Sanji is standing in the shade by the big glass patio doors at the back of his house, it's only just six am and he can't help but wonder why Zoro is out here so early practicing with his swords. Perhaps, he thinks, the other man is making up for lost time. He doesn't know if the other man has noticed him yet, or whether Zoro simply doesn't care as he's so engrossed in his practice.
Zoro's bare foot arches on the paving slabs outside and the man suddenly strikes forward, three vicious swords cutting a swathe through the air and no doubt killing and dismembering Zoro's imaginary opponent. The strikes are quick and unhesitating and Sanji can't help but be transfixed. Zoro practically dances back to his original spot, Sanji had never expected a man as well built as Zoro to be so light on his feet, it's almost hypnotic.
He sips at the coffee in his hand and continues watching the other man. He feels a strange combination of emotions where Zoro is concerned, the man seems to be almost a contradiction in terms. On the one hand Sanji feels protective of him, he wants to burn the people who have hurt Zoro but equally he's well aware that Zoro can take care of himself and is far more resilient than some people might imagine. Equally Zoro frustrates him and aggravates him like no one else but also he finds himself desperate for the green head's approval, he likes it when Zoro seems pleased with his food, his heart flutters when Zoro gives him a warm look. He just doesn't know what to make of it.
He retreats away from the window and goes behind the kitchen units, he can still see Zoro from here but at least here it doesn't look like he's outright staring at the man. He taps his fingers on the kitchen surface in frustration and glances up at the window and Zoro just in time to see Zoro's highly defined bare back arch with his swords above him in a way that immediately sends Sanji's brain skittering in the direction of sex. His brain instantly helpfully supplies him with the mental image of Zoro's back arching like that in pleasure. He shakes his head and tears his eyes away, hating himself a little.
He's already decided that he and Zoro can't be like that, it was decided ever since Zoro pointed out that he can't refuse Sanji within the very terms of their contract. So Sanji will never have any way of knowing whether or not Zoro is really consenting or just pretending to consent so that Sanji won't return him. He's fairly sure that Zoro wouldn't lie to him, but equally Zoro is probably sure that Sanji has no intention of abusing his authority. If he was to move their relationship that way then all certainty fades away. He can't stand that idea. So why won't his mind stop going that way?
He rubs his forehead in stress and tries to focus. Maybe after Zoro has been with him for a while he'll get used to the other man's presence and stop noticing him so much, he's only been with him about a week after all. Or maybe he just needs to get laid with someone who definitely isn't Zoro.
"Morning." Franky greets him as he walks into the room.
"Morning." Sanji replies wearily.
"You sound tired, are you not sleeping well little bro?" Franky asks in concern.
"It's not that, I was just up late calling people last night." Sanji answers, looking over at Zoro again. The swordsman has paused in his routine and seems to be trying to stretch his right leg out, from the way that he's rubbing at one of his muscles Sanji would guess that something's not warmed up properly yet.
"Ever since you gave Zoro those swords two days ago you've been super busy, what're you up to?" The cyborg asks him, shooting a suspicious look his way.
"Revenge, like all good dishes, takes time to prepare. But I should be more or less done now, I'm looking forward to watching the news this morning." Sanji grins and watches as Zoro leaps up to balance on the back of a bench before whirling away in a swish of steel after his imaginary opponent.
"He seems to be happy as a clam since he got those back, though I can't say that I've ever seen someone fight with three swords like that." Franky remarks with a laugh.
Sanji grins to himself. He hadn't either but then Zoro was never anything that anyone expected, he was so unique and interesting. He just wanted to… argh, no. He wasn't supposed to be thinking like this!
"Franky." Sanji says suddenly as the worry occurs to him, "Do you think that the institute could be right?"
"You're gonna need to give me a little more context to that question there, friend." Franky says flatly.
"I mean… the things that they claim. That they say that they can match you with someone perfect for you. Surely… surely that's not really possible is it?" Sanji says, doubt creeping into his voice as he glances up at the cyborg who is one of his oldest friends.
"Aaah, you mean the two of you." Franky grins and looks out at Zoro.
"It's just that I promised myself that I wouldn't do anything to make his life worse when he got here, I didn't want him here in the first place so I thought that the least that I could do would be to not worsen his situation. I don't want to take advantage of him. I'd hoped that he'd just be a friend or… or a housemate or something, and when I really needed to pretend like things were 'normal' for my father then I could but otherwise…" Sanji trails off in exasperation.
"I don't think you're making his life worse. Zoro seems much happier than when he got here, you two seem to be getting along great." Franky frowns at him.
"I know, and I want to keep it that way. I just want to be friends with him but sometimes I look at him or he says or does something and I want…" Sanji cuts himself short with a sigh. He doesn't know what he wants. He doesn't know if he's just sexually attracted to Zoro or if he wants more than that. He's not allowed himself enough time to think about it and examine his feelings because he's spent so much time just shoving them away whenever they surface.
"You want more." The other man finishes for him.
"Yes, no- I don't know. Look, I just want to know if I keep thinking about this… thing with Zoro because I'm weak or whether it's because they picked someone perfect for me." Sanji angsts unhappily.
"It shouldn't even be possible, should it? I mean, Chopper interviewed me and talked to me, he put me through a bunch of tests and watched me whilst I talked to other people but that was just one day. Surely you can't just stick two people together after that and know it'll work out?" He frowns.
"So… you don't think that you and Zoro get along well?" Franky asks, sounding confused.
"I don't know. We argue a lot but I like that, and Zoro seems to as well. Maybe we do work well together and we're just really fucked up." He groans despairingly.
"That's probably a little more likely, knowing you." The other man grins at him and looks out to Zoro.
"Thanks man." Sanji says sarcastically.
"Any time. But say that he is perfect for you, why is that a bad thing?" The blue haired man asks then, turning back to him and giving him a quizzical look.
"Don't you think that it'd be horrible? If Zoro is perfect for me I can't do anything because I don't want to be this creep that exploits people. Why can't this just be normal? Why does the goddamn institute even exist?! I can find love on my own thank-you-very-much, I don't need some stupid… evaluation process and immoral slavery thing getting in the way!" Sanji rants angrily and kicks a cupboard in his frustration.
"Don't you think?!" He challenges Franky.
The older man looks at him for a moment and then over his shoulder towards the patio door that Zoro is advancing on with a big over the head stretch going on. Zoro opens the door with a tired but pleased sigh and Franky looks back at Sanji. The blonde pulls his eyes from where they'd automatically stuck to Zoro back and onto Franky.
"I think," the cyborg says quietly, "that you're over thinking this. Things are as difficult as you make them."
"What's going on?" Zoro asks curiously, having just entered the conversation. His three swords hang heavily on his hip in a way that Sanji is sure would irritate the living hell out of him but somehow looks effortless and kinda cool on Zoro. Oh god, he feels like a fourteen year old with a crush 'it looks so cool when he does it, waah, he's so awesome!' Seriously, what was up with him?
"Nothing." Sanji lies with a scowl.
"What do you want anyway?" He challenges petulantly.
Zoro quirks an eyebrow at him with that comment, it's the kind of expression that shows he's unimpressed with what Sanji is doing right now but will let it slide at the moment. It's also one of those expressions that seems to imply that Sanji is a bit touched in the head, Zoro gives him those a lot and it irritates Sanji a lot too.
"Breakfast, seeing as it's sort of breakfast time and this is the kitchen. Is that okay Sir Prince?" Zoro asks with an elaborate flourishing bow that makes Franky laugh loudly.
"That depends, marimo. Do you have an actual request for breakfast?" He asks sweetly and with a slight threat in his tone.
"No, whatever you want. Do we have to play this game at every goddamn meal?" Zoro groans exasperatedly.
"Only until you pick something." Sanji smirks at him.
"I don't care, everything you make is nice." The other man retorts. Sanji makes an angry frustrated noise in the back of his throat and stomps off to the fridge. He wrenches it open and glares at the contents of it, as if daring any of the eggs to challenge him.
"What the hell?!" Zoro calls after him, clearly just as irritated.
"I think," Franky breaks in diplomatically, "that Sanji is a little upset that you said his cooking is nice. I know what you meant but nice is one of those words that… well, nice is a birthday card from your grandma. I don't think that 'nice' is what Sanji is aiming for."
"Fine, then it's all great, special, whatever." Zoro huffs.
"If it's all special then none of it is!" Sanji shouts into the fridge and scowls even more angrily at some ham.
Intellectually he knows why he's angry. He's angry with himself for feeling things about Zoro that he shouldn't, he's angry at the fact that the institute have put him is such a fucked up position that feeling like that about Zoro is wrong and he's angry that Zoro won't tell him what he wants to eat. He likes feeding people, and he likes pleasing people. Very few things outside of sex give him the satisfaction of making something that someone has a craving for and watching them just glow with pleasure from well prepared food. But Zoro won't tell him what he wants which either means that he doesn't want to let him into that part of himself – which is hurtful, or he doesn't think that Sanji's cooking is good enough so any of it will do – which is insulting.
"Oh for- Sanji, get me that book that you've got up there on the shelf, the one that says "breakfast around the world"." Franky orders him, pointing to the shelf. Sanji scowls at the man for ordering him around in his own kitchen, but allows it because everyone but Zoro is banned on this side of the counters. He stomps dramatically over to the bookshelf and snatches the title down, handing it to Franky with an angry flourish.
"Now you, read this and pick something before we all starve. And you, go watch the news like you wanted to and cool off. Then, when you've picked something and you're calm, we can eat." Franky orders, whapping Zoro over the head with the thick book and pulling Sanji out of the kitchen by the collar of his shirt like a cat.
"Now, shoo. I feel like I'm your babysitter." Franky grumbles and herds them both out of the room with his hands and shuts the door behind them.
Zoro and Sanji stand shoulder to shoulder with their backs against the door. Sanji unruffles his shirt whilst Zoro clutches the book to his chest.
"Well, that was kinda humiliating." Zoro says after a moment.
"You're telling me." Sanji agrees and stalks off to his room with the TV in.
In truth the room is more of a little home cinema with a big plush sofa and chairs, the kind that are squishy enough to sort of eat you when you sit in them. The TV screen is huge and runs almost from floor to ceiling. Sanji flicks the news on and sits down, after a few moments Zoro spreads himself out on the sofa on his front and starts flipping through the book.
Sanji watches the news and is surprised by how quickly he feels peaceful again with Zoro at his side, only the occasional page turning and the quiet of the TV is audible. Sanji sighs and settles a little deeper into the sofa. The newscaster is going on about some boring shit to do with the stock market, Sanji doesn't care about that. He knows that lots of rich people do, rich people concerned with only becoming ever richer but Sanji is already richer than he wants to be and he's not got his money so stupidly invested as to be affected by any one company going down.
"The stock price of the Royal institute has dropped today after a scandal broke with the papers this morning." The newscaster continues in her pleasing voice. Now that makes Sanji's eyes snap open and a grin curl on his lips. He notices that at his side Zoro's head has jerked up and the green haired man is staring up at the screen in surprise.
"After a shocking new revelation about one of the lecturers at the institute's questionable conduct the stock prices have dropped rapidly, although still remaining positive." The newscaster continues.
"Yes Jenny, it was a rather surprising story. An investigative journalist Larsson broke the story this morning, it turns out that one particular behaviour lecturer Cabaji has been abusing his position of authority over mates-in-training. Confidential interviews with mates held in secret has confirmed that several instances of highly unethical behaviour have taken place." The second, male, newscaster interjects.
Zoro sits up onto his knees at that, staring wide eyed at the television as footage of Cabaji dodging cameras plays on the screen.
"For those of us that don't know, what exactly is a behaviour lecturer supposed to do?" Jenny asks interestedly.
"Well, a behaviour lecturer's job is to provide mates-in-training with all of the information and behaviours expected of them in their service. Things like appropriate manners, bowing and of course… there is some sexual content to their training." The second newscaster explains.
"But that's all supposed to be theory, right?" The female newscaster frowns cutely.
"Right, but it seems that Cabaji has been requiring demonstrations of his student's knowledge, including some private extra curricular exams." The second newscaster coughs uncomfortably. Sanji's eyes slide interestedly to Zoro at that, he doesn't know whether Cabaji actually tried anything on with Zoro or whether the man's tastes just ran to his female students. If Zoro does tell him that Cabaji actually exploited him like that too, well, Sanji will just have to kill him. Zoro's jaw is tensely clenched as he glares holes in the TV screen.
At that point a man with ridiculous hair that Sanji knows is Foxy the silver fox the head of the institute comes on screen, it's an excerpt of an interview.
"The Royal Institute values its students very highly and takes their role as mates very seriously. If any of these so called allegations are true then the institute will certainly investigate them. The mates-in-training here are like family to us and we hate to think of anything untoward happening to them." He says sincerely.
"Like HELL you do! You locked me in solitary for two weeks when I broke Cabaji's jaw for touching Nami! You lying bastard!" Zoro yells furiously at the screen, his fists clenched at his side.
Sanji smiles a little to himself and mentally adds Foxy to his revenge list.
"It seems that his reports have had some highly worrying recommendations in too. We've had this one report shared with us, confidentially of course, this naturally occurs in the editorial as well and more information can be found on our website. Let's hear what it says." Jenny says. The two newscasters turn to the middle of the screen then and a piece of text pops up onto the screen, read out by another man.
"[The mate's] disobedient and feisty nature can, in my expert opinion, only be corrected by a firm hand a forced sexual submission. [The mate]will certainly require emotional reconditioning if he is to be of any use to any master, it is my recommendation that [the mate] be assigned to a master who would enjoy such as task. [The mate] does not fear physical pain so psychological reconditioning will be far more effective." The narrator reads.
"You…" Zoro gasps, looking over at Sanji, clearly recognising the words from his own report.
"I hope that you don't mind, the reporter assured me that he holds his sources confidentiality more highly than anything else. I just had to find a way to bring that bastard down." Sanji answers.
Zoro drops back onto the seat and stares at Sanji with wide eyes. In the background the reporters promise more breaking updates on the story as it unfolds.
"How did you even do that?" Zoro asks after a moment or two.
"Easy. I have a few journalists that I like and aren't corrupt, Larsson is the best out there, he's like a dog with a bone when it comes to that kind of thing. I handed over my report and suggested a few people that he might want to contact to corroborate the story, your friend Vivi for one. I managed to get her and Igaram's number, I have it if you want to talk to her any time." Sanji offers, remembering that Vivi and Zoro seemed to be close, even if he was distressed when he saw her last.
"But… aren't you worried that someone could trace the report back to you? Cabaji is going to know whose it is after all." Zoro points out.
"Pft, when it comes to vengeance I'm fearless." Sanji boasts. Inside however he's cursing himself for not being smart enough to have thought of that and panicking somewhat that his father might find out. No, of course his father is going to find out, shit!
"You're almost as bad a liar as Usopp." Zoro smirks at him.
Zoro glances back at the TV, although a different news story is showing right now, and looks thoughtful. He looks back at Sanji and opens his mouth as if to say something, the words don't seem to come to him however and he averts his gaze to the book.
"Zoro, I wanted to know something. About Cabaji… you said that he tried it on with Nami and Vivi told Larsson that he regularly took advantage of other people at the institute. Did-" Sanji starts asking but Zoro suddenly interrupts him.
"How about waffles, I've never eaten waffles." Zoro interrupts loudly. Sanji is well aware that this is Zoro trying to distract him from having a conversation that they need to have, and the very fact that Zoro is trying to avoid the conversation speaks worrying volumes. But even so… who the hell hasn't eaten waffles before?
"What? You're serious?" Sanji gawps.
"Never had them." Zoro says hurriedly as he shoves the book into Sanji's hands.
"I will make you the best goddamn waffles in the world!" Sanji declares loudly, leaping from the couch.
He and Zoro go about the morning then as if they aren't both obviously avoiding a rather terrible conversation. Sanji does indeed make the best damn waffles ever and is pleased to see that Zoro actually does seem to enjoy the food and expresses a preference. Apparently Zoro isn't too fond of sweet things and prefers his waffles without powdered sugar and syrup and instead just prefers fruit on them. Sanji files this away into his mental "useful information about Zoro" folder and continues on with his day.
It's only when they're standing at the sink after breakfast washing and drying respectively that Zoro even brings it up again.
"You didn't have to do that you know." Zoro says quietly.
"What?" Sanji frowns, thinking that he means handing Zoro a fresh dish towel.
"With Cabaji, you didn't have to. You said that you wanted revenge but he didn't do anything to you." Zoro mumbles seemingly focused on drying the dish in his hand
"He hurt someone that I care about, that's reason enough for revenge." Sanji points out earnestly, Zoro's mouth twitches into a small smile at the end that's gone so quickly that Sanji almost thinks he imagined it.
"It wasn't all that bad, I skipped pretty much every class except exams since I was seventeen. And when I was younger he actually taught us useful shit, you know? We all had to participate in demonstrations about things like that. Like how to keep our cool when someone you hated but had to obey was irritating you, how to bow properly and when to fetch drinks, proper etiquette, all that stupid crap." The other man explains with a sigh and rubs at a spot on the dish with the towel hard enough to make it squeak.
"And the other stuff?" Sanji asks gently.
Zoro breathes out shakily and puts the dish down. He leans his hands on the countertop in silence and stares straight ahead without really looking at anything.
"The institute has to be able to certify that none of us have had sex, that means keeping a close eye on us, not letting us off of the grounds, regular medical checks and certain things in the curriculum just being theory." Zoro explains in a flat voice.
Sanji is halfway through a sigh of relief when Zoro speaks again.
"But there's a lot that you can do to a person and still be able to say that they've never had sex." Zoro finishes in a way that makes Sanji's blood freeze.
"Zoro-" Sanji pleads, almost begging for Zoro to tell him that nothing happened.
"He tried to use me for a demonstration like that once, I broke his ribs. I got solitary for two weeks. End of." Zoro snaps and grabs the next plate.
Sanji wants to ask what, exactly, Cabaji did to him or tried to. He wants to ask how far he got before Zoro snapped and fought back. Sanji wants to ask because he needs to know just how much he needs to hurt Cabaji for him. But he doesn't want to know, he doesn't want to think about something like that happening to Zoro. Zoro being the victim of anything just doesn't sit well with him.
Sanji plunges his hands back into the water and cleans another plate, he doesn't want to push Zoro for information that he doesn't want to give and it's clearly something that Zoro doesn't want to talk about. He'll just have to assume the worst and treat Cabaji accordingly, after all, even if the man didn't hurt Zoro he still hurt plenty of other innocent people. He will destroy him completely, along with the institute and everyone involved with it that won't see sense and change the way that they operate.
"There's party tonight, I want to go, so I'll need you to come with me. One of the members of institute's board is there, I'm going to try to talk to him to get him to see sense. If I can get him to agree to change the way the contracts are written and put better protection in place for the mates then that's a step in the right direction, after the news today he might be a little more willing to listen to me." Sanji announces as he hands a plate to Zoro.
Zoro's dark eyes watch him carefully for a few moments.
"You're serious about this aren't you? What are you going to do if he says no?" Zoro asks curiously.
"I'll try another board member, I'd need to get more than 50% of the shareholders to agree anyway to get something changed, I'm just going to shoot for the board members that own a lot. And if none of them agree… well, I'll just destroy the institute as a whole." He answers simply, looking up at Zoro.
"You're crazy." Zoro grins toothily at him in a way that plainly reads 'I like it'.
Sanji adjusts his black tie over his burnt orange shirt. He steps back from the mirror and turns to take himself in from all angles. He looks acceptable, professional perhaps but in a casual kind of way. He doesn't want to look like he's shown up to a business meeting when he "bumps into" this guy, it's supposed to be an accident, but he still wants to be taken seriously, not like some kid.
There's a knock on his door and when Sanji opens it it's as if all his Christmases have come at once, in this case it's Zoro wrapped up in a gorgeous green shirt and the softest sexiest waistcoat that Sanji has ever seen. Despite his tailor's irritating opinions and insistence on sharing them the man makes DAMN fine suits. The whole thing flatters Zoro's… everything.
"Uh, yeah?" He manages, realising that he has to say something quickly. Unfortunately a quick response when all the blood in his body doesn't know where it's going isn't a bright response.
"I take it that I've got to leave my swords at home tonight?" Zoro asks flatly. Sanji beams at him because Zoro just referred to Sanji's home as 'home' for the first time ever!
"Yes, sorry. You look great by the way." Sanji smiles.
"Eh. Whatever, come find me when we have to leave." Zoro shrugs and saunters off.
Don't look at his ass! Sanji reminds himself and turns sharply on his heel and shuts the door behind him so that he doesn't get the chance.
Sanji puts his shoes on and his wallet in his pocket, runs over his proposal to Nezumi in his head a few times before leaving his room. He pokes his head around Zoro's door to see him sprawled deliciously across his bed with a copy of nineteen eighty four in his hands. He spies Sanji before he can say anything, drop the book and bounces off of the bed following Sanji out of the room.
The two of them walk out to the front of the house together in an agreeable silence. They get in the car with Franky, it's the limo this time as Nezumi is a stickler for appearances. The flight to the mansion is a little longer this time, perhaps half an hour but Zoro happily chats to Franky about the news this morning. Both men seem to agree that it's brilliant that the institute is in trouble but equally both express doubts that since Cabaji didn't actually break the law he might not even lose his job. Sanji is certain that Cabaji will, he'll ensure that much at least.
While the mechanic and the swordsman talk Sanji runs through his proposal in his mind once more. He'll admit that he's nervous, he already has a reputation with these guys as a bleeding heart and the last time that he tried to interfere with the institute he failed.
"Later you two. Have a SUPERRR night!" Franky calls to the two of them, smashing his arms together through the sunroof and somehow driving the limo off anyway.
"You need to stop hiring from the lunatic asylum." Zoro suggests after a few seconds of stunned silence.
"Good advice." Sanji agrees and pulls Zoro inside.
The atmosphere of the mansion is almost like that of a club rather than a refined house, most of the people there are young or young-ish, certainly nobody over 35 is there. People are dancing and the house is filled with smoke from cigarettes, cigars and dry ice from the smoke machines. Sanji snags a glass off of a passing waiter, the drink inside is gold and sparkling, just what Sanji wants to see. He downs it in one and hums in pleasure as it slides down his throat. He sees Zoro reaching for one and pulls the other man's hand away.
"Trust me, Zoro. Don't drink tonight. This stuff can mess with your system pretty nastily if you've not had any before, so just… don't drink it. Don't drink anything." Sanji shouts in Zoro's ear over the music.
"I can handle my drink cook, you're the one who got drunk last time we were drinking, not me." Zoro retorts.
"Yeah, cause champagne does things to me and you kept poisoning my father's plants by throwing yours away when you thought no one was looking!" Sanji laughs back. Zoro looks at him in surprise which makes Sanji's grin spread ever wider as the drink fizzes happily in his system.
"What, you thought I didn't notice? I see more than you give me credit for mar~i~mo." Sanji laughs, dragging out the syllables of his favourite nickname for Zoro in an almost sing-song way.
"Now, you stay here, be good, socialise, say nice things about me. And don't drink! I've got a man to catch, or a mouse." Sanji sniggers at his own joke and saunters off leaving Zoro behind.
The golden drink is weaving its magic in Sanji's system, making him feel happy and relaxed, exactly the mood that he needs to be in to find Nezumi. It doesn't take him too much wandering through the throngs to bump into the man, perhaps about twenty minutes, he gets sidetracked to dance a few times which is fine, it looks more natural. When he does eventually find Nezumi he pretends like it's an accident, as if he hadn't come here just to find him.
Nezumi is older than Sanji, thirty in fact. Sanji's never liked him much but Sanji doesn't like anyone on the institute's board so that's hardly surprising. Perhaps the man can change his mind tonight though. He's got a distinctive almost rat like appearance and Sanji knows better by now than to comment on it, though it's always hard to bite his tongue when the guy squeaks as he laughs.
"Sir Prince, what a surprise seeing you here. You almost never come to these things." Nezumi says surprised.
"Ah well, I felt like relaxing, especially after seeing the news this morning." Sanji shrugs casually with his hands in his pockets.
"You saw that too? Terrible for the stock prices, we'll all be broke if things like that keep happening, let's hope that it's an isolated incident." Nezumi agrees unhappily. Sanji nods along in agreement, the other man has always been unreasonably motivated by money.
As much as Sanji hates to draw a distinction, Nezumi is new money whilst his own family is old money. Nezumi is obsessed with being a rich as he can be whilst at least Sanji's father isn't too bothered, owning one of the most successful companies in the world and being one of the richest men is more of an ego boost than it is a means to buy things. When you have as much money as Sanji's family does trying to acquire more of the sake of just getting more money is almost gauche, though apparently doing it to send a message or to strengthen the empire is just fine. Bizarre.
"I wanted to talk to you about that actually, the whole board really but I was wondering if, since I so luckily happened to bump into you Nezumi, that I could run it by you first?" Sanji asks innocently.
"This is unusual for you, wanting to talk shop with me about the institute." Nezumi frowns suspiciously.
"Ah, well. It was more of a business idea really, how to turn a loss into a profit and that, but if you're not interested I'll let you enjoy your night. Never mind." Sanji says shaking his head and walking away.
One, two, three. Sanji counts under his breath.
"Ah, wait! Sanji, come with me." Nezumi calls after him. The other man catches him and pulls him into a quiet drawing room where they both sit down.
"Tell me about your idea." The other man says, sitting down on a fancy chair and gesturing to the one opposite for Sanji. Sanji hesitates for a moment before sitting down, as if he's uncertain about whether or not he wants to tell Nezumi his plan, he wants Nezumi to feel like he's doing all the chasing and not like Sanji's trying to manipulate him. He feels a little disgusted at himself how easy this political manipulation has gotten to him over the years but he's had to learn to survive, just like Zoro.
"Well, the institute is getting a lot of negative press at the moment, what with that behaviour guy. It'd be good for the institute to make a real stand to show that it was just that one bad apple, use the opportunity to make the institute look like a good thing, show outrage." Sanji says slowly as he sits down.
"Obviously, but how? Foxy is already throwing up a smokescreen, and if there's too much undeniable evidence we'll have to let him go." Nezumi shrugs. Sanji bristles a little inside at the fact that Nezumi only cares about how deniable the evidence is, not what the truth is, but thanks to the golden drink in his belly he can ignore it.
"But that's PR 101, it's obvious and everyone knows it. To come out and make a bold statement would show a genuine side that really distinguishes him from the institute." Sanji argues back.
"So what?" The other man frowns at him.
"Well, if I had my way the contracts would be changed. I looked mine over a few days ago and realised that my mate Zoro can't do anything if he decides that he doesn't like me, but I can return him. It hardly seems fair and it doesn't inspire much confidence. I mean, I wouldn't buy a car from a manufacturer that doesn't let me return it if I change my mind." He points out.
"Yeah, but this is different, your car can't ask to be taken back if you're a bad driver. You're the consumer here, not your mate." The rat-man argues.
"Not really, Zoro made a financial deal with the institute just like I did. The institute says that people like Zoro sign up to find love as well and do a good thing for the people that they care about, how can the institute say that the matches are perfect if mates aren't allowed to leave?" Sanji insists.
"That's a stupid idea, they'd all be gone within a week. Sanji, look, I know you're all newly mated and you think that you're in love, but it's just a phase. You'll tire of… whatever his name was, in a few months, maybe even a year. He's just a new toy is all, and if they could leave they would, no matter how much you think that they like you." Nezumi says with a dismissive squeak.
"But… you do raise a good point, perhaps if we could make it look like they had the option of leaving we could say that it's clearly a good service, that they obviously want to be there, that Cabaji was just a bad egg. Obviously we'd have to put some threat in place to stop them executing that right but still, that idea has legs." Nezumi smiles deviously.
"That's not what I was saying at all! They should be free to leave!" Sanji snaps irritably before the golden drink in him soothes him.
"That's just stupid Sanji, they'd all come back to the institute, we'd be drowning in sluts and not in a good way. No one would want to buy them again, no one wants a second hand sex toy Sanji, that's just gross. I'll see you around." Nezumi laughs and squeaks, pats Sanji on the head condescendingly and saunters off.
Sanji grits his teeth and stays put. After he's sure that he's not going to chase after Nezumi and put his shiny shoe through the man's face he gets up and goes off back towards where he left Zoro. His skin is tingling and humming with energy and the pounding music in the next room is making him want to dance his frustrations away.
The lights and low and flashing in bright colours across a throng of dancing bodies and the music is already moving Sanji's hips to the beat. He allows himself to enter the group and lose himself in the music. He's in his own little world when a large warm hand snakes its way across his midsection. He jumps and looks over his shoulder only to relax when he sees the familiar shock of green hair and the golden padlock gleaming dimly in the low light.
"Zoro!" He exclaims feeling relieved.
"You left me alone for ages, and instead of coming to find me you dance?" Zoro quizzes in his ear. He doesn't seem to upset though as he fits himself behind Sanji and follows his lead with the dancing, Sanji grins and revels in it. The man's report was right, he's a fantastic dancer!
"I had to!" Sanji laughs, the golden drink running in his blood. Zoro moves along with him in a way that's getting Sanji more than a little hot under the collar so to speak. Zoro's hand grips his hip and turns him slowly to face him. Zoro surges forward and kisses him, it's hot and messy and sends sparks shooting through Sanji's nervous system. His senses are already on high from the golden drink and Zoro set him on fire last time they kissed at a party, the two combined are deadly.
Zoro backs him off of the dance floor and against a wall, no one comments as most of the guests are in similar states themselves or hoping to be. Zoro practically picks him up against the wall, groping his leg and his ass as he holds him there. Zoro kisses him again, intensely enough to make Sanji moan into it. However something inside of him starts to itch noticeably, this is more than unusual for Zoro. In fact it's downright odd. He breaks away from Zoro's mouth, the two of them already panting for air as it is. Sanji holds him there and glances around the room, wondering just who it is that Zoro has spotted that he's putting this display on for.
"Zoro, who have you seen?" He whispers into Zoro's mouth and shudders with pleasure as the other man practically laps the words up from his mouth. Zoro doesn't answer but just seems to purr almost before kissing along his jaw.
Sanji's itching sense of wrongness mounts.
"Zoro, talk to me. Who are you doing this for?" Sanji hisses in the other man's ear, perhaps he didn't hear him.
"You, just you." Zoro rumbles deeply in Sanji's ear in a voice that's pure sex and goes right to Sanji's libido.
That answer is all wrong though. Just for him? What?
He arches his back, grinding his hips into Zoro so that he can lean back and get a better look at Zoro. The other man's eyes shut as he groans in pleasure. He can definitely feel just how excited Zoro is right now, Sanji can't exactly deny being in a similar state himself, although not as far gone as Zoro is.
"Zoro… look at me." He orders.
Zoro's dark eyes sweep sensually half open, looking at him with undisguised lust. The lights flash white for a second or two but it's long enough, Zoro's eyes are crimson red.
"Holy shit! You've been drinking!" Sanji exclaims, pushing Zoro back away from him.
"I told you I can handle my alcohol cook, I'm not drunk." Zoro grouses and noses his way back against Sanji's jaw.
Sanji spares a brief moment of weakness before shoving Zoro away from him, grabbing his hand and pulling him away through the crowd. He needs to assess the situation in private, he really doesn't want to leave another party again early if he doesn't have to as it's bad form. Zoro starts complaining until Sanji drags him upstairs, at which point Zoro starts looking increasingly pleased.
He tries the handle of one bedroom only to find it locked and sounds of sex coming inside. Sanji swears under his breath and pulls Zoro further down the corridor, after a few false starts he pulls Zoro inside one of the rooms and locks it behind them. As soon as he turns he realises that Zoro has backed him against the door with both his arms on either side of Sanji's head.
In the normal lighting of the bedroom Sanji can see just how far gone Zoro is. He catches the other man's face in his hand and looks closely at his eyes, not only have the irises gone completely crimson but the whites of Zoro's eyes are taking on a rosy hue as well, this is not good.
"Oh marimo, I told you not to drink, how difficult was that? I was gone like… forty minutes." Sanji sighs. Zoro turns his head against the inside of Sanji's wrist and bites the delicate skin there, making Sanji jump and shiver at the same time.
"And I told you cook, that I can handle my alcohol." Zoro purrs, he follows the bite with a slow lick across Sanji's skin. Against his better judgement a whimper escapes Sanji's mouth.
"It's not alcohol dumbass." Sanji growls. He grabs Zoro's hand and pulls him over to a mirror and makes him look at himself. Instead of looking at his alarming eyes though, Zoro seems far more interested in the image of Sanji behind him with one hand on his shoulder and the other on his hip. He rolls himself back into Sanji, trying to rub every inch of their skin together.
"Argh, stop that. Look, look at my eyes. See how they've gone slightly gold?" Sanji snaps, releasing Zoro's shoulder and pointing to his own usually blue eyes which have now taken on a shiny golden hint.
"That's because of the golden drink I had when we got here. It's not alcohol, it's a chemical that messes with your brain chemistry and your hormones, they all do different things. The golden one makes you feel happy and relaxed, kind of tingly too." Sanji explains.
Unfortunately rather than being surprised by this revelation Zoro seems far more interested in what Sanji's drink had done to him. He turns in Sanji's arms and faces him instead of the mirror and curiously runs his fingertips down Sanji's chest. Sanji can feel the drink inside of him making his skin sing at the touch. His head lolls back as he gasps at the sensation, Zoro presses a kiss to his jugular and draws a desperate whine from Sanji's throat.
"Oh wow… I could make you feel so good like this." Zoro grins sensuously at him.
Now that snaps Sanji back to his senses. He shoves Zoro and stumbles back away from him, this is a terrible idea and he'll be lucky if Zoro won't hate him already when this wears off in the morning, let alone if this goes any further.
"C'mon." Zoro smiles and steps back into Sanji's personal space, snaking his arms around Sanji's sides.
"Zoro, stop it." Sanji snaps, shoving Zoro's hands away, but the other man just strokes Sanji's back instead. For a second Sanji is struck with two panicky thoughts, first of all is that he's alone with Zoro in a locked room, second of all is that Zoro is actually bigger than him and whilst he has the advantage of always being armed with his shoes when Zoro is without his swords Sanji isn't sure whether or not he'd be able to get Zoro off of him.
"Zoro, no!" Sanji orders, hearing his own distress clearly in his voice. He wonders if this is how Zoro felt the first night that he was with him when he came home drunk, he doesn't really remember anything about that but now he's certainly starting to empathise.
Zoro's hands freeze at Sanji's side and Zoro actually pulls back to give him a startled look.
"Why?" Zoro asks clearly surprised.
"Because you're way too far gone and you'd hate me in the morning, almost as much as I'd hate myself." Sanji mutters bitterly, no way is he going to do this.
"I wouldn't. Please let me." Zoro whispers silkily, clearly having forgotten Sanji's panic. He tries to step back closer to Sanji but he backs away just as quickly.
"Zoro, tell me, how many drinks have you had? Try to remember." He pleads with the other man, looking at his eyes, they seem somehow redder than before, shit.
"I don't… please just let me touch you." Zoro pleads, running a hand up Sanji's side temptingly.
"Unless you can remember you're definitely not getting anything from me, now think. I left you in the corridor after telling you not to drink, what did you do then?" Sanji says slowly, catching Zoro's hands and holding them together.
Zoro's brow furrows and the man seems to think for a moment.
"I went to the bar to get a drink." He starts.
"Great, I'm fairly sure I told you not to do that." Sanji grumbles.
"I can handle my booze! And you didn't tell me that it wasn't alcohol!" Zoro retorts. Sanji winces at that because it's true, but Zoro really should have just done what he was told even without him having to give an explanation.
"I tried to order a drink, but they didn't have anything that I asked for. After a little while the bartender gave me this red thing in a martini glass or something, he said someone had bought it for me." Zoro frowns and stretches his fingers out to catch Sanji's tie and tug on it.
"Did you see who it was?" Sanji questions suspiciously.
"No, but I drank it anyway. It didn't have any kick but it made me feel kind of warm, so I had another." Zoro shrugs.
"Okay, that's not too bad, it's two drinks. You've never had them before so maybe they'll wear off okay after a few hours, we just need to get you home." He muses, although Zoro's eyes are awfully red for just two drinks. But perhaps it's because he drank them so quickly after one another. The drinks kind of stack with each other, one drink will affect you for two hours but each successive drink doubles the potency and the effect time. So if Zoro had two he's up for a double strength affect for four hours, that's… manageable.
"Well… then I wanted to find you. All I could think about was finding you, I don't… maybe it's because you're so nice looking." Zoro smiles, clearly lost again. He leans into Sanji again and presses a lazy kiss to his cheek.
"You smell good, and look great in that shirt… or out of that shirt." The other man rumbles in his ear.
"Focus, Zoro." Sanji grits out.
"I was trying to find you, I really, really wanted to see you. Then I bumped into a waiter carrying drinks and got another red one from him, then some girl tried to dance with me but I wasn't bothered, I wanted to find you, just you." Zoro continues.
Sanji's eyes widen, three drinks. That's eight hours and four times as strong as just one drink. Shit, shit, shit. This was NOT good!
"Then you found me dancing?" Sanji asks hopefully. Zoro by this point has plastered himself to Sanji again and is trying to back him against the mirror.
"One more drink then I found you… dancing. You look really good when you dance… your hips…" Zoro groans. Sanji ducks out from under his arm and pulls his phone out of his pocket. Zoro is going to be under the influence for sixteen hours and with eight times the strength Sanji is surprised that Zoro can even see straight and isn't trying to have sex with the furniture.
"Franky, it's me. Get the hell up here now, we're on the second floor, I'll open the window. We need to get Zoro into the back of the limo now." He orders sharply and hauls the window open. He snaps his phone shut and glances back at Zoro who is slinking his way over to him like some big jungle cat.
"Franky is pulling the limo up, we're going home now okay? So just… wait." Sanji pleads. He wants Zoro to deliberately infer that he's taking him home for sex, that ought to keep him vaguely on board with the plan.
Zoro saunters up behind Sanji and slides his hands onto his hips. Sanji knows that this is serious, Zoro is under the influence and it's not him at all. That if anything turns Sanji completely off. But he's not exactly clean from the drinks either, the gold drink inside of him keeps making him want to relax into the whole thing, to just go with it and the sensitivity makes Zoro's hands feel like magic against his skin.
Zoro is diligently trying to untuck Sanji's shirt when the limo flies up in front of the window. Sanji lunges forward and pulls the door open.
"After you!" He shouts. Zoro grins sexily at him before sliding out the window and into the limo. Cursing under his breath Sanji slams the door after Zoro and jumps for the front passenger door, it's quite a leap but he makes it. He hauls the door open, lands in the seat next to Sanji and quickly presses the button the locks all of the doors. It's none too soon either because Sanji can see in the rear view mirror that Zoro is already trying the door that he came in through.
"How do you put the glass thing up?!" Sanji demands in a panic. Surprised Franky pushes a button, making the glass divider rise. Zoro's eyes widen and he spots this and the green haired man hurls himself up the limo at the window, just hitting it as it shuts.
Zoro opens his mouth and shouts something but Sanji can't make out a word of it.
"It's soundproof?" Sanji blinks in surprise.
"Sometimes you're a little annoying to listen to. I can press this button and we can hear him if you like, what's up with him anyway?" Franky frowns, gesturing at the button on the dash.
"No, no don't!" Sanji pleads.
"Holy- look at his eyes, just how much has he had to drink Sanji?!" Franky exclaims, turning in his seat to look at Zoro. Sanji looks as well, this time Zoro's eyes are definitely redder. His irises are blood red and the whites of his eyes are completely pink with red lines cutting through them.
"Too much. I left him unattended for like, half an hour and he went and did this to himself. I guess I didn't warn him properly, but I told him not to drink. He drank four red drinks!" Sanji sighs and slides low in his seat so that he doesn't have to see Zoro even in the rear-view.
"Shit." Franky agrees and pulls away from the house.
Sanji squeezes his eyes shut and thanks his lucky stars that he got to Zoro before anyone else managed to take advantage of the other man's state. Zoro is going to be so angry in the morning, and rightfully so. He hardly shoved him away, even when he should have realised sooner that something was wrong. Guilt and shame washes over Sanji in a hot uncomfortable wave. He can't hear what Zoro is saying, thank god, but he can hear the other man banging on the glass.
"I guess I shouldn't ask how tonight went then?" Franky says after a few miles.
"Tonight was a mistake, Nezumi is never going to do the right thing and I've gone and screwed things up with Zoro. Hopefully he'll still speak to me in the morning." Sanji whines unhappily.
"I'm sure once he calms down that it'll all be fine." Franky reassures him with a dubious glance in the mirror.
Sanji huffs and turns the radio on as they drive in silence the rest of the way home and tries to think of a plan for what they're going to do when they get Zoro out of the car. When they pull into the garage Sanji has formulated a plan.
"Oh man, look at his eyes now." Franky whistles. Sanji turns to look, Zoro is pressed up against the window staring at Sanji and saying something. His eyes are red from edge to edge with a blood red iris and a huge black pupil, he looks almost demonic. Which is good in a way for Sanji, it makes this easier.
"I'll be right back." Sanji says suddenly and leaps from the car.
"What?! You can't leave him in here!" Franky calls after him.
"I'll be back, I've just got to get something!" Sanji shouts over his shoulder and sprints through the house. He skids into his room and rifles through his bedside cabinet until he finds them. With a triumphant 'yes!' he pulls the handcuffs free of the drawer and holds them up in the light. They're proper ones with a real key and made of solid steel so even Zoro can't break out of them.
He sprints back down to the garage to find Franky standing impatiently by the car, the car is rocking from side to side slightly and Sanji can see even through the tinted windows that Zoro is throwing himself at the door with all his might trying to escape.
"Why… why do you have handcuffs? Actually, I'm not sure that I want to know." Franky winces, spotting them in Sanji's back pocket.
"I've known a few kinky ladies in my time, let's leave it at that. I need to make sure that Zoro doesn't hurt himself or me, do you have a better plan?" Sanji challenges the older man.
"I guess not." Franky shrugs.
Sanji sighs and looks at Zoro through the tinted window, he can just see the outline of Zoro's face staring up at him intently.
"Look… Zoro's probably gonna be embarrassed and angry enough at this when it wears off without having an audience. Maybe you should go." He says, looking over at the other man.
"No way, with him like that who knows what he'll do to you if he gets the chance! I'm staying right here!" Franky says shaking his head sternly.
Sanji looks back down at Zoro. The other man doesn't seem dangerous, just… worryingly enthusiastic. Zoro did stop as soon as Sanji firmly said no before, but who knows how much further gone Zoro is now? Would Zoro try to force himself on Sanji? Some voice in Sanji says that no, he wouldn't. Zoro has spent too much of his life being forced to do things by other people to do that to someone else, he's damn near certain that Zoro won't hurt him.
"I think he'll be fine. Just… stay within shouting distance okay? If there's a problem, I'll yell." Sanji instructs. Franky looks at him dubiously but nods.
"I won't be far." Franky adds as he leaves the room.
Sanji lets out a small calming breath and leans into the front of the still switched on car, he presses the button to lower the windows slightly.
"Sanji! Sanji please let me out, please! I need you!" Zoro shouts through the gap.
Oh boy.
"Zoro, listen to me. I'm going to let you out but you've got to be good okay?" Sanji says as he leans over to the window.
"I'll be good, I'll be so good." Zoro begs, reaching out with his hand through the gap.
"Okay, right. We're going to your room, but you've got to behave yourself on the way there. Keep your hands to yourself or else I'll lock you in there and leave you in there all night on your own." He warns. Zoro's eyes sharpen at that, he clearly doesn't like that idea.
"And if I'm good?" Zoro questions, peering up at Sanji with his incredibly red eyes.
"If you're good… I'll stay in there with you all night." He smiles at Zoro. Now that seems to be an idea that Zoro can get behind. Almost as an offering of peace Zoro pulls his hands back.
Biting his lip warily Sanji opens the door to the car and Zoro steps out, almost calmly in fact. Zoro quickly clears the two steps between them though and kisses Sanji hard enough to leave him breathless.
"Hey!" Sanji snaps, stepping backwards.
"I kept my hands to myself." Zoro grins, gesturing with a jerk of his head to his hands behind his back.
"Smartass, you go first, come on." He insists and steers Zoro out of the garage.
Zoro drops his hands to his sides now and walks ahead of Sanji. The way that his hips move is hypnotic and entirely screams sex, no doubt deliberately. It would probably help Sanji's case if he wasn't staring at Zoro's ass. He pulls his eyes up to see Zoro smirking over his shoulder at Sanji.
"Shut up." He mutters, turning red and shoving Zoro in the right direction as he nearly makes a wrong turn.
Zoro slinks into his room with Sanji close behind him. Zoro turns and smirks sexily at Sanji and very deliberately starts unbuttoning that sexy waistcoat that Sanji was admiring on him so much earlier.
"Hey, stop that." Sanji protests, trying to ignore his libido's whining.
"What, would you rather do it?" Zoro offers, stepping closely to Sanji and outright offering himself up to him.
"No." Sanji says swallowing thickly and shoving down his real response of oh god, yes please!
"Well then." Zoro shrugs stepping back and shedding the waistcoat in a smooth motion. As Zoro unbuttons his shirt Sanji's mouth goes dry, he whines in protest and bites his lip.
"What's your problem curlicue? I'm keeping my hands to myself aren't I?" Zoro says smugly and runs his hands down his now bare chest. Good god, it should be a crime for anyone to have that much bronzed muscle on show, it's going to drive Sanji crazy.
"Take your shoes off and get on the bed." Sanji manages when he finds his voice again.
"Certainly." Zoro purrs and does just what he's told. Sanji squeezes his eyes shut and reminds himself that he's a good person, no matter what it feels like right now.
"Turn over." He orders and steps towards the head of the bed. Zoro does so with an interested look in Sanji's direction. He arches his back temptingly and Sanji has a flash back to watching Zoro this morning, it's as if his fantasy is becoming reality in a way that he really doesn't want.
Sanji pulls the handcuffs from his back pocket and pops them open with the key. Zoro raises a surprised eyebrow at that and pushes himself up on his elbows to watch Sanji curiously.
"Humour me, please?" Sanji pleads, holding out his hand. After a second and a sly smirk from Zoro the other man hands his wrist over. Sanji clips the first handcuff over and locks it, leaving room for movement but not much. Zoro shimmies closer to one of the four bedposts giving Sanji the opportunity to wrap the chain between the cuffs around the post and cuff Zoro's other hand.
"How's that? Not too tight?" Sanji asks with concern.
"It's fine, what do you have in mind?" Zoro asks curiously but clearly interested.
"Now… now I'm going to sit over there and wait until you sober up." Sanji answers, stepping quickly away from Zoro and throwing himself into the chair by the window.
"What?!" Zoro yells. Sanji settles himself into the chair, he's not going to leave Zoro alone. What if the man gets sick or hurts himself cuffed up like that? No, he was (mostly) responsible for getting Zoro into this mess, he had a responsibility to stay with Zoro through this.
"Oh come on!" Zoro shouts, struggling against the handcuffs. But the bed and cuffs are both solid and Zoro can't move enough to get enough strength to break it
"Look," Zoro says relaxing and trying a different tactic, "I know that you're concerned that I'm not myself, and that's very sweet. It's one of the reasons that I like you, but you can't just leave me here. So… come over here and fuck me." Zoro says silkily, but the red eyes that he's looking at Sanji with solidify his resolve to stay right where he is.
Zoro seems to sense that's not working and tries again.
"Or, I could fuck you if you'd prefer. I'm very good, Ace always seemed to think so anyway. Come on Sanji, get over here." Zoro pleads.
Sanji's eyes widen at that. Zoro's slept with someone before? He- wait, no. It wasn't any of Sanji's goddamn business who Zoro has slept with, despite the paperwork he doesn't own the other man or his past.
"No." Sanji answers and settles further into his chair prepared for a long night.
He tries to tune Zoro out as the other man begs for him, as he pleads and offers things that Sanji hadn't even heard of before. He ignores Zoro as he goes from threatening to hurt himself if Sanji doesn't come over (he puts a stop to that when he threatens to gag Zoro so that he can't bite himself), he pleads, he tries to bribe Sanji and he even tries to trick him once. Eventually Zoro works out that wriggling around on the mattress isn't going to do anything to solve his problem either. Whilst the red drink messes around with your sex drive and hormones it also makes it damn near impossible to get off by yourself, the whole idea of it was to be used with a partner.
Sanji settles into a restless half sleep, waking up every few hours to check on Zoro who is now pitifully whining to himself whenever he's awake.
a/n: thank you all for reading so far! I had it pointed out that I'm a little silent as far as authors go! Sorry about that, I really do appreciate all the reviews and I really like hearing feedback and guessing about how the story's going to go. We're going to back to Zoro's POV next week, so I hope you all enjoy!