A/N: I see the end! :D And it hurts me. D: This chapter actually made me feel good to write.

Harmonica Smile: Humor is important lol otherwise I'd go crazy!

: : 15

Sanji was pretty distracted at work that day. He wiped tables slowly, feeling like he was walking through heavy fog. Despite the number of times he'd brushed his teeth and gargled with gum-burning mouthwash, he could still taste Law in his mouth. Not that it was a bad taste to have – it just kept him aware that he'd crossed a line with his roommate. That he'd started another affair with another man. That he'd pleasured and been pleasured by another man. Despite the fact that he was a divorcee with nobody to answer to, he felt like he'd just done something wrong.

He told himself he didn't. What he shared with Law was wonderful and beautiful – there was laughter and seriousness, comfort and security in the acts. But after so many years spent with one man – yet ended by five others! – Sanji felt like he'd done something wrong. He wondered when the guilt would finally go away.

"Keep rubbing that spot, and you're going to wear a hole right through it," Zeff snapped at him, lightly kicking his leg. Sanji cringed and caught himself, straightening up to look at him.

"Maybe it'll improve the looks of things!" Sanji snapped at him, tossing his rag aside. "When are you going to redecorate the place?"

Zeff closed his eyes, turning to the ceiling with his hands in prayer form. "I imagine once I get the thirty millions dollars I asked the mighty Lord for, which should be arriving in the mail any day now, these things should be done upon your demand."

Sanji scowled up at him. "Your sarcasm makes you that much more old."

Zeff ended up kicking him again. "People like you make me old, little shit! What are you so ungrateful for? Can you not see the birds for the trees?"

"I never understood that expression."

"You young people piss me off. Always demanding more more more, you can't be grateful for what you have right now. You broke? At least your bills paid! You live in a shitty place? At least it ain't the streets! You got a hole in your shirt! Thank God you're not running about naked like them third country folk! Learn some damn humility."

"Sorry, dad! Sheesh."

"If you were my kid, I'd take myself out back and run myself over with Carne's moped."

"I'd like to see that happen! In fact, I'll be on the moped to do it!"

"Then you better get to revving, or get back to work!"

Sanji sighed heavily, rubbing his forehead. "Fact is, I have nothing to complain about. I don't know why I'm like this, today. I should be happy."

Zeff frowned down at him, crossing his arms over his chest. "You feeling guilty over something?"

Sanji looked at him with a start, then wondered if he should be wearing tinfoil. He didn't answer, but his expression caused Zeff to snort. The diners taking up space at the tables were of the usual sort – down on their luck types of people who sometimes repaid for their meals by doing various chores inside. There was a table of tourists who were taking selfies and pictures of their plates that were making plenty of noise from the other side of the restaurant floor.

Before he could say anything, the doors jingled noisily, admitting in Zoro, Luffy, Ussop and Nami. Sanji's face fell heavily in seconds as he used Zeff's large frame to obstruct himself from view, Zeff looking over his shoulder to see what the commotion was about. He then saw that Sanji was using him to hide, conforming his figure to fit next to the length and width of his taller body.

He rolled his eyes, turning, Sanji conforming to that position as well. "Find a spot," Zeff ordered, the group looking around uneasily before choosing a booth on Sanji's section. "And don't be busting up anymore of my tables, green boy. I should charge you extra for that."

"I don't want to do this right now," Sanji hissed from behind him as Zeff watched the group settle into the booth. "I can't do it."

"You can't hide away forever," Zeff said, turning to face him. "What's the point of living if you've got to hide doing it? Besides, you don't owe them shit. Them papers were final. Which reminds me, I still didn't get anything saying you changed your name."

Sanji was still using his married name – the hassle of the paperwork to change his name was immense. "Today's just not a good day to start doing that," he insisted low, still using Zeff's form to hide.

"Is this going to start any fights in here?"

Sanji reluctantly admitted, "Only if I bring it up."

"Then don't bring it up," Zeff said, stepping away and exposing him to the wandering gazes of the group. "Get to work."

Sanji reluctantly picked up the rag he'd been using to wipe the table down. With heavy reluctance, he then ventured towards the table, every step heavy. Every part of his insides felt like they were being twisted and rearranged as the group caught sight of him. He kept his eyes to the table to avoid meeting anyone's gazes.

God, this can't get any worse, he thought morosely. "Menus are on the table," he mumbled, scanning the other tables. "What do you want to drink?"

"Hi, Sanji!" Luffy said brightly, sitting at the edge of the booth. "You don't know how many times I've passed this place by because I never thought you'd be working here!"

"Yeah, whatever. I'm pretty busy, so if you don't know what you want yet – "

"I missed your cooking!" Luffy exclaimed, wearing an expression of joy while the other three noticed that Sanji wasn't wearing kitchen attire. Nami and Ussop had expressions of awkward concern while Zoro looked irritated. "So could you make my favorite?"

Sanji thinned his lips. "I don't cook here."

Luffy opened his mouth to say more, but looked pretty flummoxed as the words sunk in. Eventually, his face began to shift through a multitude of expressions that settled into horror. Sanji impatiently glanced at the others.

"The menu's pretty basic, but if there's something you want that's not there, you can request it. There's a bunch of dudes in here that'll be game to cook anything."

"Why don't you cook?" Luffy interrupted, looking like all the blood had drained from his face.

"I just don't. There's a breakfast special going on, so do you want that?"

"Do you cook at home?" Luffy asked as Zoro gave his friend a look of irritation, Nami bracing her elbows atop of the table and looking at Sanji with a rather stony stare. Ussop just looked nervous, the menu shaking in his hands as he looked at it.

"Sometimes."

"I'll just have coffee, Sanji," Nami spoke up – her tone wasn't as light as it used to be, but dripping with ice. Ussop looked at her with a pointed expression. Before anything else could be said, Zeff was at Sanji's back, upending a couple of coffee mugs to pour coffee into.

"I don't want that," Luffy said on a heavy sigh. "I guess I'll just have whatever. Just put it on a super huge plate because I brought my appetite with me, today, thinking you were the cook."

"There's a process he has to undergo before he can be one of those," Zeff said gruffly. "I just don't throw anyone behind the counter to make food."

"But Sanji used to work at this really fancy restaurant - !"

"I don't give a shit, kid. Rules are different in this place." Zeff then walked off while Nami took a mug and Ussop looked over the table at Zoro.

"This is a huge step down from where you used to work, Sanji," Nami said, her tone still cold as she warmed her fingers around the mug. "I imagine you don't get by with much here."

"It was the only place hiring at the time," Sanji muttered, focused on a scar on the table.

"Yeah, I heard you were fired – "

"Just bring us all the breakfast specials," Zoro muttered with disgust. "Extra for the trash can over there."

"Please and thank you," Ussop hurriedly added with a timid sort of air.

Sanji walked off without saying anything. His stomach turned with anxiety. Once upon a time he could sit with the group, carefree and happy, sharing stories, comments and moods with the others as a welcomed friend. Now he felt ostracized and reminded of what he did and what he lost. But Zeff was right – Law was right – he had a right to live and be happy, too. He wondered when he'd finally feel free to do so. He remembered what they preferred to drink and made those before telling the cooks what was requested. He then brought the drinks to the table and distributed those.

Then he attended to the other tables, doing his best to ignore that particular section. He wondered why they had to be here – maybe they just wanted to make sure he was still miserable. Maybe this was Zoro's way of getting back at him, for the satisfaction of Sanji's continued misery. Maybe this was just a whim – whichever, it felt like cruel and unusual punishment.

He had just returned from the drink station to set down the tray at a new table when the door jingled noisily. Law caught sight of him and smiled as Sanji felt his stomach churn with nausea. He strode right towards him, hands in his jacket pockets.

"Look at this," Law said, pulling his fisted hands out to expose several small wires with what looked like chips attached. "I spent most of the morning looking and found all of them, I think. He'd even bugged Bepo's tank."

Sanji saw that the table against the wall was watching them – with the exception of Zoro, whose face was turned to the window. Stiffly, Sanji took the drink tray with him back to the station.

"It's not a good time right now," he said low, Law looking at him with question before realizing Sanji's expression. He ended up looking in the direction of the table and made an awkward face before stuffing the wires into his pocket.

Luffy immediately lumbered into their direction, Ussop snatching at him uselessly while Nami looked haughtily from one man to the other before looking at Zoro. Luffy studied Law's face before looking at Sanji with understanding.

"You've been feeding him," he said with an appreciative nod.

"His circumstances aren't what you think they are," Sanji snapped at him. "Go back to your seat and wait. I'll bring your food to you."

"You look good," Luffy said, ignoring Sanji's order and patting Law on the back and causing the man to stumble. "Good for you!"

"Sorry, I hadn't realized – " Law apologized to Sanji awkwardly before Zeff appeared like a ghost at their backs and snapped, "No apologies needed. Take a seat at the counter before you die of a heart attack. How'd you get down here? Did you walk here on your own?"

"Rude. Obviously my legs work. And I'm not hungry, I just – "

"Nothing wrong with your choice being here," Zeff told him, but Sanji felt like his situation was being addressed obviously. Luffy just looked up at Zeff's mustache with fascination, fingers at his own upper lip with consideration. "Look at you - have you graduated from oatmeal?"

"I already had breakfast. Sanji made me this omelet – "

"Sanji's cooking for you?" Luffy exclaimed excitedly. "Sanji, please, invite me to your home and cook me something good, too!"

"Go sit down!" Sanji hissed at him.

Law nervously fiddled with his jacket. "I'm going to go. I already have some things I need to do – "

"Why are you wearing a jacket in this blazing heat?" Luffy asked him curiously. "Are you crazy?"

Zeff rolled his eyes as he observed the pair's behavior. Both of them looked as guilty as could be under the scrutiny, Luffy looking at Zeff with a pout.

The back of his hand against his palm, Luffy insisted, "You need to promote Sanji to cook, sir. You're making a huge mistake by not letting him cook – "

"He can cook if he wants!" Zeff snapped at him. "He just chooses not to."

Luffy looked at Sanji with betrayal.

"Go sit down," Zeff then snapped at Law, gesturing at the counter.

"No, I'm – " Law started to say when Sanji said at the same time, "He's going home."

Zeff crossed his arms as he looked at them both. "So, this is how it's going to be?"

"Zeff - !"

"It's not that anybody's hiding," Law said quickly, unsure of what he'd stumbled into but quite aware that he'd accidently stepped onto an unsettled minefield, "it's just that – "

"Do you want more tables busted, old man?" Sanji asked.

"Why?" Luffy asked curiously, looking interested in the conversation. "Are we fighting?"

"I told you earlier, you owe nobody nothing," Zeff said firmly to Sanji, who looked quite mortified as Luffy and Law listened with interest. Law looked startled when Zeff then gestured at him. "You're allowed to be anywhere where he is, there ain't no rule against it. It's nobody's business, not even theirs, what you two do on your own time!"

Luffy looked from one to the other while the pair looked intensely guilty. Then he lost the blood to his face. "Sanji," he said slowly, finger lifting to point accusingly, "is this guy one of your - ?"

"NO! Go sit down!"

"I understand what you're trying to do," Law told Zeff, arms crossed over his chest. "But you're wrong."

Zeff bent slightly to face him and Law realized he couldn't exactly look the old man in the face. So he sweated anxiously while looking off into the other direction while Sanji's face turned purplish-red, glancing at the table nervously.

"Am I?" Zeff asked Law in a challenging tone. He then straightened up, looking at the trio with disgust. "I've been walking this earth for fifty-three years - !"

"There's no way you're only fifty-three!" Luffy laughed while Sanji had to agree with him.

" – so don't think I don't know a thing or two!" Zeff finished, knuckling the younger man atop of the head. "I'm an old man with not much time left – "

"Ain't that the truth," Luffy muttered, rubbing his scalp.

" – and I can tell you this – spending your life hiding is a waste of your life. You can't do it forever!" Zeff finished, knuckling Luffy again. To Sanji, Zeff said, "What happened is over and done with. You owe nobody nothing. You got only yourself to answer to. And YOU! Sit down – Patty already knows you're here and started your meal so you might as well as lick the spoon clean."

Fiddling with his apron, Sanji considered Zeff's words. Law glanced at him, then at Zeff. With a shrug, he turned and marched over to the table, much to Sanji's horror.

"Where's Brook?" he asked Zoro, noting the anxious look from Ussop while Nami looked upon him with distaste. "Animals are allowed in this restaurant as long as they are well behaved."

It took Zoro some moments to answer. But when he did, his voice was tight. "He's home. I didn't think we were going to be out this long."

"So, you're Sanji's roommate," Nami cut in with interest. Law could tell the woman wasn't happy about the choice coming here – her face was absolutely bitter. "What's going on with you? Took fitting into teenage girls' jeans a little too far for fashion?"

"Nami, shut up," Zoro said to her, looking a little mortified.

"No," Law replied, hands tucked into his jacket pocket. "I…for most of my life, from teenage years to adulthood, I am an anorexic. Despite my efforts to recover, it appears that my appearance still requires commentary from the peanut gallery. Would you like to know more?"

Nami looked sufficiently ashamed, face and neck clashing with the color of her hair. "I…I'm sorry. That was…really catty of me."

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you," Law said as way of accepting her apology. He looked to Zoro. His hands were clammy as his fingers were clenched. "Was this a wise choice to make? Or was this the lost child's?"

"I thought there was nothing wrong with having something to eat," Zoro said between gritted teeth while Nami sipped at her coffee.

"Knowing full well what would happen in the meantime. Like the old man was saying, isn't it time to move on?"

"Coming up to my face like you're starting a confrontation isn't the best idea, guy," Zoro said with warning. "I thought we were at a point where we can be cool with things."

"For yourself, maybe. But not from them," Law pointed out, looking from Nami to Ussop with derision. "It appears neither of them are as willing to forgive and forget."

"What business is it of yours?" Nami asked, recovering from her earlier flounder. "Other than the fact that you've clearly taken up an empty space?"

Zoro grit his teeth again.

"And is that of your business?" Law returned. "How does what he do affect you personally?"

Nami's fist clenched as she glared at him. With a petulant expression, she ground out, "Weren't we all good friends at one point? It felt like he betrayed us, too!"

"It's not your problem. Move on," Law added, heading to the counter as Luffy rushed to his seat to meet with the two waiters bringing out platters of their food.

He then sat stiffly as he observed everyone's face. "Wow," he said awkwardly. "You can cut through the air with a knife."

"This wasn't a good idea, Luffy," Zoro snapped at him.

Luffy looked meek as plates were distributed by the pair of glaring waiters, making Ussop look at them nervously. "I didn't think things were that bad. You guys are talking now, right? Why can't we just be friends again?"

Forehead in hand, Nami said, "Because it doesn't work that way, numb nuts! I'm still mad at him – aren't you, Ussop?"

"Not…really," Ussop said weakly. He stared at his plate, food still steaming as the waiters looked at them with warning.

"You got any complaints?" one asked, crossing his arms menacingly.

"You think what we brought out is bad? Then you say it to our faces," the other said, mimicking his stance. Ussop and Nami hurriedly took bites under the threat of their glare while Zoro gave them a frown and Luffy stretched an arm across the table for ketchup and syrup.

"It's good! It's good!" Nami and Ussop said with full mouths, breathing in and out hastily in an effort to cool it off.

The waiters sneered at them before turning and walking off, grumbling. Zoro frowned after them, then caught sight of Sanji talking low to a similarly frowning Law. It looked like the blond was reprimanding him for the earlier confrontation, while the older man just looked sullen about it. Zeff shook his head and walked off with his coffee pot.

Sanji then approached them with a bitter look. He glanced at the plates then gestured at their drink cups. "You want a refill?"

"Why aren't you cooking anymore, Sanji?" Luffy asked through a mouthful of toast and bacon. "I thought you loved cooking?"

"Sanji," Nami interrupted before he could answer, "at least be straight with us. Well, considering the circumstances. Are you dating again?"

"None of that is anyone's business," Zoro cut in firmly, much to Sanji's relief and dismay; that tone pretty much assured him that Zoro expected their friends – his friends – to obey it. "It doesn't matter."

Nami looked at her plate bitterly.

"I think," Ussop spoke up cautiously, looking to each one of his friends before looking at Sanji, "that it's fine that you are. I think it's okay to – disregard some stuff and just…let's just talk again."

"There's nothing to talk about," Sanji snapped.

"He's offering an olive branch, idiot," Zoro snapped at him. "Why don't you just take it?"

"I think," Nami cut in before Sanji could respond, "that while time is needed between certain people here, if you want to be friends, be friends!"

"I just want to be friends again," Luffy said around another mouthful of food, looking at them worriedly. "I think that everything is over and done with."

"It's not that easy," Sanji said with a shake of his head. "You can't just say that things will be fine just because a couple of people insist on it."

"Because you fucked up!" Nami snapped at him, lowering her mug abruptly. "I'm still mad, I can't forget! And then it's obvious that you moved on that quickly - !"

"How is it any of your business?" Zoro ended up asking her. "It wasn't between you two, it was between us!"

"Loyalty!" Nami exclaimed. She glared at Sanji. "Which you have no concept of!"

Sanji thinned his lips bitterly. "You're right. I don't."

Luffy hit the table with a fist, causing the plates, cups and utensils to rattle noisily. Once he had their attention, surprised faces on his grave expression, he said, "It's over with, Nami. You weren't a part of it. If you're still mad, then you can be mad – but there's no point trying to make everyone else mad. If Zoro says things are fine now, then they're fine. If you want to be loyal, then be loyal to what he wants."

"That's the thing of it," Sanji said, scooping up empty cups to set onto his drink tray, "nothing can be repaired after what I did. So I don't expect any of you to treat me any differently."

"This is a thing you do," Zoro said slowly, hands curling into frustrated fists, "you lay the guilt on anybody listening over your victim status – "

"I never claimed being a victim! I accept that what I did fucked everyone up!'

"You always act like you're the only one that can take on the pain of something happening, you don't give anyone a chance to help fix it!"

"What can be fixed? Huh? What's here that can be fixed?"

Nami covered her temples with her palms. "Guys, please, not here, don't do this here."

"Look, okay, maybe this was a bad idea!" Ussop exclaimed, hand out. "Let us pay for our meal, and we'll get out of here!"

"NO!"

Everyone looked at Luffy, who stubbornly held his position, ketchup around his mouth. "No, we're not leaving. Not until we're done eating. And there's no need to fight about this anymore. So stop bringing it up."

"And another thing," Zoro insisted on saying, "I told you not to do this so soon. It's obvious you don't listen to a thing I say."

"Whatever idea you have," Sanji started slowly before Zoro interrupted with, "Don't fucking lie! You can't lie to me about this when I am fully aware of what things look like!"

Sanji said nothing, jaw held tightly. He couldn't meet anyone's look, head too heavy to lift.

"Not that I'm jealous, or anything," Zoro muttered. "I just think you're rushing into something without fixing what you broke, thinking it's going to fit over the empty places."

"I can't do that when I'm responsible for – "

"Like, one wrong move is going to fuck that guy up. You can't help but notice that he's a head case of his own – how are you going to live with the consequences on your conscience?"

"I think this is sound advice, Sanji," Nami said tentatively. "You might end up hurt again, so…maybe reconsider some things before relying on someone else."

Sanji exhaled shallowly. Luffy looked up at him with worry, chewing more slowly than before while Ussop just looked uncomfortable.

"He's my friend," Sanji said slowly. "That's all it is."

Zoro snorted at that. "But what irony is it that someone who loves to cook can't feed a dude that won't eat anything you make."

"None of what I do should be of any judgement to you," Sanji said, pain visible on his face. "It no longer matters."

"I'm not saying that any of this is of my concern! I'm just saying – look at us! I wasn't the only one fucked up by your selfish choices! You fuck him up, he'll probably end up dead in some closet while you're feasting on what he did give you. Like a goddamn…demon," Zoro ended up muttering bitterly.

Sanji acknowledged this with a slow nod. "I agree with you."

Luffy looked at Zoro angrily. "Stop saying that! Stop saying things like that! You're just being shitty."

"No, he's right," Sanji said to Luffy. "I was very selfish. I…ruined our marriage, I made some terrible scenes – knowing what he's going through, I'll end up doing the same to him."

"Then why?" Zoro asked impatiently, crossing his arms. "Why do that to another person?"

Sanji chewed on the inside of his cheek before admitting, "I'm very lonely."

"Maybe you should stay that way until you figure yourself out. None of us are going to recover, why do you think he would? I'm only expressing this because…look at him. He looks like he's wearing kids' clothes."

Zoro then snorted once he saw that he wasn't getting much of a reaction from Sanji. All the blond was doing was agreeing with whatever was being said just to look a certain way to the others. It boiled his blood. It was so frustrating that he could not get any sort of reaction from him when he was showing Sanji practically everything of his.

"Well whatever. At that rate, he's probably going to die anyway."

Nami screamed when Sanji hit Zoro with his drinking tray, cups flying everywhere. Ussop quickly slid underneath the table. The waiters hurriedly came out from their eavesdropping spots to pull Sanji back, but Zoro was out of his seat in moments, tackling all of them onto the floor. He easily managed to push the others away so that he and Sanji could slug it out between each other. Diners hurriedly pulled themselves out of the war zone.

Zeff inserted himself between the two men and managed to separate them both. Law stared at the oatmeal dipping from his spoon, unable to turn and look at them while he wore a heavy expression.

"Get him to the back," Zeff said to Patty and Carne, who quickly pulled Sanji with them. He turned to look at Zoro, who wiped his face with one hand, Ussop quickly at his back to tug on his shirt. Luffy continued to eat, wearing a miserable expression as he stared down at his food. Nami had both her hands over her mouth, struggling not to cry.

"Your ass is banned from this restaurant. The next time you show up here, I won't hesitate to stab you myself. Is this in any way unclear?" Zeff said quietly.

Looking up from the blood on his hand, Zoro just looked at him bitterly. "I didn't come in here to cause a fight. I guess I'm still carrying a grudge. My bad."

"Take 'your bad' out of here and don't come back."

Outside, the group of them walked to the main sidewalk, Nami handing Zoro a fistful of napkins for his nose. Luffy said nothing, his expression heavy as Ussop awkwardly twisted at his loose ponytail. After blotting his nose, Zoro threw the crumbled waste away from him with frustration, cursing noisily. The other three froze, watching him cautiously as those walking the sidewalk hurried around the quartet.

"I don't know why I did that!" he exploded with immense frustration. "Why the fuck am I still so pissed about this?"

"Zoro," Nami said cautiously, reaching out to touch him.

"It's not that…I loved him," Zoro confessed tightly, looking at the sidewalk. "I didn't. I was just…used to him being around. All this time without him, I got to thinking, I got to just…but why the fuck am I so angry about it? If I don't have feelings, why am I so fucking pissed?"

"If you didn't, then it wouldn't hurt so much, right?" Luffy asked tentatively. "I know it hurts still, so you can't say that you didn't."

"I don't. I didn't. I just…" Zoro looked off into the distance, shaking his head slightly. In disbelief over his own actions. "We were just friends. Things like that got out of control, and…they were what they were, but I'm just…I don't understand why I have to be so angry about it when…like, everything he does still pisses me off, and I can't say why. I can't say these things to him. I say shit like that to him, he's going to hold it over my head."

"You two were always so competitive…"

"All he does is agrees and say some dumb shit like that to make it worse just to get it over with, and I started believing in it, and it pisses me off that I lost control of myself over all this time to just…" Zoro trailed off, hands on his hips as he glared out at traffic. The other three didn't know what to say, so all they could do was watch him from a cautious distance. "I just let it happen. And now I'm…so angry at him. All the fucking time. I'm angry at him, and I'm angrier at myself, so I don't know who the fuck I'm more angry at!"

"Then tell him that," Luffy advised softly. "Tell him this stuff."

"I can't! I already made a dick of myself in there!"

"He'll forgive you for that - "

"And why should he? Huh? Why?" Zoro was frustrated when none of them could give an answer. "I wasn't trying to go in there and start shit, but it…lunged out of my control. It turned into that. Standing out here now, it's so plainly obvious that I was just being stupid. I'm stupidly pissed – it's been months, why aren't I over this shit already?"

Nami gave him a rue smile. "Then tell him that."

"I can't. I can't do it. I'm angry, the words I use are angry…I can't. It comes off entirely wrong!" Zoro rubbed his hands through his hair with agitation. "I keep fucking this up!"

"Then let's give this a few days," Ussop suggested gently. "Let's just…I mean, you guys are talking, right? So let's just…let's just let this rest for a bit."

Zoro considered this for a few moments, then looked at them. "I'll go talk to him. None of you were helpful. You helped me fuck it up."

All three of them gave him shocked expressions, but the moment he left to take the nearby alley towards the back of the building, the trio exchanged cringes.

"I can't help it," Nami muttered. "I didn't know Zoro felt that way. He doesn't talk to us."

"Right! How are we supposed to know all this? Dude went on a bender for months and finally started acting human, then springs this on us? I could've popped him!" Ussop exclaimed with outrage, hands on his hips.

Luffy sighed noisily. For once, he didn't have anything to say.

In the back alley, Sanji struggled to repress the rage and frustration he felt with the confrontation. He'd kicked the Dumpster, trashcans and miscellaneous trash he saw, littering the alleyway with debris. Now he was on the end of the adrenaline dump, shaking. Law stood quietly nearby, watching him. Zeff exhaled shortly.

"What a mess," he muttered before returning into the restaurant. "Glad I never had the choice."

Law wondered what that meant.

Taking a deep breath, Sanji fell onto his knees, angrily hitting the surface with both hands. He pressed his forehead against the wall of the building, breathing shallow, angry breaths. Law knew there wasn't much he could say, but there was his own roil of thought and emotions running through him that didn't fit to soothe anything.

'But what irony is it that someone who loves to cook can't feed a dude that won't eat anything you make,' Zoro had said. Law felt immense guilt in that statement; he'd wanted to speak up for himself at that moment, but this wasn't his fight. He felt it was unfair of Zoro to say that but after some thinking, he realized Zoro was only saying these things to hurt Sanji and not him.

Still, the guilt ate at him.

After some minutes of listening to the city sounds around them, he heard Sanji say, "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

Law looked back at him to see who he was talking to, and realized that he was the one being addressed. He exhaled tiredly. "What are you apologizing to me for?"

"I couldn't say anything in defense of what they saying! I…let them talk shit about you like - !"

"Like any of their words can hurt me," Law stated plainly. "They're not my former friends. They're useless words from strangers."

He watched Sanji pull at his own hair with frustration.

"I shouldn't have done that," Sanji spit, forehead tapping against the wall. "I shouldn't – I just – I let his stupid words get to me!"

Law frowned down at him, taking the steps necessary to be aside of him. He had been pretty impressed with the way Sanji was handling himself up until whatever it was Zoro had said caused the fight. Law was sure that if he were in that situation, he would have snapped so much sooner.

"Why are you worried about such useless things? Nothing anyone has to say about me affects me in any way – "

"It affects me! It affects me because fuck them! It bothers me that people can say such fucked up things about you, and they know nothing of what's going on with you!"

And they question his loyalty? Law wondered with some bitterness. He didn't feel worthy of it, but it touched him so that he had to let it in.

"I don't care about what they say, Sanji. And you shouldn't either."

"Don't tell me I shouldn't!" Sanji spit at him, still so visibly angry. "Don't tell me I can't care about you, or - ! Damn it!"

After some harsh breathing, Sanji rested his palms against the street, head thumping against the wall. "I lost my job. I lost my fucking job freaking the fuck out at nothing, attacking a customer - !"

"You didn't. That old man's not going to fire you," Law assured him with a droll smile. "But you're going to owe him a new restaurant after everything you put him through."

Sanji rested his head against the wall with a troubled sigh. Law had the thought that this full grown adult was doing his best to hide himself away, much like an animal slinking away from a crime and hiding his face from his owner. Like Brook when he was caught in the middle of doing something he wasn't supposed to.

He exhaled shortly. "Get up. You've done enough moping."

"I'm not moping, I'm just - ! So angry - !"

"Villains don't let the hero win. You have a reputation to uphold. So…get up."

Sanji gave a derisive snort, but he shakily pushed himself up to stand. Law cringed slightly at the sight of his blood smeared face, the traces of brick on his forehead.

"Nice," he commented. "So attractive."

"Shut up…"

Law reached out to grab his shoulders, shaking him slightly to get his downcast eyes to look up at him. "Sanji. I don't care what people say about me. The only opinion that matters…is yours."

He quickly amended himself. "After Bepo's and Brook's, of course."

Sanji rolled his eyes.

Law tenderly swept his hair from his face, combing out shards of brick and bits of blood from clotted strands. "I don't want you to fight anymore over my appearance, my choices, or me. That's not your battle to lose. Both of us are fully aware what my battle is, and that's mine alone – "

"I don't think -!"

Law shook him again then touched his chin, Sanji smearing blood from his split eyebrow down onto his apron. Once he made eye contact with the younger man, he insisted firmly, "No more fights. From this point on, you can only fight for you."

Sanji was silent for some time, blood dripping from his eyelashes to splatter between them. Law ended up tugging the sleeve of his jacket up and over his hand, pressing it against his head.

"You're going to need stitches," he said quietly.

"I have no insurance. Can you just…do it at home?"

Law leaned over and kissed a bare patch of skin below his right eye. "I can. But I get to use my initials for a cool scar."

Sanji touched his hand, finding enormous comfort from the man. He didn't like what he was saying, but the world felt different when Law here. The guilt he'd felt earlier didn't feel so immense. He wanted those feelings to disappear – he wanted this situation to disappear. He just wanted to be back at the apartment where it was just the two of them. Hiding away, as Zeff said – not to hide what they were, but just to be together without interruption.

"I'm sorry," he apologized roughly.

"Stop apologizing for stupid shit!" Law exclaimed with irritation.

"I just…today I started out feeling bad about what was happening between us, but…right now, I just…think it was so dumb to feel that way because I…I need this," Sanji finished with trouble, clasping onto one of his hands with his. "I need this, I need your words, and your presence and - ! Everything! I can't…I can't be alone again - !"

Law frowned at him. Despite himself, he did wonder if it wasn't him then maybe another person. Maybe he was but a simple substitute – but he had to admit that was his own self-worth whispering to him.

"If you don't know…"

Both of them jolted in surprise, ripping away from each other like they were caught in the middle of something forbidden. Zoro was standing there with an awkward look.

"Maybe he didn't say anything, but those brothers of his – they're quadruplets," Zoro said uselessly. "So he gets really uppity about being alone, sometimes."

"Get the fuck out of here - !" Sanji snarled at him, red-faced and humiliated but Law nodded to accept this information.

"He doesn't talk about his family, so you probably don't know about a lot of things," Zoro continued awkwardly. "Look…I'm sorry. This wasn't what I expected to happen. I just…"

He exhaled heavily. Law thought that if people saw the pair of them, they'd most likely question where they'd hid the body. Both were covered in blood – most of which obviously didn't belong to them.

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry," Zoro continued. "About… a lot of things. But if this is something you want to do, then…it's not my opinion for you to follow."

Sanji felt his face take on a surprised one, smearing blood away from his eye once again.

"It was the wrong way to end things," Zoro then said slowly. "But eventually…it would have, anyway."

"Why?" Sanji heard himself ask abruptly.

With visible frustration, Zoro sought to get his words together. "I should've told you a long time ago that it wasn't working. I just…I made the mistake of just…agreeing to shit you said to make things easier. Much like how you do with accepting shit people say to you."

Sanji just stared at him with upset. He wasn't sure what face to make. He couldn't forgive himself for the choices he made, despite what Zoro was saying. But the confirmation he'd suspected made its place deep inside of him. It almost felt like such a waste – a waste of time, a waste of feeling, a waste of everything!

At the same time…

"I wasn't the right one," Zoro insisted. "But it wasn't…you were my best friend, we did all the shit together, so it's hard to separate the two."

I couldn't sleep with my best friends, Law thought with a troubled look. But he understood that what Zoro needed to say right now was important for both of them, so he kept his thoughts to himself.

"But I should have said something. I…was…lazy."

"How could you make me feel this way?" Sanji asked, tone dripping with betrayal. "How could you just let this happen all these years without saying anything and then - !"

"Because maybe it wasn't all that I'm saying right now!" Zoro exclaimed. "I don't know! All I know, all that I can sort out right now is that…I was angry because I felt betrayed, yes, but - ! That's a weird feeling to have, too, because I didn't – like, I didn't have feelings for you like you did for me. I was just – there, taking advantage – "

"You're a fucking dick!"

"But it hurt me, too, when you fucked up without saying anything so maybe I'm still confused over that! Maybe I did have feelings for you, but just – not enough."

"I told you everything! And you never said anything back! You could've told me this a long fucking time ago!"

"I know," Zoro accepted with a rotten expression at the street. "I know all this, I just…it's over, now. All of it."

"It's not over, it's never going to be fixed, I'm always going to feel fucked up inside over everything - !"

"I know. And maybe you deserve that still. But it's like that for me, too. Maybe this is meant to be for both of us because…we did this too young, and we were stupid, and…it was a hard lesson to learn, but maybe it was the only way we could learn."

Law wanted to slip away to give them some privacy, but his feet were rooted awkwardly in place.

"Aren't we both stupid, stubborn and strong-willed?" Zoro added bitterly.

Sanji frowned, but his expression pretty much matched his.

"I was wrong to be mad…but I have to admit that I was hurt about what you did, Sanji," Zoro then said tentatively before looking at him. "So I think it's fine that I still am. And you should be, too. I think it's fine that we're both mad at each other."

Zoro then ended up exhaling heavily while Sanji stared at him in silence, unable to get a word out. "I just needed to say all that. It was important that I could get that out."

Sanji frowned at him again.

Zoro looked awkwardly at Law. "Thanks for being his support. I can't control my friends, but…I'm grateful he found someone he could rely on. Just be better than me. Speak up. Don't let him bulldoze you into whatever decision he makes."

Overwhelmed with the responsibility, Law ended up nodding.

Zoro then turned and walked off, reaching up to rub blood from his face. Or so, that was the impression Law got from it. It was hard to tell from this angle. He looked at Sanji and realized he was doing the same thing. But the air felt different, now.

It felt almost…clear.

"Sounds like there was a breakthrough, just now," Law commented low. "As hard as things were…Sanji, the fact that you two could talk abuot it…maybe it was necessary to hear?"

Sanji wiped his face again. "There are a lot of things about this conversation that are fucked up."

"Then let's start sweeping up the pieces."

"This is my mess to sweep up," Sanji muttered. "Just…it's funny how you two can talk peacefully without all that childish shit between us, so…I'm grateful for that."

It was a rather awkward fact to acknowledge, but Law had to agree with that. He just didn't want to be an intrusive third party to anything that either of them could use against each other for future fights. Then he realized how much he'd changed since the first time he'd inserted himself into their war; from wanting to shy away and avoid to actively engaging. In a way, it helped him too.

He reached for Sanji's pockets, the blond looking at him with alarm until Law found what he was looking for. He pulled out the bracelet that Aokiji had given the blond, Sanji reddening with embarrassment.

"This probably helped."

Sanji snatched it back from him, shoving it back into his pocket.

Law ended up hugging the man, smearing his bloodied face against his clothes. He wanted to give comfort and say all the right things, but he truthfully didn't know what to say. So he thought to convey these things with touch, instead. Sanji was grateful for it, though. He closed his eyes to accept the gesture.