RelationShipwreck

Chapter 2: To Move My Errant Heart Along

The boy coughed as he regained the breath that had been knocked out of him. A sense of impending doom quickly snapped him out of his disorientation as he noticed the two men staring down at him.

"I-I wasn't eavesdropping! I was checking the knots on the sail! Honest! Please don't kill me…"

Sanji sighed. The freckle-faced, brown haired kid couldn't be more than fourteen, and looked like he was about to wet his pants. "We're not going to kill you."

"Please don't beat me up!"

"We're not going to beat you up! Geeze, kid, grow a pair."

"Please don't… make me your cabin boy?"

"Are you trying to piss me off?" Sanji snapped. Zoro snickered. "I think he likes you."

"I don't!" the boy squeaked vehemently as he turned red, inching backwards away from Sanji when it appeared the blond was going to lose it after all.

"Frey!"

Another boy suddenly dropped down from the rigging that led to the crow's nest, darting in between the freckle-faced boy and Sanji. "I'm so sorry, please forgive this idiot. He was dropped on his head as a child. Also he was raised by wolves. And ate paint chips."

"Joss," the first boy hissed as he climbed to his feet. Joss grabbed his shoulders and started steering him away.

"So, if you'll find it in your hearts to let this slide, we'll just be on our way. Right, Frey?" Frey did not look as if he appreciated having his imminent destruction waived, but allowed the dirty-blond haired boy to escort him below deck to safety. Zoro and Sanji watched them go in silence.

"Huh," the cook finally said.

"See? People fall out of the sky to be your friend."

Sanji rolled his eyes and pulled out a cigarette. "I'm going to go clean off. You can go back to contemplating your sad, pathetic existence or whatever it was you were doing."

"Asshole."

Sanji flashed him a strange smile—partly fond and partly exasperated, with a touch of pity—and walked away. Zoro shrugged after a moment and returned to his exercises, puzzling over what the hell that look was supposed to mean.

* * *

Mealtimes had become the highlight of the day since Sanji joined the ship. Captain Seeker had a much larger crew than Luffy did, but the rubber-man ate as much as twenty people so the quantity of food Sanji had to prepare had not changed. The only difference was that he now had to keep in mind a much wider and more varied selection of food preferences. They'd only been at sea for a few days, but he'd already got a feel for each crewmember's palate and kept a mental checklist of what they consumed each meal so he could make sure they got a balanced diet.

After checking the serving table one last time, Sanji stepped up on the deck and rang the dinner bell. Immediately sailors began popping out of the woodwork and sliding down the rigging, except for the unlucky ones whose turn it was to keep things running until their relief was done eating. Watching them eagerly mill inside, the cook singled out the two boys that had interrupted him earlier.

"Joss, Frey." They paused, surprised to be addressed by name. "You're on serving duty." With that he spun and walked back inside, smugly listening to their groans.

Dinner was in full swing by the time Zoro finished cleaning off and joined the mess hall. Upon noticing the two boys who were helping dish out the first round of food, he raised an eyebrow at Sanji. "Vengeful little minx, aren't we?

"I don't know what you're talking about," he replied innocently. "And don't even think about sneaking past the vegetables, Breadon, you didn't eat any yesterday." The man next to Zoro jumped guiltily, then allowed his plate to be filled and continued down the line with a sulky expression. "Don't slip them to someone else, either. I'll know."

"Truly, you rule the lunch line with fear," Zoro chuckled as he heaped his plate high with meat. The next man in line, an overweight slob with lips too large for his face tried to do the same, but got his hands swatted away with a pair of tongs. "How come he gets more than anyone else?" he griped.

Sanji gave the man a level stare. "Because he burns 10 times the fuel you do. If I catch you working out nonstop from dusk 'til dawn, then perhaps you can get larger portions too."

"Tch, I bet he just keeps you warm at niGWAH!" The man went flying clear across the room, safely over the tables to crash into the far wall. The cook carefully lowered his boot back under the serving table and flashed an aggressive glare to anyone who dared look. The crew quickly went back to stuffing their faces. Sanji turned to one of the boys he'd roped into kitchen duty. "Make sure he gets his plate once he wakes up."

"Yes sir!"

"I'll save you a seat," Zoro said with a grin as he moved down the line. The blond merely shrugged as he turned to the next person.

* * *

Zoro had already finished his plate by the time Sanji sat down with his, but it was all right because the cook brought his seconds, too. With an exaggerated sigh, Sanji began eating.

"Is it safe to assume there's a reason for today's extra crankiness, or is it just that time of the month?" Zoro asked, before immediately suffering an agonizing pain in his shins.

"Did you know my stuff had been rooted through this morning?"

"Hadn't noticed," he replied through gritted teeth as the sting subsided.

"My guess is they were looking for evidence. Really, if I were an okama I'd be dressed up now, not hiding dresses in my luggage!"

"They'll get bored with the idea eventually."

"They'd better."

It was a strange agreement they'd slipped into regarding Sanji's experience marooned in Kamabakka. As long as Sanji was the one who brought up the subject, they were allowed to talk about it. No mention was ever made of their altercation at the end of their "date," though.

They ate in silence for a minute or two, until the freckle-faced boy suddenly took a seat on the bench across from Sanji. The two nakama paused in mid-bite as Frey proceeded to eat as if what he'd done was perfectly normal, despite the fact that his face was dead white aside from the high flush on his cheeks.

Sanji stared blandly. Zoro stared coolly. Joss, who was still standing with a plate of food several feet away, stared in horror. Frey stared stubbornly at the food he was trying, with trembling hands, to consume.

"So, how goes your training, marimo?" Sanji asked after a moment, and life returned to the table once more. The boy let out a shaky breath and gestured for his friend to join them.

"Still got a long way to go," Zoro growled. Joss, somewhat apprehensively, took the seat across from him. "I swear, when we run into Kuma again I'm going to kick his ass!"

"Kuma?" Joss asked.

"Bartholomew Kuma. Big guy, bear paws, totes a Bible around—"

"No way! You've fought with a Shichibukai?!" The two stared up at him, eyes wide, while Zoro paused uncomfortably.

"Twice," Sanji added helpfully. "Kuma's not the only one, either." Zoro shot him a dark look as adoration started to creep across the boy's expressions, but the blond merely grinned. "Weren't you just complaining that you don't make friends easily?"

"What, really?" Joss looked shocked. Sanji refrained from pointing out that the boys had been terrified of him mere minutes ago. "We'll be your friends, right Frey?" The other boy nodded emphatically, freckles barely visible under his vivid blush. Zoro sighed in defeat.

A few more sailors were shuffling in, the ones just released from watch. Frey glanced over at them before turning back to Sanji. "Some of our friends just came in, can they join us?"

"Sure, the more the merrier," the cook replied with a laugh. "Go serve them real quick and bring them back here." The boys dashed away from their plates, grinning.

As soon as they were gone, Zoro turned to his nakama and arched an eyebrow. "I thought you weren't interested in making friends on this ship?"

"I changed my mind when I realized I could annoy you more this way," he said smugly, making Zoro scowl. The cook clapped his hands together under his chin and leaned toward him, eye wide with mock adoration. "Zoro-san, Zoro-san, tell us about your adventures! Ooh, can we see your scars? Can we touch your swords?"

"Oi, cut that out!" Zoro said a touch breathlessly, turning red as he leaned away. It was at this point that a shadow fell over them and they looked up at the man who dared interrupt them.

"Hi. I'm Frey's older brother, Paul." Paul did not sound enthused to be making their acquaintance. In fact, he sounded downright bitter.

Paul was also the person who had witnessed their misadventure at the bar, and been threatened by Zoro into silence.

Sanji suddenly realized how bad their current position looked, and jolted back. He grabbed his mug and took a drink to hide his embarrassment.

Well, crap.

Joss, Frey, and two other young men came rushing up to the table.

"Zoro-san, tell us about your adventures!"

"Do you have scars?"

"Can I see your swords?"

Sanji snorted into his drink.

Yay, the OC's have been introduced; all six of them, only three of whom were named in this chapter. Not counting Breadon, though, he's nobody. Poor Breadon.

Sunday is my birthday! I will be turning Old. If you wish to give me a gift for my Oldieth birthday, I accept reviews... :D