Title: So Good So Far
Author: AoiTsukikage
Rating: NC-17 overall
Characters/Pairing:Zoro/Sanji, Law/Sanji, eventual Law/Zoro/Sanji
Chapter: 3/?
Word Count: 2923
Summary: Written for a prompt from curlybrow who requested "Sanji confesses his confused love for Zoro, but Zoro refuses him, then Sanji turns to Law for comfort, and when Zoro secretly learns that Sanji and Law are doing it, he becomes really jealous...".
Spoilers: For recent chapters, probably…

Chapter Three

Law was already there by the time he had finished cleaning up after dinner, and as he entered the aquarium he was surprised at how much he was actually looking forward to this. It was still odd, in a way, if only because he'd never really slept with anybody he knew and that he'd have to spend time with after the fact.

The room was semi-dark, the rippling water of the large tanks creating wavy shadows and distorting the light on every surface. It was peaceful, in a strange way, despite the fish zipping around in an eternal search for food. Law looked up at him, golden eyes nearly glowing in the aqua-tinged half-light, and Sanji knew there was nothing to be afraid of.

"How long has it been?" Law asked in a near whisper, his voice dripping sensuality even when he wasn't trying.

"Over two years," Sanji replied honestly, and that seemed like an eternity now.

"We're both out of practice then," Law was regarding him carefully, like a predator observing his prey, and it made a feral heat rise up in Sanji's body.

"I'm sure we'll get the hang of it again," Sanji jammed his hands in his pockets, striding forward with confidence, and he sat down beside Law and glanced sideways at him. "So. What's the plan?"

"Well…" Law removed his hat and ran the fingers of one hand through his hair, fluffing it up a little. "I'm assuming that neither of us will have a great deal of stamina considering how long it's been since either of us had a bedmate, so perhaps we should start things off slowly," he suggested.

"Yeah. Okay," Sanji paused, wondering if there was some sort of etiquette they were supposed to follow, but whatever they did they'd have to be naked so he figured that undressing would be a good start. He undid his tie, leaving it hanging loose around his neck, and flicked open the buttons on his shirt with sure fingers. Law was watching him, quietly observing, and Sanji shrugged the shirt off of his shoulders before placing it gently aside. "Are you gonna return the favor or not?" he asked, quirking a curled eyebrow, and Law chuckled before gripping the hem of his shirt.

"I should warn you that it might not be what you're expecting…"

"Look, if Zoro can be missing an eye and have a giant scar from getting his chest damn near sliced open and I still want him, I don't think I'll be put off by anything," he shivered, because damn, he should have known even then that Zoro would be somebody important to him. The day it had happened, with Mihawk, he'd nearly felt his heart stop when he saw Zoro accept his defeat, and all he remembered was blood and his own voice screaming something about giving up idiotic dreams if it meant being alive.

He hadn't known Zoro from a hole in the head then and yet he'd been worried for him, which was something that almost never happened. Yeah, he was pretty much fucked from the get-go.

"I'm not talking about a scar," Law murmured, but he stripped off his shirt regardless and dropped it over his hat, looking at Sanji as if to gauge his reaction.

"Woah," Sanji blinked, because yes, it was hard not to notice Law's tattoos on his hands and arms, but he'd had no idea nearly his entire upper body was inked. The abundance of hearts might well have looked silly on anyone else, but somehow between the almost tribal style of all of them, the perfect symmetry on both sides of his body, and the fact that it was such a contrast to his personality, they suited him perfectly.

Law kept staring at him as if waiting for some larger reaction and Sanji reached out before he could stop himself, fingers tracing the swirls of ink running over Law's collarbones. He didn't say anything, not sure if he wanted to break the stillness of the moment, and instead swept one hand up Law's neck to cradle his jaw, leaning in to kiss him.

Law's hands settled on his hips after a few long moments, his body relaxing a little, and Sanji was really fucking glad he'd agreed to the whole kissing thing because this was just…nice.

Sanji slid his free hand into Law's hair, tugging a little, and Law growled and nipped at his lips, something unintentionally playful about it that didn't seem in his nature at all. The blond opened his mouth obligingly, moaning when their tongues brushed together. He wrapped his arms around Law's shoulders, pulling him closer, and when they broke apart they were both panting.

"Holy shit," Sanji mumbled, looking up at Law. The older man's face was impossible to read but there was a tightness around his eyes that Sanji found confusing. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Law shook his head and Sanji frowned but didn't press the issue. He was still curious, of course, because it was only natural to be, but he told himself that he had to accept that Law might well never tell him anything about his past or his true feelings and he had to be okay with that.

"You can tell me," he murmured, because it seemed rude not to, tilting Law's face up and resting their foreheads together.

"Suffice to say that I have…self-worth issues and the…idea of feeling any sort of pleasure or happiness is often overridden with guilt," he said in a low voice and Sanji kissed him in response because fuck, what was he supposed to say to that?

In all honesty he knew what Law was feeling because it hit a little too close to home, but it wasn't especially something he wanted to dwell on right at the moment.

"Don't think about it," he mumbled, throwing one leg over Law's body so that he was straddling him. He ground down against the man underneath him, Law making a tiny surprised noise into his mouth, but he gripped Sanji's hips firmly to keep him in place. "Are we…I mean, is this…"

"I don't know about you, Mr. Blackleg, but I had assumed neither of us would be wearing clothes during our…activities," Law murmured, all easy confidence and bravado again, and Sanji stored away that brief moment of earlier vulnerability in his memory because it was doing wonders to humanize Law in his eyes.

"Yeah?" Sanji stood up, telling himself there was nothing to be embarrassed about as he undid his slacks and dropped them, trying not to be self-conscious when he bent to pick them up and place them beside his discarded shirt.

Law's expression hadn't changed but his eyes flicked down noticeably, a smirk on his lips as he lifted his hips enough to slide his jeans off. Sanji tried not to stare, but it was hard not to be curious and a quick glance showed him that he was definitely going to enjoy this.

"Well?" Law leaned back against the sofa, looking a little unsure when Sanji didn't move right away, but the blond shook his head and stepped closer, climbing on top of Law again.

"I've never…I mean, I've never had a steady lover," Sanji said quietly. "It's always been one-night stands."

"We have something in common, then," Law grabbed his hips again, pulling him down, and Sanji whimpered when their cocks brushed against each other. "So there's no need to be nervous."

"Right."

Law shifted so that he was lying back more fully, pulling Sanji on top of him. "I'm going to trust you know where to go from here," he murmured.

Sanji did, of course, and he saw no reason to draw this out any longer, so he braced his hands on Law's shoulders and started to move.

000

It was easier than he'd anticipated. Once the initial awkwardness had worn off and he'd been sufficiently aroused to lose any lingering insecurities he might have had, his body had slotted into a rhythm quickly.

It had been fast and messy and he was pretty sure he was making a good variety of embarrassing noises, and he felt good, although it was impossible to tell if Law had been having similar thoughts. He'd been silent the entire time, biting his lip between kisses like he was deep in thought, and the only signs Sanji'd gotten that was even coming at all were his fingers tightening on the cook's hips and his eyes sliding closed for a few seconds.

He came down slowly, trying to savor the high as long as he could. The aquarium was cold, the air making him shiver as it hit his sweat-slick skin, and he curled his body toward Law's instinctively in an attempt to soak up a little more warmth.

He knew he had to move, because he was almost completely sure that cuddling wasn't part of their deal. He forced himself upright and looked down at Law, who regarded him impassively.

"Um. Thanks," Sanji muttered, feeling awkward again, and Law shrugged one shoulder but didn't say anything. "Just…wait a few minutes before you follow me out, okay? I don't want it to be too obvious what we've been up to," he laughs softly but when Law didn't seem amused it trailed off quickly. Clearing his throat, he climbed off of Law, grimacing at the sticky mess on his stomach. He walked over to the bar area of the aquarium, grabbing a towel and telling himself he'd wash it later as he wiped himself clean.

Law didn't make any noise the entire time he was getting himself presentable again and by the time he was mostly dressed, barefoot and with his tie just hanging loosely around his neck, the older man still seemingly hadn't moved.

"So," Sanji cleared his throat awkwardly, the words finally startling Law into motion as he sat up and glanced at Sanji. "That was…"

"I'm glad it was satisfactory for you," Law replied curtly, no trace of warmth in his voice, and Sanji knew that the almost human side to himself he'd shown earlier was once again deeply buried. It didn't pay to press him right now but Sanji had to admit it stung a little that Law didn't even seem affected at all by what had happened.

"Yeah. Good," Sanji pulled out a cigarette and turned to leave, hearing Law shift behind him. He turned on instinct but Law seemed to not notice, staring forward with a blank expression that was honestly a little frightening.

Sanji had no idea what it was about, but he was pretty sure it was none of his business.

It's not like Law would have talked to him anyway.

000

He wasn't quite sure why his post-coital musings had led him to grab a bottle of fairly excellent sake and make his way up to the crow's nest, but there he was, and it wouldn't pay to turn back now.

Zoro, to his surprise, was wide awake and staring out at the calm sea. His weights were beside him, set down for the moment, and he looked calm and thoughtful.

"Thought you were gonna be busy doing something important all night," Zoro grunted without even turning to look at him, and Sanji would have been surprised had he not known how good Zoro's senses were.

"Yeah, well, it didn't take as long as I thought it would," Sanji covered, rather smoothly if he had to say so himself, and Zoro turned to look at him and grunted. Sanji knew he looked a mess, hair tousled and clothing wrinkled despite his best efforts. He hoped the cigarette he still had in his mouth would cover the smell of sex that he was sure was still clinging to him, but since Zoro didn't look put-off he guessed he was in the clear.

Or else Zoro would just assume he was jerking off in the bathroom or something, which was still preferable to giving everything away on the first night.

"Here," he shoved the bottle over and Zoro took a swig, his eye narrowed suspiciously. "What?"

"You're being nice. And you look like hell. What happened?" he didn't sound particularly concerned, but the words were still nice to hear.

"Nothing. I haven't slept yet and I don't think I'll be able to," he decided that was enough of the truth to appease Zoro and thankfully the swordsman let it go.

Movement from below caught his eye and he looked down through the windows, seeing Law stalk across the deck with his shoulders hunched and that damn sword once again held high over his shoulder.

"What d'you think of him?" Zoro questioned, seemingly not putting it together that Sanji and Law had come from the same place.

"Luffy trusts him," Sanji said slowly, taking the bottle back and drinking a bit.

"Yeah, well, that's not saying much," Zoro mumbled, Sanji having to snicker at the truth in that statement. "I don't think he's gonna try anything funny, though."

"Nah, he wouldn't get away with it. Not with all of us on board," Sanji agreed, passing the bottle back and watching Zoro down about half of it in one long swallow. "Besides, he needs our help, and I doubt he's gonna find somebody as willing to give it as Luffy anywhere else around here."

"Yeah, true enough," Zoro set the bottle between them, looking at it for a few moments. It was strange, having this easy camaraderie with Zoro, but for once they weren't fighting or angry at each other for anything. He supposed it was proof that they actually could get along should the situation call for it, but Zoro was behaving a lot more normally around him than he had earlier in the day and Sanji was grateful for it.

They were quiet for a while then, a comfortable silence that seemed to suit the still night and had Sanji fighting back a yawn after a few minutes.

"I'm okay with it, you know?' Zoro said out of nowhere, and Sanji blinked at him.

"What?"

"You…liking me. Yeah, I've had to think about it a lot over the past day…"

"That must have been hard for you," Sanji couldn't resist, but instead of getting angry Zoro merely snorted and elbowed him in the side. "Continue."

"You've liked me for a long time, right?" Zoro asked, utterly serious.

"Yeah. I mean, for most of it I didn't know if that was what it was, but…yeah," he nodded and Zoro shrugged.

"So…if you've liked me for a long time, and I never noticed until you told me, obviously I didn't have a problem with it. You've never done anything to cross the line with me, and I might not like you all the time, Cook, but I trust you, and I trust you're not gonna do anything unless I agree to it," he jabbed a finger at Sanji's chest although the words were hardly a threat, and Sanji was inwardly surprised at how quickly he'd come around.

But then, Zoro was a very practical man, and the explanation he'd given made perfect sense considering how his thought processes worked. Sanji himself would probably have been going back and forth for days had their positions been reversed, and he supposed he should be thankful that Zoro had seemingly processed everything and deemed it inconsequential so quickly.

"I still hate you most of the time, though," he felt he should add, mostly for good measure, and Zoro grinned at him in a rather predatory way.

"Bullshit."

"I'll still kick your face in."

"Try it, shit-cook," Zoro replied, a gleam in his eye that told Sanji more than anything that he was just taking the piss, and Sanji rolled his eyes and yawned, feeling the events of the night catching up to him. "Get some sleep. I'm not gonna explain to Luffy tomorrow that you were too tired to make breakfast because you were up here all night."

Sanji nodded and stood, stretching his arms above his head and heading for the exit. "Yeah. G'night, Marimo."

"Thanks for the sake," Zoro called, Sanji waving his hand in acknowledgment as he made his way back down to the main deck.

He passed Law on his way to the men's cabin, the surgeon leaning against the mast in his customary spot with his head bowed and his hat covering his eyes. Sanji wondered if he was even awake, but he glanced up at the sound of Sanji's feet shuffling over the grass.

They stared at each other for a while, neither saying anything, before Law dropped his chin to his chest and promptly ignored Sanji.

The cook breathed out slowly, entering the cabin as quietly as he could and flopping back on his bunk without any expectation he'd actually get some rest.

The whole point of the plan was to get closer to Law, at least in theory, and start subtly pulling away from Zoro. Instead Law was acting like he didn't exist and that the sex was a chore, and spending time with Zoro was actually calming him down even if the chances of Zoro being more than a crewmate to him were still non-existent at the moment.

It was all kinds of fucked up, and he wondered why he'd even thought it was a good idea in the first place.

Because if all it resulted in was sleepless nights, rather unsatisfying sex, and Zoro still not returning his feelings…it obviously wasn't.

Notes:

1. I don't have a whole lot to say here other than a general thank you for the continued support for this fic! I'm still amazed at how many people are interested in it and I hope it continues to live up to expectations :)

2. I know this update is pretty fast but I was inspired, so don't expect updates to always be this quick although I'll try my best to keep them steady.

3. As always, feel free to leave a review/comment if you feel so inclined!