The restaurant was busy tonight as always, the Baratie was a popular place after all, and Zoro was ten minutes late when he slid into the chair of the table for two and made an apology for his tardiness, muttering something about 'struggling to find the place'. Sanji smiled, he didn't mind, all that mattered was that Zoro was here and this was officially their second date. They ordered their drinks to one of the new waitresses and began to make small talk whilst they waited for them and a menu.

"How's Tony?" Sanji asked.

Zoro rolled his eyes, "He's excited it's almost Christmas but that's kind of a problematic time of the year for me and him." He sighed, "He wears himself- and me- out."

Sanji frowned at the darkness he was beginning to notice under the man's eyes that certainly hadn't been there the last time they'd seen each other. Zoro looked exhausted and not just from a long day- he looked like he'd suffered a long week. He didn't like to pry but Zoro looked as if he could use someone to rant to and besides, Zoro owed him a little bit of backstory since that kiss on the front door step, "Can I… ask what's wrong?" He stumbled after when he noticed Zoro had pursed his lips with a deep set frown on his face, "You don't have to tell me though."

Zoro opened his mouth slightly and closed it again and Sanji could see the frustration on his face as the moss haired man sighed, "It's… I don't know where to start," he said, shaking his head.

Sanji was about to respond but they were interrupted by the waitress bringing their drinks and menus over on a tray, setting them down and asking if they needed anything else before leaving. Zoro instantly went for his cider and took a deep gulp of it and Sanji could see that whatever was on Zoro's mind was really bothering him. The teacher took a small sip of his drink before speaking, "Why don't you try from the beginning?"

Zoro looked at him, his dark eyes really searching his face, and it made Sanji feel warm before he nodded, "I'm divorced, that's why I'm a single parent- I have full custody of Tony. My ex and I weren't together all that long. I realised through the third of our four years of being married that I… I just didn't love her any more. I loved her like a friend and I didn't know what was wrong for so long and I just hid it from her and one day I knew what it was; I knew I was gay. We got divorced and we used to have a shared custody of Tony for a year but she got a big promotion at her job and she travels too much to take care of him which is why he's with me now."

Zoro was staring at his bottle, nails picking at the large label on the front as Sanji listened intently. The teacher got the impression from the lack of eye contact that this wasn't something Zoro was very open about with people and he felt a little flattered that Zoro trusted him enough to talk about it, "We're still friends- she Skypes Tony sometimes too, and always sends birthday and Christmas cards- but she's never actually there, you know?"

Zoro picked more furiously at the label, tearing up chunks of the moistened paper, "She promises she'll come, every damn year, but she doesn't. There's always some excuse, like it'll make everything better. Tony hasn't seen his mom in person in over two years, almost three, and every year he gets excited for Christmas because he thinks she's coming to see him and I have to see him get so heartbroken every time the cancellation comes through. It's not fair on him. He's such a great kid and I can't see him get like that, you know?"

Sanji didn't know what to do. He was seeing pain in Zoro's eyes for the first time and it hurt him to witness it. Zoro cared so much for his son and Tony was such a sweet child and he agreed that it was unfair to the poor kid that his mother wouldn't turn up for one of the most important days of the year, but Sanji didn't know the whole picture- perhaps she really did have a reason but she just couldn't explain it? Perhaps he was just making excuses on her behalf, but Sanji's nature just wouldn't allow him to fully blame her though he did feel some resentment towards this ex-wife for making Zoro and Tony feel this way.

Without much thought put into it, more based upon instinct, Sanji reached out and placed his hand onto Zoro's with its furiously moving fingers. The other's skin was warm, firm, but soft to the touch and a little damp with the perspiration from the bottle. Zoro's fingers halted in their movements and his head snapped up to look Sanji in the eyes, expecting him to speak, but Sanji had nothing to offer- what could he possibly say that would make anything better? Then his head formed an idea.

"Come upstairs with me?"

Zoro's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "Wha-?"

"Come upstairs with me." Sanji repeated, getting to his feet and not letting go of Zoro's hand as he did so so he could tug the other man into action.

A little confused and bewildered, Zoro got to his feet, "But what about the drinks-?" He started but Sanji cut him off.

"There's drink upstairs, it's fine." And with that he pulled the man along with him to the double swing doors of the kitchen where some of the chefs looked up at their intruding- Patty and Carne raising an eyebrow- but returned to their work nonetheless when the duo went through a side door and up the stairs to Zeff's home above the restaurant.

"Sanji? Where are we going?" Zoro asked, a little warily as he was pulled along.

"My old man lives above the restaurant and I used to at one point as well. He's not in tonight so he won't mind us using it." He let go of Zoro's hand as they reached the top of the stairs and stepped in and turned left into the living room, "Make yourself at home," He said, gesturing to the sofa, "I'll get us something to eat- Zeff freezes some meals so it won't take too long."

Sanji looked at Zoro's confused face and said, "You seemed a little tense and upset down there so I thought being up here would be better if you wanted to talk more."

"Oh." Zoro replied and finally sat down on the sofa.

"I'll get the drinks," Sanji said, "I'll be right back."

After heating up two of Zeff's homemade meals and opening a bottle of wine, Sanji sat down on the sofa beside Zoro after two trips to bring in plates and then fetch the wine glasses. Zoro took a mouthful and the noise he made was a sin to Sanji's ears and made his blood jolt excitedly, "This is really good!"

"My old man made it, he's the best chef there is," Sanji replied, trying to push out the dirty thoughts of Zoro's moan and replace it with a smile at the contented look on the man's face, "I used to want to be a chef too, like him."

Zoro nodded, "Yeah? How come you became a teacher then? Did you change your mind?"

Sanji noted how Zoro had become more relaxed now he was out of the restricting atmosphere of a busy restaurant and his conversation flowed normally, more freely. The teacher shook his head and took a sip of his wine, "Something like that, I don't really like to talk about it."

"Oh…" Zoro said, clearing his throat awkwardly and taking another bite of food. Sanji realised his mistake and back-pedalled to fix it.

"The new Game of Thrones episode came out yesterday…" He tried, knowing from their last date that Zoro, like himself, was an avid watcher and reader of the novels and immediately he saw the other's eyes light up.

"It did? I must've forgot to record it."

"Yeah, it was a good episode," Sanji said and their conversation lapsed into one of a discussion of who did they like more; Jon Snow, Tyrion, or Danaerys? Zoro said Jon because he liked his sword fighting and Sanji said Danaerys because she was beautiful and had dragons, and dragons just mean an instant win no matter what.

They got through a bottle and a half of wine and were completely relaxed on the sofa, comfortably full from good food and drink, when Zoro cursed, "Shit! I'm over the limit- I can't drive home, and you can drive me back either."

Sanji sucked in a breath, "Shhhit."

Zoro patted at his pockets, "I better ring Franky, have him pick me up. Is it okay if I pick up my car tomorrow?"

Sanji nodded and yawned, "Mhmm, it's okay."

Zoro pushed himself to sit up straight and Sanji did the same out of politeness as a host.

"Thanks for tonight, and for listening to me about all that. I've just been stressed and-"

"It's okay." Sanji said, "Any time."

There was a drawn out silence and neither of them moved or spoke, just looked at each other closely and quietly and then Zoro, smoothly and fluidly, leaned in and pressed his lips to Sanji's, drawing away before the blond had a chance to react but he didn't move far and Sanji took advantage of the closeness of their faces to kiss Zoro back. Then suddenly it became an unstoppable action. For every kiss Zoro gave, Sanji returned with one of his own. Sanji felt his breathing getting heavier, more irrational, and Zoro's was becoming the same.

A warm hand touched Sanji's cheek and stayed there, another cupped onto his side by his stomach just above his hip, and they set him alight on the places they touched, his skin prickling with barely repressed excitement. He wanted Zoro to touch him more as his own hands held on to the other's shirt at his chest, fingers tangled in the fabric. Zoro was kissing his thoroughly, deeply, but with meaning. Each press of his lips were more tender than the last and it was driving Sanji mad; his heart pushing into overdrive and his blood sparking with emotion. He needed more. Oh God, he needed more.

Suddenly Zoro pulled him closer and broke his most recent kiss with a breathy gasp, "More…" He murmured and Sanji's heart almost went into cardiac arrest as he settled himself to sit on Zoro's lap and resume what they'd started, the kisses deeper and more satisfying at that angle.

Zoro's phone ringing cut them short.

The other man pulled away and fished out his phone, "It's Franky, I've gotta take it- he and Robin are babysitting Tony."

He answered and Sanji saw Zoro's face instantly change from a picture of arousal to outright horror, "What?!… Okay. I'm on my way. Okay. Bye." He ended the call, "Sanji, I- I gotta go."

"What's wrong?" Sanji asked, slightly reluctant having to get off Zoro's lap, but he could see this was serious from the look on the other man's face, "What happened?"

"It's Tony," Zoro said, "He's had to go to the hospital."