Archive of Our Own

Zoro - April 1st

It was an accident.

Zoro had been running on fumes all day, too numb from his first job and too tired from his second job to even bother to check his texts. He figured it’d be the usual: Nami bugging him about “interest” on money he swore he’d paid off; Luffy begging to go on some insane and last minute adventure in the shameless way only unemployed people could; Robin sending him a daily inspirational quote that she knew he always read without a response; and a few random TikToks from Usopp that usually got a lame, but humorous huff out of him.

Sanji—his always distant, yet insufferably beautiful roommate—never texted. Besides a few heads up about guests and the occasional forgotten keys emergency, the leggy blond tended to keep extra curricular contact to a minimum unless absolutely necessary. Which was fair, considering their in-person interactions weren’t exactly pleasant—no matter how much Zoro enjoyed them.

So he hadn’t known, when he’d trudged through the door with sore calves and a sweat-drenched white t-shirt, that Sanji texted him about entering the house quietly, and to avoid the kitchen.

And, unfortunately, he hadn’t picked up on the reason why until he was already sliding past him to dive into the middle of the forbidden space, and pulling the refrigerator door open with an exhausted groan.

“What’s for dinner, shitty cook? I’m starving.”

A kick to his burning shins sent him doubled over in pain. He clutched his leg as he dropped onto the floor, just beneath the height of the kitchen island, and hissed. “What the fuck?”

Overgrown, wavy blond strands crowded his vision, and long slender fingers gripped his chin. Goosebumps rippled down his arms as Sanji pulled his face upwards and shifted his gaze to meet ocean blue. Sanji leaned in closer, his cheeks rosier than normal and his lips tinted a subtle pink. Fuck. Zoro’s heart pounded in his chest at his roommate—his stupid, pointless crush—looking so pretty and being so fucking close.

“Can you not read texts, dumb moss?” Sanji spat in a hushed tone. His curly eyebrows furrowed and his lips settled into a familiar frown. “I’m in the middle of a stream.”

Zoro managed to tear his eyes away from Sanji to peer over at the small tripod set up in front of the kitchen island. He squinted through his glasses, clearly in need of a prescription update, and could barely make out the TikTok interface on Sanji’s phone with its steady flow of comments coming in.

While Zoro knew a little bit about Sanji’s internet presence, it rarely interfered with his daily routine. He knew Sanji made cooking videos by the abundance of new recipes that constantly littered their fridge, and his own role as his designated taste tester, but he’d never seen him in action before. He didn’t know he was popular enough to have the audience for a live stream, either.

“Shit, I didn’t check my phone,” he grumbled once he brought his eyes back to Sanji. “I didn’t know.”

Sanji cussed underneath his breath and dropped his hand. “I’ll deal with you later,” he huffed. “Just take what you need and be quiet. I’ll be done in an hour.”

Zoro nodded before Sanji rolled his eyes and strolled back over to his phone. He scrambled to his feet and, without a peep, opened up the fridge again. He scanned the shelves for the water filter, in desperate need of a cure for his now suspiciously dry throat, and listened passively as Sanji rambled through an apology.

“Mosshead,” Sanji said with a sigh.

Zoro’s shoulders jumped. His hands finally gripped around the jug of water, but he didn’t dare turn his head around. “Hmmf?”

“They’re asking about you, come here,” Sanji grumbled. Zoro had to applaud his restraint, because there was far less venom in his voice than usual. Gotta keep that image intact.

“Do I have to?” he grumbled back as he pulled out the water and held it close to his chest. He didn’t dare turn around, choosing to cherish the safety of his distorted reflection in the black, glossy door of the fridge once it closed shut.

“You owe me,” Sanji said between gritted teeth, still managing to keep his tone deceivingly sweet.

With a deep breath for courage, Zoro slowly turned around and tried not to think too much about the number of people Sanji could possibly be entertaining right now. He took a few unbalanced steps forward until he was finally in Sanji’s shot with his emotional support water jug still clutched to his chest.

Sanji leaned into the camera more as words and hearts started to fly up and down the screen at a rapid pace. Zoro couldn’t help but lean in too, his curiosity getting the best of him as he pushed his glasses up his nose and tried his best to make out the small characters.

“Fuck,” he cussed, heart dropping as he eyed the view count—372 viewers and building at a steady pace.

Sanji stepped on his foot with a tight smile. “Guidelines,” he hissed.

A wince left his lips at the assault, and his eyes grew wide at his own mistake. “Shit,” he said. Another mistake. His cheeks bloomed red. “I’m sorry,” he blurted out.

Comments continued to pour in as Sanji chuckled. He shot Zoro an amused look before glancing back at the screen. “This is my roommate, and apparently he’s camera shy.”

Zoro blushed harder. “Hi,” he said while giving the camera an awkward wave, not sure what else to say.

Sanji snorted as animated hearts and flowers once again filled up the screen. Zoro couldn’t make out much, but he did see the word “daddy,” pop up a couple of times, which did nothing to stop his headshot from looking like a Christmas Day parade.

“You guys are giving this brute too much credit,” Sanji said as he pointed at him. “He doesn’t even shower daily.”

Zoro gawked at Sanji before slapping him on the arm, deciding all bets were off. “If I’m not going anywhere I don’t see why it matters!” he spat in defense. “And anyway, at least I don’t do weird sh-stuff like tape my mouth shut in my sleep!”

Sanji gasped dramatically. “It has health benefits, stinky moss!”

“Kinky mouth breather!” Zoro yelled back.

They gravitated closer, as they always did. Zoro met Sanji’s angry, curly brows with a practiced snarl as their chests bumped together. His heart raced in his chest and his skin vibrated from Sanji’s proximity, like it always did whenever they touched. He swallowed hard and tried to hold his infuriating gaze, but up close Sanji was even more alluring. Long eyelashes, pretty eyes, and glossy lips made his head spiral. It was unfair. Sanji was so unfair.

All of their conversations eventually led them here. In some ways, Zoro was grateful for the excuse to get pressed up against walls and brush up against any part of Sanji’s body. He liked the thrill. He liked the tension. But some days, he wished Sanji would give him a chance to get to know him—any at all, romantic or not. Because Sanji’s indifference was what spurred his drunken rants on the rare occasion he tested his liquor limits too far, and all he wanted was to get to one inch closer.

Eventually, Sanji wrinkled his nose in disgust. “Take your water and go shower.” He pushed Zoro away and gave him one last once over before turning back to the screen. “And I’m making that pasta you like.”

While he didn’t want to bend to Sanji’s will, he’d been looking forward to those three things for the last few hours, so he flipped him off in one last act of defiance with a half assed “thanks.” He pulled his sweaty t-shirt away from his body as he rounded the kitchen island and stepped into the main hallway, overstimulation kicking in at the 300+ people who just perceived him.

He hoped all of Sanji’s viewers would move on from the incident quickly. He only had a TikTok account to entertain Usopp, but social media wasn’t his thing. It made sense for Sanji though. He was charming and down to earth—when he wasn’t being a little brat.

Just as he was about to push the door of his bedroom open, he heard another one of Sanji’s snarky laughs.

“Me and him?” Sanji wheezed. “Dating?”

Zoro’s steps faltered. He held his breath.

“Absolutely not, you guys are ridiculous.”

His chest stung as the words settled in, but they weren’t anything he didn’t already know. Sanji didn’t want anything more to do with him. He was the one with the pathetic crush, and the inappropriate infatuation. They were roommates.

That’s all they ever would be.

***

Sanji - April 1st

It was an accident.

Sanji usually avoided social media for a couple of hours after posting or doing a stream, but tonight he was restless. Even after going through the entirety of his self-care routine: exfoliating; face masks; and, of course, his infamous mouth tape, he was still wide awake in bed with no sign of going to sleep any time soon. So, he did what every 20-something did before bed:

Doom scrolled.

He knew his fans were looking forward to a Q&A after a recent rise of popularity from a few viral videos. He’d been putting it off for weeks now, too busy with the restaurant, a few partnerships that came through, and the overall health of his page. Today though, he’d finally gotten his first night off in weeks, which happened to clash directly with his roommate's equally insane schedule.

Seriously, it’s like that moving patch of grass never took a break. Sanji was sure Zoro would starve without him, which he liked to pretend was the reason for all the packed meals he’d leave for him in between the gaps of their schedules. That, and he practically ate anything, which made for a perfect test subject.

It also helped that he wasn’t bad on the eyes. You know, if ‘not bad on the eyes’ meant extremely fucking hot.

He wasn’t blind—unlike the moss, which was perhaps the most infuriating cherry on top of all of his sex appeal. Those nerdy, black square frames that fit him so well. God, and he was always fiddling with them too. Using those strong hands to push them up his nose, or messing with the stems where they were too tight around his ears.

Zoro was a walking contradiction, a giant dumb jock on the surface, with enough secret brains to get him a job as an accountant. He was hot and quiet enough to come off like an unapproachable dickhead, but, underneath it all ,Sanji knew he had no bite. So there was no surprise when his fans, and apparently a few other thousand people on the internet, took a liking to him too.

Sanji sucked his teeth as he read the “mosshead” hashtag trending with his name on Twitter. He’d already been given a hard time on the livestream about him, no one wanting to move beyond Zoro’s appearance for at least 10 minutes. He’d shut down as many questions about them dating as he could, not wanting to put Zoro through the awkwardness of internet drama since the man was practically a ghost—which he found out the hard way. The day Zoro moved in, he spent hours trying to stalk him online and nothing came up. Not even a graduation photo.

But one accidental click on the tag brought up tons of clips and videos of the both of them from the livestream. The first one was a video of Zoro walking into the frame, huffing with his hair stuck to his forehead and his shirt stuck to his chest. Everything was on display, from the outline of his abdomen to the slight poke of his nipples. He wore a smirk as he looked Sanji up and down before opening the fridge with a sexy groan. ‘What’s for dinner, shitty cook? I’m starving.’

Asshole.

But now that he was here… he couldn’t look away.

A gif of Zoro waving at the camera with adorable flushed cheeks; a screengrab of Zoro peering down at the screen, eyes slightly squinted and strong jawline on full, beautiful display; a gif of Zoro pulling his shirt away from his chest with a satisfied grin, which Sanji hadn’t even had the pleasure of seeing in real time.

But the worst offenders were the content of them together. The same clip of them shouting insults at each other littered his feed, all ending with the same standstill of their bodies flushed against each other. Sanji blushed at the sight. He understood why his fans were making insinuations about their relationship; he wasn’t exactly being discreet about his attraction.

The problem was, Zoro wasn’t into him. He wasn’t sure if Zoro was into anybody. Their schedules were polar opposite, so if he was hooking up with anybody then Sanji didn’t know about it. But he was curious. Curious about which ways he swung, if he swung at all, and how heavy it swung.

With a sigh, Sanji exited out of Twitter and went to check TikTok, since he was already in too deep. His notifications were excessive there, with several tags waiting for him in a different tab. He clicked on the first one and cussed underneath his breath once he saw that it was a fan-edit.

A Zoro edit.

The music mumbled low behind the image of Sanji and Zoro. Sanji eyed Zoro with the most fond, and obvious smile before turning back to the camera. ‘This is my roommate, who is camera shy apparently.’

The volume of the music increased. The camera panned to Zoro. ‘I just met your roommate, put him on my to-do list,’ the music sang as the edit zoomed in on Zoro with the downbeat, and the stupid brute mumbled out an adorable ‘hi.’

Clips from the stream followed, showcasing Zoro walking in, playing with his shirt, and smirking and grinning. Each shot was perfectly slowed down and each transition was perfectly on time with the music. It ended with the song dissolving and a clip of the two pressed up against each other. The screen faded to black as Sanji shoved him out of the frame.

Sanji didn’t even have it in his heart to be annoyed that the mosshead was getting fan-edits off of a 2 minute long interaction, not if they were this good.

He let the video loop.

And then again.

And again, and again, until his face was hot and his pulse was rushing underneath the dark cloak of his bedroom. Funnily enough, the edit didn’t even do Zoro justice, even with all of the coloring, zooms, and slow-mo. Fuck. He was just walking around like that, like a steaming stalk of hormones.

Sanji groaned and locked his phone before his thoughts led him to do something he’d regret. If he crossed that line—the jerking off to videos of his roommate line—he’d never be able to look back.

Instead, he thought back to dinner, how Zoro had re-emerged from his shower clean but considerably more grumpy. Still, he’d sat at the table with Sanji and scarfed down his take on a viral Turkish Pasta recipe that he’d loved the first time he made it. Even despite his mood, he still had managed to smile softly at Sanji and mumble out a thank you before taking care of the dishes. For someone so ill-mannered, he at least knew when to say please and thank you. It was a low bar, Sanji knew, but it never failed to make his heart flutter.

Sanji groaned again before flipping his body over and burying his face into his pillow. Stupid Zoro with his stupid body and his stupid manners and his stupid glasses. Fuck, he wanted to ride his stupid fucking face.

He ran his fingers through his hair and tried his best to think about something else—anything else. Tomorrow's lunch rush. The Betty Crocker partnership video he’d have to film this weekend. The threat of getting his finances in order with the tax deadline approaching soon.

Maybe he could ask Zoro if—

No.

The only thing more dangerous than a big strong man with glasses was seeing him work in them.

Zoro was his roommate. And if Sanji wanted to keep the one stress-free arrangement in his life, that’s all he could ever be.

Zoro - April 2nd

It was an accident.

That’s what he texted Usopp the next day in response to receiving at least 5 different TikToks of himself on Sanji’s livestream.

So much for his audience moving on.

But of course, that alone wasn’t a good enough explanation.

Usopp hounded him as soon as they left for lunch, barely letting the elevator doors close before crossing his arms over his chest. “I thought you said Sanji hated you.”

Zoro leaned up against stainless steel and grunted. The elevator floor dropped beneath their feet and the whoosh of gravity filled his silence as he thought back. “I said he wanted nothing to do with me.”

Usopp slapped his hands over his face. “I did not get that from the way he was looking at you.”

“Did you miss the parts where he insulted me multiple times?”

“You started it, and you’re practically obsessed with the guy,” Usopp scoffed. “So what’s your excuse?”

Okay. That was true, but it was different when he did it.

“If he wanted me, I think I’d know by now,” Zoro said with a sigh.

Usopp squinted at him. “Half of this office wants to get into your pants and you didn’t even realize until I told you.”

Another truth.

The doors slid open with a ritualistic ding, and the both of them stepped out into the main floor of their fancy lobby. Zoro always felt out of place at the accounting firm. He hated having to wear a stuffy suit and tie, and he hated all of the scathing looks he got over his hair color. But in his defense, this was supposed to be a remote job. If they wanted him in the office 5 days a week then they’d have to put up with his colorful choices.

“I believe the cook’s exact words to questions about us dating were ‘absolutely not,’” Zoro mumbled as they pushed through the revolving doors and cowered in the wake of April’s weather identity crisis. Today, it was unseasonably warm—windy, but with little to no bite. He smiled once he realized his decision not to bring a coat with his suit jacket had paid off.

Usopp, on the other hand, shivered and zipped up his coat to the top of his neck while Zoro undid the button on his suit jacket.

“I don’t think he meant that,” Usopp said, voice muffled as he buried his mouth into the collar of his coat. He set off on the sidewalk and Zoro took that as his queue to follow, always thankful that he didn’t have to make their lunch time decisions. “But even if he did, he said nothing about hooking up.”

Zoro frowned as their dress shoes stomped against the pavement. The firm was in a popular part of town, close to a nearby main street that capitalized on nearby working bees with shops and restaurants with any and every cuisine available. In the throws of tax season, most of their colleagues opted for working lunches inside of the stuffy building, but Zoro needed his 30 minutes of fresh air in order to avoid the throws of insanity.

“I want more than just a hookup,” Zoro said after a few more heavy footsteps. He was getting tired of settling. Settling for endless days, settling for a job that took away his freedom, settling for blurry faces at bars he couldn’t really remember. For once he wanted to settle down. Find a home. Find his person. But you couldn’t settle down with roommates. “That’s the problem.”

Usopp turned back around to shoot him an understanding nod before leading them around a bend and pausing at a crosswalk. “How’s the Barbie Dreamhouse fund coming along?”

Zoro shrugged his shoulders. They both knew he met his savings goal months ago. He’d just gotten a new promotion too. There was nothing stopping him from moving into the loft of his dreams just on the outskirts of town, saved and secured by Robin who was friends with the owner of the property.

Except for the fact that he wouldn’t have any more excuses to be around Sanji.

“You’re down bad, dude,” Usopp said with a sigh.

Zoro kicked a loose pebble of gravel while the crosswalk beeped and cars drove past. “He needs a roommate.”

Their rent was insane.

Granted, they shared a nice 2 bedroom apartment in a busy part of town, close enough to Main Street but far enough to hold some semblance of community. The only reason why Zoro moved in was because they were both desperate. Sanji needed to fill an income deficit and Zoro needed a place close to the firm once they mandated the office return. Up until that point, he’d been couch-surfing with Luffy as he dragged him along on his countless expeditions, and barely crunching numbers in his alone time.

“Are you sure that’s still the case?” Usopp asked with a raised eyebrow. The light turned green and they both set off again, feet fitting between the white lines on the pavement. Zoro matched Usopp’s pace once they returned to the sidewalk and made a right. “He’s getting pretty popular on TikTok. He has to be making money off of the platform.”

“Stats?” He asked as they continued walking, the path even more unfamiliar than normal.

Usopp shot him a knowing look. “About to hit 100k, thanks to you.”

Well damn.

“Don’t tell me you never checked out his page?”

Zoro shrugged. “Isn’t that weird?” Like an invasion of privacy?

“It’s a public account,” Usopp said with a roll of his eyes. “Just look up his name when we get to the restaurant.”

Zoro grunted as they continued onwards. They finally hit Main Street, but on a block further down from most of the usual action. He didn’t bother to question it as he followed bouncy curls down the block, and the shops got smaller and the restaurants got fewer. Then, finally, Usopp stopped in front of a brick storefront and pulled a heavy brown door open.

The Baratie.

And for some reason, the name almost sounded familiar.

Usopp beckoned Zoro inside and led him toward a pick-up area in the back of the restaurant. The nook was bustling with suits who filled up each corner of the small space with tapping feet and buzzing smartwatches, all surrounding the poor host at a single, lone register.

“Lunch special?” Usopp asked as he pointed to the chalkboard above the register. House salad, pasta of the day, and a fountain drink. Zoro grunted in response, and Usopp took that as his cue to slink his way through the crowd, curls disappearing as the patrons swallowed him whole.

Zoro continued to idle near the back, finding a comfortable spot up against the outer wall that faced the kitchen. Sizzling, crackling, and yelling wafted over the upper window that allowed smoke and savory aromas to escape. He let the chaos acclimate him from what was sure to be a long wait, and pulled out his phone with Usopp’s suggestion in mind.

The first three letters of Sanji’s name was all Tiktok’s search engine needed to suggest the man Zoro was working for.

He clicked on the page and admiration swelled in his chest. 98k followers. He really was popular.

He scrolled through his pinned videos first, thumbing his way through clips of Sanji’s pretty hands chopping and flipping and kneading alongside voice overs that made his heart race. Zoro couldn’t make out too much underneath the cacophony of the restaurant, but the soft mumble of Sanji’s voice was enough to make him smile.

So this was Sanji in his element, huh.

He didn’t know how long he spent watching his TikToks—didn’t realize the slow ebb and flow of the crowd and Usopp’s reappearance by his side until the comforting hum of Sanji’s voice bloomed loud and fond in his ear.

“Hey mossy!”

Zoro jumped out of his skin.

He snapped his eyes up to meet the man of the hour as his fingers fumbled with his phone, trying to swipe out of the app and letting the device tumble out of his grip entirely. The phone fell with a soft clatter, earning the pitying stares of Usopp and Sanji as Zoro’s ears flushed.

“I got it,” Usopp said, voice shaky as he whipped his head away from the both of them. His shoulders shook as he bent down to retrieve the phone—a stupid and unsuccessful attempt at hiding his laughter.

Zoro had been set up.

He clenched his jaw as the realization kicked in and turned his attention back to Sanji who—fuck. Who looked hot. He wore all white, like a real chef, his jacket pressed and crisp. His hair was slightly tousled, and his skin was a little dewy, probably from the kitchen heat, and he looked sexy. The kind of sexy that came without trying. The kind of sexy that could bring Zoro to his knees.

No, this was Sanji in his element.

“I noticed you when you walked in so I figured I’d say hi,” Sanji said with a smile, which sounded suspiciously like he was happy to see him and Zoro wasn’t used to that. Sanji held out a brown to-go bag by the straps and pointed to a line of rushed handwriting that read ’Mosshead.’ “Funnily enough, the pasta of the day is what I made you for dinner last night.”

Zoro accepted the food. Words struggled to find his lips. Sanji was just so Sanji, right now. Fuck. His job was this close by? How hadn’t he known that? How had they never run into each other before?

“It’s nice to finally meet you,” Usopp cut in, saving the day. He shook Sanji’s hand with a genuine smile, and Sanji’s apprehension floated away as he shook and smiled back. “I work with Zoro, and I’ve been over to your place a few times too.”

“It’s nice to meet you too,” he said earnestly. “Lunch break, I assume?” His eyes flitted back to Zoro, briefly looking him up and down.

This time, Zoro actually managed a grunt.

Sanji smirked, all of that professionalism and kindness flying out the window and settling into something Zoro was more equipped to navigate. “I can’t believe that place is actually capable of getting you into a suit. I thought you only owned sweatpants.”

Zoro sucked his teeth as he pulled at his tie, discomfort starting to claw at him underneath Sanji’s gaze. “And I didn’t know they gave out fancy uniforms to shitty cooks,” he grumbled.

“Then you probably don’t want food served to you by a shitty cook,” Sanji gritted between his teeth. He reached for the bag of food, but Usopp intercepted it before he could wrap his hands around it.

“Don’t mind my friend,” Usopp said with a nervous laugh. “He talks about how good your food is all the time.”

Again with the fucking truth.

Zoro looked away when he felt Sanji eye him again.

“Is that so?” Sanji mused.

“Don’t you have a job to get back to?” Zoro asked, still refusing to look at him.

Usopp tugged on his sleeve. “What he means is, we know you’re busy. So we’ll get out of your hair!”

Sanji laughed—fully laughed. It was so beautiful and bright, that Zoro just had to take a peek at him. He got an eyeful of his head tossed back and the redness clawing up his neck. All of the air left Zoro’s lungs at once.

“At least there’s someone here who speaks fluent in Zoro,” Sanji said finally, after calming down. His hand gave Usopp a squeeze on the shoulder in goodbye. “Glad to know the moss has friends like you.”

He turned back to Zoro with a cute wave. “Good to see you in the daylight!” He said before spinning on his heel and heading back in the direction of the kitchen.

Once he was a safe distance away, Usopp jumped in front of him with the meanest glare.

“What,” he grunted.

Usopp made a weird gesture with his hands. “What was that?”

Zoro shoved his hands in his pockets. “He was judging me for the suit,” he said in defense.

“He was eye-fucking you in it,” Usopp whispered harshly. “Your response should’ve been—” he paused to clear his throat and pitched down his voice to something cheesily seductive “‘—thank you. I’ve been told I look a lot different inside my work clothes.’”

Zoro snorted. “Let’s just get back so we can eat.”

Usopp sighed, but stepped toward the main entrance without protest anyway. Zoro followed, but not before sparing one last glance at the direction Sanji had walked in. If he squinted, he could make out a mop of blond and those curly brows through the upper kitchen in the window. He walked and watched as Sanji circled the different stations, his mouth moving with a confidence that demanded respect as he ordered, and critiqued, and praised.

He got so caught up in the show that he hadn’t seen the pillar in front of him.

It happened in slow motion.

Zoro’s head hit the brick with a loud smack. His glasses cracked and tumbled somewhere onto the floor as he reeled his head back, groaning. He couldn't see where they landed, his surroundings turning into a blurry palette of grey, red and brown as his head throbbed and pounded.

And then a crunch.

Zoro whipped his head around to the noise just in time to watch a black pair of combat boots lift off of his glasses.

Fuck.

“Uh,” Usopp’s voice sounded. “Please tell me you have a back up pair?”

Zoro put his head in his hands and sighed.

***

Sanji - April 4th

It was an accident.

Well, more like an oversight.

Sanji was just too excited to double check if the apartment was empty, and too excited to shoot an impromptu text.

He rushed through the front door and skipped all pretense, and all routine. Instead, he lunged for the couch in the living room with his thumb hovering over TikTok on his phone.

Then he was live.

“One-hundred thousand?!” He yelled as soon as the screen came to life. Comments started pouring in, hearts flooded the screen, and the viewer count climbed and climbed and climbed. “I’m so lucky.”

And he meant that.

His comment section lit up with congratulations, and Sanji tried his best to take it all in without tearing up.

“Ask me anything,” he said after a few seconds. “My treat to you.”

Everything went fine—in the beginning. It wasn’t until about 5 questions in when the sound of the bathroom door opening made Sanji jump out of his skin.

Shit.

Zoro was here.

Sanji regained some of his composure. His fans liked the green brute, so the worst that could happen is a few more views and lots more annoying questions that he’d gotten used to dodging by now.

He opened his mouth to answer another question from his fans, but stopped in his tracks once he noticed Zoro walk down the hall through the video feed on his screen.

Fuck.

Last time he’d seen Zoro, he’d needed to take a brief trip into the walk-in to compose himself. He’d never thought too much about what Zoro wore to work, but for some reason he hadn’t expected him to look that damn good in a suit. The image of him loosening his tie with a frustratingly hot groan had plagued him for the rest of his shift.

But this? This was worse.

Because Zoro had on nothing besides a thin white towel tied around his waist, and a new pair of glasses.

“Hey curls,” Zoro mumbled as he reached the doorway just behind Sanji’s position on the couch. His hands tousled at his hair with a towel, and he barely looked up before resting against the frame.

Sanji made an incomprehensible sound, cheeks reddening as his eyes flickered across the image of him on his screen.

So. Fucking. Hot.

He knew Zoro was built. Nothing could hide the way his muscles rippled and bulged underneath his clothing. But damn was it different seeing them with nothing compromising the view. Broad shoulders. Firm muscles. Plump chest. Hard abs. Thick thighs. Lean calves. It was all too much.

But the glasses.

The other ones had been hot in a tech bro way, basic black and square. But these were illuminating. Round, brown tortoise shell glasses with generous amounts of gold splashed and speckled throughout. The bridge had a keyhole shape, which suited his nose perfectly, and the colors highlighted the tan of his skin and the shine of his jewelry, adding brightness and life to his face that made him glow.

He was trying to kill him.

“Wait, are you on live?” Zoro said, his voice wavering as he straightened up his posture.

Words finally managed to find Sanji’s throat. “Y-yeah, sorry I should’ve texted.”

Zoro bloomed bright red. He gripped the towel around his waist a bit tighter and brought the other hand to the back of his neck.

Cute.

Sanji finally had the good sense to lower the phone and shift his position so that Zoro was no longer in the shot. He caught a peek at the comments, and couldn’t help but blush at all the freaky emojis and accusations about his clear attraction to the moss.

He cleared his throat before turning around to face him for real. “New glasses?”

Zoro nodded with a frown. “Broke the other ones. These are too nice; Nami picked them.”

“She has good taste then,” he mumbled. “They look good.”

They locked eyes for a second, neither of them saying anything, before Zoro—the big mossy brute—smiled. It was small, but it was there. And it made him light up even more.

Fuck. Sanji was a goner.

“I’ll let you get back to your fans,” he said as he took a step back into the hallway. “Congrats on 100k.”

He knew about the milestone?

Sanji leaned forward. “Or you could join me?” He mentally winced at how desperate he sounded. “They’re always asking about you now.”

Zoro paused, and Sanji tried not to take it back.

“Okay,” he said finally, but not without a smirk inching across his lips. “But only if you come out with me and my friends to a bar tonight.”

Which sounded suspiciously like a date, but assumptions like those always got Sanji into trouble.

He barely took the time to think. “Put some clothes on, moss. You’ve got people to entertain.”

As Zoro disappeared toward his room, Sanji raised the phone up to his face in a panic. ’He’s so hot,’ and ’Did he just ask you out?' comments fled the bottom of his screen at a rapid pace.

“Everyone be cool,” he whispered harshly. “He’s shy so if you scare him away, there’s no way I’ll be able to get him to say yes again.” He watched as more comments came in and rolled his eyes. “Keep the questions cute.”

And that’s how Sanji ended up in his usual setup, leaning over the kitchen island with Zoro right by his side in front of the tripod. Their elbows dug into each other as they both tried to fit into the frame, but every slight jolt of warmth filled Sanji with excitement rather than frustration.

Which, of course, was a terrible sign.

How long have you guys been living together?

“Almost a year soon,” Sanji hummed. He turned to look at Zoro, whose shoulders were still apprehensive and tense. “Miss Robin connected us both.”

Zoro gave a stiff nod to the camera. “Mutual friend.”

“How do you know Miss Robin?” Sanji asked, realizing they hadn’t discussed this before. The urgency hadn’t allowed for it.

“Through Luffy,” Zoro said, his voice so low he was surprised his fans could actually hear what he was saying. “She owns a bunch of hostels, and we met her on this one trip…” he took a pause to breathe, and to smile. “Long story. But she’s good people.”

Sanji smiled at his fondness. “She mentioned you to be a ‘world traveler,’” he said with a chuckle. “So I was a little surprised to find out you were an accountant.”

Zoro snorted. “It was supposed to be a 3 month post-grad trip,” he said, sighing. “Luffy’s idea. I figured it’d be one of those ‘backpack across Europe’ deals but instead we took a full year and ended up on all 7 continents.”

“And the accounting?”

“I like math,” he said with a shrug. “One of the three universal languages.”

Sanji raised an eyebrow. “What’s the other 2?”

Zoro grinned. “Booze and sword fights.”

“Math, booze, and sword fights?” Sanji repeated incredulously. “What are you, a 5 year old who got hooked on the wrong type of bottle?”

That actually got a laugh out of him, a genuine one that made his eyes crinkle. “Well how do you know ‘Miss Robin,’” he mocked after he’d calmed himself down. He sunk into a more comfortable position and spread his elbows out, giving him the perfect resting place to lean down and tilt his head up at Sanji. His eyes peered over the rims of his new frames and… fuck.

He was so… fuck.

“She’s a regular at the restaurant,” he said as he tried to focus on Zoro’s nose. It was the safest option between those dreamy eyes and those full lips. He just looked so content, and he was watching him so intently, like anything that could come out his mouth was automatically important and interesting. “She had become quite the confidant, and got the brunt of my ‘roommate woes.’”

Zoro nodded as much as he could. “We were both desperate.”

Fuck, he was desperate now. How’d Zoro manage to get even hotter in just three days?

“How’d she describe me?” Sanji said before flickering his eyes to the screen. He’d almost forgotten they were there.

“Feisty chef with a big future and a heart of gold,” he recalled softly.

That sounded like Miss Robin.

Sanji smiled, this time meeting Zoro’s eyes. “So you knew I was a chef, but you insist on calling me cook because…”

“It pisses you off,” Zoro said with a smirk. “And I like riling you up.”

Sanji squinted his eyes at him. “Are you sure you like me?”

Zoro froze for a split second, so quick that Sanji only caught it because he was drinking every inch of him in. His smugness dropped, lips curling into something more serious and genuine. “Yeah, curls. I’m sure I like you.”

The words fell much heavier than when Sanji had said them a few seconds prior. He tried not to sink under the weight of them, or add a few more pounds with the burden of assumption, but it was hard when the look on Zoro’s face was so intense and absolute.

Sanji ducked away and used the camera as an excuse for a distraction. He schooled his expression as he read through comments, pursing his lips at all of the all caps and keyboard smashes at whatever the hell just happened. Then, finally, another question.

What’s it like living together? Who’s the messy one?

“He’s the messy one,” Zoro said as soon as Sanji finished reading the prompt. He stood up fully and crossed his arms over his chest. “The only room he keeps spotless is the kitchen.”

Sanji gasped before standing up to his full height as well. He poked Zoro in the chest—definitely not as an excuse—and whipped his head back to the camera. “I’m not messy! I might be messier in comparison, but only because of his allegiance to minimalism!”

“I can’t shower without swimming in blond,” Zoro scoffed.

“I deep clean the tub once a week!” He yelled, voice increasing in pitch as he turned back to Zoro. “And I’m only shedding because I need a trim. I’m not going bald,” he finished, this time angled toward the camera.

Zoro looked at the camera too, dead on for the first time since they started. “Yet,” he amended.

Sanji kicked his leg, and Zoro let out a cross between a wince and a laugh.

“You’re the one that’s gonna go bald if you keep dying your hair, mosshead,” he gritted between his teeth.

Zoro ran a hand through his hair with a frown, and Sanji swallowed hard.

“But then you’d have to retire the nickname.”

Sanji bit his lip. “Insult,” he corrected.

Zoro smiled. “Sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night, ‘cause it sure ain’t that mouth tape.”

“Yeah, you’re done,” Sanji grumbled while pushing Zoro out of the frame.

Protests and hearts bombarded the screen as Sanji inched closer, but he met them all with apologetic smiles. “Thanks for tuning in. I’ll think of something special to do for 100k, but I hope you know how much your support means to me in the meantime.”

“Sappy cook!” Zoro yelled from off screen, already rounding the island.

Sanji rolled his eyes. “I’m proud of it. Eat well and eat good. I’ll see you soon!”

Zoro - April 4th

It was an accident.

He hadn’t planned on inviting Sanji out to a bar. The words just flew out of his mouth.

But now he was walking side by side with Sanji, who was wearing a lace collared shirt with an unfair amount of buttons undone and putting all of that beautiful chest hair on display.

So yeah, Zoro was pretty content.

“Usopp from work,” Sanji rattled off as he rubbed his hands together. Each word made his breath visible in the crisp night air. They’d argued over whether or not Sanji should’ve brought a coat, but Sanji won in the end—which meant his body lost. “Nami and Luffy?”

Zoro shook his head as their feet pounded the sidewalk. He was lucky Sanji had also been to this bar before, because everything on Main Street looked the same at night and he wasn’t entirely sure if they’d passed it yet. “Nami and Vivi. Luffy is in Brazil.”

“Vivi,” Sanji purred and his body shivered.

They reached a crosswalk and Zoro sucked his teeth, unable to take it anymore. He pulled off his jacket without a word and draped it over Sanji’s hunched up shoulders.

“Moss,” Sanji snapped, glaring at him like he’d stolen his jacket instead of gifted him one. “I’m fine—”

“Just take the damn coat,” he scoffed as he stepped in front of him to pull the material up around the front of his chest, until all that lace and pearly skin was hidden underneath a layer of warmth. “‘Cause I won’t take care of you if you get sick.”

Sanji chuckled at that, and let his hands take in the cotton. “What a gentlemen,” he teased with a boyish grin.

Zoro’s stomach did backflips.

The light turned green, and Sanji went back to leading the way. “So what can I expect from a night out with the moss and the rest of the crew?”

He took a second to think it through as they continued on past shops and other crowded bars. “Me and Nami have a lot of drinking games,” he admitted. “So don’t feel pressured to keep up with us.”

Sanji turned to face with a raised brow. “Like?”

“Well, our favorite is taking a shot every time someone hits on Usopp without him knowing.”

“It happens that often?” Sanji asked with an awed expression.

Zoro nodded. “Yet he accuses me of being the oblivious one.”

“Two things can be true at once,” he said as he nudged him. “Give me others.”

“We take a sip of our drinks whenever Usopp mentions Kaya.”

A laugh bubbled out of Sanji. “Do all of these games involve him?”

Zoro shrugged. “Yeah, to be honest. But he knows and he doesn’t mind. Plus he never has to pay for drinks.”

Sanji shook his head in amusement. “Who’s Kaya?”

“His non ex-girlfriend,” Zoro sighed. “They’re doing this stupid thing where they broke up with each other ‘cause she’s going to med school pretty far away. But they still talk to each other 24 hours a day and aren’t seeing other people.”

“They probably think they’re doing the right thing for each other,” Sanji said, humming. “It’s very romantic.”

Zoro snorted. “Which is even more sickening.”

Sanji slapped his arm. “So I’m guessing a sip of a drink means he talks about her pretty often?”

“If Usopp is on the phone with her outside the bar, I’ll buy you a shot as soon as we walk in.”

Sanji smiled at him with rosy cheeks and a red nose bitten by the harsh evening air. “You’re on.”

It didn’t take long for them to reach their destination. The Sunny greeted them with a flickering sign, and so did Usopp.

Zoro turned to Sanji with a smile. “What’s your poison, curls?”

“We don’t know if—”

“Hey guys!” Usopp said once he laid eyes on them. He waved them over, and they crossed a few feet to meet him by the door. “Want to say hi to my girl—” he cleared his throat, the smile dropping off of his face all at once “—my… Kaya?”

Sanji did a terrible job of hiding his wince, but he appeased him without comment anyway and waved into the phone. Zoro did his part with a short greeting, but otherwise focused on pretending that he was back in Aruba on a beach sipping rum punches rather than standing in the freezing cold without a jacket on.

It was worth it to hear Sanji’s laugh mix with Kaya’s though.

When Usopp went back to spearheading the conversation, Sanji tapped Zoro on his bare arm. “Shit, you’re freezing,” he mumbled, low enough for only Zoro to hear. His hand rubbed at Zoro’s skin, and Zoro tried not to melt into a puddle. Sanji’s touch was Aruba. “Go inside. I’ll do a green tea shot.”

Zoro, too distracted by Sanji’s hand to tease him about his choice, simply nodded before stumbling toward the door and shoving himself inside. Green tea shots. Nami was going to have something smart to say.

The door jingled behind him as he took in the state of the dive. He spotted Nami first, who was already hustling strangers for money at pool, her ditzy act in full effect as she twirled her hair and rested delicate hands on men’s shoulders. Which meant Vivi was close by, but somewhere not too obvious. He scanned the rest of the room, taking in the crowded bar and the equally crowded high tops by the windows, before spotting blue hair by the speakers in the back. Classic rock.

Vivi waved once they made eye contact, and Zoro offered her a nod before shoving his way toward the bar area and drumming his fingers on the chipped wood. As usual, the bar was a mess and so was Franky. The big, bulky machine of a man fumbled shakers and bar spoons behind the counter as customers watched with annoyed stares and tipsy obliviousness. The mats smelled of spilled triple sec and the faulty mix of baking powder and seltzer used to cover it up.

“Here to help?” Franky asked hopefully once he laid eyes on him. The dark sunglasses on his face covered his eyes, but Zoro could tell they were frantic by his shaky hands and forced smile.

Zoro shook his head. “Not tonight. But I can make my own?”

Franky frowned, but the following thumbs up was all Zoro needed to walk around and hop over the counter. If he didn’t already have two jobs, he would’ve taken Franky’s bartending job offer a long time ago. For now, he liked to help out in exchange for covering the tab.

By the time Sanji and Usopp came inside and huddled up by the bar, Zoro was already in the process of pouring 6 even green tea shots into tiny, foggy glasses.

“You bartend too?” Sanji asked in surprise as Zoro finished topping off all of the glasses with a back and forth flick of his wrist.

Zoro looked up at Sanji once he was done, who looked even more tempting in the low lighting, and couldn’t help but tease him just a little. “That depends on if you’re tipping.”

A small smile spread across Sanji’s face. He leaned forward just a little, just enough to be heard more clearly over the sound of electric guitars and drums in half time. “If you’re good,” he said lowly, causing the tips of Zoro’s ear to burn in the darkness. “At your job,” he added hastily, smirking.

Shit.

“Coming through!” Nami’s voice rang, effectively snapping Sanji and Zoro apart. She scooted past some other patrons crowding the bar and shoved herself in between Usopp and Sanji. Her eyes landed on the shots in front of them with a scrunched up nose. “Where’s the real liquor?”

Zoro glared at her as Usopp stifled a laugh.

“You must be Nami?” Sanji asked, jumping right in. He turned to face her with an award-winning smile. “It’s lovely to meet you. You’re just as beautiful as Zoro described.”

Nami looked at Sanji, and then back at Zoro, and back at Sanji again. “Is this the roommate I’m always hearing about—”

Usopp shoved one of the shots into her hand with a loud laugh. “Where’s Vivi? We can’t do Sanji’s shot without her!”

Nami shut her mouth at that and shot Zoro an apologetic glance. “Welcome to the party, Sanji,” she said as she patted him on the shoulder and offered him a friendly smile. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

Sanji seemed to relax at her warmth and retrieved a shot glass of his own. By the time Zoro handed one to Franky, Nami came back with Vivi in tow and they all clinked their glasses together.

“To Sanji!” Usopp cheered. “Congrats on 100k!” Each person repeated the chant before slamming their glasses down on the counter and pressing them back up against their lips.

Sanji locked eyes with Zoro as they took the shot. His gaze didn’t waver as he and Zoro both knocked them back, and it only grew more intense after the glasses rested empty on the table. “You’re actually a bartender?”

Zoro shrugged. “Universal language. Easy to pick up.”

“Does this mean you know sword fighting too?” Sanji asked, eyebrows shooting up at the insinuation.

Zoro’s smug expression morphed into a wicked grin. “You have a lot to learn about me.”

“So I’m learning,” Sanji said with an amused shake of his head.

The rest of the night was a blur of tequila and tangents. Sanji fit right in, completely barreling through Nami’s 5 layers of defense in under an hour—which had to be some kind of record—and earned Vivi’s affections as well. Zoro spent his time alternating between making drinks for their group, plus a few other patrons when Franky was swamped, and leaning over Sanji to answer any and all of his questions.

He tried not to let Sanji’s sudden interest in his past and his free time let him jump to conclusions. This wasn’t a date. Or maybe it was? Zoro didn’t really go on those, so he couldn’t tell. But he knew he was paying too much attention to Sanji’s lips as they moved, and he knew he felt too relaxed at the task of talking about himself. He knew their banter was too easy. He knew the feeling of Sanji’s hand on his arm felt too right. And he knew that his friends could see it too, that Zoro had forgotten what inches and centimeters were as he pressed his leg into Sanji’s and lingered a bit too long after passing him a drink.

“I love this song!” Sanji exclaimed as he threw his hands up in the air. Zoro started watering him down after the second drink, so while this was drink number 6, this was really only drink number 3.

Vivi, who’d gotten completely cut off 2 drinks ago, nodded enthusiastically next to Sanji. “Wanna dance?” She slurred. She attempted to stand up from her seat, but Nami guided her back down gently.

“Water first,” she said firmly before waving Franky back over.

Sanji pouted and spun around to lock eyes with Zoro. “Dance with me?” He asked while leveling those brilliant blue eyes.

Zoro sucked in a breath. Nami and Usopp’s eyes were both on him, but he ignored them in exchange for staring at Sanji’s nose. It was the best option between bright blue eyes and soft, pink lips. “Okay,” he heard himself say, but it felt more like someone had pulled the word out of him than a conscious decision of his own.

“Yay!” He said cutely, squeezing Zoro’s arm once again. “Gonna use the little boy’s room first.”

To his credit, he was more lucid than Vivi and stood up with no signs of unbalance or dizziness. Good.

But as soon as he was out of earshot, all three of them pounced on him.

“What is happening right now?” Nami asked incredulously. “You guys are practically fucking each other in front of us.”

Zoro rolled his eyes. “We’re just talking.”

Usopp whistled. “Down bad.”

“He seems into you,” Vivi babbled. “He said he doesn’t get to go out often so he’s glad that you invited him. Said you’re good company.”

Nami suggestively ran her hand down Vivi’s arm in a mocking manner. “I’m sure he’s having a great time groping your arm and staring at you like he wants to eat you.”

“Good chef reference,” Usopp said, nodding before giving Nami a high-five.

“Plus he’s bisexual,” Vivi pointed out, which immediately made Zoro’s heart stop.

He lurched forward. “Really?”

“Really?” Nami repeated before breaking out into loud laughter.

Vivi waved her off and nodded up at Zoro. “So you have a chance.”

Zoro’s shoulders dropped. It didn’t really matter anyway, because Sanji still hadn’t shown clear signs of being into him. Plus—

“We’re roommates,” he mumbled. “He needs a roommate.”

Nami snorted. “I think he’s in need of something else.” That joke made even Vivi slip into giggles, or maybe it was just the alcohol.

“There’s always going to be a reason for why you can’t go for it,” Usopp said with a shrug. “Let him turn you down. If it’s awkward after, you won’t see him much anyway and your lease is gonna be up soon.”

Zoro scoffed. “You of all people should know the stakes here.”

Usopp smiled something small and forlorn. “I’m starting to think they don’t matter.”

Vivi sat up straighter and clapped her hands rapidly. “O-T-P!”

“Okay,” Nami said quickly, chuckling as she brought Vivi’s hands back down. “We’re staying to watch you make a fool of yourself on the dance floor, and then I’m taking the princess home.”

Usopp nodded in agreement. “Yeah. I think I’m gonna call Kaya before she starts getting ready for bed.”

Nami gave his hand a supportive squeeze. “Rooting for you guys.”

“And we’re rooting for you guys, too,” Vivi said, pointing at Zoro. “Good first date.”

“Careful with the ‘D’ word, you’ll scare him,” Nami said with a laugh.

Too late.

Zoro spotted a head of blond and cracked his neck, trying to calm himself down. “Everyone, be cool.”

Usopp snickered. “Down. Bad.”

Sanji walked back over to the group and immediately pulled on Zoro’s hand. “C’mon mossy, before the song is over.”

Zoro let himself be dragged onto the dance floor. There weren't many people occupying the makeshift space—pop music didn’t really match this demographic's taste. But the song had a nice bass to it that he felt before he heard, and the hi-hats rang nicely in his ears on each count, keeping him steady. The rest was nonsense, lost behind a barely there raspy voice and a simple melody.

Sanji stopped in a spot close to the speakers, but didn’t bother to let go of Zoro’s hand. His body moved like the music possessed him—hips swirling and body swaying side to side to each beat. He closed his eyes as he danced, and his lips parted slightly around incomprehensible lyrics. With each toss of his head, loose strands of his hair fluttered and bounced.

Zoro was sure now. This was Sanji in his element.

“You just gonna stand there?” Sanji said as he peeked one eye open.

Zoro ripped his eyes away from where Sanji’s shirt started to ride up his waist. Fuck. He needed to put his hands there.

“I’m not a dancer,” he admitted.

Sanji rolled his eyes as he dropped Zoro’s hand. Zoro didn’t sulk for long though, because Sanji exchanged the touch for removing the space between them and wrapping his arms around Zoro’s neck. “Prove it,” he said into his ear, causing goosebumps to ripple down his arms.

Zoro took a chance and placed his hands on Sanji’s waist, his cool hands coming in contact with soft skin. He couldn’t help but inch a little higher once Sanji hummed, always one to push the limit.

“Good first step,” Sanji teased, which got met with a pinch to his hip from Zoro.

Zoro smiled at him proudly. “That’s what you get for chastising me.” But he tried to match Sanji’s rhythm anyway, copying his sway with a lot more stiffness.

Samji grinned at him. “There you go. Good.”

Which… fuck.

Sanji was so… fuck.

He pressed closer. It was an accident, a reflex. Sanji’s hips grinded up against him and Zoro let out a shaky breath.

Sanji had the nerve to fucking giggle.

“You’re enjoying this,” Zoro gritted between his teeth, but he hoped he was. Shit, he really hoped he was.

“I like dancing,” he said simply, pursing his lips around the phrase to hold back his grin.

Just as Zoro was finally getting used to the two-step and Sanji’s hips, Sanji let his arms slip from around Zoro’s neck and spun his body around. He pressed his backside up against Zoro as he continued to sway, this time slowing it down.

Which was… fuck.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Zoro shuttered as Sanji’s ass rubbed against him. In this position though, he seemed to know exactly what to do. He met each one of Sanji’s movements with a grind of his own hips, and tried to think of normal, non-arousing thoughts. Like taxes, and his dream loft, and next week's clients at the gym.

But all of that flew out of the window when Sanji grabbed his hands again. This time, Sanji maneuvered them back around his waist and kept his touch on top of Zoro’s as they bumped and grinded.

It took all of his restraint not to bury his head in the crook of Sanji’s neck when he tilted his head. His skin begged to be kissed. Fuck. Zoro couldn’t take it. Sanji was too much.

And then the music finally faded out.

Sanji detached himself as the rhythm dissolved into silence. He turned back around to face Zoro with flushed cheeks. “Thanks for the dance.”

Zoro grunted, unable to do much else. He clenched and unclenched his fingers as if he could erase the feeling of Sanji’s waist from underneath them, but it was too late. He was forever changed.

“Is it okay if we head out?” He asked, avoiding Zoro’s eyes. “I’m helping with prep tomorrow morning.”

“The rest are heading out too,” he said, choosing to stare at the floor as he spoke. “I’ll just close out with Franky.”

Sanji hummed. “I’m gonna have a smoke outside.”
He left before Zoro could respond, only leaving him with the view of those hips walking toward the door.

Zoro walked back over to the bar in a daze. He wasn’t sure exactly what happened. One minute, he was knee deep in chemistry and connection, and the next he was left to suspend in awkwardness.

As soon as he rested his elbows on the bar, Usopp clapped his back. “I think you’re in.”

Zoro wouldn’t be too sure.

***

Sanji - April 4th

It was an accident.

A slip up.

Sanji hadn’t meant to fall for Zoro.

It was okay when it was just attraction, a pesky feeling derived from human nature and intuition. He could deal with ogling him from afar and waving a few ill-timed fantasies away. But falling? Crushing?

This was bad. Very, very bad.

He couldn’t even pinpoint exactly when it happened. Maybe as early as when Zoro gave him his coat and practically froze to death while he waited for Sanji to finish recommending restaurants to Kaya. Or maybe it was when he made those stupid shots behind the bar with all of that swift precision and skill, looking out for people with the same attention to detail that Sanji used in his own art. But he knew he was hooked for sure when he found himself enamored by just listening to him. Listening to his college years, drinking in his worldly adventures, and hearing him talk so fondly about all of the people in his very full life.

Zoro was just… different than he originally expected. Good different. By drink number 3, he had already beaten himself up for not making more of an effort to get to know him earlier. Maybe it’s because he knew this would happen, that given the chances they’d get too close. Sanji knew the dangers of desire, and the hazards of closeness. Burying himself in his work and keeping people a screen’s distance away… it was all just easier that way.

But Zoro didn’t seem to like easy, which was one of the most attractive things about him.

Admittedly, he’d seen a life for himself that he hadn’t known he wanted at that stupid bar—maybe after drink number four? He saw himself exchanging recipes with Kaya, swapping Spotify playlists with Usopp, shopping with Nami and gossiping with Vivi, and being with Zoro. He saw Wednesday nights at The Sunny, ones where he’d be friendly with the infamous luffy, and notable enough to give Franky some easy menu suggestions for his bar that weren’t just hamburgers, hotdogs, and salads.

He’d gotten too caught up in the fantasy. So caught up, that by drink number six he decided it would be a great idea to shake his ass up against Zoro’s dick.

Not his best decision.

But to be fair, it was a reasonable reaction to finding out the news:

Zoro was gay.

“Super gay,” according to Vivi. And maybe that got him a little too excited.

Truthfully though, he’d wanted his body on his ever since Zoro poured that first shot. It was all just a means to an end.

And he enjoyed the fuck out of it.

But it couldn’t happen again.

“You okay?” Zoro asked as he slid his key into the door.

Sanji snapped out of his thoughts and locked eyes with Zoro’s concerned ones. He’d been so focused on replaying the night in his head that he hadn’t even realized they’d made it home. “Y-yeah, I’m fine.”

Zoro opened the door, but his gaze remained unconvinced. “You’ve been quiet. Haven’t said much since we left.”

Sanji walked inside without a second glance. “Just the alcohol. And a long day.” But besides his panic about having a crush on his roommate, he felt fine. Not at all like someone who had 6 drinks, which he was starting to suspect was Zoro’s doing as well.

Fuck, that was even more hot. Bastard.

Zoro dropped his keys on the side table before grabbing Sanji by the arm. A shock of electricity jolted down his spine.

Which was bad.

He met his eyes anyway though. Took in his slightly messy hair and those pretty frames and those strong shoulders and got reminded all over again of everything he wanted but couldn’t have.

“Did I—”

Sanji winced. He didn’t want to talk about it. Couldn’t.

He pulled his arm away as politely as he could, but didn’t miss the way Zoro’s shoulders slumped at the pretty clear gesture.

“I’m tired,” he said quickly. “I’m just gonna go shower.”

Zoro set his mouth in a straight line, but nodded and stood still as Sanji took a step back. “Thanks for hanging.”

Sanji’s lips pulled into a soft smile. “I had fun,” he said, and he really meant it. “Good night Mosshead.”

“‘Night,” Zoro said softly, and because Sanji couldn’t bear to look at his sad puppy dog face any longer, he spun on his heel and rushed down the hall.

He didn’t bother grabbing a change of clothes before stepping into the bathroom and closing the door shut behind him. With his heart pounding in his chest, he leaned over the bathtub and reached to turn on the faucet. The sound of running water managed to drown out his confusion, guilt, and wanting for a brief moment, but by the time he pulled off his clothes it all came flooding back again.

Zoro seemed to enjoy it too, right? He wasn’t just imagining it?

He bit his lip at the thought as he climbed into the shower and pulled the curtain shut behind him. No good could come from thinking about Zoro in the shower, but his mind couldn’t stop from racing anyway. Not when he could still feel the imprint of Zoro’s rough, strong hands on his waist.

Sanji shivered as the water touched his skin, even though it was just as hot as that moment they’d shared on the dance floor. As soon as their bodies connected, Sanji felt light—free. He couldn’t remember the last time something had felt so right. Couldn’t remember the last time his body hummed like a choir, every shift of Zoro’s touch forcing him to hit a new note until he was abuzz in harmony.

He hadn’t expected him to be bold. Hadn't expected his hands to explore in subtle inches, or for his hips to grind against him in all of the right ways.

Sanji groaned at the thought. Arousal—the one thing he’d been avoiding tonight—swirled in the pit of his stomach. He’d gone this far without giving into his pervy infatuation with his roommate, who was quite literally a wall away, but as his dick stiffened and his face flushed, he knew this might be the first time he’d lose this battle.

With a shake of his head, Sanji reached over to turn down the water temperature for some relief and went back to his usual arousal busting tactics—the Baratie, Zeff’s attitude during lunch service today, the Betty Crocker video he still hadn’t come up with an idea for yet, and tax season. Which, fuck, he really needed to get on those.

Zoro could probably do them in no time, though. And he’d look good doing them too, peering over his glasses with his jaw clenched in concentration, and those thick fingers pressing buttons until all of the numbers sang and sorted.

Fuck.

He looked good tonight. Baggy jeans that fit just at the waist, just enough for a sinful peak at the band of his boxers. And while his shirt was plain and blue, it fell at just the perfect crop and hugged him in all of the right places.

Sanji dunked his head underneath the water and gasped as the cold provided just the perfect shock he needed. But it did nothing to subside his raging erection. The mental image of Zoro, wet and naked after a shower was just too strong. He knew what he was working with now. He had felt what he was working with, now.

“Shit,” Sanji mumbled to himself. Was he really going to do this?

The thought of Zoro, pressed up against him with wide, awed eyes and shaky breath was the only answer Sanji needed to finally, finally wrap his hand around himself with a desperate, relieved sigh.

He’d just do it once. Just enough to get it out of his system. He’d avoid him tomorrow, maybe take on the dinner shift, and let his stupid feelings dissipate.

Yeah.

So he closed his eyes, finally gave in, and let his mind get swept up in Zoro.

Zoro’s hands. Zoro’s lips, Zoro’s hips. Fuck. He was a lot more agile than he looked, all precise and passionate. Even in a dance, Sanji could feel all of the power Zoro was holding back. Could feel just how much he was refraining his hips from snapping up to meet everything Sanji wanted to give to him.

A groan spilled out of Sanji’s lips as he flicked his wrist, and settled into a lazy rhythm.

Beneath all of the teasing, and feigned obliviousness to all of their flirting, Sanji knew deep down that in that moment, Zoro wanted him just as badly. Tension and desire laced through every step, and every movement they took together. And he didn’t miss his reaction to the slightest bits of praise, the way his heart thumped against him and his cheeks flushed underneath the low light.

Fuck. That look had almost made Sanji jump him. Almost made his hands drift from around his neck to cup the sides of his face and bring him in for a kiss so deep, that they’d only be able to breathe the air straight out of each other’s lungs.

Sanji sped up the pace. He focused on the tip and whined at the sensitivity, knowing it’d get him there quicker. Knowing that even if he shortened this trip into taboo, it wouldn’t take away what he’d done. What he wanted.

Zoro.

Fuck, he wanted him so bad.

He wanted to drain him. Wanted him to scream his name. Wanted to shower each moan, and each pleasure-filled twitch with praise. Wanted to appreciate that perfect body, and wanted to be filled with every inch of it.

“Zoro,” he whispered, the name whisked away by the rush of water and the expertise of his own hand. His pleasure built and multiplied, forming a knot that was ready to burst. He squeezed himself as he panted. Stroked himself into ecstasy. Leaned his head against the tile and imagined what it’d be like if Zoro was here, huffing into his ear as he grinded up behind him.

He was so close. So fucking close.

And then a thought…

If Zoro was with him right now, the steam from the shower would probably make his glasses fog up.

Fuck.

Sanji’s eyes rolled to the back of his head as white hot desire shot straight down the drain.

Zoro - April 6th

It was an accident.

A scheduling mishap.

They didn’t need him at the gym today, so now he was on his way back to a tension-filled apartment with a roommate who was clearly avoiding him.

With a sigh, Zoro opened the door and stopped in his tracks at the sight of Sanji hunched over the kitchen counter.

Sanji straightened up once they met each other’s eyes. “Hi,” he said softly, offering him an apprehensive smile. His hands fiddled with packages of cookie dough on the counter.

“Hey,” Zoro mumbled back as he shut the door behind him. He waited a few seconds, hoping Sanji would say something else. Anything else. But when Sanji’s eyes dropped back to Betty Crocker, Zoro’s hope was crushed in an instant. He’d avoided him properly all day yesterday, which was the only confirmation Zoro needed to know he fucked up.

He shouldn’t have invited him out.

Just as he was about to accept the fate of staying in his room for the rest of the day, Sanji met his eyes once again. “Are you doing anything right now?” Sanji asked quietly.

Zoro shook his head, relief washing over him, and Sanji waved him over.

He dropped a few of his things by the door before washing his hands and joining Sanji at the kitchen island. It seemed like they always ended up here, leaned forward and pressed shoulder to shoulder. This time though, the heat from Sanji’s body did more than just warm him. It burned from the inside out, and Zoro could hardly breathe.

He shouldn’t have danced with him.

“I’m filming a brand video that’s scheduled to go up tomorrow,” Sanji said tiredly. “But I have nothing so far, and I’m stuck.”

“That seems unlike you,” Zoro said before he could stop himself.

Sanji eyed him carefully, as if he was trying to decide whether or not to respond with grace or defense. “I’ve had a lot on my mind lately,” he said finally.

Zoro wished he could be on Sanji’s mind. But he doubted he was much more than a passing thought.

He grabbed one of the sugar cookie packages as he nodded in understanding. “Betty Crocker. That’s a big deal, right?”

“Probably why I’m so nervous,” Sanji admitted. “That, and I have no idea how to approach the prompt they gave me.” He slid his open email over to Zoro.

“Showcase an approachable alteration to Betty Crocker cookies that is built on a childhood memory. Play on nostalgia,” he read out loud as he peered over the text. “No offense cook, but this seems pretty straight forward.”

Sanji swatted him half-heartedly. “I didn’t have the best childhood,” he said, sighing. “There’s nothing I’m nostalgic about.”

Zoro blinked in surprise. “Is that why you’re so—”

“I’m not in the mood for an insult,” Sanji spat, glaring at him.

Zoro met his glare head on, not backing down. “—Kind,” he finished. “Is that why you’re so ridiculously kind to every single person you meet?”

Sanji froze. His eyes widened slightly, but other than that he remained completely still. Zoro wasn’t sure why he looked like he’d just been exposed, as if all of his kindness and care was some big secret that he’d been managing to hide for the entirety of his life. Sanji’s kindness was too big to hide. It’s what made his eyes so blue, and his touch so Aruba.

After a while, Sanji dropped his head. “I would’ve taken it better if you’d just insulted me,” he mumbled.

Whatever that meant.

“What about you, moss?” He said, recovering. “Any sunny childhood memories I can steal?”

Zoro shrugged. “Not in terms of food. I grew up with my cousin and was pretty much grateful for whatever auntie made.”

Sanji tilted his head in curiosity. “And what did growing up with them taste like?”

“What kind of question is that?” He asked, squinting.

“A serious one,” Sanji said, chuckling. The sound rang light and airy. “Your cousin…”

“Kuina.”

“Kuina,” he hummed. “Describe a typical day with Kuina.”

Little did Sanji know, talking about this part of his childhood wasn’t exactly easy either.

Zoro got more comfortable, leaning more of his weight onto the counter and slouching as he found his train of thought. Kuina. She was the reason Zoro even thought life could be exciting, because she made it that way. She had dreams, and goals, and never let anyone stop her from chasing them. But she wasn’t delusional. She knew about limitations. She knew about hindrances and perception, even when young ignorance should’ve blocked all of that out. Sometimes it made her mad at the world. Sometimes it made her mad at him because he was too young to understand. But the anger just made her burn brighter.

“She was more like a sister to me,” he said finally, choosing to put his attention into the lines of marble on the counter. “And the thing with older sisters is that even when they hate you, they still love you more than you’ll ever know.”

Sanji grinned at that, but it didn’t meet his eyes. “First they’re sour, then they’re sweet.”

“Yeah,” he chuckled. “She was always the brightest in the summers. We’d spend entire days in the woods behind her house and we’d pick up long sticks and pretend to be knights in shining armor.”

“You spoke the same language,” Sanji said, and this time the smile met his eyes.

“You’re getting it now,” Zoro said with his own grin. “We’d forage for berries and nuts and I’d always pick out the poisonous kind.”

Sanji broke out into a loud laugh. “Of course you did.”

“At least I wasn’t dumb enough to eat them,” he defended.

Sanji stared at him, unimpressed. “You did, didn’t you.”

Zoro caved with a purse of his lips. “One time.”

Sanji laughed even harder. “She probably kicked your ass, didn’t she?”

“With a stick,” Zoro grumbled, shivering.

Sanji gripped Zoro’s shoulder as he struggled for breath, his laughter turning into chaotic, high-pitched giggles. He was so damn pretty when he laughed, even at his expense.

“I like Kuina,” he said after he finally calmed down.

Zoro’s lips twitched. He knew Sanji caught it, by the way his smile faltered too. “Yeah,” he said quietly. “I liked her too.”

And that’s all he needed to say for Sanji to get it, and for recognition to click in his eyes. The grip on his shoulder changed from support to sympathy, with a squeeze Zoro could only describe as loving.

They stayed like that for a bit, and Zoro tried not to think too much about how easy it was to talk to Sanji. How easy it was to trust him. How Sanji had basically rejected him without a conversation, or an explanation, but he was still so damn hard to dislike.

“What was her favorite color?” Sanji asked, his voice sickeningly sweet.

She didn’t have one. But Zoro took one look into his brilliant, kind eyes and said the first thing that came to mind. “Blue.”

Sanji smiled, and Zoro realized there was no way he was ever getting over him. “I can work with that.”

He focused on the task at hand after that, shooing Zoro away to sit in the living room as he scribbled away on a nearby notepad. He’d grumble every so often. Scratch out words. Tap on the counter. But when he retired the pen and reached for a mixing bowl, his frustration turned into sweet hums and soft chuckles.

So naturally, Zoro found himself inching closer and closer to his work station, until he was leaning up against the opposite side of the kitchen island and trying to make himself as silent as possible to go unnoticed. Honestly, Sanji seemed so far away in his own process that Zoro wasn’t entirely sure if he was aware of his surroundings at all until—

“Can you preheat the oven for me?” Sanji said out of nowhere. He didn’t wait for Zoro to respond before leaving the beginnings of dough on the counter in favor of the fridge. “At 350°.”

Zoro did what he was told, and by the time he returned to his spot, Sanji had lemons and blueberries on the table. He pushed the blueberries aside with the dough, and brought out a smaller mixing bowl. Sugar and half and half joined the party as well.

“I have a sister too,” he said as he looked up at Zoro. “We don’t talk that much. It’s… complicated. But whenever I was hurt, she’d nurse my wounds.”

Zoro listened patiently as Sanji cut the lemon in half. He squeezed a decent amount into the cookie mix, and then squeezed the other half into a separate bowl.

“I always wished she’d say something,” he said, sighing. “But instead, she’d just hand me a lemon popsicle after I was bandaged up.” A chuckle followed. “Like a pediatrician.”

“Sour and sweet,” Zoro repeated, starting to get it as Sanji poured sugar into the bowl with lemon.

Sanji paused to shoot Zoro a pretty smile. “That’s the thing about eldest sisters. Even when they can’t show it, they love you more than you’ll ever know.” The oven beeped, sufficiently ready, and Sanji’s hands reached back over to the main bowl of sugar cookie ingredients. “Thanks for reminding me.”

Zoro swallowed hard. He nodded as his chest tightened, and focused his gaze on how Sanji’s long, slender fingers wrapped around the mixing spoon. Sanji was just too damn sweet.

“Is it okay if I use Kuina for inspiration as well?” He asked softly, earning Zoro’s eyes once again. He nodded toward the package of blueberries by his knuckles. “Blueberry ‘muffin’ sugar cookies with a sweet lemon glaze. For older sisters. For Kuina and Reiju.”

Shit like that is why men got down on one knee.

Zoro tried to keep his cool. He tried to keep his knees from buckling and his heart from racing and his ears from burning. Sanji was just an artist. He just liked to make things, and it in no way meant it was dedicated to him.

“I’ll do her justice,” Sanji added when Zoro still hadn’t said anything. “I have to use the pre-made mix for the video but I’ll make the cookies for you for real after. I just have to get these in the oven first.”

“Yeah,” Zoro said, voice tight. “All good. I’m sure they’ll come out good.”

Sanji grinned. “For a shitty cook?”

“Even for a shitty cook,” Zoro said, copying his grin.

“Then watch this, four-eyes.”

Twenty minutes later, Sanji had one batch of blueberry muffin sugar cookies in front of him, glazed and ready to be eaten. The real batch he promised was in the oven, and he had plenty of lemon glaze left over.

“Alright moss,” he said after plating one for him. “They’re definitely going to be a bit sweeter than you’d like, but focus on objectivity.”

Zoro waved him off. Carefully, he raised the sugar cookie to his mouth and took a bite.

Sweet, but good. There was no getting past the fact that he was clearly eating a generic sugar cookie, but the extra hint of lemon and the burst of blueberry elevated the mix in a way that still belonged. The glaze was the best part though. Tangy and light, like a lemon popsicle on a sunny day.

“Well?”

Zoro couldn’t help but chuckle. “Betty Crocker would be pleased.”

Sanji squinted at him, unconvinced, but took a bite out of the cookie anyway and nodded in reluctant agreement. “For an accessible recipe, it’ll do.”

The oven rang again, and Sanji brightened up. “Okay. The real thing.” He retrieved the fresh batch of cookies and drizzled the glaze over them with the same precision. This batch was a lot fluffier than the flatter sugar cookies, and the texture was more reminiscent of muffins. He plated the cookie and pushed it over to him with nervous eyes.

Zoro took one bite, and got transported somewhere else. To summer woods with blueberry bushes and lemon trees, and a world where Kuina was still alive and Reiju had all of the right words. Where Zoro was a knight and Sanji was a prince, and he could protect him from whatever gave him all of those bruises and wounds as a kid.

“Wow,” he basically whispered.

Sanji lurched forward. “Yeah?”

Zoro took another bite and groaned. They were perfect. Kuina…

“She would’ve loved them.”

Sanji’s lips parted in shock. He stared at him, unblinking, until his cheeks turned a pretty pink and his hands squeezed together. “Shitty moss. You can’t just say things like that,” he mumbled as he flickered his gaze toward the cookies instead.

“You’re not very good at taking compliments, are you?”

“Fuck off,” he said weakly before reaching for a cookie as well. As soon as he took the first bite, he stilled. But when his pupils dilated and his lips smiled around the taste, Zoro just knew he saw it. That he went there too, that summer woods of fantasy and love.

Zoro smiled smugly. “Right?”

Sanji managed a nod. “Wow,” he said breathlessly.

They finished their treat in silence after that. Each of them grabbed another cookie too, just to savor it a second longer.

“Mossy,” Sanji said as art turned into crumbs.

Zoro grunted in response, barely looking at him. He was too busy picking at hardened glaze for another taste.

“About the other day…”

Now that got his attention.

He snapped his head up as Sanji decided to busy himself by dropping dirty dishes into the sink.

“It made me really appreciate having you in my life.”

But just like Kuina, Zoro wasn’t delusional. He braced himself for impact.

Sanji turned to face him, expression unreadable. Zoro wasn’t sure what it meant, but it wasn’t the vulnerability he was used to seeing.

“I’m really glad we’re roommates,” Sanji finished.

Even in a fantasy world, there was no such thing as armor that could protect a broken heart.

***

Sanji - April 9th

It was an accident.

He hadn’t meant for his Betty Crocker video to blow up, or for everyone he knew to know this much about his personal life.

“Dedicated to my sister and my roommate’s sister, who I wasn't given the chance to meet. But if she’s the one that gave him some manners, then she’s just as great as I already assumed,” Brook quoted while pressing his palm to his chest. “So romantic.”

Sanji exhaled the smoke from his cigarette and leaned up against the brick wall outside the back of the restaurant. “That’s hardly damning.”

But it definitely was. Why’d the moss have to be so sensitive and in tune with his emotions? Telling him about Kuina. Making him see some of the good in his own fucked up childhood. Being all charming and caring and helpful.

All of this was a lot easier to manage when his feelings towards Zoro had been purely horny.

“Zoro doesn’t open up that often,” Miss Robin added. “I’ll admit, I was surprised to hear that myself.” She was leant up against the opposite wall with a book in her hands, dawning a stunning satin dress.

Another hit of nicotine.

“He was just helping me out.”

“Well,” Jinbei grunted as he wiped the sweat off of his forehead with a dishrag. “He certainly helped.”

Brook nodded in agreement from the left of him. “Over 500k likes on a single video is no joke.”

They were all supposed to be joining him on his smoke break to calm him down from what a shit show lunch service had been today, not shining a light on the other problem that’s been bugging him ever since he left Zoro at that kitchen island a few days ago.

“He hasn’t liked it,” Sanji admitted as he hit the back of his head up against the brick. “All of those likes, and he hasn’t acknowledged it. I sent it to him.”

He didn’t miss the way the three of them shot each other a not so subtle glance.

“What?” He spat.

Another threeway. Miss Robin stepped up to the plate, and backed off of the opposing wall in favor of facing Sanji head on.

“Roommate dynamics are tricky,” she said carefully. “Would it help to talk it out?”

Sanji sent her a tight smile. “A very kind offer, Miss Robin. But I’ve got it handled.”

“The kitchen would beg to differ,” Jinbei added. “You’ve been on a bit of a rampage these past few days.”

Brook nodded. “It’s been throwing off the vibes of my performance.”

Sanji whipped his head to glare at him. “Me being a little more on edge has nothing to do with you ignoring requests from our customers.”

“But you admit you’ve been on edge?” Robin asked, turning the conversation back to her.

With a sigh, Sanji took one more hit of his cigarette before putting it out. “He’s been avoiding me for a few days now.” And he knew he had done the exact same thing as well, but it was different this time. Made his chest hurt. Made his heart ache. “I thought I was doing the right thing.”

Miss Robin raised an eyebrow for him to continue, and Jinbei and Brook gathered around closer.

Sanji closed his eyes. “We’ve been getting closer lately, and I’ve enjoyed it a lot,” he admitted. “But I pretty much roommate-zoned him the other day.”

“Wow,” Brook said, clearing his throat. “That’s a new one.”

Sanji put his head in his hands and groaned. “The look on his face when I told him… he seemed devastated.” Like maybe Sanji had been lying to himself this whole time, and Zoro’s interest had always been more than just a heated dance and a healthy dose of sexual tension.

Every moment they shared together just felt too damn special. Too damn electric. He’d be stupid to think at least some of what he felt for Zoro wasn’t reciprocated. But apparently he was stupid enough to shut it down before even giving it a chance.

“Why the decision?” Jinbei questioned.

“We’re roommates,” he deadpanned. “This situation is perfect for us. It’s close to his job and it helps me out. If we take things a step further we’ll just be messing with all of the things that work.”

Brook frowned at him. “You can’t possibly need the money, right? You’re kind of famous now.”

An over exaggeration for sure. But the last few checks he’d gotten had made his blood rush, and the offer letter he’d gotten from Betty Crocker this morning about being one of their official brand partners had made his cigarette fall out of his mouth.

“I don’t need the money anymore,” he agreed with another sigh. He wasn’t even attached to the place. It was convenient, but he had been aching for a bigger kitchen. “That doesn’t change his situation, though.”

“Situations change.” Robin hummed. “Zoro’s situation could change too.”

Which he hadn’t considered.

“If Zoro moved out tomorrow, would it allow you to take the next step? Or would something else still be holding you back?”

Well judging by the way his stomach turned at the very thought of Zoro moving out tomorrow, it seemed to be something else.

He stared back at Miss Robin and tried not to cave underneath her knowing stare. While he hadn’t known her for too long, he knew she rarely asked questions she didn’t already know the answers to. So there was no point in naming it out loud—fear—the same thing that always kept him in one place.

He wasn’t sure how to love someone in that capacity. He wasn’t sure how their opposite schedules could ever make a healthy relationship, or how to wake up everyday without the fear of Zoro finding out he wasn’t worth it.

Sanji wasn’t worth all of the hoops it would take to make things work between them, even if Zoro was a stranger who didn’t live in his place. Zoro was hypothetically only into him because he got all of the good parts. He got a live-in chef who was never around enough to cause any real arguments. He got the Sanji that went to bars and danced like he wasn’t weighed down by the past, present, and future, and the Sanji who was good at banter and always had a comeback. Zoro liked TikTok chef Sanji, an influencer with a string of 100k adoring fans.

But the real Sanji was just a loser who worked too much, had no friends, and still lived in the shadow of a childhood so dark he’d given up on finding the light at the end of the tunnel a long ago. And if Zoro knew that, if he had seen that side of Sanji first, then they wouldn’t even be having this conversation right now.

The back door of the restaurant flew open with a bang, the bent metal slamming against the brick wall. The noise snapped all 4 of them back to the present, and they whipped their heads to meet the fear-inducing glare of a furious Zeff.

“Would anyone like to tell me why my head chef, line chef, and lead musician are holding one of my patrons hostage instead of doing their damn jobs?” He barked.

“They were just keeping me company,” Miss Robin persuaded as he sauntered toward him. “Lovely staff.”

And, to Sanji’s surprise, not even Zeff was immune to her charms. He kept his mouth shut as Robin patted his arm and side-stepped him to walk back inside. Brook and Jinbei were able to sneak past without a lecture too, but all of that anger from earlier flew back into his gaze when Sanji took one step through the door frame.

Zeff crossed his arms over his chest and blocked his path so he couldn’t get through. “What is this about you being an internet famous chef?”

Shit.

Zoro - April 9th

It was an accident.

At least, that’s what Sanji said when he walked through the doors of the gym Zoro works at. But Zoro was starting to doubt the validity of all of these coincidences. Or, at least starting to hate the universe because of them.

“I didn’t know you worked here,” Sanji said hurriedly. He tugged at the ends of his hair, which was new and a little concerning, before stuffing his hands in the pocket of an oversized hoodie Zoro had never seen before. “I usually go to the gym that’s by the restaurant. But I don’t want to be anywhere near there right now.”

Zoro didn’t get the chance to get a word in before Sanji started fidgeting again, this time tapping his foot up and down. “Sorry,” he mumbled. “I know you’re avoiding me—shit. I didn’t mean to say that… I’ll just leave.”

He spun on his heel to turn around as soon as Zoro swallowed his pride. Because these last few days hadn’t managed to help him get over Sanji in the slightest, and he couldn’t stand to see him so distressed.

“What do you need, curls?” He asked gruffly, causing Sanji to stop in his tracks.

Sanji turned back around, slowly, this time with his hands gripping the strap of his gym bag tightly. He met Zoro’s eyes with a desperation that made his chest tighten.

“To kick something,” he said pleadingly.

And that, Zoro could help with.

10 minutes later though, he was already regretting his decision because Sanji in workout gear was probably the hottest thing he didn’t know he needed to see—short spandex shorts and a loose, grey t-shirt with ‘the Baratie’ written in cursive on the back.

Needless to say, Zoro’s main focus was on Sanji’s ass, and those gorgeous legs. Especially as he stretched, flexing calf muscles and creating pretty lines as he posed with grace and strength. Slivers of skin exposed themselves as Sanji reached and leaned and craned.

Truly, he was trying to kill him.

Zoro took a step behind the punching bag and held it steady as Sanji laced up his gloves.

“You sure I’m not taking you away from a session?” Sanji asked as he tilted his neck from side to side.

“Just throw a kick, cook,” Zoro grumbled as he planted his feet firmly.

Sanji’s sharp grunt rang through the air as he delivered a lethal side kick to the punching bag, accented by the blunt smack of skin against leather. Zoro’s grip faltered, the impact causing his feet to skid backwards as he absorbed the surprise blow. Dust flew and the tangy smell of leather hovered beneath them. Sanji’s anger was like pouring citrus on an open wound.

Zoro took a second to collect himself, heart beating fast in his chest as he stared incredulously at Sanji who stood cool and focused.

“Don’t underestimate me, geek squad,” Sanji gritted between his teeth as regained his stance. “I’ve got a lot I need to get out of my system.”

Well fuck, that was hot.

“So you just gonna beat this bag to death in silence then?” Zoro asked as he gripped the punching bag again—tighter this time. “Or you gonna talk?”

Sanji faltered for a second, his hands dropping to his sides. “Is that okay?”

Zoro huffed. “I already told you I like when you’re riled up. I can take it.”

“You told me you liked me too,” he said quietly. Recognition lit up behind those gorgeous eyes, and his shoulders slumped.

Which was just another squeeze of lemon juice on the cut across Zoro’s heart.

“Thanks for the recap,” he spat. “Now land a kick or fess up about whatever’s got you so heated.”

“Don’t tell me what to do,” Sanji grunted as he landed another blow, this time on his other leg. Somehow the kick was just as powerful, which was impressive, but Zoro did a better job at stabilizing the bag. “You’re pissing me off.”

Good.

“What else?” Zoro said as he reset.

A combo. He felt each kick in his chest.

“My old man found my TikTok account,” Sanji said, panting. “Suspended me from work for two weeks.”

Zoro furrowed his eyebrows. “Why?”

Sanji’s glare darkened. Zoro no longer felt like a trainer, he felt like prey.

Which was so fucking hot.

“He said my priorities weren’t straight,” he hissed before turning and delivering a deadly reverse kick that made Zoro suck in a groan. “That I’m ‘showboating mediocracy.’”

Zoro shook his head. “You make videos for an everyday audience.”

Sanji threw his hands up in the air and stomped his foot. “Thank you! Exactly! That’s the whole fucking point!”

Zoro couldn’t help the fond chuckle that escaped him, but he quickly swallowed it once Sanji narrowed those wild eyes on him again.

“Don’t chastise me,” Sanji practically growled.

Zoro would get onto his knees to hear Sanji make that sound again.

“Cooking is supposed to be about joy,” he huffed, hands waving and moving rapidly as each word fired off of his tongue. “About eating good, and eating well, and sharing it with people you love. It’s supposed to be about trying new things, and transporting yourself to different places, and discovering new things about yourself. I know I’m not creating a new culinary standard on TikTok but fuck, it means something. It makes me happy.”

Sanji always looked his best when he wore his heart on his sleeve.

Zoro wanted to kiss him. All he wanted to do was push that stupid punching bag aside and cup that beautiful, angry face. Instead, he kept his feet planted behind the wall he’d put up and resisted the urge to grab at Sanji’s hands when they started to pull at his hair again.

“And what’d he say to that?”

An abrupt laugh spilled out of Sanji, dissonant and unkind. Redness clawed at his neck as he surged forward to grip the punching bag at an angle. He drove his knee into the bag with a yell full of pain and love.

“He said that no one in the culinary world will ever take me seriously,” he muttered between another strike. “That he couldn’t hand over his restaurant to a ‘Betty Crocker boy.’” Another strike. Harder. Enough to make the chains rattle. “That I need to think about what I want, and get out of his sight.”

The last strike barely connected. Sanji pressed his knee into the punching bag and held it there, like an embrace between him and the leather, until he eventually dropped the bag and took a shaky step back.

Zoro let go too. He stepped around to face Sanji, and frowned when he found that all of that anger in his eyes from earlier had been replaced with something much more unsure and forlorn.

“And what do you want?” He asked, unable to help himself. Unable to keep from being yet another person demanding answers from him. But getting over him didn’t seem possible, and Zoro had never been good at stopping himself from wanting.

Sanji shook his head. “I can’t have what I want.”

Zoro stepped closer. “But what do you want?”

Sanji’s hands reached for his hair again, but this time Zoro stopped them in their tracks with a gentle squeeze. He pushed Sanji’s hands to dangle at his sides before taking matters into his own hands, and brushing a few strands out of his face from where they’d begun to stick to his forehead with sweat. That’s the kindness someone like Sanji deserved.

Sanji stared helplessly. His eyes flickered across Zoro’s face as his lips quivered. And even though he was a wreck of emotions, exertion, and exhaustion, he still looked beautiful and strong. So fucking strong.

The air shifted. Hot and humid, but with a breeze that seemed to push them closer together. Zoro tried not to let his touch linger. Tried to keep his fingers from grazing Sanji’s cheeks as they finished their task, but they trailed anyway. Stayed anyway. He swallowed and tasted blueberries and lemon, and something sweet underneath. He knew there was no one waiting nearby to cure his heartbreak with a popsicle, or to whisk him away to a fantasy land where death and pain could be conquered with the right quest and the right sword. But in that moment, surrounded by the sound of Sanji’s shallow breathing and his fast beating heart, he didn’t care. Sanji was worth it. He was worth the risk. He was worth one last, honest try.

“What do you want, Sanji?” He whispered again, one last time.

Sanji’s eyes softened. “I want to want,” he said, voice cracking at the end. “I want to want without feeling so selfish and undeserving.” With one last watery look, he slowly lowered his head and rested it on Zoro’s shoulder.

Nothing had ever felt more right.

Warmth bloomed in Zoro’s chest as he reached a hand up to thread his fingers through the back of Sanji’s hair, earning a soft squeak.

“I want to take over the Baratie,” Sanji mumbled against him, as if Zoro’s shirt could contain his secrets. “I want to make all of my hard work pay off—cooking glasses, culinary school, training, and all of those long shifts. But I want to do it my way. I want people to travel from every corner of the map just to eat there. I want to host demonstrations on Sundays and invite chefs to share their recipes, and their memories, and their joy. Have them cook meals that are special to them, and have people try meals with real meaning. I want to create an experience. I want to educate and entertain. And my platform… it’s just a way to help make it all happen.”

“I can see it,” Zoro said without hesitation. “If anyone could do it, it’s you.”

Sanji snapped his head up at that. His eyes searched Zoro’s again, and he must’ve found what he was looking for once he sighed softly. “Of course you’d say that.”

“I mean it, curls,” he mumbled. “I know how hard you work. I know how kind you are. I know how much you care.”

One of Sanji’s hands reached up to press against Zoro’s chest. His knees almost buckled underneath the unexpected touch, but he continued to stand tall. Unafraid.

Sanji sighed again as he gathered up the fabric of Zoro’s shirt, pulling lightly. “I want,” he whispered. A complete sentence. A proclamation.

“I want,” Zoro responded, always ready to meet him head on. All cards on the table.

Sanji’s eyes widened. Zoro swallowed hard.

This was it. The clearest Zoro could be. So Sanji needed to decide if he was going to keep wanting from a distance, or take a leap of faith.

Carefully, Zoro tucked a loose strand of hair behind Sanji’s ears and slid his hand over to cup his cheek. Sanji’s breath hitched, but he didn’t move, so Zoro took that as a sign to lean in. Slowly. Gently. Carefully. Centimeter by centimeter, until their lips hovered over the same breath of air.

And then the hand on his chest pushed him back. Gently. Barely there. Like an embrace meant to keep him away.

Sanji turned his head and took a step back. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled, voice shaky. “I’m so sorry.”

No. Zoro was sorry. Because after the last rejection, he’d taken a few days of solitude to reflect and come to a decision. He was never going to get over Sanji if they kept ending up here, and Zoro knew that sticking around wasn’t going to make Sanji figure out his shit any sooner. That he had to stop trying to make a home out of Sanji, who wasn’t open for visitors, and go after the loft that’d been calling his name.

He matched Sanji’s step back with a solemn nod. “I’ll tell you this now then,” he said, clearing his throat. He stared down at the mat and didn’t wait to see if he had Sanji’s attention. “I’ll be moving out once the lease is up.”

He could wait for him. Sanji was worth the wait. But it’d have to be from a distance.

“What?” Sanji asked, his voice going up in pitch.

“I’ll help you find another roommate,” he continued as he brought his hand up to the back of his neck. “Actually, Luffy should be back by then if you’re really desperate.”

“Zoro…”

He finally picked his eyes up to meet Sanji, and regretted it instantly. He looked wrecked. All harsh lines, disbelief, and guilt.

“It’s not your fault,” he said, unable to be the cause of Sanji’s pain. “I get it. I do. So your only crime here is being too damn hard to get over.”

That just made Sanji’s frown deepen even more. “I don’t want you to go,” he barely whispered.

Zoro shot him a small, sad smile. “And I don’t want to be your roommate.”

***

Sanji - April 14th

It was an accident.

He hadn’t expected to run into anyone, especially not like this.

Sanji usually never left the apartment without putting some kind of effort into his appearance, but today he was at the grocery store in a ratty t-shirt that probably belonged to Zoro, given the size and the stains, and a pair of bright green gym shorts. He hadn’t bothered with his skin routine over the past few days—welcome back breakouts—and his hair was even more messy than usual. Which was saying a lot, since he was already overdue for a cut months ago.

He looked as good as he felt, which was shit. Zoro had gone back to avoiding him again after swallowing yet another rejection, and delivering a big announcement of his own:

Zoro was moving out. The place was practically already his. All he had to do was sign.

And since Sanji didn’t have his usual distraction of work to keep him busy, all he could do was go crazy over the moment they’d share at the gym. How his entire body buzzed with electricity underneath Zoro’s touch, and how close he’d been to finally capturing those sweet, plump lips with his own. In that moment, Zoro was willing to give him everything he’d wanted for so long, and Sanji rejected him.

Fucking idiot.

Sanji tugged at the ends of his hair as he walked through the freezer section, head on a swivel for the popsicle brand Reiju liked as a kid. He wanted to call her. He wanted to send over the Betty Crocker video and test if words could finally be enough, but fear kept him silent.

What else was new?

He didn’t blame Zoro for moving out, or for setting boundaries. He deserved better. He deserved someone who wasn’t afraid of loving him.

“Sanji?” A recognizable, yet unfamiliar voice called out to him, snapping him out of his ruminations. When he whipped his head up, he came face to face with a beautiful lady.

She waved, polite and proper, before tucking a loose strand of short, ash blonde hair behind her ear and walking toward him.

“Kaya?” He asked, blinking incredulously at the sight. Even though he wasn’t entirely convinced that 5 days off of work hadn’t turned him crazy, he still crossed the steps needed to greet a woman who was supposed to be thousands of miles away.

She wrapped him in a hug immediately after meeting in the middle, as if they were old friends, and showered him with the scent of lillies and lavender. “It’s so nice to meet you,” she mumbled against him before pulling away.

Sanji took a step back to gesture toward her and the cute sundress she had on. “It’s so nice to meet you.”

Kaya giggled, and the sound bloomed like a flower field. “I’m just here visiting for the weekend. Very last minute decision.”

And a super big one to make for a non-ex boyfriend.

“Sanji!”

They both turned toward Usopp’s voice, who appeared after turning the corner with a shopping cart full of two impressive steak cuts, artisan cheese, and good wine. Which seemed like a super romantic dinner for two non-exes.

“I see you’ve met my girlfriend,” Usopp emphasized as soon as he stopped to join them. He and Kaya’s smiles both grew wide at the sound of the word.

“Oh my god,” Sanji rushed out. “Congratulations you two!” And he was happy for them. He really was. But he couldn’t help the small pang in the back of his chest.

Usopp slung his arm over Kaya’s shoulder and pressed a kiss against the side of her head. Kaya stumbled through a thank you, overridden by another round of giggles.

“We’re making dinner to celebrate,” Usopp said, smiling through the words. “One of your recipes, actually! The date night steak.”

Sanji’s eyes flew to other ingredients in the cart, taking in the herbs, spices, and veggies. While he was aware that people tried out his recipes all the time, he’d never actually seen it before. He’d never seen a carefully curated shopping cart of his heart and soul in the wild. It warmed his heart. Made his cheeks flush and his body tingle.

“I hope you enjoy it,” he said, voice tight as he tried to swallow his fondness.

“We’ll try our best to do it justice,” Kaya promised.

Sanji shook his head. “You already are, just by sharing this joy with each other.” He hadn’t had a couple in mind when he’d made that TikTok, but now it felt like he’d made it for them.

Wow.

“This really made my day,” he admitted, face growing even hotter as he looked down at his Adidas slides. “Thank you.”

Usopp hummed knowingly, which Sanji should’ve expected. Zoro and his friends were a tight-knit group. “Take my number. We’re friends too, yeah?”

That was the thing that finally pushed Sanji over the edge.

He barely shoved his hand into his pocket before the water works came, dripping slowly and silently down his face.

“Sanji,” Usopp said sadly, but it was Kaya who pulled him back in for a hug.

Sanji wiped furiously at his tears and tried not to dwell on how much of a mess he was, crying in mismatched clothes in the middle of a grocery store.

“I’m such an idiot,” he said smally.

Usopp rubbed his back as Sanji tried to calm down. He and Kaya both gave him space to breathe.

“You know what Usopp told me when he asked if we could get back together?” Kaya said after all of Sanji’s tears had dried.

Usopp looked down at the tile shyly as Sanji shook his head.

“He said he’s braver when we’re together,” she recalled softly. “That together, he feels like we can face anything. So there’s no one else he’d rather have by his side as we figure out how to make us work.”

And when she said it like that, it sounded so simple. So obvious. But—

“What if I don't want to be braver?” Sanji blurted out. “What if I want the peace and safety of a heart locked away? What if wanting is just a cesspool of disappointment and pain?”

Usopp shook his head. “I don’t mean to sound out of line—”

“Then I’ll say it,” Kaya said bravely. “By denying yourself of the things you want, you may be protecting yourself from external pain but you’re only hurting yourself.”

“Yeah,” Usopp agreed as he scratched his cheek. “That was far more eloquent. I was just gonna say… you don’t really seem at peace right now anyway.”

A small laugh spilled out of Sanji as he looked down at his feet. He was wearing socks with sandals… in public.

Definitely a new rock bottom.

But even beyond that, Sanji could admit that playing it safe hasn’t been peaceful. Silent, yeah, but also lonely. He used work to fill the void, and when that didn’t work—because of course it didn’t—he turned to TikTok. He plated his heart in hopes of being understood. He made dishes to allow others to create all of the memories he was too afraid to have himself. His internet career was just an account of all of his self-inflicted aching, and a page dedicated to all of his damn wanting.

“And besides, how do you know that everything you want is out of reach if you don’t go for it?” Kaya offered with another sweet smile.

Sanji snapped his head up at that. It was another simple truth, but one he hadn’t considered. He hadn’t considered telling Zeff about all of his Baratie dreams, content on toiling in private because the thought of getting to have his cake and eat it too—even as a chef—seemed absurd. And when it came to Zoro well… now that he was leaving anyway, he didn't have much to lose anymore.

“Uh,” Usopp said, clearing his throat. “What’s with that crazed look in your eye?”

He had nothing to lose.

Because not having Zoro in his life, despite the few small moments they spent together anyway, was more heartbreaking than any potential breakup coming his way.

“I owe you,” Sanji said hurriedly as he patted Usopp on the shoulder, pulse rising in his chest. He turned to Kaya. “And you are wise beyond your years, darling.”

Kaya pulled him into another hug and pressed a kiss against his cheek.

“I’ll make you both dinner the next time you’re in town,” Sanji promised after pulling away. He stepped past them with a determined smile. “I’ll get your number from Zoro. Send me pictures of your meal!”

Usopp and Kaya said their last goodbyes as Sanji kept walking, his stride renewed and purposeful. He turned at the end of the aisle and came face to face with a featured display—lemon popsicle sticks. The kind his sister used to buy, and on sale too.

He decided it was a sign.

And when he passed by the “tax season deadline” banner propped up by the in-store branch of his bank near the registers, he decided that was a sign as well.

Zeff first. Then Zoro.

Zoro - April 14th

It was on purpose.

Zoro saw Sanji enter their apartment building just as he made it into their unit, so he lingered a bit in the kitchen in hopes of catching him.

Not to talk, of course. There wasn’t much left for him to say since he laid everything out on the mat. But he missed him. He missed him and his heart hurt and he just wanted a glimpse of blond and a whiff of citrus and maybe one stupid insult hurled his way. Then he could go back to sulking.

“Mosshead!”

There it was. He missed that.

Sanji’s voice rang over the groan of their front door. He stood in the doorway, frazzled, with a grocery bag in one hand and—

Was that his shirt?

His mouth went dry.

“Oh,” Sanji said once he laid eyes on him, as if he hadn’t just called for him. As if he hadn’t expected him to be there.

“Hey,” Zoro said, clearing his throat.

Sanji’s eyes raked over his body, and Zoro once again resisted the urge to claw at his stupid work clothes.

“Can you do my taxes?” Sanji asked after a second too long.

Zoro blinked at him. “Are you serious?” Nevermind the state of their relationship, the deadline was tomorrow.

Sanji looked down at the floor. “Well, yeah. But that’s not what I meant to ask,” he mumbled before shutting the door behind him. “When I pictured this in my head, I didn’t think you’d be wearing a suit and tie.”

Right, because that made complete sense.

“What are you going on about?” he asked tiredly as he leaned up against the counters and crossed his arms over his chest.

Sanji sighed. “I talked to Zeff.” And when Zoro squinted his eyes, Sanji smiled. “My old man,” he corrected.

“Oh,” Zoro said, not sure where this was going as Sanji finally joined him in the kitchen.

Sanji scooted past Zoro and opened up the freezer. Cool air spilled out onto the floor for the briefest of seconds. “I told him all the things I said to you the other day,” he said once he shut the door and turned to face Zoro properly.

Zoro straightened up at that. “About what you want?” Hope pricked at his heart.

Sanji nodded as he pressed his hip up against the kitchen island. “All of it.”

“And what did he say?”

Sanji chuckled to himself. “Now you’re thinking like a businessman, boy,” he mocked, adding a gruffness to his voice as he shook his head back and forth.

A laugh spilled out of Zoro too, and they eyed each other as the awkward tension dipped into something much more familiar, but tense all the same,

“I’m still suspended from work though,” he said with a sigh. “But we talked about next steps. Maybe business school, so I can study up and also focus more on my TikTok.”

“Who’s the nerd now?” Zoro teased as he lifted himself off of the counters to join Sanji at the island. Their hips bumped into each other as he got settled, and he didn’t miss the way Sanji leaned into his touch.

Sanji reached up to lightly flick his glasses, which got an embarrassing flinch out of Zoro. “Still you, bifocals.”

Zoro swatted his hand away with a grunt. “I’m just nearsighted.”

“That’s your retort?” Sanji said, snorting.

“Yeah, ‘cause it means I wouldn’t need my glasses to know you’ve stolen my clothes,” he said, lowering his gaze to where the hem of his old college t-shirt swallowed Sanji.

But it felt like the wrong thing to say, because Sanji’s smile dropped and his hips shifted slightly, more squared away. And suddenly, the reason for all of Zoro’s sulking and soreness came flooding back to him.

He took a step back so that Sanji wouldn’t do it for him.

But it was still Sanji, so he couldn’t help but go for one last, extremely final try.

“Did you want anything else?” he asked quietly, his eyes dropping to the hole in his dress socks. “Besides tax advice.”

Sanji took a deep breath. “Yeah.”

Zoro didn’t dare look up. “Yeah?”

“I wanted to tell you that I’m sorry,” Sanji said, his voice cracking.

Zoro’s shoulders slumped. “You already said that.”

“Can you look at me please?”

And it was Sanji, so of course he obliged. They met each other’s eyes. Zoro tried not to drown.

Sanji stepped forward, for once crossing that space beneath them. His cheeks flushed as he drummed his fingers on the kitchen island, as if he was the one waiting for answers instead of holding them. Then, with a final groan, he poked Zoro square in the chest.

“Fuck, Zoro. I want you.”

Zoro’s heart beat out of his chest.

“I want to be your boyfriend,” Sanji continued softly. “You’re trustworthy, and caring, and patient. You make me happy. You force me to have fun. And you make everything serious seem simple.” He paused to take a breath. “I didn’t think I deserved any of those things. I’ll still have to work on thinking that I do. But I want them. A life with you would be anything but peaceful, but I want it. I want all of the spontaneity of green hair dye and all of the chaos that comes with your friends. I want it even if it doesn’t last. I want you.”

Sanji met Zoro’s wide eyes with a vulnerable smile. “Is that okay?”

“Sanji,” Zoro choked out. “You had me the moment you said my name.”

“That easy?” he said in disbelief. “Even Zeff let me have it a little bit.”

“Yeah well, I’ve had a crush on you for about a year. I don’t like to drag shit out if I can help it,” he deadpanned.

“A year?” Sanji spluttered. His eyes grew comically large as his face heated up. “Everyone has given me so much shit for not going after I want, and you pined in silence for a year?”

Zoro shrugged. “That’s different. My hesitance was circumstantial.”

“Circumstantial,” Sanji mocked, dropping his voice into a low grumble.

Zoro had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. He nudged Sanji as a warning. “Can you stop with the bad impressions?”

“You like them,” Sanji teased.

“I like you,” he said simply. “I like being your boyfriend.”

“We haven’t even done anything that boyfriends do,” Sanji said, laughing.

Zoro reached out to play with the hem of Sanji’s shirt—his shirt. “We can change that,” he offered slyly.

Sanji pursed his lips, but didn’t stop Zoro as his hands inched the fabric up higher. “You just want to get into my pants.”

“Sue me. You look good in my clothes,” he mumbled as his hand brushed against the bare skin of Sanji’s waist. Sanji shivered at the touch, his hips bucking to meet Zoro’s—a reflex that made Zoro’s lips form a smirk. “And besides, you owe me a kiss.”

Sanji hummed. His hand lifted up to cup the underside of Zoro’s jaw, thumb sweeping across his skin. He lingered as his eyes searched Zoro’s and their bodies levitated closer together. “You look so good in a suit,” he mumbled before finally, finally pressing their lips together.

He tasted the same way his cookies did—sweet and warm, and safe. Safe, as if that home Zoro had been looking to build had been in between Sanji’s lips all along. One kiss, and Zoro was transported back to that summer fantasy of nostalgia. He smiled against Sanji, unable to help himself, and Sanji responded with a smile of his own.

“Stop being so shy,” Sanji said quietly before dropping his hand from his face and fiddling with his tie instead. He pulled at the fabric and tugged Zoro’s lips back down to meet his. Zoro grunted at the impact, but didn’t waste any time matching Sanji’s new pace. They moved together as fluently as they danced, Sanji’s tongue swirling. Zoro’s teeth biting. Each beat simmered with everything Zoro had been holding back, and for once, Sanji did the same.

His hands pulled Sanji closer by the waist before dipping into the curve of his ass. He groped, and Sanji moaned, making his head spin.

Sanji pulled away, panting. He had that same dark, unrestrained look in his eyes that he wore in the gym, and Zoro completely folded underneath it.

“What do you want?” Zoro said lowly, his heart racing in his chest as his other hand continued to trail up his side. “Anything you want, it’s yours.”

Sanji moaned as he tossed his head back. “I don’t even know where to start.”

Zoro greeted the newly exposed skin of Sanji’s neck with his lips, and relished in the taste of salt and citrus. “You’ve had to have thought about it,” he mumbled against him, even though he wasn’t sure if it were true. “I’ve thought about it.”

“Really?” Sanji asked, breath hitching as Zoro’s lips sucked on his collarbone.

Deciding to meet him halfway, because he knew he wasn’t going to get anywhere if he didn’t, Zoro stopped what he was doing to meet Sanji’s eyes. “Been wanting my head between your thighs ever since you came to my gym,” he said, ears burning red at the admission.

Sanji stared at him for a few seconds, expression blank, before breaking out into a loud, high pitched laugh. “Pervert.”

Zoro took a step back, his face turning red. “Whatever.”

“That was cute,” Sanji said, still chuckling as he pulled Zoro back in by the sleeve of his shirt. He leaned in, hovering just above his ear, and sighed softly. “And I’m glad we’re on the same page. Because I really want to ride your face.”

That was all he needed to hear.

Zoro promptly grabbed at Sanji’s waist and hoisted him up over his shoulder, earning another round of surprised laughter as he rounded the kitchen island and made his way toward his bedroom.

“Are you sure?” Sanji asked as Zoro sped down the hallway.

Zoro finally barrelled through the door and tossed Sanji on his thankfully already made bed. “Less talking, more sitting.”

“I could do without the manhandling,” Sanji mumbled as he sat up on the bed.

“You liked it,” Zoro said with a small smile. His eyes took in the sight of Sanji on his bed, in his shirt, and it took everything in him to keep some semblance of composure. He focused on shrugging off his suit jacket instead.

Sanji grinned too. “I did.” He beckoned Zoro over with his finger, and Zoro obeyed, standing in front of him. Sanji pulled him down by the tie and started loosening the knot. “I’ve thought about undressing you like this a lot,” he confessed as he pulled the fabric loose and tossed it on his nightstand.

Zoro hummed, letting Sanji’s fingers undo the buttons of his dress shirt. “At least one good thing came from wearing this stupid thing.”

Sanji untucked the shirt from Zoro’s pants and slid it off of him easily. “Kinda want you to keep the pants on,” he said lowly.

It was so sexy when Sanji said what he fucking wanted.

“As long as you keep my shirt on,” Zoro said without hesitating. He joined Sanji on his bed and pulled him into another kiss. Slow to start, but passion quickly built in short, quick bursts until they were grinding up against each other again.

Finally, Sanji pushed Zoro down onto the bed and climbed on top of his lap. “Are you sure,” he asked again once he broke away, that wild look in his eye from earlier coming back.

“Fuck yes,” Zoro slurred, because every kiss was driving him closer to insanity. “Take these stupid shorts off,” he said as he tugged at the waistband.

Sanji lifted his hips up, and Zoro got to do the job for him, tugging down on both his shorts and his boxers. In hindsight, he should’ve taken his time though, because the view was nothing short of beautiful. Strong, thick thighs greeted him with an even better prize straining and throbbing in the middle. Zoro wanted to wrap his lips around him, wanted to take all of Sanji’s wanting down his throat until his lips rested against that perfect bed of curly blond.

“Are you drooling?” Sanji asked incredulously as he kicked the fabric off of each leg.

Zoro scooted Sanji up on top of his chest. The weight of his body warmed him from the inside out. So close. “We both are,” he said as he pressed his thumb against the glistening head of Sanji’s cock. Just one taste. He raised the wetness to his tongue and groaned. Everything about this man was just so damn sweet.

Sanji watched the whole thing with wide eyes and a barely constrained moan. “You can’t just say and do things like that?”

Zoro smoothed his palms over Sanji’s thighs. Relished in the way Sanji’s dick bobbed against the fabric of his shirt, staining it with the beginnings of arousal. He pinched the supple skin and chuckled when Sanji jumped, whining at the touch. “Why not?”

“Because I won’t—” his breath hitched as Zoro’s fingers dug a little firmer. “—be able to control myself.”

“Fuck control,” Zoro scoffed as he looked up at him. “Please, Sanji. I want you so bad.”

Something in Sanji shifted. His body finally relaxed, muscles untensing. “You’re always so sexy when you say please.”

“Please,” he said again, his lips snapping up to meet the air out of desperation. He wasn't above begging for the right cause. “Please.”

Sanji swiped his thumb across Zoro's cheek. Zoro leaned into it on instinct, not breaking eye contact for a second. “You ever done this before?”

Zoro shook his head. He was no stranger to eating ass, but—

“Not like this,” he said, voice as strained as the crotch of his work pants.

Sanji hummed. He patted his own thigh. “Tap here 3 times, and I’ll stop for any reason.”

“Got it.” Zoro nodded in confirmation. “Now show me how much you want me.”

“Only if you’re good,” he said with a smirk before lifting up to hover just above Zoro’s face, his knees on either side of his head. But just as Zoro’s hand began to tug on the arm of his glasses. Sanji intercepted with a stern hand. “They’re staying on.”

Zoro’s lips formed a smug grin. “Pervert.”

Which was met with Sanji lowering his hips, and engulfing the lower half of his face with the gorgeous lower half of his body.

Zoro groaned as Sanji got settled. His vision wasn’t obstructed yet, giving him the perfect view of all of Sanji’s strength and lust. He was leant back slightly, lips parted in awe and back curved. He stared down at Zoro with a look that set his soul on fire.

Zoro flicked his tongue.

Sanji shuttered. “Shit,” he whined as he gripped onto Zoro’s legs.

Zoro let those thick thighs and pretty sounds goad him on. Sanji’s entire body weight wasn’t on him. Not yet. But he’d fix that later. For now he focused on finding a groove, and exploring that gorgeous hole.

“God, you’re so good at that,” Sanji sighed blissfully, sinking a little more into Zoro’s grasp. His legs slipped over more of Zoro’s ears, turning the sound muffled and hollow in the best way.

Zoro gripped Sanji’s thighs for more leverage and continued this dance, flicking and tonguing and swirling—diving deeper and deeper. Embracing his taste, drowning in his smell, and moving closer and closer to euphoria. He let each moan, and each gasp, and every shaky breath spur him on.

And then Sanji rocked his hips.

Pleased, Zoro hummed. Looked up at the man with pleading eyes. More. He needed more.

“Got such a pretty face, mossy. Such a good little tongue,” Sanji babbled as he swirled his hips, dragging the wetness of Zoro’s tongue across his cheeks.

Zoro nodded as much as he could, only nuzzling his nose further into Sanji’s manhood. He needed to touch himself. Fuck, all he wanted was to reach down and relieve all of his throbbing and aching. But that would be one hand too many away from Sanji, and this was all about him.

As if sensing his eager devotion, Sanji finally sat up. His hips pushed forward, taking more of Zoro’s air, until those thighs were engulfing him on both sides and his leaking cock was slapping the lenses of his frames. His heart beat loudly in his fully covered ears.

Fuck. Yes.

Zoro lapped his tongue quicker, grateful for the new angle, and let all of his hard work lead him to one special spot.

“Oh my god,” Sanji gasped, voice reaching a pitch he’d never heard before, even muffled down.

And it was pretty much over from there, because Sanji finally let go.

Sanji ground down on his tongue with new purpose, and new passion. He rutted against his lips, and slid against the mix of spit and sex. “I knew you’d look so good underneath me,” he praised as he found a nasty rhythm. Selfish, and unabashed. “Knew you’d take it so good.”

And Zoro took it all. He took each thrust, until his vision was fully drenched in darkness and he couldn’t tell which way was up or down. There was only Sanji. He did his best to match his building pace, but eventually gave up, accepting his fate with open arms and letting Sanji chase his own fill. Let the plastic of his glasses creak and groan with each bit of force as he focused on keeping his breath steady.

“Zoro,” he panted. “Fuck, moss, I’m so close. Wanted this so bad. Needed you so bad.”

Zoro was close too. Fuck, he was embarrassingly close. But he had to hold out, because there was no way he was cumming without getting what he wanted too.

With whatever strength he had left, Zoro reached up to wrap his hands around Sanji’s dick, and let his fingers match the quick, sensual pace of Sanji’s stuttering hips. He put the rest of his energy into his tongue, and let Sanji do the rest.

“Fuck,” Sanji cussed, quick and overwhelmed. “Zoro, wanna cum on your face,” he huffed as his rhythm grew sloppy. “All over those fucking glasses, shit. I gotta.”

Zoro wished there was a way to say ‘fuck yes please,’ while he was tongue deep in Sanji’s ass, but he settled for a dorky thumbs up and listened as Sanji’s cries grew in pitch, urgency, and frequency until—

“Zoro!”

The prettiest cry of all.

Sanji lifted off of Zoro’s face and slapped Zoro’s hand away in favor of his own. Zoro gasped for air, his ears ringing with the static of sound.

One tug. One simple tug.

And then Sanji came.

Hot white hit the lenses of Zoro’s glasses in silent ribbons, only accented by Sanji’s moaning and mumbling. Zoro smiled underneath the shower, focused more on catching his breath as Sanji painted him in pure arousal.

“Holy shit,” he spluttered after he’d finally reached his end, stroking himself lazily.

Zoro couldn’t see much through the mess, but if Sanji looked anything like he sounded, then Zoro knew he would’ve loved the sight.

“Thank you,” he croaked out as he lazily reached for a part of Sanji to touch.

“You’re going to kill me,” Sanji said in disbelief. His thumbs found Zoro’s glasses and wiped the obstruction away like cheap windshield wipers, but Zoro was grateful for any bit of sight he could get. And he did not complain when he was met with the sight of Sanji’s fucked-out grin, dialated pupils, and the sweaty strands of hair that stuck to his forehead. “Holy shit.”

He leaned down to pull Zoro into a sweet kiss, short but full of tenderness. “Your turn if you’re up for it,” Sanji said after he pulled away, his hands still cupping his face. “Anything you want.”

Oh, he was up for it.

***

Sanji - April 14th

It was on purpose.

Sanji confessed. He put it all out on the table, made Zoro his boyfriend, and fulfilled one of his longtime Zoro fantasies.

And just as he suspected, Zoro looked even prettier with his cum all over his face.

Looking at him was so surreal, all sprawled out beneath him. Red faced, cloudy glasses, messy hair, dazed eyes, and that proud, satiated grin.

“Sit on my lap?” Zoro asked, looking up at him with utter devotion.

Sanji eyed him in confusion, but still shifted to straddle his lap anyway. His poor cock was still straining underneath the work pants he’d insisted on him keeping on, so he did him a favor and unbuckled his belt without asking. As soon as he pulled the leather away and undid the buttons on the pants, Zoro’s strained groan was immediate.

Zoro tried to sit up, and Sanji helped him with a hand. “Honestly curls, I’m so fucking close I don’t need much,” he said as his hands settled onto his waist. He avoided his eyes as he grinded his hips up to meet Sanji’s. The action was enough for Sanji to get the hint…

But he couldn’t let him get his way without a little teasing.

“Gotta tell me what you want, mossy,” he hummed, swirling his hips for good measure.

Zoro moaned at the move. He bucked up to meet him. So easy. “Ride me over my clothes?”

Sanji smirked. “I think someones too afraid to say ‘dry-humping,’” he said, unable to help himself from chuckling.

“I’m not afraid, it’s just immature,” Zoro huffed, but he kept squirming anyway. And that squirming looked suspiciously like dry-humping.

“Say it,” Sanji challenged as he pressed a hand against his chest to keep him still.

Which, god, felt incredible.

“Fine, cook,” he spat. “Wanna dry-hump, please.”

Sanji grinned before grounding his hips down with intention. Zoro’s surprised whine made him tingle from head to toe, his own arousal somehow building up all over again. With a satisfied hum, Sanji leaned down to hover over Zoro’s ear. “Good boy.”

Zoro’s eyes widened, and his hips bucked up again—shamelessly. The tips of his ears reddened and his breath hitched, mouth parting open slightly.

He was a walking wet dream.

Sanji figured he’d be into it based on some of their past interactions, but he wasn’t sure to what extent Zoro enjoyed it. Now he knew.

Better put him out of his misery, then. He deserved it.

Sanji pressed one final kiss to his lips before sitting back on Zoro’s lap and taking charge. With one hand pressed in between the valley of his pecs and the other resting firmly on his thigh, Sanji shot him a wicked grin. “Eyes on me.”

Zoro nodded eagerly, but one swirl of Sanji’s hips had his eyes rolling to the back of his head within seconds.

“Dumb moss,” he snorted affectionately, earning another playful pinch to his inner thigh.

To Zoro’s credit, he managed to keep up with Sanji’s sensual, yet punishing, pace with a few passionate thrusts of his own. Sanji pulled grunts and moans from him with each whine and roll of his hips, and relished in the way Zoro came undone. The way his muscles flexed and his jaw dropped and his face flushed. The way he stared up at him, still covered in all of his desire. The way—

Fuck. his glasses were starting to fog up.

Well. He was hard again.

His eyes fell to Zoro’s chest and gave one of his pecs a firm squeeze. So hot. He thumbed at Zoro’s nipple, and raised his eyebrow at the high pitched keen that flew out of him.

Of course he was sensitive there.

He couldn’t believe he was dating this man.

“Sanji,” Zoro moaned, voice airy and far away. “Oh, I’m—”

Sanji couldn’t help himself. He leaned in close. “Oh, I’m,” he imitated quietly, raising his voice to match his pitch.

“Ugh,” Zoro whined, scrunching his nose up in the most adorable way. His grip on Sanji slipped as his cheeks grew more red, but there was nothing but unadulterated lust in his eyes.

Sanji hummed in delight before picking up the pace. A rush of power surged through him as Zoro continued to fall apart.

“Ah,” Zoro squeaked.

“Ah,” Sanji mocked again, grinning wickedly as he put his own pleasure on the back burner. The friction from Zoro’s ruined work pants was hitting the head of his cock just right, but this wasn’t about him. This was about rewarding his boyfriend for all of his hard work.

“Oh!”

“Oh!”

Zoro tilted his head back in defeat, whining as he completely lost control, hips stuttering. Sanji couldn’t help but let a small moan escape him, because the sight of Zoro submitting to the teasing was just too hot.

“Oh fuck!”

“Oh fuck!” Sanji copied, his own moan slipping into the mix as well. He pinched Zoro’s nipple and was rewarded with a full body shutter. He couldn’t wait to get intimate with all of Zoro’s sensitive spots. Couldn't wait to exploit them all for pleasure.

Zoro gripped Sanji’s waist extra tight. His back arched, open mouth leaning close to Sanji’s slowly encroaching face. “I’m gonna—”

Sanji leaned just above him. He took a deep breath before keeping his voice cool and steady. “Oh, Zoro’s gonna—” He opened his mouth cheekily and gave his hips one last spin.

It was more of a yell than a moan. One loud, euphoria induced shout. So raw. So full. And Sanji, already hooked on the intimacy of sharing vocal pleasure, needed to taste it on his tongue.

He engulfed Zoro’s mouth with his, and swallowed the sound as Zoro reached his peak beneath him. Each desperate, instinctual buck of his hips brought spurts of warmth beneath Sanji’s thighs. Zoro’s shout eventually dipped into a desperate whine after he pulled away for air. But he wasted no time in smashing their lips back together afterwards, taking him in a proper kiss as Sanji continued to roll his hips.

Despite barely back down from his high, Zoro seemed to know exactly what Sanji needed and wrapped his hand around him again, one last time. This time, it only took a few slow strokes for Sanji to follow Zoro’s peak on top of his chest. While not as intense as his orgasm earlier, it still made his body buzz from inside out.

Zoro pulled away from the embrace to collapse back onto the pillow with a huff. “That was so fucking hot. What the fuck?” he said hoarsely, voice in disbelief.

Sanji joined him and laid his head on his chest—avoiding the mess. Zoro’s heart beat erratically in his ear. “Get used to it, mossy,” he said tiredly, but he couldn’t help but smile at the thought.

Zoro wrapped his arms around him. “We’re not leaving this bed,” he grumbled. “I can call off of work next week.”

“Pervert,” Sanji said, laughing as Zoro’s heartbeat began to slow.

They laid in silent stillness for a bit before Zoro began to play with Sanji’s hair. “Thank you,” he said softly. “For this, and everything you said earlier.”

Sanji’s heart backflipped. “Dork,” he mumbled back.

It took a bit of protest to get Zoro to release his death grip on him so that he could start trying to clean him up, but he finally succeeded in crawling out of bed after a bit of wrestling and a lot of kisses. He made a stop to the kitchen first, tip-toeing to grab two lemon popsicles from the freezer before making another stop for two clean, warm cloths. He came back to Zoro’s room with the items and crawled back on top of him as if it were habit.

He cleaned gently, selfishly using it as an excuse to become acquainted with the grooves of his abdomen and the scars on his skin. Zoro always leaned into his touch, no matter where it landed, and smiled lazily at the pampering. Once he was all done cleaning his face with the separate towel, Sanji handed Zoro a lemon popsicle with a shy grin.

Zoro took it with a genuine laugh. “Thanks for nursing my wounds.”

Sanji unraveled his popsicle and sucked on the tip with a pop. “Not to rush you or anything though, I actually really do need help with my taxes.”

“No one told you to wait until the last minute,” Zoro said with a snort.

“I’ve had a lot on my mind,” he said, rolling his eyes.

They licked at their treats in silence for a while until Zoro turned to face him properly. “Hey Sanji,” he said softly, eyes heavy with satisfaction. “You wanna be roommates?”

Sanji laughed on instinct. “Right, sure.”

“No for real,” Zoro repeated. “Wanna move in with me?”

He scanned his eyes for any sign of a joke, and when he didn’t find one, he bolted upright in disbelief. “What?”

“The loft is about 20 minutes away from here,” Zoro explained as he sat up as well. “It’s bigger than our place now. And there’s a gas stove in the kitchen.”

Sanji stared at him increduosly. They’d barely been dating for an hour, and this idiot was already asking him to move in by using a gas stove as leverage?

He fixed his lips to tell him off. But when he opened his mouth, he surprised even himself.

“How big is the kitchen island?”