Chapter 4: Evening with Grandpa

*_+_*

The next day, Luffy was walking back to his apartment from work, but then decided to talk to Green Eyes. He was heading towards where his apartment was located when he saw the one of few people he did not want to see.

"Grandpa!?" He said as he froze in mid step.

"Ah! Luffy!" The elder, who looked well fit for an old man, called as he punched the man. "How are you today!"

Luffy dodged from the 'fist of love'. "Okay…" He said as he dodged a kick and another punch. 'Why does it always become a sparring match every time he visits?!' He thought as he managed to pass the elder behind him. "Sorry Grandpa! I got a prior engagement!"

"Oi! I come thousands of miles to see you!" The elder said as he got a punch in, causing the young man to be knocked down to the ground.

"Itte…" Luffy said as he sat up and rubbed the spot where he was hit. "Gomen. If you called ahead of time I would've set my plans differently."

"Well! You don't have a choice in the matter! I'm treating you to something to eat!"

"Eh? Where?"

"Like I would tell you!" The elder said as he trapped his grandson in a head lock and managed to blindfold the young man. "Now then! Let's go!"

Luffy dragged behind as he really wanted to talk to the green eyed man. 'Oh well, I get to eat and Gramps is paying, which is unusual.' He thought as he walked blindly.

_/\/\/\_

For a few minutes they walked out into the bitter autumn air, until Luffy felt the warmth of the inside of the building as well as the sound of people within the area. But he wasn't able to pull the blindfold off until he was seated.

"Alright Luffy! Take the silly thing off." His grandfather said with a bit of a laugh.

But as he did, he immediately recognized the restaurant and felt the sense of dread as he saw the fancy interior, the 'good' company by candle lit tables and glasses of wine.

"The Baratie?" He said.

"Yep! Your favorite place, right?"

"Not anymore…" He said, but the elder couldn't hear him and was chatting away about something that wasn't important.

"Good evening sirs,"

Luffy froze of the familiar voice and didn't dare look up to see the blonde chef, who was playing part of a waiter for the evening.

"How may I help you for this evening?"

As the elder started to voice out his order, the young man looked at the menu and just picked the soup.

_/\/\/\_

Throughout the night, the elder continued to talk about his job and what he has been doing while the young man was quiet throughout the whole meal.

"Excuse me." Luffy said as he got up and went to the bathroom. He didn't need to go, but he wanted to be where it was at least quiet.

He stared at his reflection and he concluded that he looked like hell. He turned on the water to wash his face as if it would erase the uncomfortable look he had on. He was looking for a paper towel to dry his face, only to feel some cloth on his face, gently drying his face, slowly.

He tried to back away from whoever was doing that, but he found himself backing up against the wall and realized that he was trapped.

"Luffy…"

He immediately recognized the voice and refused to open his eyes. "What do you want Sanji."

"To talk."

"For what? It's over Sanji."

"I know that."

"Then why?"

"Because I can't really forgive myself unless I know I am forgiven."

"Go to hell." He said as he felt hands on his shoulders and were gripped slightly.

"Look at me Luffy."

He didn't comply.

"Luffy. Look. At. Me."

"No…" He said quietly.

Sanji sharply let out air through his nose. "You can be such a child."

Luffy tensed when he heard that. "I rather be a brat than a liar." He said as he felt the grips on his shoulders get harder.

"Luffy! I'm being patient here, but right now I'm on my last strand."

"You want to hear it?" Luffy said as he glared at the other. "I will never forgive you!" He said with such quiet malice that it made the other back up. "And that's not even the worse part…" He said as he could feel his eyes starting to water. "Just leave already." He was shaking a little as he watched as the other leave the bathroom. He turned to see his reflection and saw the horrid look he had before turning into shock.

_/\/\/\_

After the meal, he said his farewell to his grandfather and walked down to the park, where he found a bench and sat down, numb to the world.

He didn't know how long he sat there, out in the cold and staring out into nothing. But he did hear someone talk to him and only took a few seconds to fully register that he was suppose to come back to the world. He looked at the speaker and saw that it was none other than Green Eyes.

"You look like hell." He said.

Luffy felt the tears come out and down his face, but did nothing to stop them as he felt the other's hand at the back of his head and brought him close to the strong chest. He heard the other speak, but he couldn't hear a thing through his sobs before darkness took over his consciousness.

_/\/\/\_

When he woke up, he saw the plain grey walls and white ceiling. He felt really warm and saw that there was an arm across his chest, which was followed by the sound of a loud snore and saw that he was once again in the man's room.

"Green Eyes?" He said as the other groaned, signaling that he was awake. "Why am I back in your room?"

"It was fucking late at night and I didn't want to end up being lost for hours looking for your damn apartment." Zoro said without opening his eyes. "Plus you looked like you went through some kind of hell."

"My Naval General of a grandpa dropped by unexpectantly, he took me to the only restaurant that I wanted to avoid at all costs, ran into Sanji again, and this time I told him that I would never forgive him…"

"But…" Zoro added as he slightly opened his eyes to look at the lost, hurt, and torn look of the other as he stared at the ceiling.

"I still have feelings for him… and I miss talking to Usopp…" He put a hand over his eyes. "I know they just want to talk, but I just can't forget that it never happened and be okay with it!"

"You're not supposed to…"

"Then why can't I stop loving that bastard!" He said as he grabbed a fistful of his own hair as he started crying. "I wish I haven't met that guy!"

"It's not like you were born with predicting the future. And that's just the harsh reality of relationships. And since this asshole is your first, if you can get over this then you're the one that's gaining the upper hand."

"What?"

"If you ever feel ready to get over this then you have just survived break-up hell."

Luffy sighed as he covered his eyes once again. "I just want to stop loving him already… Otherwise I may end up begging…" He said as he felt a shift in the bed.

"Don't open your eyes…" The man said as he was hovering above the young man as he grabbed the hand that was covering the other's eyes.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm not going to kiss you or seduce you in anyway, if that's what you were thinking."

"Kinda…"

"I'm not, but I will try to get your mind off of whatever is in that head of yours."

"But-"

"No talking for a bit either." He said as he moved the hand to the other's side before bringing back up on the other's head and comb through the ebony mane. Then he lightly trailed his finger tips down the other's face to his jaw, where he continued to the neck.

Luffy, focusing on the hand's trail, shivered at some spots and even giggled at the ticklish spots. That's when he felt the other's warm breath on his neck, which he was sure that the other was just mere centimeters from his neck, before everything stopped and he was sure that he needed to go to the bathroom.

"Feel better?" The man asked, as if he hasn't done anything in the past few minutes.

Luffy blinked and realized what the other just successfully just do to him. "Yeah…"

"You might want to take care of your 'problem' there." He dully pointed out, as he mentioned the unusual tent on Luffy's side of the bed.

Luffy was red in the face as he got up and went to the bathroom. "Jerk!"

"You're welcome." He said as he yawned as he went back to sleep.

_/\/\/\_

Once he took care of his 'problem', he went out to see that the man went back to sleep. He looked to see that the time was about four in the morning.

'That early?' He thought as he was about to head into the living room when he heard his name.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"To sleep on the couch."

The other opened one green eye sleepily. "Get back in bed. I'm not in the mood to drag your ass back." He said as he closed his eye and shifted so that he got comfortable.

He blinked, but he got back into bed, made himself comfortable, and looked at the other. "Arigato Green Eyes."

"Don't mention it… Ever."

Luffy smiled as he giggled a bit before settling down to sleep. "Still a jerk though…"

"Shut up…"

"A jerk with the coolest eyes…" Luffy managed to say before drifting to sleep.

The man opened his eyes to watch the peaceful look of the other, studying the other before closing his eyes once more and went back to a deep, dreamless sleep.