This Is Your Life: Chapter Four
Title: This Is Your Life
Rating: R
Warnings: Yaoi, Modern AU
Pairings: ZoroxSanji primarily, AcexSanji for the first few chapters
Spoilers: Up to Thriller Bark
Chapter: 4/?
Word Count: 4215
Chapter Four
“Sanji!”
The blonde turned as a body thumped into him, and he tried to keep his footing and return the enthusiastic embrace. Whoever it was pulled away, and Sanji caught a glimpse of rumpled brown hair and the largest chocolate-hued eyes he’d ever seen. The fact that the teenaged boy was wearing a rather gaudy pink top hat also made him fairly remarkable, and Sanji grinned at him.
“Chopper! Ace was right, you are turning into a handsome young man.”
“D-don’t say that, you idiot! That won’t make me happy at all,” Chopper wiggled like he had to make an emergency trip to the washroom and stuck his hands behind his back, shifting from foot to foot.
“Shall we?” Robin placed a light hand on Sanji’s upper arm and smiled at him, and he nodded as they entered the restaurant. Since Wednesday whatever bug he had caught had seemed to run its course, and by now he was feeling back to normal in virtually every way. Virtually, because he was a little upset at Zeff for what the old man had so nicely phoned him and told him what he was to be doing later that night, but he tried to brush the memory off and enjoy lunch with people he hadn’t seen in the last two years.
“Robin, how did you get us into this place? I hear it’s almost impossible to get reservations!” Nami was looking around in awe, while Sanji was mostly looking at her low-cut dress and wondering if it would be inappropriate to point out that her impeccable integrity would be compromised if she somehow managed to pop completely out of it.
“I know the man who plays piano here on the weekends,” she replied with another smile. “I met him at the museum I work at one time when we had an exhibit on instruments through the ages, and we’ve kept in contact,” she waved as a tall man sporting one of the most impressive afros Sanji had ever seen came over. He was carrying a cane he obviously didn’t need and had tiny round sunglasses on.
“Robin!”
“Hello, Brook! Thank you for getting us those seats.”
“Not a problem. You’ve got quite the good-looking group of friends here. Yohohoho!”
Sanji flinched at the high-pitched laugh the slender man emitted, but had to admit that it was kind of infective. Even if it did sound like he had just inhaled a bunch of helium.
“You must be Sanji,” the skinny man turned to him and held out a hand, and Sanji shook it with a nod. “Robin has spoken often of you, and I daresay I wouldn’t mind trying some of your food. The dishes they serve here are excellent, of course, but I’ve had several of your friends inform me that they don’t hold a candle to what you do.”
“Ah, I’m not that great,” Sanji shrugged, knowing instantly that he and Brook would get along well. “But everyone’s been asking me to cook for them, so I’ll have to some day soon.”
“Yohoho! I would enjoy that immensely!”
Sanji grinned at Brook as Zoro shot him a glare while they crossed to the table, and Sanji maturely stuck his tongue out in response. The other man was surly because Sanji had insisted on dressing him nicely in the morning, and after spending nearly two hours arguing about everything from what color shirt wouldn’t clash with his abnormal green hair to whether or not his earrings would be appropriate, they had finally made it out the door.
Sanji had insisted on brown because the only other color the man seemed to have in a dress shirt was white, and Sanji abruptly informed him that he was not supposed to look like a waiter. Zoro argued that brown made him look like grass on top of dirt, but Sanji was having none of it and stuffed him into the shirt and a pair of khakis, deciding that there was no need to be excessively formal since it was only lunch. He’d let Zoro keep the earrings (personally, he rather liked them), but Zoro had been looking uncomfortable all day.
“You look fine,” Sanji whispered to him as they reached the table, pulling out a chair for the man and gently rubbing his shoulders once he sat. “So stop being so tense.”
“Sit down,” Zoro was red again and Sanji chuckled before seating himself beside the swordsman, crossing his long legs and looking relaxed. He knew he was asking for trouble by letting Ace sit on his other side, but making Zoro squirm was too fun to pass up.
“Hey, babe.”
“Hey yourself.”
“You look stunning,” Ace rather admirably refrained from kissing him and settled for resting a hand on his thigh.
“So do you. Trying to impress someone?” It was really no secret that Ace cleaned up well when he wanted to, even if he did tend to dress like he was ready for a jaunt in the wild more often than not.
“Not particularly. And you?”
“I’m always trying to impress someone,” Sanji replied, catching the eye of a blushing girl across the restaurant and slowly undoing one of the buttons on his collar while giving her a sultry smile. She audibly squeaked and turned away, and Ace chuckled.
“What time do you work until?”
“Closing,” Sanji groaned, remembering his impending return to work. “So by the time I get out…midnight.”
“Want to go out after?”
“With you?”
“I know a good place,” Ace promised.
“Okay. I’ll probably need it after dealing with the old geezer for a few hours,” Sanji sighed.
“Good. I’ll pick you up there?”
“Yeah,” Sanji gave him a grateful smile. Ace was good to spend time with when he was feeling stressed. Even if they weren’t going all the way anymore. “Wanna come?” This to Zoro.
“Nah. I’ve gotta train.”
“You’re always training!” Sanji rolled his eyes. “Lighten up. Come out with us.”
“Not this time,” Zoro shrugged. “Maybe some other week.”
“He always this much of a party pooper?” Sanji asked Ace, who nodded. “How did you manage to put up with all of these goons for the last two years? Wouldn’t they drive you crazy?” Sanji turned to the green-haired man while out of the corner of his eye watching Luffy attempt to steal all of the little bread rolls the waiter had placed on the table.
“Intense meditation,” was Zoro’s response.
“You’re so boring, Zoro!” Nami nudged his foot with hers under the table while grabbing Luffy’s creeping hand with her own. “Lighten up! I’ll come out with you sometime, Sanji. I can’t this week because Luffy and I are going to a movie tonight, but next week for sure!”
“Oh, that’s right,” Ace teased. “Widdle Luffy-kins is only eighteen, isn’t he?”
“Shut up!” Luffy, who had been lovingly coerced by Nami into only taking one bread roll, glared at Ace, but the effect was somewhat lost with his mouth full.
“Luffy!” Nami thwacked her boyfriend none-too-gently on the back of his head. “Eat like a normal human being!”
“Ah, it’s love, all right,” Sanji sighed.
“Abusive love, but love,” Ace agreed, his fingers drumming on Sanji’s leg. “Hey,” his voice dropped to a whisper and he leant to speak into the blonde’s ear. “Wanna come home with me tonight?”
“What?”
“You know…for old times’ sake. We don’t have to do anything but…see where it goes?” Ace looked rather hopeful.
“Yeah. Okay,” Sanji nodded. “Better than picking up some chick at the bar, anyway.”
“Should I be offended by that? We’ve got history, man,” Ace started to rub his thigh, and Sanji shifted in his seat.
“Ace, you might want to stop that,” he said between gritted teeth, and Ace flashed him a cocky smile, but he stilled his hand.
“Yo, bros!” the call from the door made them all turn, and Franky swept in, wearing a shirt more suited to Hawaii than Vancouver. “Sanji, bro! Long time no see!”
“Hey, Franky,” Sanji waved. “I hear you scored our gorgeous Robin. How’d you manage that?”
“She fell for my inherent charm. We wanted to get married sooner, but she insisted on waiting until you returned. The wedding’s gonna be super!” he crowed, and Sanji wondered what Robin saw in him. Not only was he boisterous and loud where Robin was controlled and quiet, but his hair was electric blue. Electric blue, and the man was thirty-five years old. “And you, bro? Found that special someone yet?”
“Nah,” Sanji shrugged. “Still playing the field, you know?”
“Not bad, bro, not bad,” Franky sat beside his fiancée. “I’ve missed your food.”
“Apparently everyone has,” Sanji muttered.
“And this is surprising?” Ace nudged his shoulder. “You’re a culinary genius, man.”
“Shut up, Ace,” Sanji sighed, as Ace took his hand under the table. “I’m working waiter tonight.”
“Waiter? What for?”
“Stupid geezer says that until I can prove to him I’ve learned something in Japan, I don’t get to go into the kitchen except to pick up food,” Sanji grumbled. “So I’ve gotta do lackey work. Apparently they’re short on waiters, too, because Zeff scares everyone so bad that they just quit.”
“You’ll have to knock some sense into the old man,” Ace removed his hand from Sanji’s and slung it around his shoulders. “You sound unhappy, babe.”
“I’m sick of working for him, even though I haven’t set foot in that place for two years. I want to break out; go my own way, you know? But until I get a degree and some decent money, I won’t have the resources to open my own place,” he sighed, leaning into Ace.
“I thought you didn’t have anyone, Sanji-bro,” Franky cut in.
“He’s not,” Sanji said firmly. “I mean, we were before I left, but…” he gave up trying to explain as Ace chuckled, wondering why, out of all the people Ace had told, Franky had to be the one he hadn’t. Of course, it wasn’t a huge stretch to imagine, because even someone like Luffy had Nami to make sure he kept his mouth shut, but Franky was incapable of shutting up even when he really needed to. “What are we, Ace?”
“Friends with benefits?” the freckled man supplied.
“Sure. Let’s go with that,” Sanji shrugged, and the conversation turned to other topics for the rest of the meal. After everyone had said their good-byes and taken off, Sanji went for a walk down the pier to have a smoke. He stood gazing across the harbour to downtown, cigarette dangling from his lips for a few minutes until he heard the wood planks of the dock creaking and someone came up to stand beside him.
“Hey.”
“Hey yourself,” Sanji glanced at Zoro. “Good lunch?”
“Yeah. Not bad,” Zoro didn’t look at him as he replied. “You really going out with Portgas tonight?”
“Why not? It’s not like I have anything else to do, except watch you train, which doesn’t interest me in the least,” Sanji smirked around his cigarette.
“Are you two…you know,” Zoro turned a rather interesting shade of red.
“Baka Marimo. That’s none of your business,” Sanji fiddled with the buttons on his shirt.
“You still like him, don’t you? And what did you call me?”
“Stupid moss-head. And of course I like him, but I’ve said it before: it’s only temporary. Until I find somebody I can really fall in love with,” was the blonde’s reply.
“Think you’ll ever find them?”
“Who knows? And you?”
“I’m not looking for love right now.”
“Right. You’re in love with those pointy metal objects of yours; how could I forget?” Sanji’s eye roll caused Zoro to laugh. “Hey. Wanna grab a coffee or something before we head back? I’ll need all the help I can get just to get through work today.”
“Sure,” Zoro agreed with a nod as they left the pier.
000
Work, as expected, was hideous, and Sanji glanced up at the clock around 8:30 and wondered how he could survive three more hours of this. He hated waiting tables. It meant dealing with the public, and while that meant getting to fawn over beautiful women, it also meant having to deal with jealous husbands and people that wouldn’t know crab from lobster if one jumped out of the ocean and bit them in the rear end. After about the tenth obstinate man who thought he knew everything Sanji was about ready to tear his hair out, and he hurriedly clamped a hold of his temper as he walked to the next table, fake smile firmly in place.
“Welcome to the Baratie. My name is Sanji, and I shall be your server tonight.”
“So you’re back, are you?”
Sanji glanced up in surprise at the gruff voice, and was met by the intimidating visage of a man with odd greyish-green hair and a scowl on his face. “Commodore?”
“Who else? It’s good to see you, kid,” Commodore Smoker was an ex-Navy officer who still did some naval work now and again, but it turns out he and Zeff had been buddies way back when and they still kept in contact often. Most of his time these days seemed to involve dealing with problems that the Coast Guard didn’t want to, but Sanji had the feeling that Smoker never backed down from a challenge. “Back from Japan, are you? I’m surprised old Zeff doesn’t have you concocting new recipes in the back.”
“Stupid geezer won’t let me.”
“Yeah, that sounds like Zeff, all right. Hey, kid, I want you to meet somebody: this is Tashigi. She’s my apprentice down at the naval academy,” Smoker pointed to the young woman sitting across from him at the table.
“It’s a pleasure, mademoiselle,” Sanji swept into a bow and took her hand, bestowing a chaste kiss on the back. As expected, she blushed, and Sanji realized she was rather pretty, if somewhat boyish. She wore pants instead of a skirt, and her bluish-black hair was styled simple and short. A pair of plain glasses rimmed her large eyes. “I’m surprised the commodore here hasn’t driven you crazy, yet.”
“He’s working on it, I’m sure,” she replied dryly, and Sanji chuckled.
“Tashigi here’s interested in swordplay. I thought we could introduce her to that old high school comrade of yours? Zeff told me you’d be rooming together,” Smoker continued.
“Zoro?” Sanji blinked. “I’m sure he’d love the fact that she’s a swordswoman, but don’t think he’ll look at you as a woman, my dear. He regards everyone the same no matter what gender they are…and it’s not like he looks at women regardless,” the blonde shrugged.
“You should get along fine, then,” Smoker commented in an offhand way, and Sanji turned to him with wide eyes. “Oh, it’s obvious to anyone who looks that you swing both ways, kid. And before you ask, Zeff doesn’t know.”
“Good. He’d probably kill me.”
“I doubt it. You still involved with that Portgas kid?”
“Kind of. He’s picking me up tonight.” Sanji knew that Smoker knew Ace through the young man’s grandfather, who was a high-ranking navy officer. It was worse than he thought, if Ace was even telling random sort-of friends that they had been together. After all, he didn’t think that Smoker qualified as somebody the dark-haired man would be imparting secrets to.
“Is he? Well, have fun. He’s a firecracker, that one,” was the man’s reply.
“Vice-Admiral Garp’s Grandson?” Tashigi blinked. “You know him?”
“Of course I know him. Him and his annoying runt of a brother both. I heard it through the grapevine that young Luffy’s managed to score himself a prize, though,” Smoker looked at Sanji for confirmation.
“That he has. A veritable angel,” Sanji nodded. “But I need to get back to work. I’ll stop by on my break and we can talk some more. Oh, and my dear, if you’re that concerned about seeing Ace, he’ll probably show up around 11 and try to snag some food before we go out.”
Smoker laughed at the astonished expression on the young woman’s face, and Sanji gave her a wink before he sauntered off to serve more customers.
000
And Sanji was right, too. At 11:00 sharp, Ace came barging in and was immediately thrown out by a rather irate Patty and Carne. He pouted outside the doors for a half-hour until the Baratie officially closed, and then sauntered in, for once not wearing his ridiculous hat. Sanji paused in the doorway as he caught sight of Smoker and Tashigi and hurried over.
“Commodore! Fancy seeing you here!”
“Bugger off, Portgas,” Smoker growled.
“And you would be…”
“Tashigi, sir,” the girl said, holding out her hand stiffly.
Ace grinned and darted to hug her instead, causing a stifled squeak to break from her mouth. “Portgas! Hands off!”
“Yeah; yeah. You’re too uptight,” Ace chastised the older man. “She’s cute. Where’d you get her?”
“She’s my apprentice at the naval base.”
“Ouch. He drive you crazy yet, sweetie? You can always come hang with me if your brain starts overheating,” Ace winked at her.
“Commodore? Perhaps we should be going?” Tashigi blinked, trying hard not to look at Ace.
“You’re the one that wanted to meet him.” But Smoker stood up regardless. “I’ll give your regards to your grandfather, shall I?”
“Whatever,” Ace shrugged, and Sanji rolled his eyes and walked over to the table, dropping the bag containing his work clothes on one of the chairs.
“See you later, kid,” Smoker said to him.
“Goodbye, Commodore! It was nice to meet you, Tashigi!” he waved after them as Ace stood up and embraced him from behind. “Ace, hands off. What if Zeff comes out?”
“Oh, poo. You’re no fun,” Ace pouted. “You look hot, though.”
“Yeah, the old man nearly had a riot when he was me come out of the washroom,” Sanji grinned. “I thought the pants might be too small, but I fit.”
“Who cares?” Ace returned the smile. “You ready?”
“Where are we headed? Not some seedy place,” Sanji made a face.
“Of course not! It’s a perfectly respectable little joint. You know Shanks?”
“That guy that gave Luffy that abominable straw hat?” Sanji wrinkled his nose.
“Yeah. His wife Makino tends bar at a restaurant downtown, but they also co-own the place with some people who turned it into a nightclub after dark. Makino usually doesn’t work after nightfall, but Shanks sometimes turns up just to make sure things are running smoothly,” Ace informed him as they left and building and walked out to his vehicle, a relatively new-model pickup truck with emblazoned flames on the sides. They didn’t speak much on the way over, but once inside the club Sanji let the pulsing music and flashing lights fill his senses, and by the time he had a couple of drinks in him, he figured that it wouldn’t hurt to let go.
He didn’t plan on getting drunk this time, at least not like he was at the beginning of the week, but apparently Ace had no such reservations. The dark-haired man winked at a few scantily-clad girls near the door, who giggled and pointed in their direction. After downing another glass of something that smelled awful to Sanji (probably something Zoro would like, he thought) Ace pulled him onto the dance floor, and Sanji chanced a quick look around to note that there were plenty of other guys dancing together before he allowed it.
And that was about when he remembered why he had been reluctant to go out with Ace at first. Because the other man was simply too good when it came to bringing him to the edge of control, especially when he ground their hips together like that. Luckily, the club was only open until around two, so Sanji only had to keep it together for a little over an hour plus the drive back to Ace’s condo. However, it seemed his tenuous hold on control was something Ace was also experiencing, because they had barely made it into the bedroom before their lips were connected and they were tearing at each other’s clothes. Sanji had a fleeting sense of déjà vu at the reminder of their first night together over three years ago before his mind became unable to process rational thought.
“Ace…” he managed to gasp out at one point, trying desperately to tell his body to slow down.
“What, love?”
The word caused a strange flutter in Sanji’s chest, and he looked into the other man’s dark eyes. “Are you sure about this?”
The look he received in return could only be described as confused, and as Ace let his hands wander up and down Sanji’s thighs, he let out a resigned sigh. “Yes, Sanji. I want this. I want you. But not if…I mean…if you don’t want me to go any farther, I won’t. I’d never pressure you, and I know that…that you don’t love me.”
“Ace, shut up,” Sanji pulled him up for a kiss. “You idiot, of course I love you.”
“But not like…”
“What am I supposed to tell you? The very first night we…we agreed that it would never become serious. You’re like my best friend, and I adore you, but you know why…why we have to…” he held the other man close.
“Zoro.”
“What about him?”
“You like him.”
“We’ve established that.”
“Alright,” Ace let him go and moved away. “I’ll just…sleep on the couch, okay?”
“Ace, darn it, get back…” Sanji raised a hand and then dropped it, rubbing his temples and sighing. “Okay, then. Goodnight.”
“Sanji?”
Sanji was staring at the blanket, fisting the sheet in one hand and glancing down so that his hair hung over his eyes. “Can we forget about it all for tonight? About Zoro and life and just…be?”
“What do you mean?” Ace stopped in the doorway.
“I’ve missed you…I mean, all of you, but I never realized how much until I was back. I had friends in Japan, but nobody…nobody could even come close to how I feel when I’m with all of you. Today at lunch…I felt like I was home, for the first time in two years, and I just…” he cut off. “It’s alright. You don’t have to listen to me yak all night. Go to bed.”
“Just say what you’re going to say,” Ace crossed his arms, a look of annoyance wrinkling his brow.
“I didn’t had a male lover in all the time I was in Japan. Heck, you’re the only man I’ve ever slept with,” Sanji shrugged. “And maybe it’s nerves from being back or stress from work whatever, but the truth is…I want you to make love to me.”
“You what?” Ace’s eyes widened.
“I don’t care whether or not it’s right or wrong anymore. I just want to be with you again. Even if it’s the last time,” Sanji admitted. “I mean, if you…”
“I’ve been waiting for you to say that for two years,” Ace cut him off and dashed back to the bed, wrapping the blonde in a firm embrace and nearly kissing him senseless. “You’re sure?”
“More than.”
“Good.”
And Sanji stopped worrying as he lost himself in the sensation of having another person inside of him. Ace was panting heavily into his neck, and Sanji inwardly blessed his flexibility because it enabled him to be completely relaxed and just concentrate on the emotions running through him instead of how sore his muscles were going to be the next morning. He wrapped his legs around the dark-haired man’s waist and held on for dear life, planting sloppy kisses against Ace’s mouth as he finally found release; throwing his head back with a gasping moan as he felt his lover also reach his climax.
They fell to the sheets afterwards, still entangled, and Sanji got his breathing under control as he felt Ace looking at him with hooded eyes. “Holy…wow, Ace, that was…”
“Was it okay? I didn’t hurt you, did I?” he looked worried.
“No,” Sanji shook his head. “Of course not. That was amazing.”
“I know.”
“And you’re so modest, too,” Sanji kissed him lightly as he pulled away, and the blonde winced at the feeling of being suddenly empty. “Thanks for that. I think it was what I needed.”
“Good. I’m going to sleep now,” Ace informed him.
“Hey, Ace?”
“What?”
“You ever had a narcoleptic attack in the middle of sex?”
“I’d be scarred for life,” Ace replied, hooking an arm around Sanji and drawing him close. “Nah, it only happens when I’m eating. Usually,” he amended, and the cook chuckled.
“Good to know, I guess,” Sanji snuggled against the older man, thankful that he seemed to be naturally warmer than the average person, and sighed. Ace gave him an appraising look before staggering out of the bed and coming back with a washcloth that they used to clean up with before he crawled back under the sheets and embraced the other man again. “ ‘Night, Ace.”
“Yeah. Good night.” The raven-haired man kissed him again before dropping quickly off to sleep, and Sanji revelled in the warmth and safety he felt from Ace and fell asleep with a smile on his face.
Notes!
1. For those of you waiting for the ZoSan, this is pretty much the last big bit of AcexSanji you have to endure. There’s a little next chapter but nothing so serious. For those of you who like the AceSan…hope you enjoyed :P
2. If you’ve ever been to Vancouver, you may recognize the location of the restaurant: it’s a place called Dundarave Pier in West Van (and it’s beautiful out there) and there IS a restaurant and a boat dock and the like. I’m not from Vancouver but I love the city and have been there a few times, which is why it’s set there.
3. The whole ‘Luffy-is-too-young-to-go-out’ bit is because the legal drinking age in BC is 19 (everyone in the story’s about a year older than they are in OP-verse, corresponding to their birthdays of course). Where I’m from it’s 18, so whenever I went to BC before last June it was strange because here I could go into bars and there I…couldn’t. It still weirds me out to go to the States because I’m so used to it here and there I’m like… “I’m still underage…”
Thanks for all of the comments, and don't hesitate to leave me one this time!
Rating: R
Warnings: Yaoi, Modern AU
Pairings: ZoroxSanji primarily, AcexSanji for the first few chapters
Spoilers: Up to Thriller Bark
Chapter: 4/?
Word Count: 4215
Chapter Four
“Sanji!”
The blonde turned as a body thumped into him, and he tried to keep his footing and return the enthusiastic embrace. Whoever it was pulled away, and Sanji caught a glimpse of rumpled brown hair and the largest chocolate-hued eyes he’d ever seen. The fact that the teenaged boy was wearing a rather gaudy pink top hat also made him fairly remarkable, and Sanji grinned at him.
“Chopper! Ace was right, you are turning into a handsome young man.”
“D-don’t say that, you idiot! That won’t make me happy at all,” Chopper wiggled like he had to make an emergency trip to the washroom and stuck his hands behind his back, shifting from foot to foot.
“Shall we?” Robin placed a light hand on Sanji’s upper arm and smiled at him, and he nodded as they entered the restaurant. Since Wednesday whatever bug he had caught had seemed to run its course, and by now he was feeling back to normal in virtually every way. Virtually, because he was a little upset at Zeff for what the old man had so nicely phoned him and told him what he was to be doing later that night, but he tried to brush the memory off and enjoy lunch with people he hadn’t seen in the last two years.
“Robin, how did you get us into this place? I hear it’s almost impossible to get reservations!” Nami was looking around in awe, while Sanji was mostly looking at her low-cut dress and wondering if it would be inappropriate to point out that her impeccable integrity would be compromised if she somehow managed to pop completely out of it.
“I know the man who plays piano here on the weekends,” she replied with another smile. “I met him at the museum I work at one time when we had an exhibit on instruments through the ages, and we’ve kept in contact,” she waved as a tall man sporting one of the most impressive afros Sanji had ever seen came over. He was carrying a cane he obviously didn’t need and had tiny round sunglasses on.
“Robin!”
“Hello, Brook! Thank you for getting us those seats.”
“Not a problem. You’ve got quite the good-looking group of friends here. Yohohoho!”
Sanji flinched at the high-pitched laugh the slender man emitted, but had to admit that it was kind of infective. Even if it did sound like he had just inhaled a bunch of helium.
“You must be Sanji,” the skinny man turned to him and held out a hand, and Sanji shook it with a nod. “Robin has spoken often of you, and I daresay I wouldn’t mind trying some of your food. The dishes they serve here are excellent, of course, but I’ve had several of your friends inform me that they don’t hold a candle to what you do.”
“Ah, I’m not that great,” Sanji shrugged, knowing instantly that he and Brook would get along well. “But everyone’s been asking me to cook for them, so I’ll have to some day soon.”
“Yohoho! I would enjoy that immensely!”
Sanji grinned at Brook as Zoro shot him a glare while they crossed to the table, and Sanji maturely stuck his tongue out in response. The other man was surly because Sanji had insisted on dressing him nicely in the morning, and after spending nearly two hours arguing about everything from what color shirt wouldn’t clash with his abnormal green hair to whether or not his earrings would be appropriate, they had finally made it out the door.
Sanji had insisted on brown because the only other color the man seemed to have in a dress shirt was white, and Sanji abruptly informed him that he was not supposed to look like a waiter. Zoro argued that brown made him look like grass on top of dirt, but Sanji was having none of it and stuffed him into the shirt and a pair of khakis, deciding that there was no need to be excessively formal since it was only lunch. He’d let Zoro keep the earrings (personally, he rather liked them), but Zoro had been looking uncomfortable all day.
“You look fine,” Sanji whispered to him as they reached the table, pulling out a chair for the man and gently rubbing his shoulders once he sat. “So stop being so tense.”
“Sit down,” Zoro was red again and Sanji chuckled before seating himself beside the swordsman, crossing his long legs and looking relaxed. He knew he was asking for trouble by letting Ace sit on his other side, but making Zoro squirm was too fun to pass up.
“Hey, babe.”
“Hey yourself.”
“You look stunning,” Ace rather admirably refrained from kissing him and settled for resting a hand on his thigh.
“So do you. Trying to impress someone?” It was really no secret that Ace cleaned up well when he wanted to, even if he did tend to dress like he was ready for a jaunt in the wild more often than not.
“Not particularly. And you?”
“I’m always trying to impress someone,” Sanji replied, catching the eye of a blushing girl across the restaurant and slowly undoing one of the buttons on his collar while giving her a sultry smile. She audibly squeaked and turned away, and Ace chuckled.
“What time do you work until?”
“Closing,” Sanji groaned, remembering his impending return to work. “So by the time I get out…midnight.”
“Want to go out after?”
“With you?”
“I know a good place,” Ace promised.
“Okay. I’ll probably need it after dealing with the old geezer for a few hours,” Sanji sighed.
“Good. I’ll pick you up there?”
“Yeah,” Sanji gave him a grateful smile. Ace was good to spend time with when he was feeling stressed. Even if they weren’t going all the way anymore. “Wanna come?” This to Zoro.
“Nah. I’ve gotta train.”
“You’re always training!” Sanji rolled his eyes. “Lighten up. Come out with us.”
“Not this time,” Zoro shrugged. “Maybe some other week.”
“He always this much of a party pooper?” Sanji asked Ace, who nodded. “How did you manage to put up with all of these goons for the last two years? Wouldn’t they drive you crazy?” Sanji turned to the green-haired man while out of the corner of his eye watching Luffy attempt to steal all of the little bread rolls the waiter had placed on the table.
“Intense meditation,” was Zoro’s response.
“You’re so boring, Zoro!” Nami nudged his foot with hers under the table while grabbing Luffy’s creeping hand with her own. “Lighten up! I’ll come out with you sometime, Sanji. I can’t this week because Luffy and I are going to a movie tonight, but next week for sure!”
“Oh, that’s right,” Ace teased. “Widdle Luffy-kins is only eighteen, isn’t he?”
“Shut up!” Luffy, who had been lovingly coerced by Nami into only taking one bread roll, glared at Ace, but the effect was somewhat lost with his mouth full.
“Luffy!” Nami thwacked her boyfriend none-too-gently on the back of his head. “Eat like a normal human being!”
“Ah, it’s love, all right,” Sanji sighed.
“Abusive love, but love,” Ace agreed, his fingers drumming on Sanji’s leg. “Hey,” his voice dropped to a whisper and he leant to speak into the blonde’s ear. “Wanna come home with me tonight?”
“What?”
“You know…for old times’ sake. We don’t have to do anything but…see where it goes?” Ace looked rather hopeful.
“Yeah. Okay,” Sanji nodded. “Better than picking up some chick at the bar, anyway.”
“Should I be offended by that? We’ve got history, man,” Ace started to rub his thigh, and Sanji shifted in his seat.
“Ace, you might want to stop that,” he said between gritted teeth, and Ace flashed him a cocky smile, but he stilled his hand.
“Yo, bros!” the call from the door made them all turn, and Franky swept in, wearing a shirt more suited to Hawaii than Vancouver. “Sanji, bro! Long time no see!”
“Hey, Franky,” Sanji waved. “I hear you scored our gorgeous Robin. How’d you manage that?”
“She fell for my inherent charm. We wanted to get married sooner, but she insisted on waiting until you returned. The wedding’s gonna be super!” he crowed, and Sanji wondered what Robin saw in him. Not only was he boisterous and loud where Robin was controlled and quiet, but his hair was electric blue. Electric blue, and the man was thirty-five years old. “And you, bro? Found that special someone yet?”
“Nah,” Sanji shrugged. “Still playing the field, you know?”
“Not bad, bro, not bad,” Franky sat beside his fiancée. “I’ve missed your food.”
“Apparently everyone has,” Sanji muttered.
“And this is surprising?” Ace nudged his shoulder. “You’re a culinary genius, man.”
“Shut up, Ace,” Sanji sighed, as Ace took his hand under the table. “I’m working waiter tonight.”
“Waiter? What for?”
“Stupid geezer says that until I can prove to him I’ve learned something in Japan, I don’t get to go into the kitchen except to pick up food,” Sanji grumbled. “So I’ve gotta do lackey work. Apparently they’re short on waiters, too, because Zeff scares everyone so bad that they just quit.”
“You’ll have to knock some sense into the old man,” Ace removed his hand from Sanji’s and slung it around his shoulders. “You sound unhappy, babe.”
“I’m sick of working for him, even though I haven’t set foot in that place for two years. I want to break out; go my own way, you know? But until I get a degree and some decent money, I won’t have the resources to open my own place,” he sighed, leaning into Ace.
“I thought you didn’t have anyone, Sanji-bro,” Franky cut in.
“He’s not,” Sanji said firmly. “I mean, we were before I left, but…” he gave up trying to explain as Ace chuckled, wondering why, out of all the people Ace had told, Franky had to be the one he hadn’t. Of course, it wasn’t a huge stretch to imagine, because even someone like Luffy had Nami to make sure he kept his mouth shut, but Franky was incapable of shutting up even when he really needed to. “What are we, Ace?”
“Friends with benefits?” the freckled man supplied.
“Sure. Let’s go with that,” Sanji shrugged, and the conversation turned to other topics for the rest of the meal. After everyone had said their good-byes and taken off, Sanji went for a walk down the pier to have a smoke. He stood gazing across the harbour to downtown, cigarette dangling from his lips for a few minutes until he heard the wood planks of the dock creaking and someone came up to stand beside him.
“Hey.”
“Hey yourself,” Sanji glanced at Zoro. “Good lunch?”
“Yeah. Not bad,” Zoro didn’t look at him as he replied. “You really going out with Portgas tonight?”
“Why not? It’s not like I have anything else to do, except watch you train, which doesn’t interest me in the least,” Sanji smirked around his cigarette.
“Are you two…you know,” Zoro turned a rather interesting shade of red.
“Baka Marimo. That’s none of your business,” Sanji fiddled with the buttons on his shirt.
“You still like him, don’t you? And what did you call me?”
“Stupid moss-head. And of course I like him, but I’ve said it before: it’s only temporary. Until I find somebody I can really fall in love with,” was the blonde’s reply.
“Think you’ll ever find them?”
“Who knows? And you?”
“I’m not looking for love right now.”
“Right. You’re in love with those pointy metal objects of yours; how could I forget?” Sanji’s eye roll caused Zoro to laugh. “Hey. Wanna grab a coffee or something before we head back? I’ll need all the help I can get just to get through work today.”
“Sure,” Zoro agreed with a nod as they left the pier.
000
Work, as expected, was hideous, and Sanji glanced up at the clock around 8:30 and wondered how he could survive three more hours of this. He hated waiting tables. It meant dealing with the public, and while that meant getting to fawn over beautiful women, it also meant having to deal with jealous husbands and people that wouldn’t know crab from lobster if one jumped out of the ocean and bit them in the rear end. After about the tenth obstinate man who thought he knew everything Sanji was about ready to tear his hair out, and he hurriedly clamped a hold of his temper as he walked to the next table, fake smile firmly in place.
“Welcome to the Baratie. My name is Sanji, and I shall be your server tonight.”
“So you’re back, are you?”
Sanji glanced up in surprise at the gruff voice, and was met by the intimidating visage of a man with odd greyish-green hair and a scowl on his face. “Commodore?”
“Who else? It’s good to see you, kid,” Commodore Smoker was an ex-Navy officer who still did some naval work now and again, but it turns out he and Zeff had been buddies way back when and they still kept in contact often. Most of his time these days seemed to involve dealing with problems that the Coast Guard didn’t want to, but Sanji had the feeling that Smoker never backed down from a challenge. “Back from Japan, are you? I’m surprised old Zeff doesn’t have you concocting new recipes in the back.”
“Stupid geezer won’t let me.”
“Yeah, that sounds like Zeff, all right. Hey, kid, I want you to meet somebody: this is Tashigi. She’s my apprentice down at the naval academy,” Smoker pointed to the young woman sitting across from him at the table.
“It’s a pleasure, mademoiselle,” Sanji swept into a bow and took her hand, bestowing a chaste kiss on the back. As expected, she blushed, and Sanji realized she was rather pretty, if somewhat boyish. She wore pants instead of a skirt, and her bluish-black hair was styled simple and short. A pair of plain glasses rimmed her large eyes. “I’m surprised the commodore here hasn’t driven you crazy, yet.”
“He’s working on it, I’m sure,” she replied dryly, and Sanji chuckled.
“Tashigi here’s interested in swordplay. I thought we could introduce her to that old high school comrade of yours? Zeff told me you’d be rooming together,” Smoker continued.
“Zoro?” Sanji blinked. “I’m sure he’d love the fact that she’s a swordswoman, but don’t think he’ll look at you as a woman, my dear. He regards everyone the same no matter what gender they are…and it’s not like he looks at women regardless,” the blonde shrugged.
“You should get along fine, then,” Smoker commented in an offhand way, and Sanji turned to him with wide eyes. “Oh, it’s obvious to anyone who looks that you swing both ways, kid. And before you ask, Zeff doesn’t know.”
“Good. He’d probably kill me.”
“I doubt it. You still involved with that Portgas kid?”
“Kind of. He’s picking me up tonight.” Sanji knew that Smoker knew Ace through the young man’s grandfather, who was a high-ranking navy officer. It was worse than he thought, if Ace was even telling random sort-of friends that they had been together. After all, he didn’t think that Smoker qualified as somebody the dark-haired man would be imparting secrets to.
“Is he? Well, have fun. He’s a firecracker, that one,” was the man’s reply.
“Vice-Admiral Garp’s Grandson?” Tashigi blinked. “You know him?”
“Of course I know him. Him and his annoying runt of a brother both. I heard it through the grapevine that young Luffy’s managed to score himself a prize, though,” Smoker looked at Sanji for confirmation.
“That he has. A veritable angel,” Sanji nodded. “But I need to get back to work. I’ll stop by on my break and we can talk some more. Oh, and my dear, if you’re that concerned about seeing Ace, he’ll probably show up around 11 and try to snag some food before we go out.”
Smoker laughed at the astonished expression on the young woman’s face, and Sanji gave her a wink before he sauntered off to serve more customers.
000
And Sanji was right, too. At 11:00 sharp, Ace came barging in and was immediately thrown out by a rather irate Patty and Carne. He pouted outside the doors for a half-hour until the Baratie officially closed, and then sauntered in, for once not wearing his ridiculous hat. Sanji paused in the doorway as he caught sight of Smoker and Tashigi and hurried over.
“Commodore! Fancy seeing you here!”
“Bugger off, Portgas,” Smoker growled.
“And you would be…”
“Tashigi, sir,” the girl said, holding out her hand stiffly.
Ace grinned and darted to hug her instead, causing a stifled squeak to break from her mouth. “Portgas! Hands off!”
“Yeah; yeah. You’re too uptight,” Ace chastised the older man. “She’s cute. Where’d you get her?”
“She’s my apprentice at the naval base.”
“Ouch. He drive you crazy yet, sweetie? You can always come hang with me if your brain starts overheating,” Ace winked at her.
“Commodore? Perhaps we should be going?” Tashigi blinked, trying hard not to look at Ace.
“You’re the one that wanted to meet him.” But Smoker stood up regardless. “I’ll give your regards to your grandfather, shall I?”
“Whatever,” Ace shrugged, and Sanji rolled his eyes and walked over to the table, dropping the bag containing his work clothes on one of the chairs.
“See you later, kid,” Smoker said to him.
“Goodbye, Commodore! It was nice to meet you, Tashigi!” he waved after them as Ace stood up and embraced him from behind. “Ace, hands off. What if Zeff comes out?”
“Oh, poo. You’re no fun,” Ace pouted. “You look hot, though.”
“Yeah, the old man nearly had a riot when he was me come out of the washroom,” Sanji grinned. “I thought the pants might be too small, but I fit.”
“Who cares?” Ace returned the smile. “You ready?”
“Where are we headed? Not some seedy place,” Sanji made a face.
“Of course not! It’s a perfectly respectable little joint. You know Shanks?”
“That guy that gave Luffy that abominable straw hat?” Sanji wrinkled his nose.
“Yeah. His wife Makino tends bar at a restaurant downtown, but they also co-own the place with some people who turned it into a nightclub after dark. Makino usually doesn’t work after nightfall, but Shanks sometimes turns up just to make sure things are running smoothly,” Ace informed him as they left and building and walked out to his vehicle, a relatively new-model pickup truck with emblazoned flames on the sides. They didn’t speak much on the way over, but once inside the club Sanji let the pulsing music and flashing lights fill his senses, and by the time he had a couple of drinks in him, he figured that it wouldn’t hurt to let go.
He didn’t plan on getting drunk this time, at least not like he was at the beginning of the week, but apparently Ace had no such reservations. The dark-haired man winked at a few scantily-clad girls near the door, who giggled and pointed in their direction. After downing another glass of something that smelled awful to Sanji (probably something Zoro would like, he thought) Ace pulled him onto the dance floor, and Sanji chanced a quick look around to note that there were plenty of other guys dancing together before he allowed it.
And that was about when he remembered why he had been reluctant to go out with Ace at first. Because the other man was simply too good when it came to bringing him to the edge of control, especially when he ground their hips together like that. Luckily, the club was only open until around two, so Sanji only had to keep it together for a little over an hour plus the drive back to Ace’s condo. However, it seemed his tenuous hold on control was something Ace was also experiencing, because they had barely made it into the bedroom before their lips were connected and they were tearing at each other’s clothes. Sanji had a fleeting sense of déjà vu at the reminder of their first night together over three years ago before his mind became unable to process rational thought.
“Ace…” he managed to gasp out at one point, trying desperately to tell his body to slow down.
“What, love?”
The word caused a strange flutter in Sanji’s chest, and he looked into the other man’s dark eyes. “Are you sure about this?”
The look he received in return could only be described as confused, and as Ace let his hands wander up and down Sanji’s thighs, he let out a resigned sigh. “Yes, Sanji. I want this. I want you. But not if…I mean…if you don’t want me to go any farther, I won’t. I’d never pressure you, and I know that…that you don’t love me.”
“Ace, shut up,” Sanji pulled him up for a kiss. “You idiot, of course I love you.”
“But not like…”
“What am I supposed to tell you? The very first night we…we agreed that it would never become serious. You’re like my best friend, and I adore you, but you know why…why we have to…” he held the other man close.
“Zoro.”
“What about him?”
“You like him.”
“We’ve established that.”
“Alright,” Ace let him go and moved away. “I’ll just…sleep on the couch, okay?”
“Ace, darn it, get back…” Sanji raised a hand and then dropped it, rubbing his temples and sighing. “Okay, then. Goodnight.”
“Sanji?”
Sanji was staring at the blanket, fisting the sheet in one hand and glancing down so that his hair hung over his eyes. “Can we forget about it all for tonight? About Zoro and life and just…be?”
“What do you mean?” Ace stopped in the doorway.
“I’ve missed you…I mean, all of you, but I never realized how much until I was back. I had friends in Japan, but nobody…nobody could even come close to how I feel when I’m with all of you. Today at lunch…I felt like I was home, for the first time in two years, and I just…” he cut off. “It’s alright. You don’t have to listen to me yak all night. Go to bed.”
“Just say what you’re going to say,” Ace crossed his arms, a look of annoyance wrinkling his brow.
“I didn’t had a male lover in all the time I was in Japan. Heck, you’re the only man I’ve ever slept with,” Sanji shrugged. “And maybe it’s nerves from being back or stress from work whatever, but the truth is…I want you to make love to me.”
“You what?” Ace’s eyes widened.
“I don’t care whether or not it’s right or wrong anymore. I just want to be with you again. Even if it’s the last time,” Sanji admitted. “I mean, if you…”
“I’ve been waiting for you to say that for two years,” Ace cut him off and dashed back to the bed, wrapping the blonde in a firm embrace and nearly kissing him senseless. “You’re sure?”
“More than.”
“Good.”
And Sanji stopped worrying as he lost himself in the sensation of having another person inside of him. Ace was panting heavily into his neck, and Sanji inwardly blessed his flexibility because it enabled him to be completely relaxed and just concentrate on the emotions running through him instead of how sore his muscles were going to be the next morning. He wrapped his legs around the dark-haired man’s waist and held on for dear life, planting sloppy kisses against Ace’s mouth as he finally found release; throwing his head back with a gasping moan as he felt his lover also reach his climax.
They fell to the sheets afterwards, still entangled, and Sanji got his breathing under control as he felt Ace looking at him with hooded eyes. “Holy…wow, Ace, that was…”
“Was it okay? I didn’t hurt you, did I?” he looked worried.
“No,” Sanji shook his head. “Of course not. That was amazing.”
“I know.”
“And you’re so modest, too,” Sanji kissed him lightly as he pulled away, and the blonde winced at the feeling of being suddenly empty. “Thanks for that. I think it was what I needed.”
“Good. I’m going to sleep now,” Ace informed him.
“Hey, Ace?”
“What?”
“You ever had a narcoleptic attack in the middle of sex?”
“I’d be scarred for life,” Ace replied, hooking an arm around Sanji and drawing him close. “Nah, it only happens when I’m eating. Usually,” he amended, and the cook chuckled.
“Good to know, I guess,” Sanji snuggled against the older man, thankful that he seemed to be naturally warmer than the average person, and sighed. Ace gave him an appraising look before staggering out of the bed and coming back with a washcloth that they used to clean up with before he crawled back under the sheets and embraced the other man again. “ ‘Night, Ace.”
“Yeah. Good night.” The raven-haired man kissed him again before dropping quickly off to sleep, and Sanji revelled in the warmth and safety he felt from Ace and fell asleep with a smile on his face.
Notes!
1. For those of you waiting for the ZoSan, this is pretty much the last big bit of AcexSanji you have to endure. There’s a little next chapter but nothing so serious. For those of you who like the AceSan…hope you enjoyed :P
2. If you’ve ever been to Vancouver, you may recognize the location of the restaurant: it’s a place called Dundarave Pier in West Van (and it’s beautiful out there) and there IS a restaurant and a boat dock and the like. I’m not from Vancouver but I love the city and have been there a few times, which is why it’s set there.
3. The whole ‘Luffy-is-too-young-to-go-out’ bit is because the legal drinking age in BC is 19 (everyone in the story’s about a year older than they are in OP-verse, corresponding to their birthdays of course). Where I’m from it’s 18, so whenever I went to BC before last June it was strange because here I could go into bars and there I…couldn’t. It still weirds me out to go to the States because I’m so used to it here and there I’m like… “I’m still underage…”
Thanks for all of the comments, and don't hesitate to leave me one this time!