This has been a weird chapter to write...it was difficult but at the same time really easy. How does that even make sense? lol! Anyway...Here's chapter 7! It's hardly the most action packed but I kinda like it nonetheless...


Chapter 7

The kitchen was bustling as always, mid morning on a Thursday, with the small amount of brunch diners waiting for their dinner whilst also preparing for the lunchtime shift. The cooks were dashing around revelling in the bustle, dicing and grilling and mixing, all the while avoiding a very awkward space in the corner of the kitchen.

It had been 3am when Sanji knocked on Zeff's door, empty-handed apart from the coat on his back, drenched and tired and lost. He hadn't spoken to his father once since he stepped into the house, though Zeff didn't need to be a genius to figure a few things about what might've happened. After all, the master chef had seen Zoro storm out of the bar last night, and Sanji running behind shortly afterwards. He saw the pained expression on his son's face as he stood in the doorstep, and resigned himself to kick the swordsman's ass as soon as he had a chance.

Zeff scowled and continued to prepare the truffles he was dicing, cursing the unfortunate circumstances making him loose focus from the expensive ingredients. Looking up, he did the only think he knew to shop affection to his son: he shouted at him.

"Oi, eggplant! Is the soup finished or are you just standing there and wasting space in a corner of my kitchen with your shitty mood swings?"

Sanji didn't answer, just kept stirring the large pan of soup that was on the stove. Bristling at the lack of response, Zeff stormed over and pushed the unresponsive body to the side. Sanji stumbled into the wall, ignored as his father checked the soup.

"You're lucky, shitty eggplant, just a few minutes more and this would be ruined."

Zeff immediately began serving the dish, looking at Sanji from the corner of his eye. His son had the same look in his eyes that he had when he arrived last night; a dull, empty gaze. Sighing inwardly, Zeff desperately wanted to think of something to say to his son. He knew much of the world, of love and of life, even if his brat of an offspring thought he was nothing but a shitty old geezer, and he needed to help Sanji get over whatever had happened. But he needed to know what had happened before he could do that.

"Eggplant...what did that shitty swordsman do to you?"

A flash of recognition filtered through his eyes, and Sanji risked a shocked glance at his father, and cigarette-free lips mouthed two syllables before Sanji's gaze fell to the floor again.

"Zoro..."

"Sanji-kun?"

A light voice, far too light to be any of the swill he employed in his kitchen, filtered from the doorway. Zeff turned to see a familiar redheaded face, dripping from the rain outside, watching the pair and looking almost as lost as the blonde did.

The peg leg tapped as he moved to greet the young woman. Nami smiled at him, though he noticed it didn't reach her eyes.

"Morning Zeff." He nodded politely

"Miss Bellemere. Can you explain what has happened to that shitty son of mine?"

Nami looked startled, almost dropping the suitcase she was carrying. The suitcase, he noted, that looked an awful lot like...

"He hasn't said anything to you?"

"Not a word, since he turned up at my door at some godforsaken hour. And the last thing I need to deal with is an overemotional son, I've got 3 waiters off sick today thanks to the rain and Gin's not shown either...What the fuck happened?"

The redhead sighed, shaking her wet hair.

"I don't know for sure, but I'm here to find out. Is it okay if I take Sanji out of the kitchen for a while?"

Zeff nodded

"Be my guest, he's no good to me like this."

--

Through the dull buzzing that ran through his mind, an angelic voice was gently calling, coaxing Sanji out of the fog. He searched for the voice.

"...un? I thought you might be at the TV station..."

The fog cleared slightly, and the cook recognised the voice as his glorious flame haired angel's.

"Nami-swan? Filming finished last week...What're you doing here?"

"I came to see you of course, idiot."

Shaking his head clear of the daze – it wouldn't do not to be proper for a lady after all – Sanji noticed for the first time how Nami's trench coat dripped with rain.

"Nami-swan, you're all wet! Can I get you something to warm you up? A nice drink perhaps?"

"...Yes, yes, that'd be great. Let's go to the bar, ne?"

It perturbed Nami that Sanji smiled at her, graciously as always, but not as enthusiastically as normal. Sanji was definitely acting strange, strangest of all was that he was at work like normal, and hadn't mentioned Zoro at all. She sat on a barstool in the corner, away from the last of the brunch diners, and watched Sanji disappear behind the bar and fix her a spiced coffee concoction that was absolutely delicious.

"Mmm, that's brilliant Sanji-kun, thank you." She smiled at him, and he leaned forward against the bar and smiled wryly back. Clearing her throat nervously, Nami braced herself and dove straight to the point.

"Sanji-kun, what happened last night?"

The cook's smile faltered, his eyes darting to the floor in a bid to avoid questioning. Unfortunately for him, there were few less persistent than his red-headed friend.

"...I had a phone call from Ace, Zoro hasn't moved from his bed, not even Luffy can get him to talk, and we all saw you two bickering last night..." her hand covered his in gentle support, and the gentleness of the action made the blonde jump "...and then he brought me some of your things..."

For this first time, Sanji noticed the suitcase at Nami's feet. The one he bought when he and Zoro went on a trip to Japan to visit his hometown. Memories rushed through his mind the same time reality hit him and his feet almost buckled. He heard his voice tremble as he spoke.

"We broke up."

Nami's mug clattered against the counter as she put it down hastily, her hand clasping tightly over his as she choked out.

"Wha...how?"

Sanji sighed shakily, running his free hand through his hair.

"We had an argument, last night. A fucking big one. I fucked up...really fucked up. We both said a bunch of stupid things and Zoro told me to leave."

"Oh Sanji-kun..."

His hand slipped through Nami's now limp grasp, fumbling for a cigarette to calm himself with. He could see Nami watching him with sympathy and he just wasn't quite ready for that yet, not prepared for kind words that could crumble his facade. The numbness that shock brought on was creeping back, and Sanji leaned heavily against the bar to brace himself as he confessed his mistakes.

"I kissed Gin."

Nami froze mid-sip of coffee, gaping at the cook in shock. He shook his head.

"It was a drunken mistake, but it happened nonetheless. Zoro saw, and that's what we fought about. Well, initially at least."

"What else did you fight about?"

"Anything. Everything. I don't know, Nami-swan, as soon as we started a lot just seemed to...leech out. We'd both been bottling things up for a while, it seems."

"I didn't realise the pair of you were having problems."

"Neither did we; not serious problems at least. But, well I'm sure you know how we can both overreact now and again and there were a few things he'd been doing recently that had been pissing me off..."

"And Zoro?"

"...I don't know. He had every reason to hate me recently, especially after that, but if it was the anger, or the drink talking? I've no idea. I didn't want to stay long enough to find out."

"Didn't want to stay?" The blonde swallowed thickly as he answered.

"He told me to leave, during the fight. Saying he couldn't take it anymore. If I'd stayed, maybe we would've been able to sort something out. But we were both pretty damn pissed by that point so I thought it best to leave before we ended up killing each other." He chuckled darkly. "Somehow I ended up at the shitty old man's, don't know why..."

Nami knew. "I guess you wanted something you knew. The Baratie was your home long before the apartment was."

Sanji's head dropped into his hands, not being able to concentrate on Nami as the night and the conversation catching up with him. He replayed the previous night and the fight in his head. Zoro broke up with him, how was that possible? As much as they rarely said it, they loved each other; he couldn't ever imagine life without him. He just didn't know what to do anymore. In the course of a few hours, his world had been shaken up, and the routine life he'd been living for the past year has suddenly vanished. Sanji felt himself crumbling from the inside out.

"Nami-swan...what do I do?"

A warm arm wrapped around him before he could blink, and the soft perfume of Mikan surrounded him as Nami hugged him. She withdrew and sat back down, mournfully smiling.

"I don't know Sanji-kun; you've kinda fucked things up."

He groaned.

"Nami-swan is so wonderfully blunt." She smirked wryly.

"I know. And I hate to say it Sanji-kun, because I'm sure you were both at fault in the argument, and you both had things that were frustrating you about the other, but from what you're telling me you fucked up by being an idiot with Gin. And if you want to fix things with Zoro you need to suck it up and apologise for being a moron."

When Sanji didn't answer Nami continued. She loved her nakama dearly, but she also knew that most of them were largely moronic. So with a twist in her heart from Sanji's hangdog expression, she relentlessly drove her point home.

"We've been friends since high school, and there is nothing I want more for you Sanji-kun than for you to be happy. But we can't help you with this, you need to sort out what it is you want...So the big question is what is it you want Sanji?"

The clutter of the restaurant filled their pregnant pause, Sanji's mind reverting back to glazing over to avoid painful thoughts, and Nami not wanting to talk in the hope that the cook will. Eventually, Sanji picked up her empty coffee cup and tilted his head politely towards the redhead.

"We'll have to discuss this again Nami-swan; I've got some scallops to prepare before the rush. It was a delight to see you though, maybe we can meet up tomorrow? I was thinking of calling on Usopp and Kaya-chwan, making them some of those recipes they brought me from abroad...." Sanji began fidgeting again; after putting the cup near the door to take to the kitchen, then fixing his tie and stubbing out his cigarette. Clearly Sanji wouldn't discuss anything else with her, so Nami retreated for the time being.

"Okay Sanji-kun, I should be finished at work around 6. I'll give you a call."

Rising, the redhead passed the suitcase over to the cook and gave him one last, brief hug.

"Just...call me, anytime you want to talk about it, okay Sanji-kun? And talk to Zoro, please."

Sanji waved her off, smiling as he grasped the suitcase. She didn't notice how his grip was considerably tighter than normal.

"I've got to dash Nami-swan, I'll see you later."

With that, he was back in the kitchen, seeming considerably more lucid than before he talked, no longer lost in the daze, but no more soothed of the situation he was in, no less stressed. Nami flopped back against the stool as she pulled her mobile to her ear.

"Robin? I think it's worse than we thought."

--

There was a sombre mood in the Sunny apartments that day; many of the neighbours had heard the argument that occurred in the dark of the night, and those who didn't had been told about it by the nosier of the residents. The elderly neighbour Amazon had been visiting almost everyone to try and gain an idea of what had exactly happened on the third floor. Yet the only ones who had any kind of idea were the only ones they couldn't ask.

Ace lay of the sofa, twirling his cowboy hat in his hands aimlessly. His brother draped across his lap, curled up seeking his brother's comforting warmth.

"How do I help him?"

The freckled face looked questioningly at his younger sibling, and Luffy tilted his head up to look at his brother.

"Zoro's my best friend. I don't like him to be unhappy, so how do I make him happy again?"

Ace sighed, his hand running through his brother's hair in a soothing manner. He had turned up on the third floor apartment when Luffy hadn't come back from breakfast, only to see him curled up atop of the sheet next to Zoro, who was gazing blindly at the wall, still wrapped up in the sheets. The pair stayed with the swordsman for hours, trying to coax the story out of him, but they were answered with nothing but the single sentence he uttered to Luffy earlier in the morning. He had retreated to their apartment after Nami called; hoping that giving her a reason to visit Sanji would shed more light on what happened. Luffy appeared about fifteen minutes later, looking heartbreakingly defeated. That had been two long hours ago, and they had been lying on the sofa at a loss ever since.

"He needs time. You know Zoro better than any of us, and you know that he needs some time to himself. He's never been one for seeking comfort in others..."

"Naaa, I know. But I still wish I can help." Luffy pouted against his brother's chest. "...maybe if I get him some meat?"

"That's what you want Luffy, not him."

"Mnaaa. Sake maybe? He likes sake."

Ace couldn't help but smirk at his brother's tenacious determination to help his friend.

"That's true."

Launching himself off of his brother's stomach making the older man curl up with a loud "Oof!" Luffy raised his hands in the air and cheered.

"Yosh! I'll go get some sake and meat and then Zoro can be happy again!"

Running into his sandals, the enthusiastic boy ran to the door and barrelled into a broad, hard chest.

"Woah! Watch it Strawhat bro!"

Peering upwards, Luffy smiled at the two familiar faces. Franky grinned at him back, lifting his sunglasses as he greeted the younger boy. Not looking quite as pleased, Robin gave a chase smile before moving her attention to Ace as he got up to greet them.

"Robin, Franky? Didn't think you'd be up this time after last night. Come in, what's going on?"

"That was what we were here to find out, Ace-san. I've just had an interesting phone call from Nami."

Ace paused mid stride towards the couple as Luffy pushed them inside the apartment. He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"She told you guys already huh? I was hoping to try and find out what happened before telling anyone else."

Franky helped himself to a cola, while turning the coffee machine on for Robin. They knew better than to act as guests in Ace and Luffy's; the Sunny apartments are like a second home to all their friends.

"You should've realised that Nico-babe and Nami-sis are best buds, of course she's going to call her."

The dull slap of Ace's hand meeting his forehead echoed around the room, making Luffy chuckle as he slid back on the sofa.

"Geez Ace, you didn't think of that?! Even I would've realised that would happen! Shihihi"

Elegantly seating herself on the spare chair, Robin gave a small, sad smile.

"I don't think Ace's forgetfulness is the reason we're here."

It was the equivalent of dropping a bombshell. Luffy's laughter faded into quiet introspection, an uncharacteristic frown marring his face. Ace slumped back into the seat he was just occupying with a groan, and Franky halted mid-swig of cola, normally cheering face downcast.

"How is he?"

Ace rubbed his temples, shrugging as he answered the cola-loving shipwright.

"Hard to say. He hasn't talked to us, even though Luffy was with him all morning."

"I couldn't even get him out of bed." Luffy pouted.

Robin's slim hands gripped the mug her husband handed her tightly, thinking about the swordsman and cook they held so dear. Even as she was preoccupied at the award celebrations last night, she couldn't help but notice the tension between the couple. Couple that with the unease that both men had been expressing at their changing circumstances, and she wasn't really too surprised about what Nami had told her.

"How much do you know about what happened?" Franky asked as he put his hand on his wife's shoulder for support. Luffy spoke meekly from the sofa.

"He just said that Sanji had gone. The neighbours are saying that they heard them all yelling and someone storming out..."

"We can't get any more info out of Zoro; he's totally out of it..."

The blue haired man nodded at Ace, looking up at the ceiling as if he could see straight up to the third floor apartment housing the man in question. He and Zoro were close; but had nowhere near the bond the two brothers had with him. To think he wouldn't open up to his best friends was a sure sign that he had closed himself off to all of them.

"What happened with Sanji?" Ace enquired.

"Nami found him at the Baratie, apparently acting quite uncharacteristically. Even Zeff was concerned for him." Franky raised an eyebrow and Ace's eyes widened. Zeff was hardly known for his soft and cuddly approach to child raising. Noticing their surprise Robin nodded.

"Sanji kissed Gin. At the Maxim Arc, last night."

Luffy fell off the sofa. Ace's jaw dropped open.

"What?"

"According to Nami, Sanji-san was brief with his explanation. Apparently following the argument between he and Zoro-san, our cook got a bit too inebriated and I gather his frustrations were released on Gin. I guess it was after that they stormed out, which we all saw."

"...And then they argued back here. Like the neighbours said." Luffy added hesitantly and Robin gave a solemn smile.

"I'd imagine so. Nami says Sanji's been hit quite hard by it, he was quite shaken. According to Zeff he wasn't even cooking properly." She looked up when she felt Franky squeeze her shoulder a bit tighter.

"So, have they broken up? Like, properly ended it or what?"

"...I don't think even they know. The way Nami explained it to me, Zoro-san told Sanji-san to leave so he did, and it was left like that. But the way they are acting..."

"It's possible." Ace interjected "But equally as possible that it's still up in the air. Zoro's taking it badly, but there's a chance his lamenting the whole situation rather than the breakup. He takes faithfulness very seriously after all."

"And Sanji-san is a highly emotional person anyway; after the amount of time the two have been together throwing him out is a major blow for any couple so it's hardly surprising he's behaving the way Nami says he is."

A quiet voice perked up from the floor, full of confusion and pain. Luffy looked between his Brother, Robin and Franky with a questioning gaze.

"But Zoro and Sanji love each other. I know they'd been arguing recently but they still did, you could tell. Why would they fight like this?" Luffy crossed his arms and huffed angrily "It's stupid."

Ace sighed, ruffling his brother's hair fondly.

"Sometimes people can't accept things that happen, even if they want to. I'm sure they still love each other Luf, but they need to resolve their problems if they wanted to be happy together again. The problem is if the stubborn idiots would be able to."

"So what do we do?" Luffy looked at his friends imploringly. Franky was close to sobbing; Robin's hand patting his comfortingly. The man wiped his eyes before he answered.

"Well, the only ones who can resolve their issues are the pair of them, so we can just make them feel better now so when they talk they're not going to overreact again."

"Nami said she is going to see Sanji-san at Usopp and Kaya's tomorrow, I'll get her to try and stop him beating himself up too much."

"That's a good idea, even though Sanji was an idiot for kissing Gin, blaming himself isn't going to be any good when he talks to Zoro." Franky agreed. "But what should we do about Zoro-bro?"

Ace sighed as he answered.

"We'll go up and talk to him. He's not that good at being abandoned..." They all knew that of course, even if they did not know him at the time they have all seen the shrine in the apartment, seen Zoro's demeanour change around the time of year Kuina died. "...even if he was the one that kicked the other out I'm sure that's really hit him. We've been through worse with him, so we can manage."

Luffy jumped up again, suddenly remembering how he ran into his friend's chest earlier and the reason for it. How could he forget his plan to cheer Zoro up?!

"Ah! I can't cheer Zoro up without Sake! Or meat! Robin, Franky, call us if you hear anything else, and tell everyone else to do the same. Ace, I'll be back soon, and then we can make Zoro happy again!"

With a determined slam of the door Luffy ran out of the apartment. The couple smiled at Ace, a genuine heartfelt smile for the first time that day. No matter how dire the situation, it was impossible to believe things wouldn't get better soon with Luffy around.

-.-.-


Again I seem to have had the strong desire to make Sanji all sad. I think Zoro would be more the type to just shut down if shock was too much...hence the laying in bedness. Sanji's too much of a workaholic, he just throws himself into that to forget everything else.

Thanks to all my reviewers and readers, I hope you're enjoying it!

Thanks for reading! Pamplemoose