This Is Your Life: Chapter Seven
The door opened just as Sanji was setting the table, and he called, “Zoro? Is that you?”
“Who else, love-cook?”
“I was afraid Luffy had called some more friends over.”
“Why would I do that, Sanji? Then there’d be less food for me!”
“Luffy?” Zoro asked.
“Yeah. Brat cornered me and Ace after school and coerced me into making dinner.”
“He offered!” Ace’s voice came from the kitchen.
“Darn it, Ace, you weren’t supposed to tell him that!” Sanji growled and stomped out of the kitchen, wearing a very lovely pink apron with a panda on the front, and his face nearly matched the shade of said apron when he saw that Zoro wasn’t alone. “Oh. Hello.”
“Hi, there. You must be Sanji,” Kaku stuck out his hand and Sanji shook it after a moment, the flush still evident on his cheeks even though Kaku seemed unfazed by the rather feminine apron.
“And you must be Zoro’s trainer,” Sanji replied, forcing his normal smile back onto his face.
“Kaku.”
“Pleased to meet you.”
“Pleasure’s all mine.”
“Oi, Zoro, get in…hey, Kaku,” Ace leant against the doorframe and waved at the older man.
“Ace,” Kaku nodded pleasantly. “I hear that your brother is here as well?”
“Kaku’s here!” A body literally bounced out of the kitchen and hurtled itself at Kaku, only to be stopped dead by a foot that landed squarely in the center of Luffy’s chest. Luffy strained uselessly, unable to move forward even as Kaku balanced himself on one leg, arms crossed, and Luffy eventually gave up and pouted. Sanji’s eyes widened at the display and Kaku noticed, giving the younger man a pointed look.
“Luffy, what have I told you about attacking people?” Ace yanked his brother back by the collar. “Come on, boys; food’s getting cold.”
“FOOOOODDDDD!!!”
Zoro grunted something and also moved into the kitchen, and Sanji was left in the front entrance with the strange man and his nose (which Sanji immediately decided should have its own ID). “Ah…are you coming in? Zoro shouldn’t be inviting people over without asking me first, but I’ll never refuse anyone who wants a meal.”
“If you wouldn’t horribly mind, I am a little peckish,” Kaku admitted, and Sanji gave him a shrug and gestured to the kitchen. “I’ve heard a lot about you, and I’m curious to taste your food. Zoro isn’t one to give praise lightly, and if he says that it is good, it must be phenomenal,” he continued, unzipping his jacket. Sanji took it from him and hung it in the closet, deciding that Ace had been right: he did like this man, as eccentric as he was. At least he had some semblance of what good manners were, which was refreshing after living with a man who seemed to communicate via grunts. But then it actually twigged on him what Kaku had said, and he blinked.
“Wait, the Marimo actually said it was good?” Sanji looked surprised, and Kaku immediately burst into laughter. “What’s so funny?”
“The name. Marimo. My goodness, wherever did you come up with that?”
“I went to Lake Akan a couple of times while I was in Japan,” Sanji replied, smiling a little at the infectious sound of the other man’s laugh. “It just reminded me of his hair, is all.”
“Well, it’s fitting, whatever else it is,” Kaku shook his head, still chuckling a bit. “But I suppose we should go eat. I’ve met the infamous D brothers before, and I remember that food tends to disappear quickly when they are around.”
“Quicker than you think. Let’s go.”
000
As it turned out, Sanji got a rather strange surprise when he walked into the kitchen the next morning for breakfast. Not only was Kaku seated…on the table, he noted wryly (the strange man had stayed over last night due to both the late hour and the fact that apparently he did this often), but there was a woman sipping coffee seated in one of the kitchen chairs.
She was undoubtedly attractive, all lush curves and long blonde hair, and the small glasses perched on her nose made her look smart and businesslike. She was also quite tall, and Sanji found his eyes drawn to her long legs under the table. “Ah…good morning.”
“You must be Sanji.” Her voice was brusque. “I’m sorry for barging in like this, but Zoro tends to forget that not all of us live inside of his head. He may have vaguely mentioned you, but I had no idea that you had returned from Japan already.”
There was something strange about this woman, Sanji thought. Normally he would be trying everything he could to please her, and yet he was reluctant to get too close to her. But he couldn’t be rude. “And you, my darling? What would your name be?”
“Kalifa,” she said simply. “Oh, Kaku…”
“Yes?” Kaku was staring off into space and he replied without turning to her.
“Paulie was wondering whether or not you could head off to the marina after we’re done breakfast. Apparently there’s a boat he needs a hand with,” she set her cup down.
“Can I get you anything else, miss?” Sanji asked courteously, and Kalifa turned an appraising eye on him.
“Well, I hear tell that your cooking is exceptional, so perhaps…”
“Of course! Right away!” Sanji bounded into the kitchen, knowing that his front was good but still wondering why he felt so uneasy around her.
“I’ll need a ride back to the condo,” Kaku scratched his long nose absently.
“I can take you,” Kalifa assured him.
“Don’t you need to get to work? Iceburg…”
“Iceburg is capable of functioning without a secretary for half an hour, I’m sure,” she replied testily. “Do you have a key?”
“Yes,” Kaku fished it out of his breast pocket. “But even so, Rob should be there…”
“Excuse me, but who are all of these people? No doubt Zoro knows, but he doesn’t tell me anything.” Sanji turned from the counter.
“Paulie runs the maintenance dock up at the north marina, and since I know a bit about ships and how they’re built, he calls me for help when he can’t manage something himself or his workers are too busy. Iceburg is the city clerk, and Kalifa is his secretary. And Rob…”
“Is Kaku’s boyfriend,” Kalifa replied succinctly.
“Kalifa!” Kaku groaned. “He is most certainly not my boyfriend.”
“Because it’s normal for twenty-something-year-old men to room together in a small condo,” Kalifa nodded. “Of course.”
“We’re just friends,” Kaku said firmly.
“You keep telling yourself that, and then remind yourself that you’re the only one he lets call him by name. He’d probably maim the rest of us if we ever attempted to call him ‘Rob’ instead of ‘Lucci.’” Kalifa smirked behind her coffee cup as Kaku glared at her, and she merely smiled pleasantly in return and changed the subject. “Oh, Sanji, how did you like Japan? I spent a couple of months there myself around two years ago…”
As she started to speak the strange feeling in Sanji’s gut intensified, and he was almost afraid to turn and look at her.
“…And I felt so out of place. The blonde hair and everything,” she leant back in her chair and, noticing an ashtray on the table, got out a cigarette and gracefully lit it. “But luckily I found a lovely young man who was willing to help me…feel more at home, as it were…”
Sanji froze. That was why…hang on…he blinked, realizing that his legs were no longer supporting his own weight, and that somehow in the last few seconds Kaku had managed to leap to his side and was holding him up form behind. “Ah…I…”
“I suppose we never asked for each other’s names, did we?” Kalifa was smiling, but there was nothing malicious about it. “You were very sweet. First time?”
“With a woman,” Sanji admitted slowly, inwardly groaning. This was awkward.
“Ah. Did I turn you off?”
“No! No, it was wonderful, and you’re lovely, and…”
“Breathe,” Kaku reminded him gently, his arms lightly around Sanji’s waist. “Kalifa’s rather blunt. You mustn’t take anything she says at face value. Besides, if she was truly offended or hadn’t liked it, she would be trying to charge you for sexual harassment.”
“Speaking of sexual harassment, Spandam decided to talk to me the other day,” she stared into her coffee and blew out some smoke, and just like that the awkward mood was broken. Truth be told, Sanji did feel a little relieved that he now knew who he had slept with on that wild night half a world away, and if she wasn’t going to make a big deal out of it, he sure wasn’t going to, either.
Even if his legs still wouldn’t hold his weight.
“Kalifa, ignore him,” Kaku sighed.
“But he walks by the desk and gives me that look…”
“I’ll tell Lucci to talk to him,” Kaku replied. “Because really, Kalifa, you can’t accuse him of sexual harassment just for existing!”
“Oh, I bet that I could. The world would be better off without him,” she glowered.
“Breakfast!” Sanji suddenly exclaimed, reaching for the frying pan and flipping it off before the omelettes became charred. He nearly ended up pitching forward, and probably would have if not for Kaku still having a firm grip on him. “Ah…thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.” Sanji could tell Kaku was smiling.
“See, Kaku?” Kalifa started as Sanji passed her a plate, butting out her smoke before she accepted it. “This is why Zoro keeps trying to prove that you’re gay.”
“What?”
“You don’t even realize it, do you?” she groaned before adjusting her glasses. “You’re standing in a kitchen with your arms around another man’s waist. A man who you’ve known for less than a day,” she added. “A man who is, by his own account, bisexual.”
“Zoro can try to prove anything he wants,” Kaku shrugged. “He won’t be getting any dirt on me, however. After all, for all he knows, I come from the island.”
“And you don’t?” Sanji tried to turn and glance at Kaku, but their position made it almost impossible.
“Of course I do,” Kaku smiled. “But I’ve managed to convince Zoro that my parents are Haida, even though there is no possible way I could be native. The truth is that I probably have some Haida blood in me somewhere, but my grandfather actually came from Japan. The name ‘Mountainwind’ sounded sufficiently local enough so as not to cause conflict back during World War Two with the prejudices that people had, even though traditionally I believe my surname comes out to ‘Yamakaze,’” he explained.
“Hmm,” Sanji looked thoughtful. “D’you want breakfast?”
“I would. As I discovered last night, your cooking is marvellous.”
“Here, then,” Sanji turned around in his arms, blinking as he ended up nose-to-nose with the slightly taller man. Although really, he thought, it wasn’t as close as it could have been: Kaku’s nose was insanely long. They heard a soft laugh and the sound of a chair being pulled back before Kalifa’s voice reached them. “I’ll wait for you in the car, Kaku. Thank you for breakfast, Sanji.”
“Anytime, my dear,” he called softly, currently engrossed in examining Kaku’s eyelashes. They were like a woman’s! In fact, he was fairly sure that even Nami’s weren’t that long. “So, is Zoro right about you or not?”
“Me?” Kaku blinked rather coyly. “He’s neither. I believe that I’m a tad like you.”
“Sit on both sides of the fence, eh?” Sanji let a smile touch his lips. “So this Lucci guy…”
“We’re not involved,” Kaku assured him.
“And Kalifa? You were eyeing her the whole time,” Sanji let his hands rest on Kaku’s hips.
“I…do like her, but she’s untouchable,” Kaku sighed. “I’d never get closer to her than a foot before she sued me for sexual harassment.”
“I got close enough to her,” Sanji reminded him. “I still can’t believe it, though. I mean, what are the chances of finding the first woman you’ve ever slept with, and anonymously to boot, right here in your hometown?”
“Life is funny,” Kaku replied simply. “But I need to get going before Kalifa comes up with any more rumors,” he absently reached for a fork and took a bite of the omelette. “It’s very good.”
“Thank you,” Sanji made to pull away, but Kaku tugged him closer again and embraced him rather impulsively as Sanji returned the impromptu hug.
“Zoro tells me you know Capoeira.”
“I do.”
“I as well. I told him that I would love to dance with you.”
The rather blatant innuendo (or not?) was not lost on Sanji, but he tightened his arms and replied truthfully, “Yeah, I wouldn’t mind having a decent practice partner either.”
“Wonderful,” Kaku leapt back suddenly and scooped up his plate, proceeding to rapidly finish off his omelette. “I shall see you soon, Sanji.”
“Yeah. See you, Kaku,” Sanji walked the man to the door and waved after him as he left.
000
Zoro found him sitting at the table, a stir-fry simmering in the frying pan and a thoughtful look on his face. “Oi. You meet Kalifa this morning?”
“Yeah.”
“What’s up?” Zoro could tell something was wrong, and while he knew that Kalifa could be blunt and prone to accusing every man she ever met of sexual harassment, he didn’t think there was any way Sanji could have offended her that much.
“I slept with her.”
“You…wait, what?”
“Not here, idiot. In Japan. The blonde I talked about before?” he glanced up.
“Oh,” Zoro looked shocked. “I mean, really? With her?”
“She recognized me first,” Sanji scratched his head. “She’s wonderful, though, and she was completely cool with everything, so I was grateful.”
“And Kaku?”
“Him, yeah,” Sanji smiled. “He’s something else.”
“You say that like you’ve got a crush on him,” Zoro noted wryly.
“Maybe I do.”
“I thought you only went for hot guys,” Zoro snorted.
“He’s hot in his own way. Once you get past the nose, that is. He’s got nice hair…and the longest eyelashes I’ve seen in my life,” Sanji added.
“Eyelashes,” Zoro rolled his eyes. “Only you would notice his eyelashes! So what, did you sleep with him, then?”
“Of course not. We didn’t do anything,” Sanji glared at the swordsman.
“I think I’ll take back what I said about you being a slut.”
“Fine,” Sanji stood and attempted to move out of the kitchen before Zoro grabbed his wrist. “Just let me go, Marimo. I’m not in a relationship, so why should it matter who I’m with?”
“I…”
“What? Jealous?”
“Like heck.”
“I think you are,” Sanji smiled coyly, spinning himself so that he ended up against Zoro’s chest. “I think you want me.”
“Keep telling yourself that,” Zoro muttered, but he didn’t stop himself from bringing his arms around Sanji’s waist and holding him close. “You’re a strange man, love-cook.”
“I pride myself on it,” Sanji replied truthfully, his head against Zoro’s shoulder.
“Hey, you work tonight?”
“Yeah,” Sanji sighed. “I get off class at four and start work at five, so I’ll have to head straight there, and you’ll probably be in bed by the time I get back.”
“Probably,” Zoro agreed, his hands running up and down Sanji’s back. “Lunch?”
“Five minutes,” Sanji replied, glancing at the clock over Zoro’s shoulder. “Hey, Zoro?”
“Yes?”
“Do you really think so little of me? I mean, what you said before…”
“I don’t understand you,” Zoro replied truthfully. “I mean, I don’t understand not having a steady partner, and it’s not like I’ve ever had one, but I just can’t see myself doing what you seem to do so easily.”
“Oh. That’s understandable, I guess. But I mean, it’s not like Kaku and I did anything,” he pointed out.
“Well, at least I was right about him,” Zoro looked smug.
“You weren’t. I asked him about that this morning. He’s rather like me in that aspect,” Sanji smirked.
“Bi,” Zoro sighed. “So? Who’s he hot for?”
“Kalifa.”
“Really, now?” Zoro looked interested. “I’d always heard rumors about his roommate…”
“He says those weren’t true.”
“How did you get him to open up? I’ve known the guy for almost two years and he’s never talked about his personal life,” Zoro looked sullen.
“I’m just that good,” Sanji winked.
“So is he into you or what?”
“Dunno. Does he normally hug people?”
“Not really. I’ve never gotten much of a touchy-feely vibe from him,” Zoro admitted.
“Then I’d say yes.”
“I’m not introducing you to any more friends,” Zoro growled. “All you do is seduce them.”
“I didn’t do a thing! I almost fell over and he caught me and wouldn’t let go!” Sanji protested. “I was a little shocked after Kalifa…”
“Yeah. Kaku’s insanely fast, though, so I’m not surprised,” Zoro shrugged. “Anyway, lunch?”
“Right,” Sanji nuzzled his nose against Zoro’s neck. “Hey. We still…okay?”
“I hope so,” Zoro replied, looking somewhat awkward. Sanji was still a little amused that he had pretty much initiated the whole ‘hugging’ thing, but apparently going farther than that still made him uncomfortable. “Do you work tomorrow?”
“No. Why?” Deciding to kindly spare Zoro any more discomfort, he stepped away and leaned back against the counter. He loved making the stoic swordsman squirm when he behaved in any way that could be construed as mildly flirtatious, but he was trying to get Zoro to come to him, not run away because he was freaked out, after all.
“Thought maybe we could head down to the gym after school and spar for a bit. Kaku will probably be there,” Zoro couldn’t resist the tease.
“Well of course, then. He and I are supposed to do a little training, too.”
“Yes. ‘Dancing,’ as he so tastefully put it.”
“Hey, don’t degrade it until you’ve seen it,” Sanji turned off the frying pan.
“Okay, I won’t,” Zoro rolled his eyes. “So…lunch?”
“You and Luffy: always thinking with your stomachs,” Sanji sighed. “Here,” he passed Zoro a plate. “I ate before, and I’ve gotta run if I want to make it to class on time. See you later, alright?”
“Yeah,” Zoro set the plate down and caught Sanji’s hand, pulling him back. Sanji raised his curled eyebrow and wondered what was running through Zoro’s brain at the moment, because he looked like he was thinking rather hard, before the green-haired man finally just shook his head. “Well…goodbye,” he muttered, and Sanji gave him a warm smile and kissed his cheek once more, flitting out of the kitchen a moment after with the smile still firmly on his face.
Okay, so Zoro still needed a little…scratch that, a lot of work in the courtesy department, but at least Sanji got a proper goodbye out of it.
And after all, it was nothing he couldn’t fix.
Notes:
1. I realize that this chapter is quite short, at least by my standards, but when this story gets to about Chapter Nine they kind of explode in length, so you have that to look forward to:D
2. I know that Iceburg is technically a mayor, but since in all the places I’ve lived in Canada mayors seem to be about 50+ I decided he was a little too young for that, so I made him the city clerk instead.
3. Haha, more linkage (I feel like I’m giving a history lesson) about the World War Two Japanese Internment in Canada in case anybody is interested.
4. And I’m seriously not trying to pimp myself here, but if anyone wants to know my rationale for the way that Sanji and Kaku get along, blame THIS
Previous Chapters Can Be Found HERE