Sanji snorts. "We're more than thirteen hundred feet above ground—but sure, someone can definitely rob me," he says sarcastically. "Estupide."
"I like them," Chopper says. "They all face the ocean, and it looks really pretty."
"Doesn't it?" Sanji smiles. "I love the sea. You know, when I was younger, I had this crazy dream of building a restaurant in All Blue. A floating restaurant where you can get any type of fish you want. But ships aren't allowed to set sail in All Blue and the only place that borders that sea is Raftel, and it's very difficult to buy property in that city. The World Government has a bunch of regulations set up, since it's the capital of the world and all."
"That would be so cool, though," Chopper says.
"Yeah, cook. It would've been amazing," Zoro says.
Sanji beams at them and sets a small cup with melted chocolate in front of Zoro. "Try it. It's not too sweet."
Zoro shrugs and drips some of it on top of his pancake. He tastes it, eyes widening at the slightly spicy taste. There is some sweetness in there, but not too much that it overpowers the palate.
"It's good," he admits.
"Chili and chocolate," Sanji smiles. He serves himself a pancake topped with strawberries and powder sugar, a frothy espresso on his right. "Other than Sabaody, is there anything you guys want to do today?"
"Can we go to the park?" Chopper asks excitedly. "I want to try out all of my change forms! Kobato says that a Zoan type usually only has three forms, but I bet I can figure out a way to get more."
"Aren't you more upset about this?" Zoro asks. "I mean, you won't be able to swim anymore."
"Technically, I still can," Chopper says. "I just need something to hold me up, like one of those floating things Luffy has."
"Just be careful around the pool," Sanji says worriedly. "It's pretty deep and I don't have any handrails around it."
"I'll be fine," Chopper assures him.
They finish up breakfast and get ready to leave. Sanji let Zoro borrow a thick, fleece trench coat, donning a gray sweater under a black parka for himself. He gives Chopper a bomber jacket that fits the little kid a lot big, but covers him from the cold wind perfectly. Zoro turns down the offer for gloves and a scarf, grinning when he sees the cook bundle up. He and Chopper look like balls of cloth with all their layers.
Shopping with Sanji is a different experience than shopping with his friends. It's soon made clear that Sanji is not a stranger to Sabaody since everywhere they stop, he's greeted warmly by name. The cook is a valued customer everywhere he goes, and the quality of service they receive is greatly improved because of this.
Also, since Zoro is not only wearing Sanji's clothes, but walking hand-in-hand with the cook, the same courtesy is extended to him and Chopper. Nobody looks at him weird when they enter stores that sell shoes more expensive than his rent. Nobody asks him if he's lost, or if he knows how much things cost. Nobody looks down on him or talks behind his back.
Living on their own, clothes were not a priority for Zoro. He owned two pairs of jeans, four t-shirts, one pair of shoes, one sweater, and his favorite leather jacket. He bought new briefs every three months or so, but that was about it. Chopper, too, only owned two changes of his school uniform, a pair of slacks, one pair of jeans, and three t-shirts. He had his black dress shoes for school and tennis shoes for when he went running with Zoro in the mornings.
With Sanji, however, it's clear that isn't enough.
"You need to have options," Sanji says, picking out a couple of dress shirts for Zoro to try on. "Besides, you can't wear jeans to the Baratie. You're going to need more formal wear."
Zoro puts his foot down on some of the more outrageous things—he does not need silk ties, nor does he need eight pairs of shoes—but the cook goes wild when purchasing clothes for Chopper and even Zoro can't stop him.
"Do you know who goes to New World? Rich, snotty kids who bought their way in," Sanji tells Zoro, handing Chopper three different tan colored slacks to try on. The cook swears they're different colors, but Zoro can only see brown. "These kids are cruel, and Chopper is seven. I'm not going to have some shitty bastard making fun of my—Chopper. Of Chopper."
Zoro knows Sanji had been about to say 'my kid', but decides not to mention it. He doesn't know how he feels about Sanji being so possessive over them. Zoro isn't one to take charity, but every day, it starts to feel less and less like charity, and more like Sanji just being Sanji. It's obvious that out of the two of them, Zoro is the one putting more importance to money.
They spend a good five hours just shopping, and soon it's time for Zoro to go pick up Sanji's present. The cook tries to get Zoro to tell him what it is, but the swordsman won't budge. At the end, Sanji sends him off with a kick to the head when Zoro says it's a dildo.
When Zoro and Chopper walk inside the kitchen supply store, Liam greets him promptly, much nicer than he was yesterday.
"Your present is ready and wrapped," Liam informs Zoro, giving Chopper a small smile.
"Dad, I want to get Sanji something, too," Chopper says, tugging on his jacket. "Can I borrow some money?"
"Sure, buddy," Zoro says. "Go find something and I'll pay for it."
Chopper gets the cook a pink, frilly apron that reads 'KISS THE COOK' in large, curly letters with a heart on top of the I. Chopper's favorite color is pink, so it make sense that he picked that apron, but Zoro can't help but laugh when he imagines the look on the cook's face when he opens the gift.
He's looking for the little coffee shop Sanji told him to meet at, when he feels someone approach him from behind and turns around.
Saga blinks, surprised, then smiles. "I could never catch you unaware."
"Hey, man," Zoro greets hesitantly. He likes Saga—they were friends since very early in their youth—but the last time they saw each other, Zoro rejected his offer for sex.
"Doing some Christmas shopping?" he asks, glancing down at their shopping bags.
"Uh, yeah. You too?"
"We're doing a secret Santa thing at school," Saga rolls his eyes. "I don't even know the guy I'm supposed to be buying for."
"Give him a gift card or something," Zoro shrugs. "That's what I'd do."
Saga laughs. "I should. How about some coffee?" Saga adds, pointing to the small shop Zoro had been looking for.
"Sure."
Zoro grabs Chopper's hand to cross the street, making Saga look down at the kid and smile. "Hey Chopper. I haven't congratulated you about getting accepted at New World."
"Thank you," Chopper smiles. "Classes don't start until January, but I'm so excited!"
"And your birthday is on Christmas day, isn't it?" Saga asks. "Aren't you excited about that?"
"It's on Christmas Eve," Chopper corrects. "But I am really excited. Sanji said he was going to buy me an amazing Christmas present!"
"You really like Sanji, don't you?"
Zoro glances at Saga sharply as they take their seats inside the warm shop. Zoro sits next to the window to keep an eye out for the cook.
"Yes," Chopper nods. "He makes the best food ever and his bed is really fluffy."
"Can I get your order?" the server asks politely, cutting in before Saga can say anything.
Zoro orders a cup of coffee for himself and a hot chocolate for Chopper. Saga orders something complicated, like Sanji usually does.
"So how have you been? We didn't talk much last time," Saga says, smiling. It's a subtle reminder of the heavy make out session they had last time they met, where they were too busy sucking face to do much talking.
"Nothing much. I got a new job," Zoro replies curtly.
"Oh really? Where?"
"At the Baratie," Zoro shrugs. "Sanji owns the place."
Saga's eyes narrow and his smile becomes a little more forced. "Does he? Well, it looks like he's just perfect, isn't he?"
"He really is!" Chopper replies, oblivious to the tension between the two adults.
They continue to do small talk, catching up for the last couple of years. Despite the still present tension, the conversation is entertaining, reminding Zoro why he and Saga were such good friends in school. Dating is what had ruined things…they simply aren't dating material.
Sanji arrives around half an hour later loaded with shopping bags and greets Saga warmly.
"Are those our Christmas presents?" Chopper asks excitedly.
"Yes," Sanji smiles. "For you, the shitty moss, and all the others."
"Yay! Look, Dad, that one is huge."
"I see that. What is it, shit cook?"
"It's a surprise for Nami, you useless swordsman," Sanji snaps.
"Well, I think it's about time for me to go," Saga says, standing up. "It was nice seeing you again, Sanji. Goodbye, Zoro; Chopper."
"Yeah, see you, Saga," Zoro says, waving goodbye.
A/N: When I first started writing this, I didn't have a plot to follow. I literally just sat down and started writing. Not the best way to start a story, I admit, but I haven't hit a wall so far, so...yeah. Anyway, I didn't put much planning into the world, but this is what iI have:
The Red Line and the Grand Line are the only two continents in the world, which are separated by a Calm Belt. The Red Line lies in the Northwest, so North Blue and West Blue are in the Red Line, while South Blue and East Blue are in the Grand Line. Places like East Blue, North Blue, New World, and Paradise are countries, which look similar to Europe in the sense that they are all close together and it takes only hours to drive to the neighboring country (unlike the U.S. where you can drive for two days and you're still in the same country). Some islands are cities, while some of the bigger islands are countries. I'll try to be specific in the story line, but feel free to ask me.
I know it's confusing and I'm sorry for not putting too much thought into it, but I'm already halfway through the story and I can't go back and change things. It'll only make it even more confusing.