Zoro sighed as he walked home from work that night, the dojo had been packed and on a school night none the less. He hated it when it got like this, but it was when he made the most money so he really couldn't complain. He looked at his watch an let out a curse as it blinked 9:30 pm at him, he had run away from the two maniac D brother's and Sanji over three hours ago. He shifted his practice swords higher on his back and set out in a calm jog. In only a few minutes he made it back to the apartment as Sanji was finishing up the cleaning, the smell of smoke came from the kitchen and as he threw his jacket into the closet and entered the living room he saw that the brother's had passed out on the floor and that the kitchen was a bigger mess than when he left.

"Oi, cook, take a break, I'll finish up."

"No, I got it, you just got back from work. Work that you didn't even have, you got called in."

"It's not a big deal cyclops. Just let me give you a hand will you?"
Sanji relented and moved aside as Zoro took up a towel and began to dry the dishes as Sanji washed them. It was an easy silence that neither of them wished to break but both knew it was bound to happen eventually.

"Smoker came by the dojo tonight. Him and Tagashi are finally seeing one another."

"That's interesting. I don't see what a beautiful young lady would want with your realitives. Your all alike."

"How would you know? You've only ever met me and Smoker."

"Oh I have no doubt that your all brutish."

"Gee, thanks."

Sanji snickered and shook his head.

"Your alright I suppose."

Zoro looked at the blond and felt his stomach flip over a few times.

"Uh, Sanji...I was wondering if I could talk to you about something."

Sanji let out the dirty dish water and leaned on the sink lighting another cigarette.
"Okay, what's up?"

Zoro sighed and ran a hand though his hair and scratched the back of his neck.

"I'm not really sure how to put it really...but, see the thing is...I uh.."

"Will you just spit it out Marimo."

Zoro glared at him and opened his mouth to scold the blond when Sanji's phone rang from his pocket making him jump.

"Son of a bitch! I have to get that changed, hold on Zoro."

Digging the phone from his pocket his answered it and sighed as Patty could be heard hollering on the other end.

"Okay Patty, I hear you. But if I'm taking over Gin's shift tonight I'm taking tomorrow off whether Dad likes it or not. And let him know that."

Zoro felt hope rise in him, tomorrow was Ace's party, that meant Sanji would be able to go and that meant he might actually get the chance to talk to him. As Sanji hung up the phone and looked up at Zoro.

"Sorry Moss head, duty calls, seems Gin called in sick tonight and they need me to cover. We'll talk later?"
Zoro nodded and watched Sanji walked down the hall, his eyes grazing down the infinite legs that Sanji seemed to have. Shaking his head he rubbed his eyes and sighed. He was in serious trouble. He walked back to his room and fell onto the bed as he heard Sanji grab his keys and exit the apartment. Looking up at the ceiling he felt his stomach twist again as Sanji's words echoed through his mind again.

'Your alright, I suppose.'

"It was nothing more than a friendly saying...so why was Zoro so hung up over it...Cause it mean Sanji didn't hate him. It meant that he could talk to the cook and not have to worry about Sanji throwing him out...maybe. He'd have to see at the party.

Sanji trudged through the door, it was late, later than he wanted it to be and he had school in the morning. In about four hours to be precise...he hated to work Gin's shift when the bum decided that his personal life was more important than the whole of the Baratie kitchen. He stumbled through the hall and stopped at Zoro's door, it was open which was a new development in its self, but he could hear the soft breathing of the other teen as well. Peering in he felt his stomach knot tight at the endearing sight. Zoro was tangled in his sheets, hugging his pillow to his chest, face buried in the corner, a soft smile playing on his face. Sanji felt a smile tug at his lips as well as he watched his room mate sleep. Before he realized what he was doing he was kneeling next to Zoro's sleeping form, the Japanese style floor bed suiting the green haired teen more than he knew. Sanji felt like he was watching him self as his hand reached out and brushed the surpriseinly by how soft green spikes away from Zoro's brow. His breath hitched as Zoro shifted nuzzling his face into Sanji's hands. Feeling as if his body was on fire he pulled back and stood. He watched Zoro for another few minutes before gathering blankets for the drooling brothers on is floor and than headed to bed him self. All to soon it seemed as if his and Zoro's alarm clocks were going off at the same time waking up the duo and the two teens on their floor. This was going to be a long day.

Sanji sighed as he made his way through the halls of the school, it was almost over and like he predicted it had been a long day. He stood in front of his locker now filtering through his things til he found what he needed closing his locker he stopped and turned as he felt the presence of some one behind him, he smirked as he saw Zoro standing there, his face set in a scowl.

"Love cook, we're going to the D house tonight, you coming?"

Sanji nodded and walked past him towards his biology class.

"I guess. I don't have anything better to do, Zeff is training a new chef so I'm not needed tonight. Not only that I pulled an all nighter last night so I'm due a night off."

Zoro nodded and crossed his arms over his chest as he walked beside the blond, both enjoying the silent company of the other, Zoro broke it first.

"Hey Sanji, I was wanting to talk to you about something anyway, so I'm glad your going tonight."

Before Sanji had registered that Zoro had said his name for the first time in a while he was gone walking in the other direction down the hall, it baffled the cook to no end, he frowned as something pricked his interest but shrugged it off for the time being. After school he met the rest of their little team at Luffy and Ace's house, Disturbed filtered through the open windows and as he entered he saw the two brothers, Zoro and Frankie playing an Xbox 360, he looked at the screen of the large TV and rolled his eyes as Halo 3 showed. Nami and Robin sat on the couch behind the young men commenting on how foolish they looked. He shook his head and sat down in a chair blinking as Luffy leaned back against his legs, not shocking, this was Luffy after all. He relaxed and pulled out his reds chuckling as Ace held out his hand motioning that he too wanted one while he waited for his character to respawn into the battle that they had going. He watched as the four of them made comments and snide remarks back and forth between them til Luffy's stomach gave an almighty growl followed shortly after by Ace's and than Zoro's. Shaking his head he stood and made his way to the kitchen and began to cook. He lost himself in the motions of slicing, chopping and tasting til it was done. Serving the ladies their plates he pulled one out for him self and stood back as the other four stampeded towards the kitchen, Zoro hanging back til the brothers and Frankie were done getting what they wanted, or as much as their plates could hold. Sanji raised an eyebrow at this act, usually Zoro would have battered his way through the others for food. Perhaps he was sick? He leaned on the counter as the others sighed and moaned at the taste of the food but what caught his attention was the gruff voice that sounded out of the others.

"It's good Cook, better than usual."

"There something wrong with it on a normal day?"

"Yeah, it's usually bland."

Sanji felt his temper rise, insulting his cooking was the one thing that made him angrier than anything else in the world, snatching the plate from Zoro the others saw a confrontation starting and backed out of the kitchen and into the living room waiting for the shit to hit the fan. Zoro looked up at him, a deep frown on his face as he stalked towards the cook.

"What the hell Shit cook, give that back!"

"You can't talk good about any of my cooking you can't have any, period."

Zoro growled and took a deliberate step forward, his eyes dark and dangerous, did not faze the cook in the least. Ace chuckled from the side.

"If you guys are gonna do this, do it outside, I'm tired of my shit getting broken."

Zoro and Sanji nodded at the same time and headed out to the back yard, Sanji shedding his jacket and Zoro cracking his knuckles. Once outside Sanji noticed none of the others had followed, pretty sure it was due to get ugly this time. It started as soon as the door snapped shut behind them, Zoro charging in and throwing his fist forward towards Sanji's chest. The blond pulled his leg up just in time to block the hit with his shin, it stung!

What the fuck was that?! He didn't pull his punch this time!

Zoro smirked at the shocked look on the blonds face and charged in again this time he felt a shoe hit him in the chest and coughed at the power behind it. Sanji growled, if Zoro wasn't holding back neither was he. Zoro rose and charged back in fiegning to the left, Sanji fell for it and felt his body weight lift off the ground, his back hit the grass with a soft 'thump' and he gasped as the air in his lungs rushed out.

"What the fuck Zoro!?"

Zoro growled and slammed his fist into the grass by the blonds head, his face hidden in shadows, but Sanji felt his breathing and noticed it was heavy and labored. He frowned at this, they had barely gotten started and Zoro seemed as if he had been running a mile.

"Zoro?"

"Why? Why do you provoke me so much? I get along with you better than anyone, I can be my self with you but you ALWAYS piss me off to no end! Damnit Sanji! I've been trying and trying to talk to you all week and nothing ever seems to go in my favor!..."

Sanji blinked as Zoro's tirade ended and felt his heart race as he took in their position. Zoro's weight was pressed down on Sanji, his legs pinning the cook's to the ground, one of Zoro's large hands pinning his wrists above his head. He looked up at the swordsman and felt his breath hitch. He was so close Sanji could see the shadow of facial hair on the others jaw. He met Zoro's eyes and held in a gasp as the feeling that some one had replaced his blood for fire spread through him. Zoro's eyes were glazed and smoldering.

"Z-Zoro?"

Zoro licked his lips and closed his eyes.

"I'm sorry."

"For what? I just want to know what-"

His words died as his mouth was covered with Zoro's, at first he was shocked and than he began to try and pull his arms free of Zoro's death grip, finally getting one hand free he fisted it into Zoro's hair and as the green haired bastard noticed that the cook wasn't fighting him, or pulling away he released Sanji all the way and growled as the blond wrapped the other arm around his shoulders and pulled him down deepening the kiss, Sanji pulled away slowly.

"Z-Zoro what is this?"

"I don't know, but I like it..."

He watched as Zoro's cheeks deepened in color with a blush, it made the cook smile.

"Me too..."

Zoro bent forward to catch Sanji lips in another searing kiss that sent both of them into another world that they didn't want to come back from. Upon entering the house again the others looked at them and shook their heads taking in the messed up hair and dirty spots on the clothes thinking it had just been another fight.

The party had ended a while ago but Zoro and Sanji were still awake as they sat on their couch now watching Live Free or Die Hard, commenting on the things that were so fake it was stupid.

"No one could launch a car like that into a helicopter. There's no fucking way."

Zoro shook his head and chuckled as Sanji leaned against him and pulled Zoro's arm around his shoulders. They had been doing this for the past hour since they got back to their apartment. Sanji sighed and looked up at Zoro.

"So, are we telling the others?"
"About?"
"Us."

"I didn't realize that there was an 'us'."

Sanji rolled his eyes and sat up turning his body to look at the larger teen and than shocked said teen by shifting and straddling him.

"And what was that whole make out session in the back yard earlier tonight?"
"Sanji, if you want this to be a relationship, that's fine. But I'm not rushing it. I want to take it slow. If this ends up being something we both want than we'll take that step when it comes to it. But think about it, for all we know this could be nothing more than just lust."

Sanji nodded knowing what Zoro was saying.

"I understand. But that doesn't mean I can't enjoy it."

He leaned forward catching Zoro's lips with his own and kissed the green haired teen deeply conveying words he knew he couldn't say out loud. This was what he wanted and he wasn't about to let it slip through his fingers. Zoro wrapped his arms around Sanji's waist and stood picking up the lithe cook as he did so and with one hand turned everything off and headed for his room. Laying Sanji down he lay down behind him and curled up with the blond much like Sanji had seen him with his pillow the other night. He smiled as he relaxed into the embrace and instantly felt sleep tugging at his mind, he was now Zoro's hugging pillow and he would have it no other way.

Ugh, sorry for the long wait but it's updated. I hope you all like the chapter. I'll get the next one up asap!