This Is Your Life: Chapter Thirty
Title: This Is Your Life
Rating: NC-17 overall
Warnings: Yaoi, Modern AU
Pairings: ZoSan primarily with others sprinkled in here and there
Spoilers: Ah, recent chapters now... (but not THAT recent...)
Chapter: 30/30
Word Count: 1363
Total Word Count of Fic: 128,470
Epilogue
Oh, freedom is mine, and I know how I feel
It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new life
For me,
And I’m feeling good.
~ “Feeling Good”
“How many dances does the bride need with the groom before you can cut in?” Sanji wondered aloud, staring over at Franky and Robin. Robin looked beautiful and moved with the grace of a swan, while Franky kept shooting longing looks at the table where Paulie, Iceburg and the other shipwrights were seated.
“I think she’s tortured him long enough,” Nami replied, smirking up at him. “I guess that means I have to go back to Luffy, hmm?”
They both looked at the young man, who was currently eating while his brother attempted to give him dance pointers.
“Nah, go for Ace. I have it on good authority that he’s a respectable dancer.”
“Good authority?” she raised an eyebrow.
“Of course. My own.”
“Of course,” she echoed. “Go save Franky. I mean it, go.”
Sanji kissed her cheek before moving off, meeting Zoro’s eye as the green-haired man saluted him with a glass of beer. Zoro…wasn’t a dancer, and no matter how much Sanji tried to teach him, he’d never possess the grave necessary to do even a half-decent waltz. Heck, even standing close and barely moving he tended to step on Sanji’s toes, so instead of causing the swordsman embarrassment, Sanji merely told him that if he wanted to spend his time at the bar, he could.
Zoro was incredibly grateful.
The blonde moved across the balcony, tapping Franky on the shoulder. The blue-haired man all but shoved Robin at him before taking off, and she laughed at his retreating back before taking Sanji’s hands.
“I was wondering how long he would make it,” she said aloud, leaning close to be heard over the music. “It’s not that I like to torture him, but it is amusing.”
“Ah, he’s got other talents,” Sanji replied.
“True enough. At least I never have to worry about anything in the house breaking down,” she pointed out.
“There is that,” Sanji agreed. They danced in silence for the duration of the song and halfway through the next one before Robin spoke again.
“Sanji, I don’t know if I’m supposed to be the one to tell you this, but I thought you ought to know that Doflamingo’s been arrested.”
“The guy that CP9 was after in Calgary?”
“Yes,” she nodded. “And…” a knowing smile crept onto her face. “Word has it that since Krieg’s disappearance a new overlord has begun to rise from the ranks. Man by the name of Enel.”
“So that means…” Sanji’s eyes widened.
“Mind if I cut in?”
“Go,” Robin laughed. “Go ahead.”
Sanji grinned and threw his arms briefly around her neck before turning. “Hey.”
“Good evening.”
“Please, don’t start the ‘weirdly formal’ shtick again. It doesn’t fool me,” Sanji held out a hand.
“Never hurts to try,” was the response as the other man straightened his tie compulsively before taking the proffered hand.
“You look fine, Kaku,” Sanji pulled him into position, freeing one hand to smooth a stray chunk of Kaku’s hair back into place. “There. And at least I know you can dance.”
“Unlike your esteemed boyfriend?”
“Unlike him,” Sanji snuck another glance at Zoro, but he wasn’t looking. “So. You’re back?”
“For the foreseeable future,” Kaku nodded. “Why? Happy to see me?”
“Of course,” Sanji assured him. “I’ve missed you.”
“Likewise,” Kaku gave him a genuine smile.
“So, what’s the news on this Enel guy?”
“What else?” Kaku shrugged. “Krieg’s gone; it was only a matter of time before a new overlord moved in to try and take over the underground. But Law and Kidd have been keeping us updated…”
“I’m gonna kill him,” Sanji muttered under his breath. “Talking with you and never saying a word about it.”
“Rob told him not to,” Kaku said it like it explained everything, and considering it was Lucci they were talking about, it probably did.
“So, I hope you realize that I’m demanding to be involved in this?”
“Had a taste for adventure, eh?” Kaku chuckled. “Well, I can’t say I didn’t expect this, and I know you well enough to not try to dissuade you. I’ll caution you to be careful and run it by Rob, but that’s all I can promise.”
“Fair enough,” Sanji nodded.
“So.”
“So, how are you?”
“Physically?” he asked, and Sanji nodded. “Better. Not 100% by any means, and there’s certainly no guarantee I’ll ever get back there but I’m…coping. Managing. I’ll be fine,” he settled on as Sanji tugged him closer.
“You heard about Smoker and Ace yet?”
“Briefly. Now there’s an odd couple. I don’t feel so bad about Rob anymore,” he laughed, and Sanji looked over to meet Ace’s eye, the older man giving him a knowing wink. He and Ace had already said their goodbyes (and snagged quite a few dances together, much to the chagrin of both Zoro and Smoker who seemed to be permanently glued to the open bar).
They heard the door open with a rather loud bang and Kaku rolled his eyes, stating, “That’ll be Rob,” in a ‘wouldn’t-you-know-it’ tone. And indeed, Lucci swept in, gave Sanji a curt nod, and headed to dance with Robin.
“Can he dance?”
“Remarkably well,” Kaku replied, looking around the room. “So the gang’s all here, are they?”
“All of them,” Sanji smiled. “Plus some people that Franky used to work with from the docks and…how exactly did Kalifa convince Paulie to dance with her?” he blinked.
“She’s…rather persuasive. As you know. Plus he’s afraid of her.”
“Good point,” Sanji conceded. “So you’ll talk to Lucci.”
“Yes,” Kaku said in a way that told Sanji that answer was going to be ‘no’ if he dared ask again.
“Lucci’s rubbing off on you. That was almost threatening,” Sanji deadpanned, and Kaku rolled his eyes.
“You’re incorrigible.”
“I pride myself on it.”
“Go dance with Nami. I can tell she’s been wanting to get away from Luffy for a while now,” Kaku gestured with his head and Sanji grimaced, because Luffy didn’t even really dance, he just flailed.
“My darling shouldn’t be subjected to that atrocity,” Sanji decided. “You’re off to talk to Zoro?”
“How’d you guess?”
“Because somehow I don’t see my wanting to work with you going over really well unless he’s also in on it,” Sanji replied.
“My thoughts exactly,” Kaku gave him a brief smile before tilting Sanji’s head down to kiss him chastely on the forehead.
“Tease,” Sanji smirked at him before heading off and rescuing a very relieved Nami.
Several dances later, he was pretty much danced off his feet, when Zoro finally came and said that he’d have one…and just one, mind you…dance with him.
“You’re not that bad,” Sanji told him about halfway through.
“It’s not manly.”
“Yes, because sleeping with a man is the very definition of ‘manly,’” Sanji informed him bluntly.
“You know what I mean. I’m not…graceful like you are. I feel…awkward.”
“Well, you’re not that bad,” Sanji repeated before leaning in to kiss him briefly. “Kaku talk to you?”
“I don’t like it.”
“But…”
“But you’re the most single-minded man I’ve ever met, so instead of arguing with you about the sense of it I’m just going to say that if you’re throwing yourself out there, so am I,” Zoro said firmly. “Besides, it’s good training.”
“You’re too kind to me.”
“You’re lucky I love you.”
“I know,” Sanji kissed him again, slower this time, but nothing that would lead to something more. Not yet, anyway. “Love you too, baka Marimo,” Sanji replied, grinning as Zoro made a not-so-subtle suggestion that the two of them should retire for the night. Zeff had grudgingly got them all a discount on the posh hotel next door, and if Sanji was thinking the same thing Zoro was, he doubted either of them would be getting much sleep that night.
But then, he couldn’t really say he minded, either. After all, for the first time in a long time, life was normal.
Well, relatively speaking. But honestly, normal was overrated. He wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Yeah. Let’s go,” he smiled against Zoro’s lips before tugging on his hand and leading him from the reception, toward their hotel room and the waiting bed.
END
Notes:
1. Yes, this is THE END!!! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to everyone on ff.net and LJ who’s commented/reviewed!!!! This has been my most successful fanfiction attempt to date, and it wouldn’t have been possible without everyone’s encouragement, so a HUGE THANK YOU!!! :D
2. I hope everyone enjoyed the story! And just because it’s over, don’t think that means you can get away without letting me know what you think ;P I can’t believe it’s been just a few days shy of a year from the first chapter (seems incredible!), but I figured that, seeing as how this story is very Sanji-centric, I had to end it on his birthday. So Happy Birthday, Sanji-dear!!
3. The last four songs for the last three chapters (yes, four!) are available HERE: http://www.sendspace.com/file/av6roc (and I did this simply because there are two versions of Feeling Good that I adore, Michael Buble’s and John Barrowman’s, so I’ve given you both!).
4. I have an idea for a new OP AU story in the works, but no promises on when that’ll be happening. However, providing I have time to write, I certainly have enough ideas to get it going. No guarantees it’ll be the epic that this was, but since this is me (and I’m very wordy) who knows?
5 Once again, thank you all SO much, and I’ll see you later ^-^.
All Chapters Are HERE
Rating: NC-17 overall
Warnings: Yaoi, Modern AU
Pairings: ZoSan primarily with others sprinkled in here and there
Spoilers: Ah, recent chapters now... (but not THAT recent...)
Chapter: 30/30
Word Count: 1363
Total Word Count of Fic: 128,470
Epilogue
Oh, freedom is mine, and I know how I feel
It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new life
For me,
And I’m feeling good.
~ “Feeling Good”
“How many dances does the bride need with the groom before you can cut in?” Sanji wondered aloud, staring over at Franky and Robin. Robin looked beautiful and moved with the grace of a swan, while Franky kept shooting longing looks at the table where Paulie, Iceburg and the other shipwrights were seated.
“I think she’s tortured him long enough,” Nami replied, smirking up at him. “I guess that means I have to go back to Luffy, hmm?”
They both looked at the young man, who was currently eating while his brother attempted to give him dance pointers.
“Nah, go for Ace. I have it on good authority that he’s a respectable dancer.”
“Good authority?” she raised an eyebrow.
“Of course. My own.”
“Of course,” she echoed. “Go save Franky. I mean it, go.”
Sanji kissed her cheek before moving off, meeting Zoro’s eye as the green-haired man saluted him with a glass of beer. Zoro…wasn’t a dancer, and no matter how much Sanji tried to teach him, he’d never possess the grave necessary to do even a half-decent waltz. Heck, even standing close and barely moving he tended to step on Sanji’s toes, so instead of causing the swordsman embarrassment, Sanji merely told him that if he wanted to spend his time at the bar, he could.
Zoro was incredibly grateful.
The blonde moved across the balcony, tapping Franky on the shoulder. The blue-haired man all but shoved Robin at him before taking off, and she laughed at his retreating back before taking Sanji’s hands.
“I was wondering how long he would make it,” she said aloud, leaning close to be heard over the music. “It’s not that I like to torture him, but it is amusing.”
“Ah, he’s got other talents,” Sanji replied.
“True enough. At least I never have to worry about anything in the house breaking down,” she pointed out.
“There is that,” Sanji agreed. They danced in silence for the duration of the song and halfway through the next one before Robin spoke again.
“Sanji, I don’t know if I’m supposed to be the one to tell you this, but I thought you ought to know that Doflamingo’s been arrested.”
“The guy that CP9 was after in Calgary?”
“Yes,” she nodded. “And…” a knowing smile crept onto her face. “Word has it that since Krieg’s disappearance a new overlord has begun to rise from the ranks. Man by the name of Enel.”
“So that means…” Sanji’s eyes widened.
“Mind if I cut in?”
“Go,” Robin laughed. “Go ahead.”
Sanji grinned and threw his arms briefly around her neck before turning. “Hey.”
“Good evening.”
“Please, don’t start the ‘weirdly formal’ shtick again. It doesn’t fool me,” Sanji held out a hand.
“Never hurts to try,” was the response as the other man straightened his tie compulsively before taking the proffered hand.
“You look fine, Kaku,” Sanji pulled him into position, freeing one hand to smooth a stray chunk of Kaku’s hair back into place. “There. And at least I know you can dance.”
“Unlike your esteemed boyfriend?”
“Unlike him,” Sanji snuck another glance at Zoro, but he wasn’t looking. “So. You’re back?”
“For the foreseeable future,” Kaku nodded. “Why? Happy to see me?”
“Of course,” Sanji assured him. “I’ve missed you.”
“Likewise,” Kaku gave him a genuine smile.
“So, what’s the news on this Enel guy?”
“What else?” Kaku shrugged. “Krieg’s gone; it was only a matter of time before a new overlord moved in to try and take over the underground. But Law and Kidd have been keeping us updated…”
“I’m gonna kill him,” Sanji muttered under his breath. “Talking with you and never saying a word about it.”
“Rob told him not to,” Kaku said it like it explained everything, and considering it was Lucci they were talking about, it probably did.
“So, I hope you realize that I’m demanding to be involved in this?”
“Had a taste for adventure, eh?” Kaku chuckled. “Well, I can’t say I didn’t expect this, and I know you well enough to not try to dissuade you. I’ll caution you to be careful and run it by Rob, but that’s all I can promise.”
“Fair enough,” Sanji nodded.
“So.”
“So, how are you?”
“Physically?” he asked, and Sanji nodded. “Better. Not 100% by any means, and there’s certainly no guarantee I’ll ever get back there but I’m…coping. Managing. I’ll be fine,” he settled on as Sanji tugged him closer.
“You heard about Smoker and Ace yet?”
“Briefly. Now there’s an odd couple. I don’t feel so bad about Rob anymore,” he laughed, and Sanji looked over to meet Ace’s eye, the older man giving him a knowing wink. He and Ace had already said their goodbyes (and snagged quite a few dances together, much to the chagrin of both Zoro and Smoker who seemed to be permanently glued to the open bar).
They heard the door open with a rather loud bang and Kaku rolled his eyes, stating, “That’ll be Rob,” in a ‘wouldn’t-you-know-it’ tone. And indeed, Lucci swept in, gave Sanji a curt nod, and headed to dance with Robin.
“Can he dance?”
“Remarkably well,” Kaku replied, looking around the room. “So the gang’s all here, are they?”
“All of them,” Sanji smiled. “Plus some people that Franky used to work with from the docks and…how exactly did Kalifa convince Paulie to dance with her?” he blinked.
“She’s…rather persuasive. As you know. Plus he’s afraid of her.”
“Good point,” Sanji conceded. “So you’ll talk to Lucci.”
“Yes,” Kaku said in a way that told Sanji that answer was going to be ‘no’ if he dared ask again.
“Lucci’s rubbing off on you. That was almost threatening,” Sanji deadpanned, and Kaku rolled his eyes.
“You’re incorrigible.”
“I pride myself on it.”
“Go dance with Nami. I can tell she’s been wanting to get away from Luffy for a while now,” Kaku gestured with his head and Sanji grimaced, because Luffy didn’t even really dance, he just flailed.
“My darling shouldn’t be subjected to that atrocity,” Sanji decided. “You’re off to talk to Zoro?”
“How’d you guess?”
“Because somehow I don’t see my wanting to work with you going over really well unless he’s also in on it,” Sanji replied.
“My thoughts exactly,” Kaku gave him a brief smile before tilting Sanji’s head down to kiss him chastely on the forehead.
“Tease,” Sanji smirked at him before heading off and rescuing a very relieved Nami.
Several dances later, he was pretty much danced off his feet, when Zoro finally came and said that he’d have one…and just one, mind you…dance with him.
“You’re not that bad,” Sanji told him about halfway through.
“It’s not manly.”
“Yes, because sleeping with a man is the very definition of ‘manly,’” Sanji informed him bluntly.
“You know what I mean. I’m not…graceful like you are. I feel…awkward.”
“Well, you’re not that bad,” Sanji repeated before leaning in to kiss him briefly. “Kaku talk to you?”
“I don’t like it.”
“But…”
“But you’re the most single-minded man I’ve ever met, so instead of arguing with you about the sense of it I’m just going to say that if you’re throwing yourself out there, so am I,” Zoro said firmly. “Besides, it’s good training.”
“You’re too kind to me.”
“You’re lucky I love you.”
“I know,” Sanji kissed him again, slower this time, but nothing that would lead to something more. Not yet, anyway. “Love you too, baka Marimo,” Sanji replied, grinning as Zoro made a not-so-subtle suggestion that the two of them should retire for the night. Zeff had grudgingly got them all a discount on the posh hotel next door, and if Sanji was thinking the same thing Zoro was, he doubted either of them would be getting much sleep that night.
But then, he couldn’t really say he minded, either. After all, for the first time in a long time, life was normal.
Well, relatively speaking. But honestly, normal was overrated. He wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Yeah. Let’s go,” he smiled against Zoro’s lips before tugging on his hand and leading him from the reception, toward their hotel room and the waiting bed.
END
Notes:
1. Yes, this is THE END!!! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to everyone on ff.net and LJ who’s commented/reviewed!!!! This has been my most successful fanfiction attempt to date, and it wouldn’t have been possible without everyone’s encouragement, so a HUGE THANK YOU!!! :D
2. I hope everyone enjoyed the story! And just because it’s over, don’t think that means you can get away without letting me know what you think ;P I can’t believe it’s been just a few days shy of a year from the first chapter (seems incredible!), but I figured that, seeing as how this story is very Sanji-centric, I had to end it on his birthday. So Happy Birthday, Sanji-dear!!
3. The last four songs for the last three chapters (yes, four!) are available HERE: http://www.sendspace.com/file/av6roc (and I did this simply because there are two versions of Feeling Good that I adore, Michael Buble’s and John Barrowman’s, so I’ve given you both!).
4. I have an idea for a new OP AU story in the works, but no promises on when that’ll be happening. However, providing I have time to write, I certainly have enough ideas to get it going. No guarantees it’ll be the epic that this was, but since this is me (and I’m very wordy) who knows?
5 Once again, thank you all SO much, and I’ll see you later ^-^.
All Chapters Are HERE