2.
Zoro stirred reluctantly, his internal clock telling him it was time to be awake. He grumbled, and blindly reached for Tony to shake him awake, but his hand patted fruitlessly against empty sheets. "Dammit."
Tony was up before him again. It must almost be time for school. Zoro rolled himself out of bed, and staggered into the bathroom. His movements were stiff and pained, and his side was hurting him much worse today. Had he cracked a rib?
Grimacing at the sharp sting, Zoro carefully prodded at the dark bruise on his side and examined it in the little bathroom mirror. He didn't feel a major break in the bones, but it hurt like fuck to breathe deeply, or to bend in any way. He'd just have to be careful for a while. There was no way he'd be able to pay for a hospital visit with the rent due this coming week.
Moving gingerly, Zoro took his morning piss, washed his hands and emerged from the bathroom considerably more awake. He found Tony already dressed, and eating at their tiny kitchen table. Zoro eyed the glass of water and the bowl of dry cereal with some guilt. It was great that the kid was smart enough to do things like this, but it made Zoro feel like a crappy parent when Tony took care of himself to let him sleep longer.
"Hey, Tony-Tony, what do you want to take to school with you today? We have peanut butter and jelly, peanut butter and a banana, or peanut butter and peanut butter."
Tony giggled, "That's stupid, you can't put peanut butter on peanut butter!"
Zoro grinned and waggled his eyebrows, "You think so huh? Pick a sandwich, brat, or you're just getting bread!"
"Banana!" Tony watched as Zoro gathered the ingredients before blurting out, "Don't forget to cut off the crusts!"
"Sure, sure…" Zoro began to carefully cut off the generic brand bread's thin crust with a butter knife.
Tony quietly pushed away his cereal and sipped at his water as he watched Zoro wrap the sandwich in plastic. Zoro frowned at the handful of cereal he saw left in the bowl, "Are you done?"
"Yes!" Tony chirped and set his glass on the table.
"Well then go brush your teeth."
Zoro hunted for a juice box in the refrigerator as Tony left the room. When he found it, he put the sandwich and the juice in a paper bag, and hesitated a moment before putting the last pudding cup in there too. He dared to steal a glance at the clock and groaned, "Shit!"
The bus would be here any minute!
Zoro hurriedly joined Tony in the bathroom where he briefly attempted to tame fuzzy brown hair while Tony brushed his teeth. Apparently his son still needed some help dressing, because now he noticed that the little guy's socks were different colors, and his shirt was inside out. Zoro didn't have time to fix any of this. Why hadn't he remembered to set his damn alarm?
"Sorry Chopper buddy, but we don't have any more time to de-fuzz you today."
Tony shrugged his thin shoulders. "S'okay."
"Let's go." Ignoring the intense spike of pain in his side, Zoro threw a giggling Tony over his shoulder and jogged for the door; snatching up the small sneakers and pink backpack by the entrance in the process. He nearly forgot the damn sandwich, and had to go back for the paper bag, before tearing through the hall and down all the stairs.
The bus was waiting when Zoro ran up, sweating and red in the face. He wheezed painfully as he apologized to the driver, "S-sorry about this Mrs. Garderen." She only smirked at him, and Zoro realized he was still shirtless, in his pajamas and barefoot. His face reddened all the way to his ears from embarrassment. He must look like an idiot.
But he didn't have any more time to waste feeling dumb; Tony had to go to school. "Put your shoes on in the bus, okay?" Zoro leaned to set Tony inside the vehicle, but the little boy squeezed his arms around Zoro's neck and wouldn't let go. He sighed as he tried to loosen his son's tight hold, "Tony…"
"I love you, daddy."
There was suddenly a lump in his throat the size of an orange, and Zoro swallowed thickly as he gave his precious kid a quick squeeze, "Love you too, Chopper buddy."
Tony smiled brightly. He let go and grabbed his things from Zoro's arms, before bounding past the still smirking bus driver and climbing into a seat next to his little friend, Sabo. Zoro stepped back and waved as the bus pulled away. It was weird to think that Tony was already in the first grade. Had it really already been six years?
Zoro stood staring until the bus completely vanished. Now that the morning chaos was over with, he just felt drained and his damn side ached like a bitch. Stupid cracked ribs... A few whistles and catcalls from passing drivers made Zoro blush, reminding him of his state of undress. Flipping off a leering passerby, Zoro hurried back inside to shower and start his day.
The apartment felt empty without Tony running all over the place. Zoro showered and dressed in silence, but he just couldn't stand the lack of noise anymore after that. He flipped on the television while he hunted through the cabinets for breakfast. There was Tony's cereal, the stuff for Tony's sandwiches and one package of instant ramen. Zoro sighed and quickly swallowed down the unwanted crusts from the kid's sandwich with a glass of water before pouring the leftover cereal back in its box. It looked like he wouldn't be eating again today. There just wasn't any extra money for groceries until his next payday and he needed to make sure Tony was taken care of first. Maybe he could convince Luffy to let him take home some of the expired groceries?
Zoro checked the time and immediately went for his car keys. He had to get going. He had to work both jobs again today, and his boss at his first job would give him hell if he was late. Although his duties at the gym were going to be hell anyway with his injuries... As he raced to his car and revved the engine, he couldn't help but feel that speeding was becoming an all too frequent habit, but it was worth it when he made it just in time to begin his gruelling shift.
The morning passed in a blur of sweat and pain, but Zoro stuck it out and before he knew it, he had to get home to meet the school bus.
Again, Zoro found himself violating numerous traffic laws to get home before the bus arrived and he had to remind himself to slow down a little and not to push his luck too much. He barely had enough time to park in the apartment building's run-down parking garage and run out to the front before the bright yellow vehicle pulled up. The driver quirked an eyebrow at him after she opened the bus door, "Are you feeling alright Mr. Roronoa? You look like you're going to pass out or hurl."
Zoro scowled and grumbled, "I'm fine. I just had to run to get here "
His side was throbbing painfully and he did feel a little sick, but that wasn't anybody's business; especially not a near-stranger like his son's bus driver! She gave him a stern look, "Well make sure your son doesn't catch it or he can't come to school."
"I said I'm not sick! Thank you again for waiting for us this morning."
"Anytime. Bye Tony!"
Tony waved goodbye to the bus driver before grabbing Zoro's hand and chattering happily about school as they walked inside their building. Zoro felt like a bad parent as he listened, knowing he only had a half hour to shower again and get ready for his second job. As much as he wanted to stay and listen to Tony talk about school, Sabo, and the frog they had found at recess, he just didn't have the time.
"Ready to go hang out with Franky?" He ruffled Tony 's hair as they climbed the stairs to their floor.
Tony pouted, "I want to stay with you!"
Zoro sighed and hoped that this wouldn't turn into a fight, "I need you to stay and keep Franky company so I can work. Can you do that for me Chopper buddy?"
Tony's lower lip stuck out and began to tremble as his brown eyes threatened tears, but the little boy nodded and Zoro smiled, "That's my little man. So what happened to that frog?"
He listened to Tony talk about how the teacher had let them put the frog in an empty aquarium and how they had named it Barto. Kids were weird. All too soon they were back in front of their neighbor's apartment and the big man answered on the second knock, "Hey you two! Tony are you ready to do a super job on your homework?"
Tony gave the man a small smile and grabbed Franky's waiting hand. Zoro handed Franky his son's backpack, "I promise I'll pay you next Friday."
"Don't stress about it bro! I know the rent is due and things are tight. You can just wait a while if it's easier."
Zoro scowled, "That's not necessary. I'll pay you on time like we agreed." He didn't need anyone's charity. He was careful with his money, and everything would be fine as long as he stuck to his plan.
Franky shrugged, "I'm just trying to help a friend out bro. So I'll see you at one?"
"Yeah. Bye Tony-Tony!" His son looked unhappy as he waved back and it made him feel shitty. Right then he wanted nothing more than to forget about his damn job and just spend the day with his kid. As Franky closed the door and he went to his own apartment to get ready, he reminded himself that it wouldn't have to be much longer. If they could just get through this one rough patch, Zoro would be able to do all the fun things that Tony wanted. They both just had to be strong for a few more years.
By the time Zoro arrived for his shift at the Sunny Mart he was just in a plain old bad mood. His side was hurting much worse than it had been that morning - obviously aggravated by his work earlier at the gym. The first thing he did when he got in the door was get a coffee with lots of cream and head straight back to the first aid kit in the employee break room. After rummaging through the kit he found some pain reliever that he quickly swallowed down before heading out to the register.
"Hey, Zoro!" Luffy grinned at him as he approached the counter, "The delivery truck called. They're coming in ten minutes."
"Fuck…!" Zoro snarled. Usually the delivery arrived at the end of his shift and he didn't have to deal with it. The last thing he wanted to do today was lift heavy boxes and bend over all night to put shit away. His side throbbed painfully just thinking about it. "Why is it coming so fucking early?!"
Luffy shrugged, "They said they had to change their route so it'll be coming earlier now."
It seemed he just couldn't ever catch a break. He sighed as he trudged over to stand behind the register. Luffy shuffled to the side to give him room and grinned at him, "I'll go open the delivery door! I can't wait to see the cool stuff they bring us!"
"Isn't it all shit that YOU ordered? What's there to be excited about?" Zoro grumbled as Luffy bounded away.
Stupid fucking delivery. Zoro scowled when the workers began to bring in towers of boxes and crates. The scruffy pair of delivery men avoided meeting his angry gaze as they scurried back and forth. Cursing under his breath, Zoro strode over to the nearest pile of boxes and began the arduous task of opening each one and putting the contents away.
Between the mountain range of boxes and the steady of stream of customers needing help at the register, Zoro was kept busy for the next few hours. Groaning, he crouched to put away yet another shitty box of chips. How fucking many kinds did they need anyway? It felt like he had put away at least fifty varieties in this tiny store!
"Excuse me…"
Zoro glanced up and scowled when he saw that goddamn blonde looking down at him. Fucking emo-blonde... Zoro groaned internally. Couldn't the asshole have just gone to some other shitty store for once?
Instead of going on back to fuck around with the coffee like usual, the asshole fastened that piercing blue eye right on Zoro and smirked. "Hey there fuckface." Zoro sneered in response, "Is the owner here? I brought muffins."
Zoro suddenly noticed the small tupperware container that the blonde was holding. "Yeah. He's in the back." Zoro took a deep breath, "LUFFY!" He smirked in satisfaction when the blonde flinched at the volume of his voice. Totally worth the aching ribs.
"ZOROOOOO!" Oh crap. He hadn't thought this through. Luffy came flying out of the back, looking for all the world like a happy puppy with his tongue hanging out and everything.
"SANJI!" Lucky for Zoro, his monster of a boss diverted his attention to the chef on sight.
The blonde reacted impressively fast to the incoming danger, and planted a foot on Luffy's chest keeping the enthusiastic maniac from leaping on him in greeting. "Hi, Luffy."
"I waited so looooong! Did you bring me meat?"
Sanji grinned and hefted the tupperware container. "Yep!"
Zoro blinked and the container miraculously vanished from Sanji's hands. Luffy was already halfway back to the office when he remembered his manners. "Ffank thyu Thanji!"
"Did you really make him meat muffins?"
"They're maple and brown sugar with bacon bits inside, and a hickory bacon garnish."
That actually sounded good. Zoro shot Sanji a look of surprise. The chef observed Zoro's expression and smirked, "Why? Did you want some?"
"Fuck no." Zoro snorted, "I'd rather chew nails than swallow whatever poison a shitty cook like you is sure to serve."
The blonde's eye narrowed, "Excuse me?! Like a shitty shop boy would know anything about fine dining! My food is too good for a shithead like you! I wouldn't let you eat it if you were the only other person on earth!"
Zoro growled and struggled to his feet. "And I would eat twigs before your slop! I'd rather starve than eat something some self-absorbed prick offered me to boost his own shitty ego!"
He set his jaw and clenched his fists when the angry blonde stepped closer - his blue eye icy and furious. He couldn't afford to get fired, but he wasn't about to sit and take it while this motherfucker talked down to him. He may be too poor to eat in whatever shitty dive this fucker worked, but that didn't give this shit cooker the right to talk to him like a mangy animal in the alley.
"Zoro! Do you want a muffin?" Luffy interrupted as he approached, drooling all over the slightly squished muffin he was holding too tightly. "Nami said I need to share food more often or she will staple my mouth shut! How will I eat the chocolates she keeps behind the receipt folder on the top shelf in the office then?!"
Hearing the name of their witch of a manager took all the fight out of Zoro. He ignored the man fuming right in front of him and looked past the blonde to roll his eyes at Luffy, "You can have it. I'll tell her you offered if she asks…"
The muffin vanished so fast that Zoro didn't actually see Luffy's hand move, "Ffanks Zowo!"
He sensed the blonde cook cringe, and smirked. Luffy's horrendous manners must be extra repulsive to a pompous fucker like him... Luffy's eyes glittered at him from under the brim of his yellow ballcap as he licked his fingers, "Zoro, were you fighting with Sanji?"
Zoro stiffened and shot a glance at the shitty blonde. That blue eye met his gaze squarely and he could see that he was still pissed by the tension in his face and the anger burning in his stare. Zoro's shoulders slumped. He might as well 'fess up and take his lumps. Maybe Luffy wouldn't fire him since he didn't actually HIT the stupid fucker. "We just had a… disagreement. I told him that I didn't want any of his dumb food."
Luffy grinned and smacked his shoulder, "That's so stupid! Sanji's food is amazing! You should never look a fruit basket in the mouth you know!"
"I… what the fuck is that supposed to even MEAN?!" Growling, Zoro slipped away from Luffy's grip. Why the fuck did everyone have to keep talking about food today? It was making him nauseous…
"Luffy I'm going to put up the ice cream. Watch the register." He escaped to the freezer before he punched someone in frustration. The biting cold would be a good distraction.
Sanji watched the shitty store employee disappear into a back door with a disapproving frown, "Is he always that rude? I would have fired that shithead AGES ago if he acted like that in my restaurant!"
"Zoro isn't rude. He just doesn't lie." The store owner's tone was serious, "And don't call him names. He's my friend."
Sanji scowled, "Well your 'friend' needs to watch his mouth. I don't come in here every night to get shitty service."
Luffy crossed his arms and tilted his head, "Who started it?" Sanji pursed his lips. So what if he'd insulted the fucker first? He'd been asking for it with that bad attitude of his!
"I think you'd like Zoro if you gave him a chance." Luffy grinned at him, "You should bring more meat! He didn't get to try any, so he's cranky."
"Wait… you really ate the WHOLE dozen muffins?!" Sanji eyed the store owner with a mix of admiration and horror.
Luffy bobbed his head and laughed, "They were so delicious! Your food is amazing, Sanji!"
"Excuse me! Can I get some service?!" A lanky man with a blonde bowl cut and the ugliest cleft chin Sanji had ever seen was standing at the register counter and tapping his feet in obvious irritation.
Luffy chuckled before energetically loping to the register. Sanji heard him make a rude comment about the customer's chin and he snorted as he walked over to the coffee. Apparently bad manners were the norm in this shitty store. Honestly he'd stop coming if this wasn't the only twenty-four hour store directly between his restaurant and his apartment. Also even though the coffee was generic as fuck, it was usually a good strong brew.
He watched the bowl-cut customer storm red-faced out of the door and shook his head. It was a wonder that this place didn't go out of business with an owner and a shitty cashier like the pair working here. The lovely and intelligent manager, Nami was no doubt solely responsible for keeping the doors open. It was a pity that she had to work with this riffraff, but she apparently enjoyed the challenge since she had repeatedly turned down his offers to hire her at his restaurant.
When his coffee was as close to decent as he could get from carefully balancing the available ingredients, Sanji approached Luffy at the counter. The store owner had a small pile of donuts, fruit cups, and sandwiches from the refrigerated unit at the back of the shop, and he was dividing the food into two plastic bags. Sanji raised an eyebrow in interest, "What are you up to?"
"This is the food that's expired, but it's still tasty so I don't like to throw it out!" Luffy hefted the larger of the two bags, "This is mine, and the other one is for Zoro!"
Not wasting food was something he could approve of for sure. He eyed the two bags, "Have you thought about donating this food to a homeless shelter or a soup kitchen? You could do some real good you know. I can give you a few contacts if you're interested."
Luffy shrugged, "I spend a lot on food so this really helps me out. Nami is always mad at me about my 'food expenses'... And Zoro needs food too so I like to give him some."
"Well if you change your mind let me know." Sanji put his coffee cup on the counter, "Can I get two packs of cigarettes?"
"Cigarettes…?" Luffy was looking at him with a blank expression.
Sanji rolled his eyes. That green-haired bastard usually was the one behind the counter, and although he didn't care for the man at least he knew what Sanji smoked. "Lucky Strikes. Two packs of Lucky Strikes."
"Oh!" Luffy laughed, "I don't know where those are!"
Oh for the love of French toast! "They're kept under that counter. It's the second shelf down."
Luffy followed Sanji's gesturing and looked around under the counter with a puzzled expression before announcing cheerfully, "We don't have it!"
"WHAT…?!"
"Lu, what are you looking for?"
Zoro had appeared out of nowhere and was leaning on the far end of the counter, rubbing at his cold-reddened nose with the back of his hand. Luffy looked up from where he was crouched by the counter, "Lucky Strikes?"
"They're still in the box." Zoro glanced over at the blonde who was blatantly staring at him. What the fuck was that guy's issue?!
Gritting his teeth and marching behind the counter, Zoro quickly looked through the stack of boxes in the corner. He easily found the carton of Lucky Strikes, and opened the top, "Two?" The blonde nodded eagerly and reached out for them but Zoro held them away and raised an eyebrow, "I need to see your id."
"What the fuck?" Sanji stared at him incredulously, "You don't need my damn id. I'm in here every night!"
"I'm sorry. State law dictates that I cannot sell you the cigarettes now unless you show me valid identification."
"Are you shitting me?! You've never carded me before! Never!" Zoro let his smile warp into a smirk, and Sanji noticed the change right away, "You goddamn mother fucker! You're fucking with me aren't you? Shit!"
Luffy got up from where he'd been rooting curiously through one of the boxes of cigarette cartons, "You have to show him, Sanji! I want to see your picture too!"
Sadistic glee filled him from head to toe as Zoro watched Sanji's jaw drop in disbelief, and he stuttered for a moment before snarling and digging his wallet out of his pocket. The blonde growled as he shoved a driver's license right in Zoro's face. He took it and made a great show of checking the birth date and the expiration on the card with Luffy looking over his shoulder and giggling, before looking Sanji straight in the eye with a perfectly deadpan expression. "I'm afraid the photo on this ID doesn't resemble you... Since this person has two eyes and all." He snorted as he examined the picture closer, "And curly eyebrows? What the fuck?!"
If Sanji had been angry before, now he was purple and absolutely livid. "That IS my fucking id! Just sell me my goddamn cigarettes!" Zoro simply raised a brow and held the cigarettes further away. Clearly desperate now, Sanji grabbed his bangs and moved them further to the side.
Zoro laughed loudly, and his injured side made him wince from the sudden movement. He wheezed slightly as he continued to laugh anyway. "You really do have fucking curly eyebrows!"
Luffy leaned over the counter with a grin, "Really?! Cool!"
"FUCK YOU!"
Still laughing softly to himself, Zoro handed over the cigarettes and totaled the purchase. Sanji glared silently though the rest of the transaction and then stomped away without a word. Luffy chuckled as he wandered back toward the office, "Sanji is so funny!"
Zoro had to agree. He grinned as he watched the emo-blonde's angry retreat out to the parking lot; at least until the streetlights illuminated the bastard kicking a fucking huge dent in the driver's side door of Zoro's car. His eyes nearly bulged out in shock and fury, "FUCKING HELL! I swear I'll fucking murder that goddamn fucking asshole the next time he steps a toe in my store!"
In the heat of his rage, Zoro didn't even notice the pimply-faced teen standing at the counter in wide-eyed terror, clutching his soda, and dearly wishing he had never come back to the Sunny Mart. He left money on the counter before fleeing for the door. Luffy's loud laughter could be heard from the office as Zoro continued to curse while he watched the blonde drive off with tires squealing. Thank god he only had a couple more hours until he could get the fuck out of here and go home to his son.
"Hey, Zoro! I almost forgot!" Luffy peered out of the office, "There was a lot of sandwiches expiring today and I didn't need them all so I put some in a bag for you. Tony likes turkey sandwiches, right?"
Zoro blinked, his bad mood lifting, "Really? Thanks, Lu! Turkey is fine!" He licked his lips, fantasizing about eating a tasty sandwich as soon as he got home. They might even have enough food to get them through to payday now! "Tony will be so happy…!" Luffy smiled at him and nodded before ducking back into the office.