Proof Read Version -Thx to SpiderMonkeyCatchwan-
And the server is back! Woohooo~~ So much happiness I'm doing a rain dance *eh!*
Thank you guys for those who had follow me. And from some review, I read that a lot of you is waiting for our handsome sexy sulking brunette.
I still keep him for later though ;P
But worry not, I'll make him appear faster than I planned to because Minna-san have been waiting for him.
Patient, patient ;)
Eiichiro Oda-senseistill own One Piece, Hail Oda...~~ \(^o^\)
CURSED or BLESSED [6] : Day Off – part two-
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"So, why is it bad for the moss head? He has allergies or something?" asked the blond, casually bringing up his wine glass to his mouth. Everybody froze.
After a sip, Sanji noticed that the room was too quiet.
"Uum… Guys?" the blond called, shifting his gaze from the red wine that he was sipping in his hand to his new friends.
"Ahhh! No, no! It has nothing to do with Roro-chan. Luffy means it's bad for Zoro. Zoro with the Z, not the R. Aha-aha, ahahahahah…~~~~!" Sabo explained with an awkward laugh while scratching his non-itchy scalp; he could have sworn he got a heart attack seconds ago.
"Yeah… You see, Sanji, Zoro is a dog, and his nose is sensitive, right? It will be bad if he has to smell the room sprays all the time," Usopp added.
"Oh yeah, Zoro. Where is he any-"
"Oi, baka-tachi*1! How is the food?" a voice came from the back door, the door behind that wide counter island with Georgian mahogany color with matching glass display. Everybody moved their focus to the incoming voice.
[SAVEEDD!] Sabo, Usopp, and Roronoa were mentally shouting.
"Ahh… Kuso-jiji! It's good as usual! You're the best!" praised Luffy, beaming with excitement while still munching.
"Really? Yesterday you said something different," grinned the old man.
"I did! And this is the person I told you about. Meet Sanji," said the noirette.
It was now Sanji's turn to freeze. Once he looked at the old man, he couldn't do anything except stay where he was, dumbfounded.
[Does he remember? Does he? Oh gosh!]
Thoughts were racing in Sanji's mind. All sorts of thoughts were racing through his memory. The blond was trembling, excited, afraid, joy, longing all became one. He fuckin' knew this old man! He couldn't forget, he didn't want to! He was the reason why Sanji was a chef now. He was the one who taught Sanji everything. He was the one who loved Sanji for whatever Sanji was. He was the one who taught him love, care, his chivalry, his self. The old man was his everything, a hundred years ago.
"And why are you frozen like that?" he asked. Sanji snapped back into reality. He moved from his seat and walked closer towards the Old man. When he reached him, Sanji held out his hands to offer him a handshake, being polite as he always did.
"I'm Sanji. Pleasure to meet you, sir." He smiled politely. Zeff eyed him for a bit, before returning the gesture.
"Zeff. I am the owner."
"Ah! I see you have your dream come true now, eh Zeff-san."
"Hmph. Yeah. I have but it's none of your business."
"Well... That's not fully true, but I do feel happy for you," he replied. He knew Zeff didn't know anything about his past – their past – it wasn't his fault, but still, part of him was hurt by Zeff's words.
"Thank you then. Well, enjoy your meal, kids."
"Join us, Jiji!" Luffy asked.
"Yeah... You know, Sanji is also a chef. Maybe he wants to hear your blabbering," Usopp teased.
"Hahaha! He will beg for my recipe," laughed the head chef proudly.
"Yeah, I will. Your creations are absolutely amazing." And they all sat together and had their lunch merrily.
"How do you know Ji-san's dream?" asked Sabo when Sanji got back onto his seat beside him.
"Believe me, you don't want to know," the blond sighed, stabbing the dishes in front of him with a somber look. The dusty head was confused but he didn't dig deeper.
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"I still have things to do. Sorry but I gotta go," said Roronoa an hour later.
"Eh? Where are you going, Zoro?" asked Luffy innocently. Zoro quickly leered to the blond young chef and huffed. Sanji was still elegantly enjoying his own dessert.
"Koshiro calls. Excuse me, everybody. Enjoy," he said before leaving the café. Usopp set his gaze towards Sabo, while Luffy was trying to steal Sabo's dessert. The dusty blond head checked his phone, then gave Usopp a quick wink.
[Is there anything left? I'm hungry.]
It was a new message in the Mugiwara's group chat from Brook.
"Yohohoho~! Minna*2! I'm hungry! Is there anything for me? Yohohoho~ I prefer three glasses of milk for my bones though!" The door opened and a lanky man wearing sunglasses sauntered through it, accompanied by a dark brown dog, which looked like it was sulking.
"Brook! Zoro?! You're back? I thought mm–" Luffy's words were cut off with Sabo's hand covering his mouth.
"Yohohoho~~ it's freakin hot outside and I feel like I'm melting, although I don't have fat, yohohohoho!"
"Welcome back!" the others greeted. Makino sat up and moved towards the bar.
"Plain milk, isn't it?" she asked.
"Yes Makino-san. It's good for my bones, yohohohoo! Thank you."
"Ah! I see a new face here," he continued upon seeing Sanji. The young chef gave him a salute.
"Sanji. You must be Brook-san. Nice to meet you."
"Ah, nice to meet you too. Sanji-san, yohohoho~~!"
"Hey, Zoro," Sanji grinned at the dog at his feet. Zoro leered at him, wagged his tail a bit and trotted towards Makino.
"I hate this." He growled painfully low, so nobody could hear him except Makino. The girl patted his head several times,
"Bear with it. It will be very quick." She smiled, giving him a quick peck on his forehead. The dog snorted. He followed Makino moving closer to the group when he saw Sanji beckon him to come closer. The dog blinked in confusion. It was not like Zoro has any other option, so he walked to him, his earrings jingled when he moved.
"How are you doing? Been a good boy?" The blond patted his head, giving it a little scratch. At first Zoro only wagged his tail, but when Sanji's hand traveled down his neck, Zoro started to deepen the contact.
"You sure like Zoro so much," commented the dusty blond head.
"He is a good dog. Though a little arrogant," laughed Sanji.
"Well, actually he is not arrogant. He is just a nonchalant big guy who can't show his emotions," explained Sabo. Zoro growled.
"And shy... I can see." Zoro bit Sanji's hand.
"Heey..!" Then the beast shrugged off. Zoro trotted closer to Sabo and planted himself there, between Sabo's and Sanji's legs. He leaned down and closed his eyes lazily.
"Ssh... Just so you know, he rarely opens up to new people. When Usopp first came, he didn't even let him near him," Sabo whispered to his new friend.
"Aah... Maybe because I treated him to booze that day."
"Eh? How do you know that he likes booze?"
"Luffy told me."
"Ahh... No wonder."
"Though I don't think giving him booze every day is good for him, unless..."
"Unless?"
"Ahh... It's nothing. I just–"
"Sanjii! Guess what this is!" Luffy butted into their conversation, bringing them another bottle of wine.
"Hey! Be careful with that! That's from my expensive collection!" roared Zeff.
"Shishishi! Relax, Jiji, I'll take good care of- owhh!" The noirette suddenly tripped. To Zeff's horror, the bottle on his hand immediately flew out of his grip.
"IDIOTTTTSSS!" Zeff's voice was thundering to every corner of the café. All eyes widened in shock. Instinctively, everyone hurriedly tried their best to catch the flying bottle before it crashed down to the floor. They jumped all together onto one spot and they landed on each other, and the bottle.
"Fuck it! Luffy! Are you trying to get us killed?!" wailed Usopp, desperately wiggling underneath the crushing weight.
"Unnhh... That hurts..." moaned Makino on the top of the pile.
"Move! Mooove!" yelled Zeff who was the fourth from the bottom.
"Here Makino-san… take my hand. I help you, but, can I see your panties?" asked Brook who had narrowly escaped from being part of the pile. And he got a slap from the noirette lady.
"Uh... Saved. Lucky!" Sanji huffed with a bottle on his hand, and he heard a pitiful whimper from underneath him.
"Shishishishi! Guys! Did you see that?!"
"Fuck it, Luffy! Move!" groaned Sabo below Zeff, while Zeff was under Luffy. The youngster laughed as bright as the sun, not feeling guilty at all, though he did move and help Zeff climb down the stack. Then a skillful round kick, hit his head, which made the trouble maker sulk in pain. Then Sabo stood while helping Usopp.
"Sanji, you okay? You didn't break any bones, did you?" asked Usopp, worried as the slender chef was at the bottom of them all.
"Uh yeah... Besides your weight, the floor isn't that… hard?" He quickly slipped to the right and looked underneath. There he found the fluffy beast, passed out from the sudden weight crashing on him, his eyes were spinning around comically.
"Zo-Zorooo!" called Sanji in panic.
"He was there?" asked Usopp, blinking.
"No wonder I can't hear him!" laughed Sabo.
"Ahahahaah! Sorry, Zoro!" wailed Luffy, though he didn't seem sorry at all.
"You aren't sorry, kozou!" spat Zeff, adding another slap to the noirette boy. Makino and Brook were laughing wholeheartedly. So, the mess was completing their merry day.
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"I sure had a whale of a time today," expressed Sanji with his genuine smile. A smile he thought won't ever be on his face ever again. Luffy replied the chef's smile with his trademark shit-eating grin.
"Sure, I was! Why don't you join us here? I bet you'll have a crazy time with us."
"Ahahah! I'm sure of it, but I have to decline the offer. I can't leave Rain Base just like that. They are also my family. But I do appreciate your offer."
"If you say so... Family is important, yeah. Well, the offer is always open for you. Come back anytime. Old man is the greatest, isn't he?" Luffy giggled.
"He indeed is. Thank you for inviting me. Well then, I'm leaving now."
"Yeap! Ah..! Wait! We will accompany you."
"H-huh? No, oh my god! No need for you to do that."
"Shishishi! We insist. Besides, we have to make sure our special guest gets home safe."
"What am I? 10?" laughed Sanji.
"Don't care. Come, let's go, Zoro! Hurry!"
"Wa-wait… if he comes, then we can't take train."
"Eh? What do you mean?"
"We're going with Zoro, right?"
"Ri- eh? Oh, I mean… Roro! Roronoa. I always tease him like that. Be–because you see… He is wearing earrings too, ju-just like Roro, uh I mean Zoro," rambled the noirette, realizing his mistake, luckily.
"Really..?"
"Yeap! I never lie." He was grinning, then seconds later duck-facing himself while humming but averted his eyes away. Sanji squinted his eyes towards him, not believing the youngster.
"Yeah?"
"What happened?" asked the green head, suddenly appeared behind Luffy with his usual dark face.
[Ah... that sweet smell again.] thought the blond.
"Ah... nothing. Ah you're back."
"Yeah, because the building behind the restaurant is our house slash dorm, so naturally I'm back. Though I have to go again to accompany some princess," he sulked.
"You don't have to," Sanji twitched, his temper jumped a bit – again, this was the third time from the moss head.
"Moss head knight," he added. Roronoa's eyes widened while Luffy blurted out laughing nonstop.
"You damn cook!"
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that."
"Baka-cook!"
"Are you trying to pick a fight with me?"
"Let's see what you got, eh Cook no hime*3!" They were already at each other's throats but suddenly Luffy jumped in and separated the two by their faces.
"Okaay… stop it. We have to go. Or Sabo will be mad at us."
"He started it!" whined the blond.
"Oh really?" argued the green head.
"Oh, shut up. I don't want Sabo to be mad at me. He is maleficent when he is." The noirette pouted.
Sanji blinked, hardly believing what he had heard. Luffy? The most ignorant boy was afraid of his big brother? He has to watch out for him. Roronoa ruffled the noirette's hair.
"Fine. Go!" he said, walking to the right.
"Is there any shortcut?" asked the blond, following Roronoa.
"What shortcut? We're going to the train station."
"But that's to the left, isn't it?"
"AHAHAHAHHAHAHAH!" a vociferous laugh resounded in the air. The noirette was rolling on the road laughing, holding his stomach.
"Wh-WHAT!?" roared Roronoa, face turned red in embarrassment.
"I thought you know a shortcut. What kind of werewolf are you? Losing a way like-" spat Sanji annoyed, though he did freeze after that, realizing he slipped out something he shouldn't. He sure felt a menacing dark aura behind him.
[Uh-oh… this would be bad.]
"What do you mean by that?"
"Ah… ah no I… mean… I mean, you're always so distant and sulking and dark and cold. I thought your personality mirrored the werewolf's, so…" the blond let his words hung. He bit his lower lip, hoping the green head would drop the subject. To his relief, Roronoa did. The green head walked passed him and Luffy in silence, the only sound being the jingle of his earrings.
"Come on, Sanji. Let's take you home," led Luffy with a smile, a warm smile. He returned the boy's smile with his sad one as he followed them.
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"You know, Zoro uh… I mean Roro always lost his way. Even though he only has to go to the minimarket near our house, he always- uffhtt!" Luffy's words stopped when the green head elbowed his stomach.
"Shut up!" he sulked, face turning a nice pink color.
"Well, from what I've been seen so far, I'd totally agree with Luffy."." Sanji laughed, making the green head redder than he had been.
"Cut it out already, fuckers!" Roronoa spat, jerking his head to the opposite side – the right side – hiding his now reddened face, arms crossed in front of his muscular chest.
[He was like a pouting puppy indeed. Haha! Ah wait! If... if this stupid green head is that Zoro then…. THEN what the hell was I doing just now?!]
Now it was the blond who was blushing furiously.
"Sanji?" called Luffy confused.
"Fu- ah… no… nothing! I just… just remembered something embarrassing," stuttered the blond chef. He turned his head to the left, dropping his gaze to the train floor.
[His mane was soft, though... FUCK! THE HELL AM I THINKING?!] Sanji was stunned at his own thoughts; he really wanted to dig a whole and bury himself – well he won't die anyway.
"Shishishishi~~! Your face keeps changing, you are funny!"
"I'm not!" Sanji blushed again, stealing a glance at the green head who was now looking at him with those cold dark brown beads, which somehow made him uncomfortable.
"Stop that, seriously!" Sanji growled.
"Huh?" Luffy asked while the green head only arched one of his eyebrows.
"Ah… no, forget it. We're reaching soon already."
"So, what station should we stop at?" asked Roronoa.
"Nanohana station."
"Oh, it's the next stop," said Luffy.
"Right. Thank you for accompanying me, Luffy." Sanji smiled.
"Anytime~!"
"Yeah, thanks to you too. Don't sulk too much," teased the chef.
"Keeh… It's okay. It's my face anyway," replied the green head wantonly.
The announcer was announcing their destination.
"Then… you guys should change to another platform."
"But we reached here already. Let's take a walk," begged Luffy while stepping out from the train, as the other followed.
"Just tell him what you want already. Gosh!" sighed Roronoa, once they were out from the train.
"Huh?" went the blond, confused.
"Shishishi! Zoro knows me well, uh! I mean…"
"He wants to see your house," snapped Roronoa. He gave up already. Luffy was ignorant and too naïve anyway. At this point, he didn't even care if the blond knew what he really was. Sanji seemed okay in every way and from his point of view, he could even feel that the chef was hiding something, kind of heavy burden, which he didn't know what it was exactly, but it was there, bothering him, stirring him, remembering of what he was before he met the noirette.
"Uhh… house. I-"
"Don't force anything. If you're uncomfortable, then so be it." Roronoa cut quickly.
"It's not that. I just…"
"It's okay then. We won't come."
"It's not that seriously. I live in a studio apartment and my room is a mess," he explained, a little annoyed.
"So?" Luffy butted in.
"If you still wanna come, you're very much welcome to be my guests," grinned the blond, walking towards the station gate, followed by the two. Upon reaching, the blond starting to feel uncomfortable, so did the green head. They were tensing up all of the sudden. Luffy noticed their uneasiness.
"Something's wrong?" asked the noirette worryingly.
"I'm not sure but… I don't like this smell," said Sanji, trembling ever so slightly.
"Smell? What smell?"
"Blood," Roronoa replied curtly.
* HnO HnO HnO HnOHnO – To be Continued –HnO HnOHnO HnO HnO *
*1 Baka-tachi = idiots (in a playful way anyway~)
*2 Minna : everybody
*3 no Hime : Princess
This is the fastest chapt I've ever done.
from here, it will be getting a little darker and slight gore *kind warning* well for another three or four next chapters if I counted it right though.
And so how was it? Good bad? Haha~ please do review so, I could do others better.
Jyaa~ 'till next time ~o^/
HnO