When Sanji wakes up, he feels gross. His head hurts and his mouth is dry, and there is something that smells like rancid cheese. The sun is high in the sky, but the usual beautiful view outside his window only serves to make his head pound harder.
Ugh…he feels like shit. How much did he drink? He sits up a little, noticing for the first time that Zoro isn't in bed with him. He can hear the soft sound of music, which means Zoro is blasting it at full volume somewhere in the house. He's probably working out.
He did leave a glass of water and an aspirin on the bedside table, which Sanji takes gratefully. He stays in bed for a couple of minutes, just trying to control his pounding headache, but the smell is getting to him. Shit, did he throw up? And in front of Zoro?
How fucking humiliating.
The sheets are sticking to his skin, and his whole body smells musty and sweaty. He's only wearing his boxers, but he discards them as he wobbles to the shower. He's under the cold spray before he can open his eyes all the way. The cold water serves to wake him up and lessen his headache. He stays under the water for a little while before he starts cleaning himself, paying close attention to his hair, which smells too much of puke. He brushes his teeth and rinses with mouthwash twice, the heads back to open his windows and air out the room. There's no trace of vomit anywhere, which means Zoro probably cleaned up for him.
Still, he fills up the tub with Borax and detergent and lets his sheets soak to get rid of the smell. He grabs a couple of cotton balls and soaks them with essential citrus oil and puts them inside a little glass bowl he places on his bedside table. He walks downstairs, grabs some baking soda and one of his slow cookers, and brings it back to his room. He sets the slow cooker on the floor, fills it up with water, adds a few tablespoons of baking soda, and sets it on slow.
Already, the room smell fresher and the baking soda will help get rid of the lingering smell.
He already feels much fresher, but the hangover is still there. He doesn't feel as bad as he usually does after a night of heavy drinking, which means Zoro probably helped him yesterday. What he needs to do now is rehydrate himself. And maybe try and remember what the hell happened last night.
It's not that cold outside, so he opens the doors that lead out to the patio so the whole penthouse can air out. It won't be long before the whole place smells of ocean mist, but he kind of wants to smell the sweetness of spring today, so he makes a simmering pot of rosemary, orange peels, and vanilla.
He drinks two bottles of water and prepares lemon mint cucumber water to drink after a light workout. He needs to sweat out the rest of his hangover, and the detox drink is one of the more hydrating drinks he knows.
"Something smells good."
He turns to smile at Zoro, sweaty from his morning workout. "Thanks. I opened the patio doors. Not too cold, is it?"
"Nah, it feels great," Zoro says, walking over to wrap his arms around Sanji waist. He hooks his chin on Sanji's shoulder and watches as the cook thinly slices the cucumber and lemons. "How's your head?"
"Not too bad," he admits.
"I make you drink a bunch of water after you threw up," Zoro explains.
"Ugh, god, don't remind me," Sanji groans. "I bet that was super gross."
"A little," Zoro admits. "But hey, you smell wonderful now."
"And you stink," Sanji snaps, but holds on to Zoro's hands when he tries to pull away. "You wanna spar a little with me? I need to sweat the alcohol out. We can take a shower together after."
"But I'm hungry," Zoro whines.
"C'mon, I can you make you something once we're done," Sanji says. "I'll even suck your dick."
There's silence and Sanji smirks a little, expecting to feel the tell-tale hardness of Zoro's excitement on his backside, but when he turns to stare at the moss-head, he has a pensive expression.
"Bastard! Do you really need to think about it?" Sanji snaps, stomping on his foot.
"Shit, ow! Fucker, why'd you do that for?"
"I don't have to be nice to you, dipshit!" Sanji yells. "Help me sweat off this fucking hangover or you can eat shit for breakfast."
Zoro doesn't think hard about that, so they go back to the training room for some light sparring. They still work up a sweat, and Sanji feels a lot better by the time they hit the shower. They're too hungry to do much but wash each other, but at least the detox water is done by the time they return to the kitchen.
Pairing it with a Greek yogurt with quinoa and blueberries has Sanji feeling a lot better, and ready to make up for yesterday's date to Zoro. He lets the swordsman come in his mouth, and spends a good thirty minutes worshipping his body before Sanji even starts fucking him. Zoro dozes off for about an hour after that, but wakes up just in time to go pick up Chopper from class.
Sanji decides to stay home, eager to relax on his day off. He cleans up a little bit, taking out the wet sheets from the tub and putting them on the washing machine. He puts up the slow cooker and cleans out the pot where he simmered the vanilla and orange peels. Usually, he hires a cleaning crew to come in his house once a month to do a thorough cleaning. Sanji is a tidy person by nature, so he doesn't really dirty the place up. Most of the time, the crew only has to do some dusting. But living with an eight year old and his sloth of a father is hard work, so Sanji decides to put on some music and start on some spring cleaning.
He starts on Chopper's bedroom. He only has to sweep a bit and put his dirty clothes in the washing machine. Chopper keeps his work area extremely tidy, and Sanji smiles when he sees the stacks of neatly written notes. All the medical jargon looks like hieroglyphics to him.
After that, he cleans the gym. That is definitely the dirtiest room in the entire house, since Zoro is in there almost five hours every day. Sanji freshens up the place with some baking soda, which traps odors, and cleans out the mats. He puts those outside in the patio to air dry. It doesn't really take as much time as Sanji had expected, but maybe that's just because he's having fun. The music is blasting on loud and the whole place smells of the ocean outside.
He takes care of the kitchen last, cleaning it more thoroughly than any other place. He disinfects the counters, cleans out the fridge and pantry, and makes a list of all of the things he's short on. He also takes out everything that is close to expiring, thinking up of a meal that will allow him to use the food so he won't have to throw it out.
It's been almost two hours since Zoro left, and he still isn't back. Sanji tries not to worry, but he still sends out a quick message asking him if he's alright.
"In Sabaody with Chopper. Be back soon."
He's in Sabaody? What could Zoro possibly need to buy in the city—holy shit, Sanji's birthday is in two weeks. Zoro is probably out buying him a birthday gift. Sanji grins and puts up his phone. He knows the other man has been planning his party with Zeff. Sanji usually doesn't celebrate his own birthday other than sharing a slice of cake with the old man, but he loves birthdays as a whole.
He remembers telling Zoro to make his birthday amazing. It looks like the swordsman took that to heart. He wonders what Zoro's gift will be, knowing already that it's going to be great. After all, he keeps the plastic lid Zoro got him for Christmas in its own drawer, and uses his monogrammed cutting board daily. And yesterdays' dinner had been a romantic gesture, even if Sanji had tried to erase the disgusting flavor with a bottle of Grappa.
He groans when the memory sends a stabbing pain through his head. Shit, how much did he even drink? He lays his head in the cool counter and breaths the slight smell of undiluted vinegar he used to disinfect.
"Veux-tu m'épouser?"
He straightens up quickly and his eyes snap open as the memory comes back. Fucking hell. Holy fucking hell. Shitty motherfucking hell.
Did he really fucking ask Zoro to marry him?
"Oh fuck," he groans. He did. He told Zoro he loved him. He asked Zoro to marry him.
He asked if Zoro loved him, too.
"That is so fucking pathetic," he mutters, remembering the warm happiness he felt when Zoro said yes. The shitty swordsman obviously didn't know what the fuck Sanji was talking about.
They've only been dating three months…is that enough time to fall in love with somebody? Is he being a coward for not telling Zoro how he feels? He doesn't really care if Zoro doesn't say the words back. It would be nice, of course—shit, it would make him the happiest he's been a really long time—but he doesn't want the swordsman to say the words unless he means them.
No, what he's worried about is making the relationship awkward. He doesn't want Zoro to think things are going too fast and break up with him. He doesn't want Zoro to think Sanji is expecting him to feel the same way. He just wants for things to stay the way they are now.
And maybe, one day, he can get down on one knee and ask that question again. Hopefully sober that time.
It usually takes Zoro close to two hours to get to the Medicine Department in New World University, so he doesn't expect to make the trip in half the time and ends up arriving way too early to pick up Chopper. He decides to wait in the car for him, but after a while he gets restless and decides to walk around and check out the rest of Drum Valley. Besides, it doesn't hurt to learn the layout of the place where Chopper studies, right?
His feet ends up taking him to the Athletic Department, and he spends a little while watching the girls' basketball team before the sounds of wood hitting against wood attract him to the kendo club.
He's pleasantly surprised to see Saga teaching a class similar to the one he teaches at Koshiro's dojo. The dark-skinned man quickly catches sight of him and he smiles at Zoro before he turns to his students and instructs them to spar against each other.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" Saga greets, smiling widely.
"I was picking up Chopper," Zoro shrugs. "Got here a little early."
"The buildings didn't move this time?" Saga smirks and then laughs when Zoro scowls. "My class is about to end. When does Chopper get off?"
"In like thirty minutes," Zoro says, glancing at his phone.
"Great. Come sit with me."
Zoro follows the other man to the front of the class and joins him on the floor. Zoro studies the students in front of him. They're all clearly beginners, though there are a few here and there that stand out.
"They're taking on extra training to make it to the Grand Line Tournament," Saga explains.
"Shit, that's coming up, right?" He had forgotten all about the Tournament. The last time he participated in it, Mihawk had let him split open. "Mihawk is gonna be there?"
"Only for the final rounds," Saga snorts. "He doesn't even bother showing up for the beginners anymore. I think you were the last rookie that he ever took on—or the first, who knows. He's a weird one."
Zoro grimaces at the memory. Sometimes, his scar still aches. He'd thought he was so ready back then, his confidence thriving in ignorant stupidity. He thought just because no one had ever defeated him in the underground fights, he could take on the world's best.
But now he knows better. He's getting stronger, training every day to get better. And he knows he was improving. Sanji defeated him again the last time they sparred but the blonde had struggled. And as soon as he's strong enough to defeat Sanji, he can consider facing Mihawk again.
"Are you gonna try out?" Saga asks, bringing him out of his thoughts.
"For the Tournament? I don't know. Maybe," Zoro shrugs.
"You probably have a lot of free time now that Chopper is in college," Saga says. "So you definitely have the time to train."
"That's not a problem. The cook can watch Chopper if I ever need him too," Zoro says.
"Wait…you're still together?" Saga asks, the level of surprise in his voice a bit insulting.
"Yeah, why wouldn't we be?" Zoro frowns.
"No, no reason," Saga says, but snorts and mutters something off to the side.
Zoro sighs and crosses his arms. "We're not breaking up any time soon, Saga. And even if we did, you and I aren't getting back together."
"Yeah right," Saga scoffs. "I mean, I get you and me not happening. But not breaking up with Sanji? Is he you the one, then?" he says, his voice heavy with sarcasm.
"I don't know," Zoro replies honestly. "And it's not any of your business."
"Maybe not. But I never thought you stupid enough to fall into such fake contentment," Saga says. "Are you seriously expecting anything more from your relationship with that guy? I mean, he's a fucking world famous chef, Zoro. And you're a single dad who works as a waiter in his restaurant. Ever heard of equality?"
Zoro blushes hotly and glares at the other man. "Stuff like that doesn't matter. Sanji doesn't care—."
"Of course he doesn't," Saga interrupts, snorting. "He's the one holding all the cards. You're the one that has to climb up to his level. I mean, shit Zoro, not to be mean, but what are you doing? You and I, we had some sort of future planned. At least, until our paths separated with Chopper. But what's your plan with Sanji? Keep living in his house, driving his car, working in his restaurant? What's gonna happen ten years from now when Chopper is old enough that he won't be around to be your common ground? When the sex starts getting repetitive and you look around and realize that after this whole time, you're not a person anymore. You're just Sanji's boyfriend."
Zoro hears a cracking sound and realizes he gripped his phone tight enough to crack the screen. He doesn't even have the mind to care. He's too pissed off. He wants to punch the fuck out of Saga. He wants to scream at him and slap him around. He wants to tell him that he's wrong, that Zoro is too fucking ambitious to be someone's shadow. He's the man who's gonna become the next World's Greatest Swordsman.
"You know, five years ago, you wouldn't even have hesitated to fight in the Tournament," Saga says quietly. "As soon as you'd heard the word 'Mihawk', you would have hit the training mat and spent hours—days even—working your ass off."
"Fuck you," Zoro growls, finally finding his words and ignoring the truth of those words. "I have a son to think about. But you never could understand now, could you?"
He doesn't wait for an answer, getting to his feet and rushing out. Before he can leave, however, Saga calls out one more time.
"You're not gonna be able to use Chopper as an excuse forever, Zoro!"
If there were a door, Zoro would have slammed it close. As it is, he doesn't realize where he is, too pissed off to pay attention to his feet, until his phone starts ringing. He looks down at it, surprised it's still working despite the cracked screen.
It's Chopper. Zoro quickly answers and brings the phone up to his hear, ignoring the sandy feel of the broken glass.
"Dad, where are you? I can see the car, but you're not around."
"Ah…I'm…near a bridge," Zoro says, spying the short bridge a few steps away. "There's a tall clock tower behind me."
"What? That's all the way in the other—never mind. Just wait there, I'll come to you."
"Alright," Zoro says, not even bothering to argue. He doesn't have the head for it. Instead, he walks up to the bridge and sits down, leaning his back against the supporting post.
Saga's words echo in his mind despite his attempt at meditation. He knows Saga is wrong—of course he's wrong—but the words won't leave.
You know, five years ago, you wouldn't even have hesitated to fight in the Tournament.
Zoro scowls and glares at the ground. Those words are true. But it's also true that Zoro doesn't have the same freedom as he did before. He has Chopper now. And Chopper is more important than anything. Zoro doesn't have the luxury to be reckless, to confront Mihawk and risk dying again. He has to be there for Chopper.
You're not gonna be able to use Chopper as an excuse forever, Zoro!
He growls and takes out his phone again, unlocking it with a quick swipe of his thumb. He dials one of his most recent calls and Koshiro answers at the second ring.
"Hello?"
"Is the dojo large enough to be eligible to participate in the Grand Line Tournament?"
"…yes. We hit the requirements thirty students ago."
"And have you decided on all of the representatives?"
There's a longer pause, then "I think we can make room for one more."
"Thank you, Sensei."
"Any time, son."
Chopper finds him quickly enough after that, and leads him back to the car. Zoro knows he has to fix the screen on his phone, especially after he cuts his thumb and Chopper makes a big deal out of it. He also doesn't want to have to explain why he has a broken phone to Sanji.
And it also gives them the chance to buy Sanji's gift.
Chopper leads him to the store where Sanji bought the phone in the first place, and he's not surprised to find out the cook bought insurance for it. He probably knew Zoro would break it at one point or other. The guy behind the counter tells him Zoro has two options: either get a brand new phone, or just get the screen fixed on his. Fixing the screen only takes a couple of hours, so he goes with that one.
He gets a text from Sanji before he turns the phone off and sends a quick reply back and then gives it to the guy. After that, he and Chopper start looking for a gift to buy.
Zoro finds a silver lighter that's shaped like a fish. Chopper immediately turns that down, telling him he's trying to convince Sanji to stop smoking.
Yeah, good luck with that.
After that, they try looking at shoes. Zoro already knows Sanji's size, but he has no idea about his taste. And Chopper only wants to get sensible tennis shoes. So that's a no, too.
Zoro has no idea how Sanji could find the perfect gift. He knew to get Zoro his earrings, and they're so fucking perfect, Zoro hasn't taken them off since. The cook said that he just saw them, and instantly knew they would fit Zoro…but everywhere he goes, there's nothing that pops out at him.
Chopper finds the perfect cologne, something woodsy and spicy. It's nothing like the stuff Sanji usually gets since the cook likes to smell sweet and fruity, but when Zoro smells it, he thinks of Sanji cooking, his hips swaying as he hums one of Zeff's old songs, the type he says he hates but always sings when cooking. He can even picture the pink apron Chopper got him for his Christmas, tied around his waist while he only wears boxers underneath.
"Want more coffee, marimo?"
The image gives him a strange, aching sensation but it smells really good, so he buys it for Chopper to give to Sanji.
"Can't we go eat something?" Chopper whines, his belly growling. "Please?"
"Sure," Zoro says, knowing Sanji will be more upset if Zoro lets Chopper be hungry than if Zoro lets him eat fast food.
"Yay! I saw an Applebee's near here," Chopper says, leading the way. "Let's go eat."
What the hell can he give Sanji? Buying something for the kitchen kind of seems useless now, since the cook literally has everything. He knows Vivi and Nami bought him a suit …should he get him a tie? God, that's such a bad idea Zoro kind of wants to punch himself in the face.
Wait, isn't Kid getting him a tie? Maybe he should punch Kid in the face; the guy does owe him.
Maybe cufflinks? Sanji has a bunch of them, and he spends quite a while picking out the right ones to wear. Zoro can get him some personalized ones, maybe with a curls inside, to match the eyebrow.
He grins; that actually doesn't sound that bad. Sanji will probably kick him in the face, but he'll like them. He looks up about to tell the Chopper his idea, but there's no one there.
Did they he get lost? Holy shit, he lost his kid. This isn't the first time Chopper has gotten lost, but Sabaody is a lot bigger than a department store. And he doesn't have his phone to call him.
Maybe it's better if Zoro goes to the restaurant and asks to use their phone. He looks around to ask for directions, but this area looks strangely empty. There's only a couple of people walking around, and the stores all seem smaller, shabbier. Is he in the poorer side of Sabaody? Does Sabaody even have a poor side? Well, every city has their downside. Zoro shrugs and enters the shop closest to him, wrinkling his nose when the smell of wet carpet hits him.
The inside of the store is cramped and dark, since there's only a small window near the back. There are tall, wooden shelves everywhere, each one stuffed with the type of stuff you find in the attic of an old man's house. There's dust everywhere, and the carpet looks off-white—not the actual color, but the type of shade that happens when you don't clean your shit.
How is this place still open?
"Can I help you?"
Zoro jumps and turns to stare at the surprisingly young girl behind him. She has long, blue hair and wide, green eyes, a couple of shades lighter than Zoro's. She looks to be maybe fifteen? She's kind of cute, like Chopper type of cute, not Sanji cute.
"What do you want, old man?" she snaps, rolling her eyes at him.
Okay, not Chopper cute. Not cute at all. More like an annoying Sanji.
"I'm looking for the Applebee's. My son said it was near here," Zoro snaps back.
"Applebee's? That's like ten streets east," the girls scoffs. "Are you lost, broccoli?"
"Hey, it's marimo, brat—shit, it's Zoro. My name is Zoro," Zoro growls, running a hand through the offending hair. "And I'm not lost."
"Hmph. So are you gonna buy something or not?"
Zoro gives another cursory glance around the store. "Who would buy shit here, it's all—."
He stops, mouth open. Slowly, he walks past the girl, towards the tall armoire in the back. The doors are open, and small trinkets line the shelves inside.
Glued to a clunky, grimy square piece of wood, there's a small crystal orb. It looks like one of those tacky ones you find in souvenir shops, the ones that are made out of plastic and have the state's name printed on the bottom.
But this is one is made of glass—dirty with grime, but glass. And inside, glowing like trapped lighting, is a blue stone submerged in water. The way it's made, the way it shines in the light—it looks like someone trapped the luminescent water from that December night.
"How much is that?" Zoro murmurs, touching the orb and yeah, it feels grimy, dirty, but it's nothing a good scrubbing won't clean. And it's not clear, like Zoro thought, but a blue-greenish color. The water is the only thing that's clear—strikingly so.
"That? Hmm…I don't know. It's one of my grandmother's old stuff. Got it in a box after she passed…how about five thousand Beri? For sentimental value, of course," the girl adds, grinning.
There's no way that thing costs five thousand Beri. Zoro can probably by a glass globe from Wal-Mart, stick a blue stone inside, and fill it up with water from his pool—but he doubts it would look the same.
"Two thousand Beri. Cash," Zoro says firmly. "Look at it: the base is falling off, the glass is all dirty…no one is gonna buy it for more."
"You're lucky I hated my grandmother," the girl grins. "Pay up, marimo."
This is nothing compared to what Sanji has done for him, so he quickly hands the girl the money. The girl looks at him like he's an idiot as he puts the snow globe in his pocket—and he feels like an idiot, too—but the money has made her nicer, so she explains the way to the nearest Applebee's.
It takes him a little less than an hour to find the Applebee's, but at least he finds Chopper waiting for him inside.
"I already ordered for you," Chopper says, moving his bag out of the way so Zoro can sit down.
"I found Sanji's gift.
"Really?" Chopper asks excitedly. "Well, let's see it."
Zoro scowls as he pulls out the ratty snow glove and shows it to him. Fuck, it looks even stupider now in better lighting.
"It's…nice?" Chopper tries.
"It looks like shit," Zoro says flatly.
"It's just dirty," Chopper says. He grabs one of the cloth napkins from the table and dabs it with water from his cup. He grabs the globe firmly and scrubs it hard with the napkin.
The globe ends up falling from the square base, but at least it makes it easier to clean. And with all of the grime gone, the pebble shines brighter.
"Wow…it really looks like the ocean," Zoro whispers and Chopper nods, remembering that night.
"You know...there's a blacksmith shop near here," Chopper suggests softly. "We can get them to make a base for it. Something pretty."
That seems like a good idea. It'll make it look a little fancier, at least. They're food gets there quickly, probably since Chopper ordered it as soon as he got to the restaurant, so they don't take too long eating.
The blacksmith assures Zoro that he can make a base for it
"And how quickly can you have it done? I need it in two weeks," Zoro explains.
"We can have it done in five days…you can pick it up on Friday, if you so want," the man shrugs. "We should be able to give you a more accurate price by then, too. But I doubt it will go over a thousand."
"Dad…what are you thinking?" Chopper asks as Zoro examines the sketch the man did for him.
Something like that…it will look gorgeous.
"Okay."
Sanji is excited.
Despite turning twenty-seven today, he feels like a little kid on his way to his birthday party at Peter Piper Pizza. And it's not just because he can see the gifts Zoro and Chopper bought him wrapped neatly in white paper in the back seat. Well…not entirely.
It's mostly because everyone is going to be at the Baratie tonight, celebrating him. It's not just going to be him and Zeff sharing a plate of cake anymore. Zoro and Chopper are going to be there. Nami and Vivi. Robin and Franky. Everyone!
"You're bouncing like a little kid, love cook," Zoro laughs.
"Love cook…that's a new one," Sanji hums. "I like it. Better than shit cook. Truer, too."
"You're still a shit cook," Zoro says good-naturedly.
They're the lasts ones to arrive, partly because the birthday boy is always supposed to be last, and mostly because Sanji did spent quite a while in his closet, picking the perfect suit.
When he, Chopper, Zoro walk inside, hand in hand, everyone stands up and cheers. Sanji can't keep the smile off his face as he accepts the congratulations and cheers from everybody. Zeff has closed the restaurant for the night, so only Sanji's friends and the Baratie's workers are present.
"Happy birthday, Sanji!" Luffy yells loudest of all. "Thank you for inviting me!"
"Of course, Luffy. We're friends, right?" Sanji grins.
"Yes!" Luffy declares. "We're nakama!"
"What's nakama?" Sanji asks Zoro quietly as the rubber boy moves to talk to Law.
"It's like friends, but more," Zoro tries to explain. "Like best friends, but more. You give your life for nakama."
"Oh."
Well, what can you say to that? Sanji bites his lips and silently promises to cook Luffy the biggest, juiciest slab of Sea King meat he can find.
Sanji spends a good hour greeting everyone. He can hear Zeff's music through the speakers, and the comforting sounds of a busy kitchen behind the closed doors, so he leaves Zoro talking to Bonney and Law and heads to the back.
"Happy birthday, Sanji!" Jenny is the first to greet, rushing to hug him.
"My sweet Jenny, what are you doing back here? Don't tell me these brutes have you working on your day off? And you too, my dearest Jessica!" Sanji exclaims, accepting a hug from the blonde woman.
"It's our birthday present to you, Sanji," Jessica smiles. "Besides, my husband's always wanted to come eat here. Did you meet him?"
"I met him," Sanji nods, thinking back to the mustached man. Deceptively goofy, the man is a dangerous Marine. Robin warned Sanji about him.
"So you left your friends alone Eggplant? Well, help me serve the food already," Zeff snaps, shoving a platter of plates in his hands.
Sanji manages to keep them from crashing on the ground, and sneers at the older cook. "Not even a hello, shitty old geezer? And can't you turn off that crap for once?"
"No. Now get the hell out!"
Sanji scoffs, but he's in too good a mood to make a scene. Instead, he shoulders the platter of food and follows Jessica and Jenny out as they serve their guests. Lester has taken over the piano and is playing a soft, melodious song that compliments the soft patter of conversation. Zeff has kept the lights dimmed, but each table is decorated with a candlelit centerpiece.
They're a small party, so the only tables being used are the ones closest to the piano. Zoro and Ace got two tables together, and all of Sanji's friends had been accommodated around it, from Luffy to Marco.
"Sit down, Eggplant," Zeff tells him as Sanji serves the families of the other cooks. "Your friends have a surprise for you."
"Do they now?" Sanji murmurs, letting Zeff take the tray of bubbling champagne from his hands.
Zoro has saved him a spot between him and Chopper, across the table from Nami. When Sanji sits down, the group raise their glasses and cheer for him.
"Twenty-seven years, Sanji!" Franky exclaims loudly, downing his glass. "And the best goddamn cook in all of New World!"
"Hey, I resent that!" Carne yells from across the room, only to get smacked down by Jessica.
"Well, I didn't get to cook tonight," Sanji grins. "But it's still edible."
"This is delicious!" Chopper exclaims, munching on his chicken. "Almost as good as yours!"
"Nothing is ever as good as Sanji's!" Luffy grins.
Sanji blushes under the praise—it's not news, but it's always nice to be recognized for what you've worked hard to accomplish. They eat in companionable conversation. Everyone gushes over Koala and Robin, especially since Robin is starting to show a little bit. Robin's first ultrasound is in three weeks, and she promises Sanji can come with her. Koala's is a week after that, and Sanji doesn't know who's more excited about it: the expectant parents, or Ace and Luffy.
Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp start acting like children—Chopper actually has the excuse of being one—and coerce Franky and Ace into a loud song. The whole thing is nothing fancy, just friends and family talking and joking about, but it's one of Sanji's best birthdays ever. He can't possibly think of anything that will make it better—at least until everyone starts clamoring for Sanji to open his gifts.
"Mine first!" Chopper exclaims excitedly, running to the table that holds all of the gifts to take out his. He runs back to Sanji, but stops shorts of handing him the small present. Suddenly, he looks very shy and hesitant. "Sanji…I didn't really know what to get you, because you're really hard to shop for. And it's not because you're picky or anything, because my Dad gave you a Tupperware lid for Christmas and it was, like, your favorite gift ever, but…I just couldn't find anything that seemed good enough. I'm really happy my Dad met you and not because of your food or your money, or anything like that—but because you make my Dad really happy, and you're always taking care of me. I really love you, Sanji, and I'm really happy it's your birthday."
"Chopper…" Sanji whispers, and gladly accepts the tight hug Chopper gives him. Shit, he really loves this kid. "I love you, too, Chopper," he murmurs into the sandy curls, and feels Chopper's arms tighten around him.
Chopper finally lets go and hands him the small gift, which turns out to be a bottle of cologne. Zoro ruffles his son's hair and smiles at him, and Franky, Carne, and Patty burst into tears.
"Well, Chopper has set the bar pretty high, hasn't he?" Robin murmurs, but her voice carries. She stands up and walks over to get her present, a large box wrapped in baby blue paper.
"Sanji…all of all your friends, I have the privilege of having met you first. You are there when I met my husband, you where there when I married him, and you will be there when our first child is born. I never expected to find my first and dearest friend in the young high school student that flirted with me—terribly, I might add—during that faithful Career Day at school, but I'm glad I did. Because now, in such an important moment in my life, I want to ask you for yet another favor. Sanji…would you like to be our son's godfather?"
Sanji's mouth hits the ground. "Holy shit—are you joking with me? Robin, shit—of course I would love to! Oh my god!" He jumps up from his seat and wraps Robin in a warm, grunting when he feels Franky's metal arms wrap around the two of them and lift them off the ground, crying the whole time.
Godfather! He's going to be a godfather! This is like, the best news he has ever heard! The fact that Robin trusts him enough, finds him a good enough friend to trust her child to
Sanji…it almost brings tears to his eyes.
Each person that gives him a gift has a small speech for him, often talking about how much they care for Sanji or how he has changer their lives. Luffy talks about his cooking of course, and Nami talks about her change of heart concerning him. Kaya recounts their first meeting, about how he offered to help Chopper, and Kid jokes about their time at Iva's.
But when it's Zoro's turn, the green-haired swordsman only hands him a perfectly wrapped gift and sits back down, beer in hand.
"Aren't you gonna say anything, moron?" Nami snaps, slapping his arm, but Zoro only grunts.
It's not like Sanji expected a heartfelt love confession, but…well, he expected something. Zoro isn't a man of many words, but he can at least sayHappy Birthday, Sanji. It's not asking for much, right?
Sanji sighs and unwraps the gift, raising an eyebrow when he sees the plain, black jewelry box, the words Jousue & Son written in cursive, gold writing in the middle. Did Zoro get him a necklace?
Now confused more than ever, he opens the box, and gasps.
It's like Zoro has trapped All Blue in a little glass ball for him. A delicate, metal stand holds the orb, the metal curling and twisting like the waves of the ocean. Staring at it, Sanji feels like he's been transported back to that night—the night when All Blue gave him hope, when it gave him the strength to fight back against the hunger that ate at him.
And now that sea is in his hands…thanks to Zoro.
He scrambles out of his seat to hug the other man, burying his face in Zoro's neck as tears prick his eyes. Zoro's arms wrap around him and hug him just as tight, hands rubbing soft circles in his back.
"Goddamn it, Zoro…" Sanji mumbles into Zoro's skin. "You're so un-fucking-fair." He leans back to see Zoro's confused expression, but Sanji ignores it and plants a soft kiss to the man's lips, sighing into it. Just when he thinks he can't fall deeper in love, Zoro pulls shit like this. "I love it."
I love you.
Zoro smiles at him and his hands move down to tug on Sanji's, and getting the message, Sanji takes the seat next to him.
The next person up is Zeff, though Sanji is surprised to see him stand up and walk towards the now almost-empty gift table. Usually, Zeff's gifts are not physical. In fact, Sanji thought this dinner had been Zeff's gift.
"You finally got me something, old man?" Sanji asks, smirking. "It's gonna be tough to beat Zoro's gift, you know."
"It's not a gift," Zeff snaps. "More like good news. Now, are you gonna shut up, so I can give them to you?"
Good news? But Zeff looks like he's holding a leather portfolio in his hands…isn't that Sanji's gift?
"What is it?" he asks.
Zeff opens up the portfolio and takes out a piece of paper, holding it up for Sanji to see. "I've been planning on opening another restaurant…but I had problems finding the right location. Your friend Robin told me about a couple of acres that opens up in Raftel…the title deeds came in yesterday, and I was thinking…maybe you would like to take over the construction of the new restaurant."
"Raftel…?"
Raftel, better known as The End of the World, lies at the edge of New World. One of the many reasons for its fame is its exquisite cuisine. If you can make it in Raftel, you can make it anywhere. But the prosperous city is famous as a tourist attraction, mainly because the Government is very picky about who settles there.
Zeff is handing him rights to a new restaurant—Sanji's very own restaurant. And in Raftel of all places. Sanji has been dreaming of opening his own place for ages, ever since he was little. And it doesn't even matter that Raftel is prestigious…Sanji couldn't care less about that. But Raftel is the only other city in the world other than Lvneel in North Blue that borders All Blue.
As a matter of fact, Raftel had been The Orbit's destination.
"Zeff…are you sure?" Sanji whispers, eyes on the title deeds.
"Happy Birthday, son," Zeff says in lieu on an answer
That manages to spill the tears he's trying to hold back. He feels his eyes burn, his lip quiver, and his hands shake. Fuck that shitty old man.
"T-thank you so much, Zeff," Sanji murmurs, taking the portfolio from the man's hands. "I'm not gonna let you down."
"I know, Eggplant."
Sanji nods stiffly, not bothering to hide his tears. Zoro grabs his hand and runs a comforting thumb on his palm. Sanji leafs through the portfolio, but it's empty except for the title deeds. It doesn't matter. Sanji still remembers the worn portfolio that had housed the plans to build the Baratie.
Hmm. He needs to think up a name for his new restaurant, but he still has time.
"You're gonna open a restaurant?" Luffy gasps excitedly, salivating as he looks at Sanji. "I want to eat there!"
"Once it's built, I'll let you eat there," Sanji promises, beaming. "All you can eat—but only once a year, rubber man!"
"Yes! Sanji's the best!"
"I know it's going to be amazing, because it's going to be yours, Sanji!" Chopper says, smiling widely.
"And you know I'll be glad to help if you need a construction crew," Franky beams.
"And as East Blue's best banker, I'll be more than glad to help you manage your expenses! For a small fee, of course," Nami adds.
"I know a couple of families in Raftel," Vivi says thoughtfully. "It won't hurt to start talking hype about your new place."
"Thanks, everyone," Sanji smiles. "For right now, I just need to plan out everything…building a restaurant takes time, you know…it took us about a year to open the Baratie…but once I need it, I'll be more than glad to accept your help."
His very own restaurant. He probably needs to borrow Zeff's old business plan to help him outline his own. He needs to go check out the location, the neighboring businesses, the type of customers he will be serving. He also needs to decide what kind of restaurant he wants. Baratie focuses mostly on North Blue cuisine, since that is where Zeff learned most of his skills, but Sanji is also proficient in cuisine from Alabasta, Dressrosa, Zou, West Blue and a couple of other places.
He's so excited he feels himself shaking. It's not a floating restaurant on All Blue like he imagined…but it's as close as he can get to his dream.
He will make Zeff proud.