"Holy shit, man! He's coming here!"
Zoro had to gather all his willpower to not stare at the dangerously approaching blonde too much. Ace though did nothing to hide his interest. That bastard. Sooner than the green head wanted the man was right in front of them, putting the end of his surfboard on the ground.
"Sorry about that. I just wanted to try out that wave. Couldn't miss it for any price," the man said with a smug smirk.
The tone of the voice and the smirk did the trick. Zoro snapped out of his haze and glared down the… curly brow?
"Don't be so full of yourself. Something could have happened. The wave was really big," Zoro snapped back, crossing his arms on his tanned chest.
"Oh jeez, don't be such a mood killer. I know how to handle the waves. So stop nagging, will ya?"
Okay, Zoro took back all his earlier thoughts. This guy was an asshole. The green head gave him an unimpressed look and tilted his head.
"And I have been doing my job all over the country so I know a thing or two about waves as well. So don't come to cry to me if you get hurt," he scoffed, getting more and more pissed.
The blonde didn't seem any more pleased either. He looked like a child whose parents had just told them that they were crowded for two weeks. He narrowed his eyes and wiped some water away from his face and was about to say something but didn't have enough time to do so. Some black haired kid landed hard on the guy, almost making him fall.
"Oi Luffy! Don't kill anyone here, I don't feel like giving CPR because of you."
Zoro snapped his head to the side to look at Ace who had been quiet the time until now. The man looked highly amused… and seemed to know this kid.
"Oh, you know this one?" the moss head asked curiously, gesturing at the young man who was currently clinging on the blond man who desperately tried to peel him off of him. Tch, serves him right.
"Aaaaaace!" the boy cried out and immediately changed his target, hauling himself at Ace. They both laughed loudly and almost hugged each others to death. Zoro looked as confused as the curly brow who was now catching his breath.
"Luffy, who is this?" the man asked and gestured at Ace, also glancing at Zoro.
"He's my brother, Ace!" Luffy grinned widely and Ace nodded to confirm the fact.
Zoro was more than surprised. He knew that his friend had a brother, two actually. But the man didn't say anything that one of them was going to be here. Though, the brothers looked just as surprised.
"I didn't know you would be working here! That's great! Now you can hang out with us. Oh you have a friend? Hi, I'm Luffy! Do you want to be my friend?!"
The boy blurted out so many words in so little time that Zoro had to take his time to register that he was talking to him all of the sudden. Ace looked like it was the best entertainment ever, and so did Sanji.
"Uh… I'm Zoro. And sure, why not?" the green head finally answered warily.
The brothers started to talk fast and loud about how their school year went and so on. Luffy also got to know that Zoro and Ace were staying there for the whole summer, just like they. The green head just observed the situation but then completely without his permission his eyes flickered at the blond man. The other man noticed it though. He looked first confused but then flashed a smug grin. That grin made Zoro's blood boil for many different reasons. The moss head furrowed his eyebrows at him and finally turned to look away, a small grin of his own threatening to creep on his lips.
"So, do you guys want to join us tomorrow night? We'll throw a big beach party here to celebrate the beginning of the season," Ace's voice cut in.
The rest of the men turned to look at him and Luffy's eyes sparkled in glee. They were definitely going.
"And especially you, my love, you're more than welcome to come," the freckled man kept going and addressed his flirting directly at Sanji whose cheeks turned slightly red in confusion. Then a big smile split his face in two.
"How could I turn down an invitation like that?" the blonde said, snickering.
"You absolutely can't! I will make sure to wear nice clothes on, just for you. And maybe even buy you a drink or two," Ace said smoothly, flashing the most charming smile he possibly could.
"I'm counting on that then."
Zoro watched in silent horror this terrible, mutual, flirting. He was already used to Ace flirting with every possible human being but this… This was different. He was supposed to be the one flirting with the annoying, sexy ass blind with ridiculous eyebrows. He, Zoro, not Ace! The black haired man didn't seem to notice the other man's inner screaming though.
The brothers agreed to meet tomorrow by the main camp building with the rest of Luffy's friends.
Oh yes, Zoro also learned the name of the blond guy. Sanji… He would definitely remember that name. Once everything was settled, Luffy and Sanji headed back to their friends, leaving Zoro and Ace both gaping after the blonde. However, right away when the moss head noticed his friend's smuggest smirk ever, he snapped out of his, whatever state it was. Reality can hit really hard sometimes when it wanted to.
"Don't say it," Zoro snarled and stormed off back to his posture. The freckled man only laughed and decided to take a walk around the beach, just to check how people were doing.
Sanji was back in water, surrounded by his friends. Luffy was explaining all the possible details about the conversation they had just a minute ago with Ace and… Zoro, was it? They were all more than happy to go to the party. The blonde was mostly deep in his thoughts though. His stomach filled with butterflies at the thought of Ace flirting with him. But to be honest, he could bet his best knives that the man did it with every living person who was old enough. Or then he could be horribly wrong about it, who knows. The other guy on the contrary looked like he had a whole pineapple showed up his sorry ass. He was about to ruin all his fun after all. And Sanji would have been stupid if he hadn't noticed the venom literally dripping from his look when Ace started shooting Sanji with flirty comments. But on the other hand the cook had noticed those golden eyes lingering all over his body whenever he turned his look away. It had been unnerving since the look had been harsh but with a tint of interest. To sum it up, the green head was weird.
By the time the others had finished their conversation, Sanji was deep in his dream land, imagining himself with both Zoro and Ace, at the same time. Thankfully Usopp reminded him that the real world was out there too.
"Earth to Sanji, Earth to Sanji!" the longnose was yelling at the blonde's face. "We are getting hungry."
It didn't need any further words to bring Sanji back to full awareness. When he stumbled his way back to their "homebase", a spot under a big blue umbrella, he thanked his luck for not blushing like a virgin school girl thanks to his daydreams. He usually didn't let his mind wander off in public, especially around his friends. But something in those two men drove him to do so. He wasn't even sure which one of the men did it more. The only thing the curly brow knew was that it was bad, really bad.
The lunch was over really soon right after Sanji had placed everything on a comfy picnic blanket. No one was patient enough to actually enjoy the sandwiches and fruits slowly. They wanted badly back in the sea. The other thing driving them to eat was of course Luffy's grabby fingers that tried to reach every possible piece of food that had forgotten unguarded. Even if everything was really hectic and loud, Sanji had to admit that he had missed this more than anything. He didn't get to see all his friends that much anymore because of college. So this was like some kind of ritual for them, to gather up and spend the whole summer together. He would long for this again with an aching heart when it comes time to part ways once again. But for now, the blonde was definitely going to treasure every single moment of this.
Thorough the day Sanji's eyes wandered to the shore line where the lifeguards were standing and patrolling. He cursed himself for it. He wanted to concentrate on surfing, for fuck's sake! It had been a while since Sanji had dated anyone so he blamed the lack of romance and adventure for this. Yeah, that must be it. The cook could easily see how the green haired lifeguard scanned the area with his golden, oh, so deep eyes. He could swear that every now and then their eyes met. Zoro seemed to be mostly taking care of observing while Ace strolled around, talking to people. Sanji had already made a mental note that those two friends were complete opposites to each others. It was almost funny. It reminded him of his own friendship with Usopp.
Way too soon to Sanji's liking the day was nearing to its end. The sun was already getting ready to set down to let the moon rise. People at the beach gathered their belongings slowly and headed back to their homes, Sanji and his friends did the same. Luffy was whining about it though since he would have wanted to stay way longer. The whining and begging continued until Nami pulled on Luffy's ear and dragged him to the bus.
The drive back to the beach house was rather quiet. They were all exhausted after a long day, even Luffy. The next day was going to be the same. However, they would have to stop surfing sooner to be able to attend to the beach party. Frankly speaking, Sanji didn't mind it at all. He had always loved those parties. They were usually always somewhat civil, not too much drinking or embarrassing moments. The blonde had never been so fond of hard drunken parties. This was a great opportunity to meet new people and catch up with old friends. Sanji was sure that his friends were going to meet their special ones there tomorrow, maybe even sooner. And what it came to the curly brow, he was sure as hell that he was going to get to know the two lifeguards better…
After dinner and lots of talking the friends wished each others good night before going to their own rooms. Sanji stayed behind to clean the kitchen much to Nami's dislike who would have wanted to make others do it to let their dear friend rest a bit. But like always, the cook had politely declined the offer and said that it was his way to relax and have some time off. The red head had rolled her eyes but let it be, understanding enough to leave her friend with his passion.
Whilst doing dishes Sanji let his mind wander and empty itself. He didn't think about anything in particular. The blonde didn't even realise how fast time passed. It was almost 11 pm when he woke up from his daydreams. All the dishes were done and Sanji just stood there, staring to the void. Damn, he really was tired, wasn't he? He pretty much had to drag his body upstairs and to the bathroom. Even if he was dead tired and every single cell in his body hurt, he had to take a shower. The salty sea water made his skin dry and itchy and he really didn't want to suffer from it all night because of his laziness. So, in the end he managed to make his way to the small bathroom and in the shower.
Once Sanji was stark naked he had the pleasure to stand under a warm stream of water. His sore muscles relaxed slowly. A pleased sigh escaped his pinkish lips as he scrubbed his hair with coconut scented shampoo. The man's eyes were closed as the water ran down his body, leaving small trails everywhere. Sanji's hands moved to rub shower gel on his skin, long fingers sliding against it, making sure to reach every spot. His own tender touch seemed to awake other parts of him as well, to his annoyance. And the previous mental images of the lifeguards didn't help the situation at all. The blonde glared down at his growing excitement like it was his worst enemy. He didn't have the energy for this but on the other hand he was completely aware of his thought and needs. The cook knew a lost fight when he saw one.
Fingers wrapped themselves around the heated flesh, drawing a choked moan out of him. The shower suddenly turned much more pleasurable. The already warm water felt even hotter against his skin whilst his hand did the job. His imagination was racing as fast as the blood in his veins. Images of a tanned muscular man flashed behind his eyelids. Sanji tried to imagine strong and warm hands touching him all over. The face of the man was blurry but it didn't matter now. The last image was about the man wrapping his fingers around Sanji. And that did it. He was left gasping for air when the wave of pleasure hit through him. With a heavy sigh the blonde finished washing himself before stepping out of the shower.
Sanji sure had a wild imagination and sometimes a bit too big sexdrive but this… As he laid down between the soft sheets he cursed his mind. He just met Zoro and Ace today and now he was already having hot fantasies about them. He didn't even know them! Ace was Luffy's brother for fuck's sake! But Zoro… He was not a brother of any of his friends..? So maybe, perhaps, if he was lucky, he could possibly… No!
Sanji smashed his face against a pillow and groaned as if he was in pain. He was being stupid. He couldn't just go and hit on all the even slightly attractive human beings. No matter how much he wanted to. After pondering for a bit longer the matter in hand Sanji finally fell asleep, his mind too exhausted to sacrifice any further thoughts about this. He just had to keep his cool and do what he was here for: Surfing.
Sleeping over the night really did its magic. Sanji's thoughts were crystal clear and he totally did NOT have any wet dreams. Luckily the cook didn't have that much time to spare any thoughts for the last night. The morning was as hectic as always. And Sanji loved it. With some heavenly miracle the noisy group of friends finally managed to fight through their morning routines. Sometimes it was unnecessarily difficult. Two broken plates, one cup, some flying watermelon and one way too messy kitchen later Franky kicked them all out and shoved inside the car. He was a chill man but had his limits too. Luffy was whining almost the whole drive as per usual how he was still hungry. However, the sight of the sea made even that black hole shut up.
The sea was just as amazing as the previous day. They all glowed pure joy and excitement as they strolled towards the camp building. Sanji looked around and spotted Bartolomeo talking to three oh, so wonderful women. His friends seemed to spot them as well.
"Vivi!" Nami yelled and bolted towards the women and Bartolomeo.
The blue haired woman turned her head in confusion, trying to search where that familiar voice came from. When she spotted Nami running towards her a big smile spread on her face. She didn't even have time to reply before the redhead hauled herself at Vivi, giving her a bone crushing hug. That caught the other women's attention.
"Oh, I see you have arrived as well. When did you come here?" a black haired and tall woman stated and looked at the approaching group.
"We came yesterday. Nice to see you again Robin. And Kaya-sis as well! Super! Now we have everybody here," Franky exclaimed.
Kaya, a blond and slim woman turned to look at Franky with a friendly smile and replied before turning her attention to Usopp who was currently acting all shy and blushing. The longnose took a moment to pull himself together before going to hug his sweetheart. Nami and Vivi were still clinging on each others and for their misfortune Luffy decided to join them. Franky on the other hand had turned his attention to Robin, casually catching up with her. Sanji observed all his friends and couldn't do anything else than smile from ear to ear. Seeing this happy reunion warmed his heart.
"Good morning, Sanji-sama! Good to see you again! Hope your night went well," Bartolomeo came to cry out right behind Sanji, startling the poor man.
"My God, you scared me," the blonde breathed out and turned to look at the green haired man who smiled so widely that his face was about to split in two.
"I'm sorryyyyy! I didn't mean to!" the man whaled and Sanji had to sooth him down before he started crying again.
Once the green head had calmed down he managed to talk like a normal person. Well, as normal as a guy with green hair could. Green seemed to be popular nowadays…
"Are you coming to the beach party tonight? It's the season opening so it will be awesome! Lots of food and music. We also figured that we could have some beach games."
"Oh yes we are. We actually got invited yesterday. The two new lifeguards did. The other one of them, Ace, was it? Well yeah, he's actually Luffy's brother," Sanji explained and his friend's face seemed to lit up more and more with every word.
"Ohh, so Ace-san is Luffy-sama's brother! I had no idea!"
Bartolomeo kept going his fanboying and Sanji just laughed with him. Everybody took a long moment to just talk and catch up. Turned out that Robin, Vivi and Kaya were going to have a beach volley tournament this summer. They all promised to come to cheer for them.
Before they even knew it, almost two hours had passed. Bartolomeo had to leave earlier though to get back to work. Also Sanji excused himself to go to change in his wetsuit.
The blonde was eager to get in the water and feel the power of waves. So eager that he bumped into someone when he stumbled out of a small changing room.
"Oi, watch it blondie," a deep voice rumbled into Sanji's ears. A shiver ran through his spine, giving him chills. He was about to apologise but then he saw the source of the marvellous voice. Zoro. And of course Sanji had to freeze and stare like an idiot, words caught in his throat.
"Anytime today, dart brow."
Those words and a smug smirk on the sun kissed face snapped the blond man back to reality. His blood started boiling.
"I was just going to apologise but I don't know anymore," Sanji retorted, crossing his arms.
Zoro snorted before laughing. The laughter melted the blonde's heart a little bit, wanted or not.
"So I see you're back to surf again. Try not to drown. I don't want to save your sorry ass if you make a stunt like yesterday and then fail miserably," the green head said with a playful smirk. And of course Sanji couldn't but be a bit sassy here.
"Oh, please! I will grow grey hair sooner than fail my tricks so badly. I'm an expert at what I do."
"Oh really now? And I'm supposed to be impressed by that?" was the only answer.
Sanji's face reddened in rage and he was about to explode. Why did he have fantasies about this man again? He didn't have enough time to come up with a smart comeback. Instead he felt Zoro's warm hand landing on his shoulder, squeezing it firmly.
"Just be careful, okay? See you around," the marimo said softly, the smug grin long gone.
Sanji's brain shut off at the very second as the man walked past him, taking his hand away. That was like a completely different man there. The cook had hard time to believe that the moss head could change his attitude so quickly. It wasn't a bad thing though. And was that worry he heard in the words? A slight blush crept on Sanji's face and he felt like a moron again.
"I will…" Sanji murmured to himself once Zoro was out of earshot. This really was going to be an interesting summer.
Thank you for nofreedomlove for beta reading this once again. The whole group is almost together now, huh. I'm getting excited XD