Man these chapters are difficult to write! Anyone enjoying Split, I warn you now I don't think it will be regularly updated. But thanks for reading so far, and enjoy this next part!


Chapter 2

The Sunny apartments did not look as if they were as cheery as their name suggested. A towering structure; the building contained 8 spacious apartments, which were all for some reason numbered in the thousands. The crumbling brickwork and moss covered walls lead to the assumption it was growing too old for inhabitation but its residents knew otherwise, henceforth why it was one of the most popular blocks in the city.

Zoro didn't care about any of that. All that mattered to him it was home, and it was where he could be with Sanji.

It was long into the night before the pair made it home from Robin and Franky's party; helping a drunken Luffy drag a passed out Ace to their apartment on the first floor before they continued to their own on the third. Wordlessly, Sanji opened up the door to their home and quickly stumbled in to collapse on the sofa. Zoro closed the door quietly before sitting softly next to his partner.

"You've drunk too much, if you're falling asleep out here."

The green haired man brushed hair out of Sanji's eyes as he murmured to him, and the laying man rested his head in Zoro's lap.

"M'not, I'm just a little tired is'all. It was a fun night"

"Course." Sanji lifted his weary head to level Zoro with a glare.

"Shut up. Not all o'us can drink like you."

"Luffy tried, until he went and got Nami mad with all that mess. Robin'll never forgive him if that book's ruined."

They knew that Robin would forgive him, she's like that and everyone forgives Luffy because it's impossible not to. But her best friend is pretty loyal and Nami would give you hell if the polite woman's upset. Zoro shuddered at the thought of the irate ginger girl. Sanji shifted underneath his hand, as he moved to sit up.

"You got work tomorrow?"

Sanji groaned

"Old man'll let me get there for ten 'fore he goes shit."

Zoro nodded, shifting and helped his lover up before heading to the bedroom

"I'll wake you."

"Che, cause you always get up early, idiot Marimo."

The blond scoffed as he followed slowly, taking example from Zoro as soon as he got into their room and undressing quickly. Meticulously smart suits were neglected on the floor, in favour of flopping on the bed and curling up just his boxers. When the heavy weight of his larger partner settled next to him, he instinctively moved towards the warmth, pressing himself against the chiseled chest as Zoro's arm drew him closer.

"I can try and get up early, if you want."

"Don't worry about it Zoro. You've set the alarm for me right?"

"Hm"

Sanji smiled against the neck he was leaning against and kissed it.

"Thanks. I'll make you some breakfast before I go."

He felt Zoro shift and tilted his head, and Zoro kissed the corner of his mouth sloppily before yawning.

"Night."

Sanji smiled and cuddled back into his lover, and the couple both fell into peaceful sleep.

--

Sunlight shone through the curtain, softly illuminating the room as Zoro woke. The gentle scent of fresh pancakes wafted in from the kitchen, as well as a banging sound of pans being put away in a prefect example of domesticity. Zoro rolled over as he fought against the desire to keep sleeping, throwing the sheets over his head in a fairly successful attempt to keep in the warmth from the outdoor autumn chill.

The banging continued. The cook didn't usually make that much noise. Blearily peering at the clock, Zoro noted the early morning hour of 10:30. Sanji would've gone to work by now surely? Ears tuned to the thudding. It was a much more organic sound than metal? Wood? And what was that whine?

"Zoroooooooo let us in. I'm hunngryyyyyyy"

It clicked in place like the thought did every other day, when the insatiable brothers would hunt at his doorstep for food. The half awake man could almost hear the pout through the begging. Working on autopilot, Zoro hauled himself out of bed and shuffled to the door. He opened it and moved wordlessly back towards the kitchen, where two greedy brothers already zoomed past him and sat consuming his breakfast as if they had not eaten in days.

"Those are for me you know."

Luffy grinned impossibly around his food, not at all sounding bothered.

"Sorry Zoro! But we always come here for breakfast!"

"Don't mope, there's no way you'd eat this much yourself."

The green haired man set a glass of juice next to his food, glaring at Ace and mumbled.

"You could've been more patient, I was sleeping."

"You're always sleeping, it's ten thirty! Maybe you shouldn't stay up so late at the party."

"Maybe I wouldn't have to if I didn't have to haul you sleeping ass back home for you."

Ace grinned devilishly

"At least my sleeping left me awake enough to for Sanji to invite me here for breakfast before he left for work. He told me to tell you to take his suit to the cleaners, by the way."

Realizing he was beat, Zoro had no answer, so got involved with consuming as much breakfast as possible before Luffy tried to steal it all.

This morning routine had been happening ever since Sanji moved in with him. In many ways, his morning meetings with the brothers D had been occurring since he was twelve. Zoro could still remember the first time he met them.

He had not long moved from Japan; forced to uproot to the only remaining family he had after the accident that killed his parents. The Dojo that Uncle Koshiro set up became his new home, and he was thrust into a new culture and language before he had chance to blink. The grief and shock left him a withdrawn, yet Luffy was obsessed from the start when he ran into Zoro during school. Zoro's nine year old self was not happy with the exuberant shadow, but Luffy was relentless in his belief they should be friends. It took weeks of ignoring for Luffy to leave him alone, but then his cousin Kuina took him with her to a friend's house. Her friend turned out to be Ace, and turning up at their house pretty much led Luffy to assume he now wanted to be best friends. They fought that night, he gave Luffy a black eye and Luffy gave him a split lip. But they remained best friends since that day.

Then, after three years of being friends with Luffy and Ace and doing well with his new life, Kuina broke down before him, changed their whole relationship and then went and fell down the stairs and screwed everything up again.

It was just before high school, and Zoro spent the first year there ignoring everyone, too enveloped in his own grief. This led to the initial rumors that plagued him throughout his school life, though at the time it helped to get people to avoid him. Luffy roused him out of depression, with his impossible optimism when he arrived in school a year later. He brought some much needed sunlight into his world, but the damage for the other children was already done. When Luffy was around Kuina was less of an obsession, just a reason to be the best rather than a reason to live.

And then thanks to Luffy he gained new friends, Chopper after Luffy saved him from a fight when they were sixteen, Usopp who was in Luffy's class, and Nami through Luffy's childhood and Usopp's friend Kaya. These ties gave him Robin, Franky and Brooke, and of course his Sanji. His new family, people he couldn't be without.

But ever since high school began, ever since he lost Kuina, mornings have at some point been spent with Ace and Luffy. When he moved into their apartment block when he was sixteen, they started their weird breakfast routine. Now Sanji lived with him they would all sit and each what the chef had left for them. And despite his grumbling, Zoro wouldn't have it any other way.

"Zoro? Zoro!"

His younger friend's shouts broke him out of reminiscence.

"Huh, what'd you say Luffy?"

"You gonna come with us to the amusement park today? Ussop's got a day off and Brooke isn't working 'til tonight so we're gonna go on the rides!"

"I need to train. Besides, I promised some kids at the Dojo I'd help them prepare for a tournament."

Luffy visibly deflated at the news, wanting to spend some time with his best friend. Yet even he knew not to interfere with Zoro's training, it was the only thing that he would do religiously.

"Fine. When is Sanji back for dinner?"

"I dunno, he didn't say."

Ace lifted his face, cheeks full of pancake, and swallowed thickly before answering.

"He told me he should be home about eight. And Zoro, he wanted you to get some pork loin for dinner."

"Anything else he wanted, messenger?" Zoro smirked. Ace hummed in thought.

"Don't think so. You'd just forget anyways so it wouldn't matter. I've gotta go to work, I'll see you later!"

Ace cleared his plate in one bite and dashed out the house to work. No one really knew what he did, and he had enough charisma for no one to really ask. Luffy was supposed to work at Makino's, a bar belonging to a entrepreneurial family friend of Luffy's who also owned their apartments. He and Ace acted as landlords of the blocks in her stead, though all knew better than asking them for help with anything. Sanji strongly suspected Makino preferred paying Luffy not to turn up for work. Seeing the mess the kid could make, Zoro tended to agree. Luffy sat rocking in his seat, looking around for more pancakes and picking his nose.

"When are you meeting Ussop then, Luffy?"

"Mnaaaa, he said he's gonna take Kaya to the hospital at lunchtime, so he'll meet me at Shakky's then."

"Shakkys? Isn't that a bit rough for lunch?"

It was too rough, it was where Zoro liked to go when he was looking for a fight.

"We were gonna try and find Cammie, she likes the rides."

Zoro nodded in understanding as he cleared up the plates. The barmaid was unusually sweet for such a dangerous dive of a bar, but the barman come cook Hachi had an eye for her, so looked out for her pretty good.

"Well you can come with me to the market then, you'll be the one eating the pork after all. I've got a few things to do"

Luffy whooped in joy at the chance to hang out with Zoro, running downstairs to get ready and leaving Zoro to do the same. He scratched his head, yawned loudly and meandered back into the bedroom to begin another day.

--

" Table ten and twelve, Order Up!"

"We're out of Salmon!"

"Oi, Patty, careful with those Sirlon, it's meant to be Blue!"

"Hey, Waiter! We said Order Up!"

Teeth ground around an unlit cigarette as Sanji entered the bustling kitchen. It was at the height of the brunch service, and he was in no mood for names.

"I'm not a fucking waiter shitheads! And I'm going as quick as I can!"

From his station in the centre of the kitchen, restaurant owner Zeff snorted at the tall blond.

"With three waiters off with the flu and two handing in their notice this morning, yes, you are a waiter until you remember to turn up to work on time and not hungover, shitty eggplant. And take that cigarette out your mouth before it annoys the customers."

Sanji added the plates to his overladen hands indignantly, swore at the head chef and strode back out the kitchen with astounding poise for one carrying so many expensive dishes.

"Fine! But I'm going in the kitchen for the dinner service Old Man, try and stop me!"

Sanji cursed every name under the sun for his current predicament, but mainly Zoro, Ace and Franky for plying him with so much booze at the party last night. He'd make the Marimo pay when he got home.

The din of the kitchen was silenced by the heavy swinging doors and the gentle background music. Putting on his best polite waiter's face, Sanji grinned at the head Barman Gin as he passed on his way to the tables to finish up service. Gin smiled right back, drying glasses from the non alcoholic drinks he had been making.

"This seems to be the last tables, Sanji-san."

His gravely voice muttered above the jazz, and Sanji nodded.

"Just make sure the others are getting their bills so we can clear them out. Go tell the kitchen we're done for today."

The dark haired man nodded and headed back towards the door that was still swaying slightly from the waiter's exit.

"You read the paper's yet?" Gin anxious tone about their review was well veiled, but Sanji still nervously chewed his cigarette.

"No. I'm trying to avoid it. No-one brought it up?"

The dark haired head shook as it moved back towards the kitchen, so Sanji ignored his own pounding head and thoughts about the article, and instead bowed graciously to the ladies on table twelve and thanked God it was almost time for a break. He needed to light this cigarette.

Though he longed for the break and constantly moaned about the long hours, this life was one Sanji had lived for years, and couldn't see how it could get any better. The Baratie was opened by Zeff when Sanji was twelve, after six years of living hand to mouth in the States, helping Zeff earn eough to own his slice of the American dream. Childhood before this was spent watching his father bust his gut in shitty kitchen after shitty kitchen, earning enough to start up his own. There were times he wished he was back in France with his mother, but one look at Zeff's exultant face after talking about a happy customer made it all worth while. When they finally bought it and moved in, the Baratie became everything they strived for.

He had been living in and around the restaurant for most of his life. He watched it struggle and grow in the early years and helped promote it to customers, he helped in the kitchens and and bled for it by working too hard before he should legally be doing any work. This resulted in him becoming a fully fledged member of staff at 17, and now the Sous-Chef just three years later. Though there was still school and friends and women that all passed in that time, growing up all Sanji longed for more than anything else was the ingredient in his hand and warmth of a heating stove.

Though then he met Luffy, and things kinda got muddled. He met him through his neighbor Ussop, who went to the same school as the boy, when he learnt Luffy and is glorious Nami-swan had been friends for years they grew even closer. Of course it was this that led him to Zoro, though neither could really understand exactly how that happened.

Not that he cared how; all Sanji knew is that this was his life, and he loved it.

As the last of the brunch shift's guests were ushered out, Sanji briskly walked out towards the fire exit of the restaurant; pulling out his lighter and setting aflame the now chewed cigarette, filling his lungs with much needed nicotine.

"Um, excuse me; are you the owner of the restaurant?"

Looking up from the puddle he was staring into, Sanji almost faltered at the perfectly tousled hair, smart clothes and sharp heels of the woman before him. Ruby red lips curved into a smile as she continued.

"Or maybe you are one of the chefs; I was hoping you could help me."

Sanji's sanity took leave for a second at one glimpse of the woman's hips.

"Melloriine!!! I would do whatever it takes to help you, beauty!"

The woman smiled sweetly.

"So what is it you do here?"

"I am Sanji, sous chef of the Baratie."

"Nice to meet you Sanji, my name is Paula, I work for a production company. We read your review in the paper?"

The tone was sweet, but business and no nonsense. Sanji exhaled his cigarette smoke and retorted dryly.

"Well at least one of us has."

"You mean you haven't yet? The paper's been out all morning."

Sanji waved off the surprised expression, smiling softly.

"I'm saving it for later. So what is the production company about?"

"We make a cookery show, Morning Menu? You may have heard of it?"

He had heard of it, it was part of Sanji's Sunday morning ritual to sit and watch it while Zoro was up training. The show, as well as showing some of the most famous chefs around cooking, showcased some up and coming cooking talent. He had always dreamed of being on the show. Paula continued.

"We were hoping to try some of the cuisine we've heard so much about and see if we can get someone from the Baratie on the show. Would you be able to ask the head chef to make me a meal?"

His cigarette arched across the alley as he flicked the butt away, and he smiled at Paula oozing confidence.

"The head chef wouldn't be interested in being on television miss, but if you came back for the lunch menu I will serve you the greatest meal you ever tasted. Just go to the bar and speak to Gin; he'll help you out."

Paula's lips widened into a larger smile and she nodded. With a kiss and a wave, Sanji sauntered inside to prepare for his next big break.

--

It was dark when Sanji trudged back up the stairs to his apartment. The restaurant was busier than it had been in weeks that day; no doubt thanks to the review, but it left the blond drained from having to work so hard.

The familiar jangle of his keys clicking the lock was like music to his ears, and he eased the door open the place he had dreamt of all morning.

"Oi, Marimo? Where are you bastard, I need to kick your ass."

Sanji called out to the open plan living area. He headed towards the hallway to the bedrooms and bathroom on the right, but a familiar mass of green hair caught his eye. Zoro was lying flat out on the mats in the training area, still dressed for training and sticky with sweat, but was so deep in sleep he was dead to the world. On the coffee table by the couch Sanji could see a paper, fresh and unopened, along with a new pack of cigarettes and a cup of coffee, now long cold.

Sanji snorted affectionately at his sleeping partner as he went to the kitchen and warmed up his coffee on the stove. Walking past the table, he picked up the paper and the cigarettes and leaned against the wall on the mats. Lighting the new cigarette, Sanji used his foot to nudge the sleeping man next to him awake.

"Huh, wa?"

"Shouldn't be sleeping here, shitty Marimo. Did you train too hard again?"

Zoro sat up, joints popping as he stretched towards the sky.

"No. Just got tired after reps; the mats are comfy."

Sanji moved his mug so Zoro could sit next to him, which he did; reading over Sanji's shoulder at the now open paper on his lap.

"You read it yet?"

"No, but plenty had. We were busier than we had been for months."

Zoro lips brushed against Sanji's neck as they sat there, the green haired man waiting for the cook to search for the article. A deep exhale of smoke punctuated it.

"Here it is."

"Hn, that's a good picture. You let them in the kitchen."

"Briefly. They wanted to see what we it was like."

"…They like Gin's drinks."

"Everyone likes Gin's drinks"

"Che"

Sanji smirked, shrugging the shoulder which on which Zoro's head rested.

"Well, everyone except you, shitty green hair."

Zoro glowered at the thought of the brooding barman, and his closeness to the blond. He didn't like it one bit. Sanji chuckled.

"Oh, here we are…"

"…They mention you and Zeff?"

"Yea, history, father and son establishment, I don't remember telling them about France…"

"They say the food's good…"

Sanji's eyes trailed after Zoro's, finished the article slowly as he poured over each word. Zoro, slightly less interested so long as his partner was happy, resorted back to watching the cook read. Minutes later, Sanji closed the paper and took a deep sip of Coffee.

"Well they were good right? They make the restaurant pretty good."

"Hm…."

"They say the food's great."

"Yea…"

"They said lots of good things about you."

"…"

Zoro's brow furrowed, perpetually confused at his partner's behavior. He sat up and peered at Sanji's face.

"Oi, Cook. Everything okay?"

Sanji stood quickly, brushing down his slacks and putting the paper and cup away. Still bemused, Zoro stood by the coffee table watching him.

"Sanji?"

"Shut the hell up Zoro, I'm in a good mood. Just come to bed and fuck me already."

Gobsmacked at the unusual forwardness, all Zoro could do was grin wolfishly and follow.

-.-.-


I really want to highlight what life is like in their lives normally. It's difficult though, and even writing so much I'm nowhere near capturing it.

But I do enjoy this chapter strangley, despite nothing happening for 4000 words. Please review, and tell me what you think it really helps!

Thanks for Reading! - Pamplemoose