Anon asked: I think Zoro would call or text Sanji and be like "I CAN EXPLAIN" And Sanji should take advantage of this to tell Zoro "how about you explain over dinner with me" xD

Sanji was mooching about in the kitchen of his adoptive father's restaurant with a sour look on his face. He missed this place, being able to cook in it, shouting at the other chefs, this was the environment he'd wanted to work in ever since the shitty old geezer had dragged him home from the orphanage and shown him what real food was like. He remembered the days when Zeff had him sit on one of the upturned empty vegetable crates and peel carrots and potatoes until his hands were red and sore as a way to train his hands around the utensils. He'd sit there for hours in that little corner by the sink in a steamy kitchen with Zeff shouting at someone every ten seconds for screwing up, peeling vegetables until he couldn't move his fingers and his arms shook with the effort.

He used to curse the old man for that but now he understood why for he had a strong steady grip on anything he held, Zeff had worked his hands into being something valuable. Sanji's whole livelihood as a teen working in that kitchen had depended on the hands Zeff had built but then school took a turn and grades weren't achieved and Sanji had to let the dream of owning his own restaurant go.

He wondered though what it would have been like if he were the head chef of his own restaurant. He'd aspire to be like Zeff; an excellent chef, respected and feared by his staff. Sanji would have owned the best restaurant in town and people from all over the world would come to taste his food, he could see himself and his restaurant clear as day in his mind. A while ago he would have added the gorgeous wife to be stood next to him but Zoro looked just as good there with his stupid green hair and a smile on his face.

Damn, he was completely smitten, wasn't he?

"Eggplant!" Zeff's gruff bark of that stupid childhood name made Sanji wince, "I heard your phone go off so go answer it and take your miserable face somewhere else if you're gonna sulk!"

"Shitty old geezer!" Sanji growled under his breath but left the kitchen anyway and headed up the stairs; Zeff had more than enough stress dealing with the other chefs let alone a sulking adult son.

Upstairs was where he and Zeff had used to live, just Zeff now that Sanji had moved out. He stepped into the living room and snatched his phone off the table- it was probably just a message from Luffy saying he'd eaten all the food in the house. But when he clicked the button he was surprised to see a number he didn't recognise followed by a strange message of 'I want to suck you'.

He frowned, who the hell had sent him this? What did it mean? Wh-

Clarity struck him like a brick thrown at his head. There was no one else whose number it could be, he hadn't given his number to anyone in weeks.

Anyone but Zoro.

His palms immediately began to dampen with sweat and a heat set in on his cheeks awkwardly at the realisation of both the sender and the sent message. He read it again, out loud, "I want to suck you?"

Well that was a little forward of Zoro, wasn't it? Not that Sanji wouldn't be up for it if Zoro wanted that but still, whatever happened to dating first? And they say romance is dead…

Sanji swallowed a little dryly, trying to ignore the sudden vivid images of Zoro doing something with his mouth that a teacher really shouldn't think about one of his student's parent like. He flushed a little and bit his bottom lip.

What to say? How did you respond to something like that? Sanji had sexted before but no one had ever been that shamelessly forward…

He was about to click the lock on his phone, deciding to reply later once he'd had chance to think of something when it began vibrating in his hand and his chest tightened at the sight of Zoro's number flashing on the screen. Zoro was calling him.

He fumbled to hit the accept call and held it to his ear. He expected that deep voice, smooth, probably to talk dirty to him but what he got was Zoro's voice in a much more panicked tone.

"Sanji?"

"Yeah?"

"It's me, Zoro."

Sanji could hear a woman's laughter in the background and some low murmurings of people talking from some distance.

Zoro continued talking, "So you probably got that text and are weirded out but it was an accident, I swear I-"

Sanji felt a little oddly deflated at the fact Zoro had only sent that by accident, "No, it's okay, I'm not-"

"Just let me explain and I can-"

Zoro went to rabbit on about a frozen screen or something but Sanji cut him off with a sudden swell of confidence. Perhaps it was the fumes from the kitchen getting to his head, or maybe just hearing Zoro's voice made Sanji want to see him again. Either way Sanji cut Zoro off,

"Sure, you can explain it to me. Over dinner."

Zoro went silent a second, "…Dinner?"

"Yeah, you know… if you want to?" Sanji's head was suddenly turning on red flashing lights and screaming ABORT ABORT. What the hell had he been thinking?!

When Zoro spoke again it was a little softer, a little more calmer, "Yeah… I'd like that."

"You would?" Sanji caught himself, "Er, I mean, great! I'll text you the details and stuff."

"Okay."

Sanji was seizing up. No no no! Why had he asked him to dinner?! "I er, I gotta gonowbye." He stumbled and hit end call before Zoro had a chance to reply.

He dropped his arm by his side and stood still, a little stunned.

He'd asked Zoro on a date.

And Zoro had said yes.