Many thanks to my SUPER fast prereaders and betas Vergina and Thérèse, and to MyLadyDay, who gave me the bitchslap of doom (which I needed very much XD) and kept prodding at my brain until something sensible came out ^^
Enjoy your smut ^^
Hot as Fire
Chapter 18
Opening his eyes, the first he was met with was a blond head of hair. That wasn't uncommon the past couple of days, but it still made him smile. Last night they had made some progress in their relationship.
As if the blonde could hear him, the body next to him started to shift. Sanji sat up a little, still groggy with sleep and went with his hand through his hair, miraculously never revealing the hidden eye.
"Morning," Zoro said, clearly startling the other man.
"Why are you up already? I thought moss liked to sleep all day." Sanji's voice was a little hoarse.
"Someone was drooling on me."
"I don't drool!" the blonde snapped.
Zoro was planning to retort, when Sanji slapped his hand over the swordsman's mouth. He looked confused, until he noticed the faint sound of a cell phone going off.
Sanji cursed and leaped out of bed, franticly searching for his pants. He finally managed to retrieve his phone, paling as he saw who called. "Hello?"
"Sanji-bro, where the hell are you? I told you I would be at the restaurant at nine. I'm waiting SUPERR long already."
The blonde checked the time, it was fifteen past nine, so the constructor wasn't waiting that long, but he was late and he hated to be late. "I'm sorry," he quickly apologised. "I overslept. I'll be there as soon as I can." After hanging up, he ran towards the bathroom, not bothering to lock it as he jumped in the shower.
Zoro entered the steamy room yawning. "What's all the fuss, Cook?"
"I was supposed to be at the Baratie a quarter of an hour ago. It's all your fault, Moss-head!" the blonde snapped, turning off the shower and grabbing a towel.
"How is it my fault?" The green haired man smirked. "Did I blow your mind too hard last night?"
"Shut up, you pervert," Sanji muttered. "I have to go. I'm sure you can manage to make your own breakfast for once. Bye." Wrapping the towel around his hips, he gave Zoro a quick peck on the lips, freezing instantly. That was… weird. Way too domestic.
Remembering he was already late, he dashed out of the bathroom, leaving Zoro behind stunned, scrambling his clothes together and putting them on, before running out the front door. Miraculously, a bus stopped almost right in front of him. In all, he managed to make it to the Baratie in twenty minutes.
Franky was sitting on the sidewalk, straightening when he saw the chef approach. "Hey Sanji-bro," he greeted him, not seemingly mad. "Glad you made it."
"Yeah, sorry about that." The blonde got out his keys and opened the front door.
"Don't worry about it. Though," the blue haired man continued with a grin, "you must have been pretty tired last night for you to sleep in. Since you normally don't do that."
Sanji ignored the suggestive eyebrow waggle and led the way inside. The Baratie was only open for lunch and dinner, though Zeff was considering opening it for breakfast as well. But for now, they were the only two here.
"I didn't get the chance to eat breakfast, so I'm gonna whip something up," Sanji said. "You want something as well?"
"Like I would ever turn down one of your SUPER meals."
Sanji smiled and entered the kitchen, leaving the constructor to do his job. There were still building materials in the back, so Franky had everything he needed.
In the kitchen Sanji gave his thoughts free rein. Giving Zoro head had been a major step. He was coming more and more to terms with himself, accepting he liked a man, Zoro no less. He wasn't ready to proclaim it from the rooftops yet, though. And not just because he didn't know how his friends would react. True, Franky must have some idea what was going on, but that was were he drew the line.
His phone vibrated and he picked up after checking the screen, placing the phone between his ear and his shoulder while whisking some eggs for an omelette. "Hey, Usopp. Anything fallen off yet?"
His friend on the other end of the line huffed. "No. Thanks to Kaya's care and your frozen peas, the burns aren't that bad. I just need to keep some rest."
"Then I suppose it's a good thing you and Kaya aren't dating yet, isn't it?" The blonde wiggled suggestively with his eyebrows, realising too late Usopp couldn't see him. But his friend could hear his teasing tone.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about," the architect stammered embarrassed.
Sanji snickered, while his friend collected himself.
"Anyway," Usopp continued, "Kaya wanted to know if it was okay if she takes your car to the restaurant tonight. Also, thanks for letting her borrow it and giving her time off. Her words."
"Anything for my lovely angel~ She can borrow it for as long as she likes." Sanji practically swooned, almost dropping his phone in the eggs.
"Yeah, yeah. Oi Sanji," the blonde perked up at the sudden seriousness in his friend's voice, "Chopper called me last night. Is there something you need to tell me?"
For a moment he was confused. Not that Chopper had called Usopp, those two were friends, so that was to be expected. But what could the doctor-to-be have told the architect that would make him think Sanji had something to tell him? Suddenly he remembered Zoro kissing him in the restaurant. He had kicked the green haired man – served him right – but what if that made Chopper think he and the Moss-head were involved? Not that that was far from the truth, but still. Realisation hit him like a bucket of cold water. Chopper lived next door to Zoro. What if… What if he had heard more?
"Sanji?" Usopp's voice reminded him that his friend was still there.
"I-I wouldn't know what I would have to tell you," the blonde quickly said. "You just make sure your family jewels get some rest. I've gotta get back to making Franky's breakfast. Bye."
He hardly waited until the architect had muttered goodbye, obviously not satisfied with his reply. Sanji didn't really care. He just wasn't ready to tell.
Zoro was getting impatient. After Sanji's attempt of giving head – it was a good first try, but the cook really needed more practice – they hadn't really done much else. Plus, the blonde kept swaying his ass around without allowing Zoro to touch it. At least not naked, and the green haired man wanted to do things with that naked ass very much.
Sanji was baking something in the kitchen. It smelled delicious, though Zoro would never admit it. Throwing aside his dumb-bells, the swordsman got up and followed his nose. It always amazed him how much Sanji was in his element around the kitchen. The blonde had made sure he stocked up on healthy food and ever since they got together, take-out food hadn't been allowed in the house. Not that Zoro minded.
After watching his lover for a while, he moved to stand behind the cook, wrapping his arms around his slender body and nuzzling his nose in the golden strands.
"Not now, I'm busy," the blonde sighed.
Sanji bend over to open the oven. Zoro took a step back to appreciate the view and could hardly suppress a groan. Seriously, having an ass like that should be illegal…
The blonde straightened again, holding a freshly baked bread. Carefully he placed it on the counter and sighed when Zoro wrapped his arms around him again. Suddenly he stiffened when he felt something hard against his ass. "What the hell is that?"
"You don't know?" the swordsman all but purred in his ear. "You've even had it in your mouth."
Sanji flushed slightly, but then said: "Just put it away."
Zoro growled. "You know, I don't enjoy lying to my friends, Cook, and I'd say I've been pretty patient. So the least you can do is make it worth my while."
"You're right."
"And then another thing– Wait, what?" The swordsman looked confused.
"I said you're right." Sanji peeled off the oven mitts, something Zoro had never before considered to be sexy. "I've asked you to keep this from your friends, because of my issues. That's not really fair. So how do you suppose I make it up to you?"
Zoro was completely dumbfounded. Was he serious? "I… I 'd like to fuck you?" he stammered, utterly confused.
"I thought something like that. Come on, then. The bread has to cool down a little anyways."
He was already at the door when he realised the marimo wasn't following him. He turned around, only to find Zoro with his jaw practically hitting the floor.
"Are you serious?"
Sanji shrugged. "You never asked before." He couldn't suppress the smirk creeping up his face. "Now, I don't have all day." He started to make his way up the stairs. He turned around again, a little surprised the green haired man still wasn't following him. "You coming?"
Zoro was still standing in the same spot, his arms crossed before his chest and if Sanji didn't know any better he would think the man was actually pouting. "What?"
The green haired man scowled at him. "I don't need your pity. And I'm not gonna do anything you're not ready for."
The blonde sighed and walked back to the swordsman. The latter tried really hard to keep his scowl in place, but when Sanji kissed him, he relaxed. The kiss started out chaste, but suddenly the blonde's tongue darted out briefly, teasing him. Zoro pulled him close, his hand on the chef's back, to deepen the kiss. Sanji allowed him for a moment, before taking over control again. He gently sucked on the swordsman's tongue, actually extracting some noises from him. Zoro's hands slid up the blonde's thighs, but before he could reach his ass, his hands were slapped away. He let out a frustrated sound. Sanji ignored him, continuing to nip at the swordsman's lips. Every time the green haired man tried to touch him, his hands were pushed away.
Sanji cupped Zoro's cheek with his hand, kissing the tanned jaw and neck. His hands roamed the muscular torso, but still didn't allow Zoro to touch him, pinning one of his wrists against a lower cupboard with his knee.
The swordsman was growing more aroused and more frustrated by the second. He growled dangerously, but Sanji ignored him and kicked him in the shin when Zoro tried to touch him again. Eventually the blonde let go and gave him a once over, a smirk on his face that indicated he was satisfied with his work. He turned around and made for the stairs, swaying his hips temptingly.
At first, the only thing Zoro could do, was stare at the retreating form of the chef. What just happened? Then, finally, his legs listened again and he ran after the blonde, almost passing him in his excitement.
He pulled Sanji into his bedroom, kissing him fervently. Sanji chuckled at his eagerness. His actions from downstairs really did a number on the stoic swordsman. Entwining his fingers in the short green strands, he started to kiss back. He had caught Zoro staring at his ass more often than not, so he had already decided to indulge the man sometime soon. Zoro knew what he was doing, right? Plus, Sanji did appreciate it that Zoro hadn't mentioned it to anybody – aside from the fact that Franky, and probably Usopp and Chopper, knew already.
Sanji was thrown on the bed, his tie, jacket and shirt already somewhere forgotten on the floor. He was about to protest at the rough treatment – not because he couldn't take it, just because it annoyed him – but Zoro already straddled him, never stopping to kiss him. Sanji wrapped his arms around his neck, moaning softly when the other man pressed his tongue in his mouth. The green haired man moved his lips to the pale neck, grinding his hips down at the same time.
Sanji was trying to hold back his moans, but he was having a hard time. In their previous encounters, Zoro had already discovered most of the places where he was sensitive, and even a few the blonde didn't know about himself. He was panting and it was not helping that the swordsman had started abusing his nipples.
Zoro couldn't believe this was happening. He still half expected Sanji to back out at the last moment. But the blonde seemed fine, his cheeks red with arousal.
Both their pants were gone in no time, as were their boxers. Zoro got the lube out of his night stand, smirking now he finally got to use it again. Not counting the times he had pleasured himself, of course. He looked at Sanji. The chef had his eyes closed, waiting. Zoro gave him a quick kiss, before lowering himself. It was going to be Sanji's first time, he supposed, so no matter how badly he wanted to dive in – so to speak – he would have to take the time to prepare him. Slicking his fingers with lube, he let his tongue run up the blonde's erection, making him moan. Zoro had imagined the chef to be pretty vocal in bed, but Sanji had been holding back. But this time the swordsman wouldn't allow that. Swallowing him whole, he pressed a finger in.
Sanji bucked his hips, his eyes screwed shut. Zoro was doing a pretty decent job distracting him, but still he felt the slight discomfort of the foreign object inside him.
"Relax," the green haired man murmured against his cock, licking it soothingly.
"You're one to talk. I don't see anyone prodding at your ass," Sanji snapped back.
Zoro couldn't help but chuckle. It was such a typical reaction of the blonde, even if he had a finger up his ass. Still, the cook did relax a little and soon Zoro deemed it time to add another.
Sanji let out a sharp hiss. The swordsman tried to distract him as much as possible, but honestly, it was getting hard. He needed to give some attention to his own neglected cock, and soon. He added a third finger, speeding up the process, when suddenly Sanji's whole body shuddered.
The blonde moaned loudly, torn between embarrassment that he actually made that sound and really, really wanting Zoro to do it again. His mouth betrayed him. "Holy fuck, do that again."
The swordsman smirked at that. Sanji had tried to stay quiet and finally he had managed to make the blonde cry out in pleasure. "Enjoying yourself?" he asked teasing, feeling the need to gloat.
Sanji glared at him and Zoro snickered. Still, he did as he was told. It took the green haired man some moving around and a remark from Sanji, saying: "Geez, are you lost in there?", but he found it and hitting the blonde's prostate again effectively shut him up. For a while at least. Continuing his movements, Zoro look up to admire the view. And what a view it was. Sanji was panting, his eyes closed and his pale skin glistening with a layer of sweat. His cheeks were flushed and bite marks Zoro had made earlier were showing. "Fuck, Sanji," he breathed.
The blonde's eye fluttered open. The swordsman expected a snarky remark, but none came. He kept moving his fingers, not breaking eye contact, reaching out for the lube with one hand. Blindly he searched for the condom he had thrown somewhere on the bed, ripping it open with his teeth after he had found it. Unfortunately, he did need two hands to get it out, putting it on and applying extra lube.
Sanji looked up annoyed when the fingers were pulled out of him, since he was enjoying himself. The green haired man kissed him again and the blonde wrapped his arms around his neck, when he felt something larger than three fingers pushing its way inside of him. It felt he was ripped in two. Placing his hand against Zoro's broad chest, he tried to push him off. The swordsman, however, used his upper body strength and gravity to his advantage and pushed the blonde back on the mattress.
"I told you to relax," Zoro said, but it was without any venom. He had stopped moving as soon as the blonde had showed signs of pain. If Sanji didn't know any better, he would say the green haired man was worried.
"And I told you it's not you who's getting a pole stuck up his ass," the blonde snarled. "Seriously, did you lift bar-bells with that as well?"
Zoro looked at him confused, before he burst out in laughter. "Can you imagine what that looks like?" he snorted.
"I'd rather not." The chef scowled at him, but Zoro could feel the man's body relax.
The swordsman started to kiss him again, distracting the blonde for what was about to come. "You okay?" he muttered in the chef's ear. "It's gonna hurt a little." He really wanted to push inside, but despite the thorough preparation, Sanji was still incredibly tight.
"Just hurry up, you bastard," the blonde mumbled. He had his arms wrapped tightly around the tanned man's neck, holding on.
Zoro took a deep breath, reaching between them and caressing Sanji's member. Having effectively distracted him, Zoro moved his hip and with one swift movement, he was inside. Sanji cursed, arching his back.
The swordsman was overwhelmed with the tight heat that surrounded him. He saw stars and needed a moment to catch his breath, certain that he would come if he moved right away. Waiting and giving Sanji time to adjust, he soothingly rubbed circles on the paler man's neck.
The blonde's hips jerked, indicating he was ready for the swordsman to move. Zoro happily complied, having wanted this for a long time. He started out slow, but sped up when Sanji shot him a glance that said: 'Don't you dare treat me like glass.'
The chef started to get the hang of it as well, moving his hips at the same pace as Zoro's. He was breathing heavily, a small moan escaping him every once in a while, but not nearly loud enough for the swordsman's taste. He pushed Sanji's amazingly strong legs up, changing the angle. It took him a few tilts – it was a good thing the chef was so lithe – but suddenly the blonde cried out in pleasure. A grin appeared on the tanned man's face.
Sanji huffed and turned his face away, his eyes screwed shut when the swordsman repeatedly hit his prostate.
Blunt nails marked the swordsman's back, as the blonde threw his hips up, forcing Zoro deep inside him. Sanji was starting to lose it. Biting his lip, the cook reached between their bodies to give his own erection some much needed attention, only to have his hand batted away. A large calloused one encircled his cock, causing him to throw his head back. He had to admit, after the initial pain, it actually felt pretty good to have Zoro moving inside him. And if that wasn't enough, now the green haired man was jerking him off as well…
Sanji couldn't take it anymore. The stimulation from both sides was just too much. It only took one more hit to his prostate for him to come, his back arching.
Zoro managed a few more thrusts, but the way Sanji clenched around him, already tight to begin with, soon did him in as well. He collapsed on top of the blonde, who hadn't yet come down from his own high.
The green haired man was actually thinking of falling asleep right there and then, when he felt a sharp kick in his hip. "Move, Moss-Head."
Reluctantly he did as he was asked, pulling off the condom in the meantime and throwing it in the bin. After that, he flopped down on the bed, feeling rather accomplished. He finally managed to convince Sanji to have actual sex with him, and it had been great. Hell, it had been fucking fantastic. He was gonna have a lot of fun in the future. He watched the chef get up and getting a cigarette. The blonde put on his boxers , getting out to the balcony. He should probably follow him.
When Sanji came back inside, he found Zoro lying snoring on the bed. "Idiot," he muttered. Still, he couldn't help but smile a little, said idiot couldn't see him anyway. It was tempting to let himself fall on the bed as well.
But first the freshly baked bread should be put away. Slowly, because his body felt extremely sore, he made his way downstairs, the smile still present on his face. During the cleaning up of the kitchen, he hummed softly. But when he was done, doubtful thoughts entered his head. The smile disappeared from his face. Had he done the right thing?
He was pretty sure this was what Zoro had wanted since the day they met. So now that he had gotten what he wanted, would the swordsman still be interested? He tried to shove the small voice telling him that away. Yes, there were guys who only thought with their dicks, but not Zoro, right?
Yeah, because that Neanderthal was so sophisticated, the voice helpfully pointed out. Sure, they were friends, or so Sanji thought, but what if it had been all an act to get in his pants? And the worst part, it worked. Sanji had given in, actually feeling guilty! After all, before they went upstairs Zoro had told him to make it worth his while. Apparently that could only be accomplished with sex.
And if the swordsman still was interested in him, what was their relationship anyway? They had said they were dating, but they had never actually gone out. And now there was this. Sex. It always complicated things. The blonde didn't want it to be just about sex. He actually kind of liked Zoro as a person – even if he would never admit that and kick the person who claimed it halfway around the globe.
And then his friends. Sure, Franky seemed to be okay with it – though he wasn't sure what exactly the blue haired man thought was going on – but he didn't know him that well. What would Usopp say? The architect seemed upset that Sanji was lying to him, but would he accept the truth?
Or worse! What would the girls think of him? Of course they were all dating someone now, but it was only a matter of time before his lovely angels grew tired of those uncultured bastards and would grace them with their presence anymore. So the chef had to be there for them once they were finally fed up with it. What would they think if they knew Sanji had let a man fuck him? At first he tried to reason that since he always was the one making sure a woman was pleasured as much as possible, he sure as hell deserved that someone did that for him. But then he could see their disappointed faces before his mind's eye, a slight shake of the head from Robin, a sigh from Nami, averting her eyes, Vivi, looking at him disbelieving, before covering her face with her hands, Kaya in tears…
His hand touched his stomach, still sticky from a mixture of cum and sweat. Suddenly, the blonde started to panic. He had made a major mistake. Hastily gathering all of his clothes, he ran out the door, without waking the marimo and without leaving a note.
The other chefs could all feel the murderous aura radiating off him and backed off instantly. Even Zeff left him in peace for the most part. It was lunch and rush hour, so only orders were placed in front of him, before the chefs or waiters backed off. Some had asked about his limp and he had snapped that he tripped and hurt his ankle. Patty had dared to laugh at his clumsiness, even if it was imaginary, but he had regretted it, a few knives breaking in the process. Zeff had narrowed his eyes, but only told Sanji to replace them. He obviously knew something was bothering his little eggplant.
Zoro had called and texted him several times, but he hadn't bothered to answer. So the texts didn't say what he had expected, but even the moss-head would be more mature than to break up via a text. But he dreaded the call. He didn´t need to hear that he´d been a nice fuck and to have a nice life. He would just forget it happened and move on. Yes, that would be the best thing to do. Still, he had trouble focusing on the task at hand, namely cooking.
After the lunch rush had died away, Zeff had grown tired of his sulking and kicked him out. He hadn't even put up much of a fight, another reason the older chef felt like he made the right decision. Lighting a cigarette, the blonde strolled over to his car, that Kaya had been gracious enough to bring by. He drove home almost in trance. Fortunately, there wasn't much traffic and he made it home in one piece. He reached into his pockets to look for his keys, but suddenly being alone in his home didn't look all that appealing anymore. Lighting another cigarette, he turned around and started to walk away. Walking around usually helped him to clear his head. He didn't know where he was going, and the walk would have been way nicer if it wasn't for the throbbing pain in his ass. Damn marimo bastard.
He shook his head. He didn't want to think about Zoro. Unfortunately, every step reminded him of what they had been doing last night. He could only hope the pain would fade soon.
His aimless walk brought him to the house of the D-brothers. He cursed under his breath. The last thing he needed right now was Luffy nagging him about food or Ace's obvious innuendos. The latter was actually sitting on the bench in front of the house, snoring. Hopefully Sanji could just slip past the house without waking him.
But obviously the universe hated him. He almost made it, having reached the corner, when a voice called him: "Oi, Sanji!"
He froze, opting if he could just make a run for it. But the pain in his ass did not allow that and besides, Ace knew where to find him and it would only give him a temporary reprieve. So he turned around slowly, forcing a smile on his face. "Hey, Ace."
The fireman was standing by the fence, leaning on it with his elbows. "How are you?"
"I'm fine. Look, I've got to go now..."
"What's the rush? Come on, we haven't talked in ages. Wanna come in? Luffy's not home."
Sanji thanked his lucky stars for that. As much as he liked the bouncing rubber ball, right now it would be too much. Still, he hesitated.
Ace frowned. "Something wrong?" He jumped over the fence and grabbed Sanji's sleeve, pulling him along. "Come on, you look like you really need to talk."
Sanji didn't have the energy to protest and just let himself be dragged along. Inside, Ace got them both something to drink and set the blonde down on the couch. "Now," he said, folding his legs underneath his body. "You didn't have fun last night?"
Sanji froze again, wondering if this was an innocent question or an innuendo the fireman was famous for. His question was quickly answered when the freckled man smirked. "I know that limp from anywhere."
The chef flushed, looking away. Ace knew as well?
"Zoro didn't tell me, if that's what you're worried about. Didn't have to, I'm good at stuff like that. Oi," he continued a little worried when Sanji still refused to look at him, "are you okay? It's normal for it to hurt after the first time."
The chef stared at the floor. "I know."
"Then what is it? I know for a fact that Zoro's very talented between the sheets, so that can't be it."
That was right. Ace had slept with the swordsman as well. Great.
"He didn't force you to anything, did he?" the fireman said frowning. "I can't imagine, but–"
"He didn't force me," Sanji suddenly snapped. "If he did, I would kick his ass."
The freckled man grinned. "That's the Sanji I know. So what's the problem then?"
The chef turned to Ace. His friend looked genuinely concerned about him. So he sighed and decided just to let it out. Who knew, maybe it helped. "I've messed things up. After… that, I started to doubt things and I left without saying anything. Whatever it was, is now over. So nothing is wrong, things worked out just fine."
Ace's face was completely serious, a sight Sanji hadn't seen often. "And you're really fine with that?"
"I'm sure he is," Sanji said.
"What do you mean?"
The blonde sighed. "Zoro isn't one for relationships. And he got what he wanted. So we're done."
"Is that what you honestly believe?"
Sanji looked up. Ace almost looked… angry. "Well…"
"My God, you really are a moron. Sure, Zoro doesn't date a lot of people, but do you really think the guy who hasn't had sex since the day he met you, which was months ago, I might add, is only after you for the sex?" the raven haired man burst out. "You have a great ass, Sanji, but nothing to get that obsessed over. Zoro's an attractive guy, he can get anyone."
"And I gave in."
Ace made a frustrated sound. "Geez Sanji, I always thought Zoro was the biggest idiot I knew, aside from my brother, but you're really giving him a run for his money now. So let me spell it out for you: he likes you."
"Alright, let's say that's true," Sanji flung back. "Let's say that he's actually more interested in me than just for sex. Then what? I already let him top and he doesn't bottom…"
Ace raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think that?"
"He said so. With that Kid…"
"He slept with a kid?!"
Sanji frowned. "What? No! A guy named Kid, or something. He said they didn't go well together since neither of them wanted to be bottom."
The raven haired man thought for a moment, before he seemed to realise something. "Oh, that guy. In college, right? He was just trying to get a rise out of you. 'Cause that was only one stupid drunk night, from what I've heard. Not even actual sex, just some awkward jerking off. Anyway, Zoro bottoms. But he only does it when he respects someone, either because they're stronger or just as strong. Like you are."
"I'm definitely stronger than he is," Sanji mused.
Ace started to laugh. "I doubt he would agree, but he definitely respects you."
The blonde smiled, but suddenly his face turned serious. "So, wait. Did he let you top when you guys…"
"Nah, but we only just met. And I don't mind bottoming," the freckled man shrugged. "So, you feel better now?"
Sanji did, but he still wasn't convinced. "But what would the girls say?" he whined.
"If they knew you're dating Zoro? Well, Robin knows all, so she's already informed, I'm sure. Vivi will be trilled, since she already thought you were dating. And despite all their banter, Nami only wants Zoro to be happy and if you make him that…"
Sanji squirmed a little. "But…"
Ace sighed. "There is only one thing you need to ask yourself. Do you want to be with Zoro?"
It stayed silent for a moment. Then Sanji nodded almost invisibly.
A large grin appeared on the freckled man's face. "Good. Come on then." He got up from the couch.
Sanji followed him warily. "Where are we going?"
The fireman turned around. "I'm gonna help you fix this."
To say that Zoro was pissed was an understatement. And not just pissed, confused as well. At first when he woke up in an empty bed, he had assumed that the cook was taking a shower or preparing breakfast. But when he had found the vacant bathroom and kitchen, he had started to wonder. Then he noticed the chef's shoes and coat missing, so perhaps he went out to do groceries. He could have left a note then, but maybe the blonde had thought he would be back before Zoro woke up. So the green haired man shrugged it off and texted Sanji not to forget to bring beer. Yes, it was morning, but it saved him a trip to the supermarket.
He waited for an hour, having taken a shower and gotten dressed in the meantime, but Sanji didn't return or text him back. Zoro had frowned, calling the blonde. Obviously the idiot had gotten lost or something. But Sanji didn't answer his phone either. Annoyed Zoro texted the bastard to call him back. The chef had mentioned he had the lunch shift, which had already started.
Finally, the green haired man had reached a conclusion. Sanji wasn't interested anymore.
The fickle blonde probably regretted their night together. Or had he just been curious what it was like to sleep with a man? But why wait so long then?
Che, it wasn't like he cared anyway. He had gotten what he wanted. He had fucked the blonde's tight ass and that was all that mattered.
So why did he feel so betrayed?
He spent the day not thinking about that blonde bastard, trying to take his mind off things by training until he nearly fainted. Right, he didn't eat breakfast because of a certain someone.
He didn't have much food in the house and he didn't feel like doing groceries. He looked at the clock. In an hour or so he could just order a pizza. For now, he would take a nap.
The sound of the doorbell started him awake. Grumbling under his breath, he got up, only realising at the last moment he hadn't ordered anything yet. Curiously, he opened the door.
He was met by a very guilty looking chef, who was holding something that looked like a soup terrine. Since when did Zoro knew what the hell a terrine was?!
Still, he wasn't planning on playing nice, no matter how good it smelled and no matter how much his stomach rumbled. He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed before his chest and a scowl on his face. "What the hell do you want?"
Sanji bit his lip. "I made soup." He held out the terrine.
"It's a peace offer."
Only now he noticed a certain freckled man standing behind the blonde.
"And what are you doing here?"
Ace pushed back his orange hat. "I'm here as mediator, because you're both idiots. Now are you gonna let us in? The soup's getting cold."
Reluctantly Zoro stepped out of the way to let the other men pass. Sanji immediately made his way to the kitchen, to return with a tray carrying three bowls, a plate filled with freshly baked bread – Zoro face palmed, how could he forget about the bread the blonde had baked the night before? – and spoons. The swordsman didn't even know he had a tray.
They ate in silence. Ace and Sanji were seated on the couch, the latter staring down at his soup. Zoro was seated in an armchair facing them.
As soon as Ace had gobbled up his soup – and his second and third serving – and the bread was consumed, he sighed contently, patting his belly, before switching to serious modus. "Alright, it seems like the two of you have a lot to talk about." He leaned back, looking expectantly from one to the other.
Sanji remained silent and Zoro said: "I don't have anything to talk about."
Ace groaned and rubbed his temples. "My God, you're both such stubborn idiots. Alright then, I'll do the talking. So, you guys had sex, yes?"
Sanji flustered and Zoro looked away, slightly embarrassed.
The fireman rolled his eyes, but continued: "And after that, Sanji panicked and ran. Which is why Zoro probably feels betrayed. Am I correct so far?"
He got two slight nods. "Okay then. Zoro, did you force Sanji to do anything he didn't want or wasn't ready for?"
"Hell no! He was the one initiating the whole thing!" the swordsman snapped, jumping up.
Ace turned to Sanji, who was biting his lip. "I didn't think it through," the latter muttered.
"No, I think you thought it too much through afterwards. But let's just forget everything that happened and all the bad decisions made. Sanji, you said you don't want this to be just sex and you want a relationship, right?"
That made Zoro perk up and he looked at the blonde. If possible, Sanji's cheeks turned even darker under his stare. He nodded almost invisibly.
"Good," Ace continued on a businesslike tone. "Zoro, do you want that as well?"
He stayed silent for a moment, looking at Sanji. Dark brown met blue. The blonde's eyes were filled with dread, hope and something that probably meant the chef would kick his ass if he gave the wrong answer. Finally, the swordsman said: "Che, only if the princess doesn't run off every time we've had sex."
"Like I will ever let you see me naked again, Neanderthal," Sanji snapped back. They glared at each other, looking up annoyed when Ace had a laughing fit.
"I can't believe you guys don't realise how perfect you are for each other," he hiccupped. Eventually, he pulled himself together and got up, standing next to the swordsman. "Alright, you two. Now kiss." Without a warning, he pushed their heads together, causing their lips to meet.
Taking advantage of the situation, Zoro started to kiss the blonde. Sure, Sanji was a priss, but he was Zoro's priss. It didn't take long for Sanji to respond, opening his mouth invitingly.
After a couple of minutes they let go of each other for air. Zoro turned to Ace, who was sitting back on the couch with a large grin on his face. "You know, most people would get uncomfortable watching that."
"Are you kidding me? It's like watching porn." Ace snickered. "Please, continue."
Zoro glared at him. "Out."
"Fine, I get the hint." The fireman got up and made for the door.
"Ace?" Sanji called.
The freckled man turned around.
"Thank you."
He grinned. "Sure. As long as you guys stop being idiots and communicate. It's really not that hard."
Both nodded obediently.
"Good." A mischievous smirk appeared on his face. "And you know, if you're ever looking for a third party, you know where to find me." And he fled the house, before the sole of a shoe or a sword could connect with him.
~ To be continued