This Is Your Life: Chapter Three
Time for the next chapter!
Title: This Is Your Life (Chapter Three)
Rating: R
Warnings: Yaoi, Modern AU
Pairings: ZoroxSanji primarily, AcexSanji for the first few chapters
Spoilers: Up to Thriller Bark (for now)
Chapter: 3/?
Word Count: 3185
Chapter Three
Now, Cinderella, don’t you go to sleep;
It’s such a bitter form of refuge
Well, don’t you know the kingdom’s under siege
And everybody needs you?
-The Killers, "A Dustland Fairytale"
xxx
“Oi! Sanji!”
“Usopp!” Sanji waved as the sniper attached himself to him and ruffled the other man’s curly hair. “Just get out of class?”
“Yeah, and you?”
“Same. I’ve gotta hang around, though: the moss-head and I are going out for lunch. Wanna join?”
“Of course. I was supposed to meet Luffy, but he can just come with us.”
They started to walk down the hall, but had only gone a few feet when they ran into Ace coming the other way. “Hey, baby,” he swooped in for a kiss and Sanji returned it with a smile. “Where were you yesterday?”
“Had a hangover and jetlag. Not a good combination,” he grimaced.
“Aw, did Zoro take care of you?” Ace had an arm around his waist and Sanji rolled his eyes as Usopp gave out a little squeak. He slung his own arm around the engineering student’s shoulders and pulled him close as they made their way down the hall. Of course, they got their fair share of questioning glances, but since the cluster of girls he winked at still blushed and giggled, he figured it wasn’t hurting his image any.
“Surprisingly, he wasn’t nearly as unsympathetic as I’d expected. He’s not a bad guy.”
“Told you,” Ace nuzzled his hair.
“Yeah, yeah, you were right. Now shut up,” Sanji chuckled.
“Sanji! Did you just admit you liked Zoro?” Usopp looked amazed.
“He’s different. Changed. More mature…who knows what it is, but we didn’t spend all of our time snapping at each other. He even let me curl up with him on the couch,” he added with a smirk. The truth was, even though he and Zoro still bickered at each other like there was no tomorrow, it was different. Before they had merely done it to get a rise out of each other, but now…it was less insulting and more teasing, if that was possible. He supposed for him it may have even equated to a mild level of flirting, although the very idea was ludicrous. Besides, Zoro probably didn’t even know what the word meant, so thinking of it that way wasn’t going to help.
But if there was one thing that Sanji Blackleg would never shy away from, it was a challenge. Zoro was undoubtedly attractive, even if the green-haired man had never thought of himself as being that way. Sanji knew for a fact that more than a few girls in their grad class had given Zoro admiring looks, and of course the exotic hair colour and the finely-toned body and the bronzed skin and the earrings didn’t hurt his cause any, but…he shook his head slightly to clear it. Okay, so perhaps there was a slight attraction there. Or perhaps it was just the jetlag talking, but either way, if he was stuck living with the moron, he’d may as well make it worth his while. And after all, if there ever came a day that he couldn’t seduce another person, his life as he knew it was over.
So that was it, then, he decided with a tiny smile. That was the plan.
“Oh, I’d pay to see you two go at it…”
Sanji blinked and wondered if Ace had somehow gained telekinetic abilities while he’d been gone before he registered exactly what Ace had just implied. “You’re a whore, Ace.”
“Tell me something I don’t know,” Ace grinned.
“Er…” Usopp was blushing.
“It’s okay, Usopp. Ace has a dirty mind,” Sanji informed the younger man in a stage-whisper. “And frankly, if I ever get vibes that Zoro is anything but asexual, I might consider it. He’s never had a girlfriend, has he?”
“Or a boyfriend,” Ace added. “You remember your prom; he was stuck inviting Nami because she whined at him until he did.”
“Oh, yes. I wanted so badly to invite my precious swan, but Robin had asked me before and you know I can’t say no to her! But then I had to take care of Nami and Robin the entire night because Zoro spent it drinking!” Sanji groaned. “Not that I’m complaining, of course! Any chance I get to be around gorgeous women is one to be cherished!”
“Because gorgeous women are the only thing on your mind…”
“Speaking of that…” Sanji stopped walking and turned to glare at Ace. “What happened to the absolute secrecy we decided on? Now I come back and find out that everyone knows I’m bi. I thought I could trust you, Ace D. Portgas.”
“You can, babe,” Ace looked mildly chagrined, although in a second the expression had been replaced by his normal cocky smile. “It just came up one day and I saw no reason to lie anymore. I stopped lying to myself a long time ago,” he added. “Nobody was really surprised, though, considering how close we were and how we were always disappearing together, and even those who had no idea took it really well.”
“But my reputation…”
“Sanji, I didn’t go shouting it from the rooftops,” Ace assured him.
“He was really calm about it,” Usopp spoke up. “I mean, I hadn’t really thought that…not with how you act around women, but…I don’t care,” the long-nosed teen gave Sanji a smile that looked more like a pained grimace but Sanji hugged him closer regardless.
“Thanks, Usopp. You’re a good friend.”
“And besides, Sanji! All the women we hang out with are taken!” Ace protested. “Don’t be mad, baby.”
“I’m…I’m not, Ace,” and it surprised him that it was the entire truth. In fact, maybe the fact that Ace said it aloud before he ever did gave him a new measure of confidence. He didn’t have to worry about ‘coming out’ because he’d already been out. If that made any sense.
“USOPP!!! SANJIII!!! ACE!” Luffy launched himself down the hallway and barrelled into the three men, nearly knocking them over in his enthusiasm. “FOOOODDDD!!!”
“We’re going,” Usopp assured him, looking at the other boy down his long nose. “Zoro’s going to meet us at the cafeteria.”
“ZORO!!!!”
“Yes,” Ace rolled his eyes. “Where’s your girlfriend, Luffy?”
“Nami’s so mean to me! She said she wanted to eat with Vivi and Kaya, but what’s wrong with me?”
“Luffy, you’ll never understand women,” Ace slung an arm around his brother’s shoulders. “Trust me.”
“But you really don’t understand women, because you’re gay,” Luffy reasoned.
“Actually, I think I might understand them better,” Ace chuckled. “Give her some time with the girls. Hey, Kohza!”
“Hmm?” A man further down the hallway turned and smiled when he saw Ace. He had short, brownish-blonde hair and was rather tall and handsome, and the smile on his face was genuine. “Ace?”
“Hey, man! We’re just going out for lunch since the girls have abandoned us. Wanna join?”
“Uh…sure,” he shrugged. Sanji immediately decided he liked this guy, if only because he wore awesome purple-tinted glasses. “And you are…”
“Sanji,” Sanji held out his hand and Kohza accepted it. “You’d better be treating Vivi right.”
“I’ve heard about you,” Kohza told him. “They were all talking about you coming back from Japan, and Vivi was really excited. I was kind of jealous, but she told me not to worry. Seeing you, though…”
“I’m not going to steal Vivi from you,” Sanji clapped his shoulder. “Don’t worry.”
“Okay.”
“You can trust him,” Ace turned to give Sanji a brief kiss again. “Really. He won’t make any moves on her.”
“You’re…”
“Bisexual,” Sanji filled in the blank. “What? Worried I’ll try to steal you away from Vivi now?” he was grinning.
“He just might. He’s pretty irresistible,” Ace had to put in.
“I think we’re scaring him, Ace.”
“He should be used to me by now,” Ace smirked.
“It’s still a little…odd,” Kohza looked a little apprehensive, but eventually he broke into a smile. “Lunch, then?”
“I hate university cafeterias,” was Sanji’s contribution.
“Yes, Mr. Five-Star-Cuisine,” Ace rolled his eyes, his grip around Sanji’s waist firm. “You’ll have to cook for Kohza sometime.” Normally Sanji would have pushed the older man off, but as the smell of greasy food assaulted his nostrils he realized that he still wasn’t feeling too great, and the thought of someone holding him up was comforting at the moment.
“I will, if you ever come over. Or if I ever get invited somewhere else. It’s not like Zoro and I have a really big place,” he grimaced. “My dorm room in Odaiba was bigger than that piece of junk.”
“But without the hot roommate, eh?”
“My girlfriend made up for it,” Sanji shrugged.
“Was she hotter than me?”
“Ace D. Portgas, nobody is hotter than you,” Sanji assured him.
“Good. We agree.”
They wandered down to the cafeteria and snagged some food, and a few moments later Zoro wandered in, hair still damp from the gym showers. He got his own tray of food and joined them, sliding in beside Sanji and grunting an “Oi.”
“Oi, yourself,” Sanji muttered. “I thought you were meeting us here.”
“Got lost.”
“You what?” Sanji snorted. Of course Zoro was notorious for his bad sense of direction back in high school, but… “You’ve been coming here for two years!”
“Big place.”
“You’re hopeless, you know that?” Sanji sighed. “How was phys-ed?”
“Fine.”
“Do you even talk in complete sentences, or do you just grunt?”
“What’s it to you?”
“Forget it,” Sanji sighed and ate his soup, which was probably the only thing his stomach could handle at the moment. And hey, it was pretty hard to screw up chicken noodle.
“This is nothing compared to the first time I met him,” Kohza broke in. “We were in one of the same classes last semester, and not only could he not find the parking lot, but he didn’t even know how to get home.”
“Shut up,” Zoro glowered at the other man.
“I’d been in the city for all of two weeks and I knew where the place was,” Kohza added.
“Yes, and you graciously offered to guide me there. Only I had to listen to you preach about politics the entire way,” Zoro looked less than amused.
“Look, all I’m saying is that the citizens in middle eastern countries deserve democracy because…”
“And there he goes,” Ace waved a hand dramatically as Kohza jumped into a monologue about the benefits of democracy and how even though some countries had a vote their leaders may as well have been autocratic. Sanji half-listened to him, nodding every few minutes while he sifted his spoon through his soup.
Zoro noticed that the blonde wasn’t too interested in eating and figured that although Sanji was acting like he was okay, he was probably just putting on a front. “Feeling better?”
“Not much,” Sanji admitted, and that at least was true. He had hoped that eating just soup and crackers would settle his stomach, but it felt worse than it had all day. “Zoro? Do you have afternoon classes? Or can we go home?”
“We can go home,” Zoro looked fully at Sanji for the first time and knew that if they didn’t he would most likely spend the afternoon slumped over a toilet. His pale skin was decidedly green-tinged and he was hunched over like his stomach was cramping up. “Don’t worry, I don’t have anything important.”
“I can take the bus if it’s going to be trouble,” Sanji assured him.
“Man, I’d better not get sick now. I kissed you,” Ace made a face and Sanji chuckled.
“Don’t worry. You’ll be fine,” Sanji put a hand on his knee under the table and smiled at him. “I don’t think I’ll throw up again, but I need some rest.”
Zoro finished his sandwich and stood as Sanji shakily followed him to his feet. “You look like you’re going to keel over. Here.” He slid a hand under Sanji’s knees and picked him up as the blonde squawked in protest.
“Don’t carry me like a girl!”
“Just calm down. You’re still sick,” Zoro muttered shortly. “We’ll see you guys later.”
“Nice to meet you, Kohza,” Sanji waved and Kohza, who had finally finished his point, returned the wave.
“Have fun!” Ace called, and Sanji promptly shifted so that he could flip the dark-haired man off as they exited the cafeteria. “Oh, they haven’t changed one bit.”
“Hey Ace?”
“Yeah, Luffy?”
“Can I eat Sanji’s soup?”
“If you don’t care about getting sick,” Ace shrugged.
“FFFOOOOODDDD!!!”
Usopp looked like he wanted the floor to open up and swallow him and Kohza looked anywhere but the young man who was currently shoving everything in his reach into his mouth. “So, Kohza? What do you think of Sanji?” Ace asked, turning to the Egyptian.
“Well, he’s…what Vivi described him to be, only a lot more attractive,” Kohza had to admit.
“What, Vivi didn’t mention how insanely sexy he is? Or how gorgeously long his legs are?”
“Ace, you’re drooling,” Usopp noted wryly.
“Maybe, but I always thought she was exaggerating,” Kohza admitted. “He’s nice enough.”
“More than nice…”
“Ace,” Usopp sighed.
“Sorry. But you’ve got to try his cooking, Kohza; I wasn’t joking about that. It’s to die for,” Ace assured the other man.
“I’ll agree with that,” Usopp admitted, raising his hand. “I’ve missed his food.”
“IS SANJI COOKING FOR US???!!!”
“Shut up,” Ace thunked his brother in the head. “And yes. Eventually.”
“YAYY!!! FOOOODDDD!!!”
Usopp winced as the volume of Luffy’s outbursts was steadily increasing and wondered why the childish teen was his best friend in the first place. Of course Luffy could be deadly serious and was capable of working hard when he put his mind to it, but today it looked like he wasn’t going to shut up anytime soon. So it was time to make a break for it. “I think I’ve got to go to class,” he stood up and took off, knowing for a second that the others wouldn’t buy it but trusting his speed to get him out of there before Ace could catch him. “OrI’mgonnabelateokaybye!”
“Usopp, you idiot! You don’t have class!” Ace started to stand before he remembered how fast Usopp could move when he wanted to, so he sighed and sat back down. “Well, Kohza? Got any plans for the afternoon?”
“Not really. Why?”
“Because I have a feeling we’re going to be here for a while. I knew there was a reason I hated going out for lunch with…” Ace stopped mid-sentence and blinked a couple of times before falling onto the table, fast asleep. Luffy managed to move Ace’s plate before the older man fell into it and was now working on it, seemingly unconcerned. For his part, Kohza looked from one D brother to the next and heaved a sigh.
Vivi certainly had odd friends.
000
“Sanji! Zoro!” Nami caught sight of them in the hallway and ran after them. “Hey!”
“Nami,” Zoro grunted and turned, and Sanji feebly smacked him in the head with a, “Be nice to her, you ogre.”
“Where are you going?” Nami asked once she had caught up, and Sanji promptly put a hand on his stomach again and sighed. “Sanji?”
“Idiot’s sick,” Zoro said shortly. “I’m taking him back to our place.”
“It’s nothing, my lovely swan,” Sanji assured her. “Just getting used to being around all of you again. I think something about breathing the same air as Marimo here doesn’t agree with my stomach.”
“Hey, I don’t have to carry you,” Zoro muttered.
“I didn’t ask you to,” Sanji countered. “And especially not like I’m some sort of blushing virgin!”
“Which we all know you aren’t,” Zoro muttered. “You gonna call that girl back from the other night?” he raised an eyebrow.
“No.”
“Didn’t think so.”
“Sanji! Who was this?” Nami asked, a slight frown on her pretty features.
“Dunno. Some girl I picked up at the club,” he shrugged. “I barely got out of there and got home before I was puking my guts out, though, so it probably wasn’t very good.”
“Aw, are you worried your enormous reputation as a perfect lover will be ruined?” Zoro smirked.
“You’ll never get to see for yourself, will you?” Sanji countered, hoisting himself into a more upright position as he wrapped his arms loosely around Zoro’s neck. Even if he was sick, the opportunity to put his master plan into motion was too perfect to pass up. “Unless you want to,” he whispered, although it was loud enough for Nami to hear, and Zoro turned bright red.
“In your dreams.”
“More like in yours.”
Nami burst out laughing at this point and Sanji shot her a smile as she took his hand. “Oh, Sanji! You’re priceless!”
“Thank you, my darling,” Sanji bowed to her and she reached to pet his hair. “Has Robin spoken to you about the weekend yet?”
“Lunch down at the pier? Of course. You’ve seen her?”
“I congratulated her on her impending marriage,” Sanji replied.
“Right. Ace told you, then?” she nodded. “You and him…you know…doing anything?”
“Not at the moment,” Sanji replied.
“Do you still love him?”
“In a way,” Sanji replied truthfully. “It’s not like we ever professed our undying love or anything like that, but I have a feeling our relationship is always going to be a little more than platonic.”
“Thus the screwing of random girls,” Zoro grunted.
“Vivi-chan!” Sanji sat up and called, and the blue-haired girl came over.
“What did you call me?”
“Sorry,” Sanji blushed. “Habit. It’s a term of affection in Japanese.”
“Oh. That’s fine,” she smiled. “What is it?”
“I met your boyfriend.”
“Kohza? And?”
“He said that he thought you were merely exaggerating about my inherent beauty,” Sanji replied.
“You’ve set him straight, have you?” she giggled. “Do you like him?”
“I like his purple glasses.”
“Figures.”
“I think he’s good for you,” Sanji finally nodded. “He’s nice enough, even though he’s a little intimidated by Ace.”
“And who isn’t?” Kaya had joined them by this point. “Is Usopp still there?”
“Usopp probably made up an excuse and took off so he wouldn’t get saddled with Luffy,” Zoro put in.
“True enough. I’ll give him a call,” Kaya sighed and dug her cell phone out of her purse.
“We’d better get going before lover-boy here decides to get sick on me,” Zoro nodded to Sanji, who gave him a glare. “We’ll see you girls later.”
“Bye!” Vivi waved.
“Ah, my darlings, it makes me feel so much better to merely bask in their immeasurable beauty,” he sighed.
“You need special help,” Zoro muttered.
“Shut up.”
Zoro didn’t reply as they made their way back out to the parkade and opened the door to set Sanji in the passenger’s seat. The blonde fell asleep on the way back to the apartment, and Zoro lifted him out and carried him into the bedroom, laying him gently on the bed. “Z’ro?”
“Yes?”
“Thank you.”
Zoro couldn’t explain why he felt the need to blush at the innocent comment. “You’re welcome,” he said tersely before heading out again.
Obviously if curly-browed blonde-haired idiots were affecting him, he needed to train more.
Just a few notes this time around:
1. While I’m currently writing chapter 15, the story has ground almost to a halt. I’m super busy with Uni right now and am sound designing two shows for a drama festival soon so I have NO LIFE.
2. Just a note about character’s ages: Vivi is a year younger than Usopp/Luffy in the manga but I’ve made her the same age just to get her into the University. We don’t really know how old Kaya is, either, so she’s the same age as Usopp. We also don’t know Kohza’s age, but he seems to be a bit older than Vivi, so I’ve made him the same age as Sanji and Zoro.
3. Another Kohza note: he doesn’t have his scar mainly because I find the whole ‘Vivi-was-kidnapped-so-I-had-to-save-her’ scenario a little too cliché for a modern-AU, and I couldn’t think of a good alternative story. If I do, I may change it! Thanks for the comments, and I hope you all enjoyed:)
Previous Chapters Can Be Found HERE
Title: This Is Your Life (Chapter Three)
Rating: R
Warnings: Yaoi, Modern AU
Pairings: ZoroxSanji primarily, AcexSanji for the first few chapters
Spoilers: Up to Thriller Bark (for now)
Chapter: 3/?
Word Count: 3185
Chapter Three
Now, Cinderella, don’t you go to sleep;
It’s such a bitter form of refuge
Well, don’t you know the kingdom’s under siege
And everybody needs you?
-The Killers, "A Dustland Fairytale"
xxx
“Oi! Sanji!”
“Usopp!” Sanji waved as the sniper attached himself to him and ruffled the other man’s curly hair. “Just get out of class?”
“Yeah, and you?”
“Same. I’ve gotta hang around, though: the moss-head and I are going out for lunch. Wanna join?”
“Of course. I was supposed to meet Luffy, but he can just come with us.”
They started to walk down the hall, but had only gone a few feet when they ran into Ace coming the other way. “Hey, baby,” he swooped in for a kiss and Sanji returned it with a smile. “Where were you yesterday?”
“Had a hangover and jetlag. Not a good combination,” he grimaced.
“Aw, did Zoro take care of you?” Ace had an arm around his waist and Sanji rolled his eyes as Usopp gave out a little squeak. He slung his own arm around the engineering student’s shoulders and pulled him close as they made their way down the hall. Of course, they got their fair share of questioning glances, but since the cluster of girls he winked at still blushed and giggled, he figured it wasn’t hurting his image any.
“Surprisingly, he wasn’t nearly as unsympathetic as I’d expected. He’s not a bad guy.”
“Told you,” Ace nuzzled his hair.
“Yeah, yeah, you were right. Now shut up,” Sanji chuckled.
“Sanji! Did you just admit you liked Zoro?” Usopp looked amazed.
“He’s different. Changed. More mature…who knows what it is, but we didn’t spend all of our time snapping at each other. He even let me curl up with him on the couch,” he added with a smirk. The truth was, even though he and Zoro still bickered at each other like there was no tomorrow, it was different. Before they had merely done it to get a rise out of each other, but now…it was less insulting and more teasing, if that was possible. He supposed for him it may have even equated to a mild level of flirting, although the very idea was ludicrous. Besides, Zoro probably didn’t even know what the word meant, so thinking of it that way wasn’t going to help.
But if there was one thing that Sanji Blackleg would never shy away from, it was a challenge. Zoro was undoubtedly attractive, even if the green-haired man had never thought of himself as being that way. Sanji knew for a fact that more than a few girls in their grad class had given Zoro admiring looks, and of course the exotic hair colour and the finely-toned body and the bronzed skin and the earrings didn’t hurt his cause any, but…he shook his head slightly to clear it. Okay, so perhaps there was a slight attraction there. Or perhaps it was just the jetlag talking, but either way, if he was stuck living with the moron, he’d may as well make it worth his while. And after all, if there ever came a day that he couldn’t seduce another person, his life as he knew it was over.
So that was it, then, he decided with a tiny smile. That was the plan.
“Oh, I’d pay to see you two go at it…”
Sanji blinked and wondered if Ace had somehow gained telekinetic abilities while he’d been gone before he registered exactly what Ace had just implied. “You’re a whore, Ace.”
“Tell me something I don’t know,” Ace grinned.
“Er…” Usopp was blushing.
“It’s okay, Usopp. Ace has a dirty mind,” Sanji informed the younger man in a stage-whisper. “And frankly, if I ever get vibes that Zoro is anything but asexual, I might consider it. He’s never had a girlfriend, has he?”
“Or a boyfriend,” Ace added. “You remember your prom; he was stuck inviting Nami because she whined at him until he did.”
“Oh, yes. I wanted so badly to invite my precious swan, but Robin had asked me before and you know I can’t say no to her! But then I had to take care of Nami and Robin the entire night because Zoro spent it drinking!” Sanji groaned. “Not that I’m complaining, of course! Any chance I get to be around gorgeous women is one to be cherished!”
“Because gorgeous women are the only thing on your mind…”
“Speaking of that…” Sanji stopped walking and turned to glare at Ace. “What happened to the absolute secrecy we decided on? Now I come back and find out that everyone knows I’m bi. I thought I could trust you, Ace D. Portgas.”
“You can, babe,” Ace looked mildly chagrined, although in a second the expression had been replaced by his normal cocky smile. “It just came up one day and I saw no reason to lie anymore. I stopped lying to myself a long time ago,” he added. “Nobody was really surprised, though, considering how close we were and how we were always disappearing together, and even those who had no idea took it really well.”
“But my reputation…”
“Sanji, I didn’t go shouting it from the rooftops,” Ace assured him.
“He was really calm about it,” Usopp spoke up. “I mean, I hadn’t really thought that…not with how you act around women, but…I don’t care,” the long-nosed teen gave Sanji a smile that looked more like a pained grimace but Sanji hugged him closer regardless.
“Thanks, Usopp. You’re a good friend.”
“And besides, Sanji! All the women we hang out with are taken!” Ace protested. “Don’t be mad, baby.”
“I’m…I’m not, Ace,” and it surprised him that it was the entire truth. In fact, maybe the fact that Ace said it aloud before he ever did gave him a new measure of confidence. He didn’t have to worry about ‘coming out’ because he’d already been out. If that made any sense.
“USOPP!!! SANJIII!!! ACE!” Luffy launched himself down the hallway and barrelled into the three men, nearly knocking them over in his enthusiasm. “FOOOODDDD!!!”
“We’re going,” Usopp assured him, looking at the other boy down his long nose. “Zoro’s going to meet us at the cafeteria.”
“ZORO!!!!”
“Yes,” Ace rolled his eyes. “Where’s your girlfriend, Luffy?”
“Nami’s so mean to me! She said she wanted to eat with Vivi and Kaya, but what’s wrong with me?”
“Luffy, you’ll never understand women,” Ace slung an arm around his brother’s shoulders. “Trust me.”
“But you really don’t understand women, because you’re gay,” Luffy reasoned.
“Actually, I think I might understand them better,” Ace chuckled. “Give her some time with the girls. Hey, Kohza!”
“Hmm?” A man further down the hallway turned and smiled when he saw Ace. He had short, brownish-blonde hair and was rather tall and handsome, and the smile on his face was genuine. “Ace?”
“Hey, man! We’re just going out for lunch since the girls have abandoned us. Wanna join?”
“Uh…sure,” he shrugged. Sanji immediately decided he liked this guy, if only because he wore awesome purple-tinted glasses. “And you are…”
“Sanji,” Sanji held out his hand and Kohza accepted it. “You’d better be treating Vivi right.”
“I’ve heard about you,” Kohza told him. “They were all talking about you coming back from Japan, and Vivi was really excited. I was kind of jealous, but she told me not to worry. Seeing you, though…”
“I’m not going to steal Vivi from you,” Sanji clapped his shoulder. “Don’t worry.”
“Okay.”
“You can trust him,” Ace turned to give Sanji a brief kiss again. “Really. He won’t make any moves on her.”
“You’re…”
“Bisexual,” Sanji filled in the blank. “What? Worried I’ll try to steal you away from Vivi now?” he was grinning.
“He just might. He’s pretty irresistible,” Ace had to put in.
“I think we’re scaring him, Ace.”
“He should be used to me by now,” Ace smirked.
“It’s still a little…odd,” Kohza looked a little apprehensive, but eventually he broke into a smile. “Lunch, then?”
“I hate university cafeterias,” was Sanji’s contribution.
“Yes, Mr. Five-Star-Cuisine,” Ace rolled his eyes, his grip around Sanji’s waist firm. “You’ll have to cook for Kohza sometime.” Normally Sanji would have pushed the older man off, but as the smell of greasy food assaulted his nostrils he realized that he still wasn’t feeling too great, and the thought of someone holding him up was comforting at the moment.
“I will, if you ever come over. Or if I ever get invited somewhere else. It’s not like Zoro and I have a really big place,” he grimaced. “My dorm room in Odaiba was bigger than that piece of junk.”
“But without the hot roommate, eh?”
“My girlfriend made up for it,” Sanji shrugged.
“Was she hotter than me?”
“Ace D. Portgas, nobody is hotter than you,” Sanji assured him.
“Good. We agree.”
They wandered down to the cafeteria and snagged some food, and a few moments later Zoro wandered in, hair still damp from the gym showers. He got his own tray of food and joined them, sliding in beside Sanji and grunting an “Oi.”
“Oi, yourself,” Sanji muttered. “I thought you were meeting us here.”
“Got lost.”
“You what?” Sanji snorted. Of course Zoro was notorious for his bad sense of direction back in high school, but… “You’ve been coming here for two years!”
“Big place.”
“You’re hopeless, you know that?” Sanji sighed. “How was phys-ed?”
“Fine.”
“Do you even talk in complete sentences, or do you just grunt?”
“What’s it to you?”
“Forget it,” Sanji sighed and ate his soup, which was probably the only thing his stomach could handle at the moment. And hey, it was pretty hard to screw up chicken noodle.
“This is nothing compared to the first time I met him,” Kohza broke in. “We were in one of the same classes last semester, and not only could he not find the parking lot, but he didn’t even know how to get home.”
“Shut up,” Zoro glowered at the other man.
“I’d been in the city for all of two weeks and I knew where the place was,” Kohza added.
“Yes, and you graciously offered to guide me there. Only I had to listen to you preach about politics the entire way,” Zoro looked less than amused.
“Look, all I’m saying is that the citizens in middle eastern countries deserve democracy because…”
“And there he goes,” Ace waved a hand dramatically as Kohza jumped into a monologue about the benefits of democracy and how even though some countries had a vote their leaders may as well have been autocratic. Sanji half-listened to him, nodding every few minutes while he sifted his spoon through his soup.
Zoro noticed that the blonde wasn’t too interested in eating and figured that although Sanji was acting like he was okay, he was probably just putting on a front. “Feeling better?”
“Not much,” Sanji admitted, and that at least was true. He had hoped that eating just soup and crackers would settle his stomach, but it felt worse than it had all day. “Zoro? Do you have afternoon classes? Or can we go home?”
“We can go home,” Zoro looked fully at Sanji for the first time and knew that if they didn’t he would most likely spend the afternoon slumped over a toilet. His pale skin was decidedly green-tinged and he was hunched over like his stomach was cramping up. “Don’t worry, I don’t have anything important.”
“I can take the bus if it’s going to be trouble,” Sanji assured him.
“Man, I’d better not get sick now. I kissed you,” Ace made a face and Sanji chuckled.
“Don’t worry. You’ll be fine,” Sanji put a hand on his knee under the table and smiled at him. “I don’t think I’ll throw up again, but I need some rest.”
Zoro finished his sandwich and stood as Sanji shakily followed him to his feet. “You look like you’re going to keel over. Here.” He slid a hand under Sanji’s knees and picked him up as the blonde squawked in protest.
“Don’t carry me like a girl!”
“Just calm down. You’re still sick,” Zoro muttered shortly. “We’ll see you guys later.”
“Nice to meet you, Kohza,” Sanji waved and Kohza, who had finally finished his point, returned the wave.
“Have fun!” Ace called, and Sanji promptly shifted so that he could flip the dark-haired man off as they exited the cafeteria. “Oh, they haven’t changed one bit.”
“Hey Ace?”
“Yeah, Luffy?”
“Can I eat Sanji’s soup?”
“If you don’t care about getting sick,” Ace shrugged.
“FFFOOOOODDDD!!!”
Usopp looked like he wanted the floor to open up and swallow him and Kohza looked anywhere but the young man who was currently shoving everything in his reach into his mouth. “So, Kohza? What do you think of Sanji?” Ace asked, turning to the Egyptian.
“Well, he’s…what Vivi described him to be, only a lot more attractive,” Kohza had to admit.
“What, Vivi didn’t mention how insanely sexy he is? Or how gorgeously long his legs are?”
“Ace, you’re drooling,” Usopp noted wryly.
“Maybe, but I always thought she was exaggerating,” Kohza admitted. “He’s nice enough.”
“More than nice…”
“Ace,” Usopp sighed.
“Sorry. But you’ve got to try his cooking, Kohza; I wasn’t joking about that. It’s to die for,” Ace assured the other man.
“I’ll agree with that,” Usopp admitted, raising his hand. “I’ve missed his food.”
“IS SANJI COOKING FOR US???!!!”
“Shut up,” Ace thunked his brother in the head. “And yes. Eventually.”
“YAYY!!! FOOOODDDD!!!”
Usopp winced as the volume of Luffy’s outbursts was steadily increasing and wondered why the childish teen was his best friend in the first place. Of course Luffy could be deadly serious and was capable of working hard when he put his mind to it, but today it looked like he wasn’t going to shut up anytime soon. So it was time to make a break for it. “I think I’ve got to go to class,” he stood up and took off, knowing for a second that the others wouldn’t buy it but trusting his speed to get him out of there before Ace could catch him. “OrI’mgonnabelateokaybye!”
“Usopp, you idiot! You don’t have class!” Ace started to stand before he remembered how fast Usopp could move when he wanted to, so he sighed and sat back down. “Well, Kohza? Got any plans for the afternoon?”
“Not really. Why?”
“Because I have a feeling we’re going to be here for a while. I knew there was a reason I hated going out for lunch with…” Ace stopped mid-sentence and blinked a couple of times before falling onto the table, fast asleep. Luffy managed to move Ace’s plate before the older man fell into it and was now working on it, seemingly unconcerned. For his part, Kohza looked from one D brother to the next and heaved a sigh.
Vivi certainly had odd friends.
000
“Sanji! Zoro!” Nami caught sight of them in the hallway and ran after them. “Hey!”
“Nami,” Zoro grunted and turned, and Sanji feebly smacked him in the head with a, “Be nice to her, you ogre.”
“Where are you going?” Nami asked once she had caught up, and Sanji promptly put a hand on his stomach again and sighed. “Sanji?”
“Idiot’s sick,” Zoro said shortly. “I’m taking him back to our place.”
“It’s nothing, my lovely swan,” Sanji assured her. “Just getting used to being around all of you again. I think something about breathing the same air as Marimo here doesn’t agree with my stomach.”
“Hey, I don’t have to carry you,” Zoro muttered.
“I didn’t ask you to,” Sanji countered. “And especially not like I’m some sort of blushing virgin!”
“Which we all know you aren’t,” Zoro muttered. “You gonna call that girl back from the other night?” he raised an eyebrow.
“No.”
“Didn’t think so.”
“Sanji! Who was this?” Nami asked, a slight frown on her pretty features.
“Dunno. Some girl I picked up at the club,” he shrugged. “I barely got out of there and got home before I was puking my guts out, though, so it probably wasn’t very good.”
“Aw, are you worried your enormous reputation as a perfect lover will be ruined?” Zoro smirked.
“You’ll never get to see for yourself, will you?” Sanji countered, hoisting himself into a more upright position as he wrapped his arms loosely around Zoro’s neck. Even if he was sick, the opportunity to put his master plan into motion was too perfect to pass up. “Unless you want to,” he whispered, although it was loud enough for Nami to hear, and Zoro turned bright red.
“In your dreams.”
“More like in yours.”
Nami burst out laughing at this point and Sanji shot her a smile as she took his hand. “Oh, Sanji! You’re priceless!”
“Thank you, my darling,” Sanji bowed to her and she reached to pet his hair. “Has Robin spoken to you about the weekend yet?”
“Lunch down at the pier? Of course. You’ve seen her?”
“I congratulated her on her impending marriage,” Sanji replied.
“Right. Ace told you, then?” she nodded. “You and him…you know…doing anything?”
“Not at the moment,” Sanji replied.
“Do you still love him?”
“In a way,” Sanji replied truthfully. “It’s not like we ever professed our undying love or anything like that, but I have a feeling our relationship is always going to be a little more than platonic.”
“Thus the screwing of random girls,” Zoro grunted.
“Vivi-chan!” Sanji sat up and called, and the blue-haired girl came over.
“What did you call me?”
“Sorry,” Sanji blushed. “Habit. It’s a term of affection in Japanese.”
“Oh. That’s fine,” she smiled. “What is it?”
“I met your boyfriend.”
“Kohza? And?”
“He said that he thought you were merely exaggerating about my inherent beauty,” Sanji replied.
“You’ve set him straight, have you?” she giggled. “Do you like him?”
“I like his purple glasses.”
“Figures.”
“I think he’s good for you,” Sanji finally nodded. “He’s nice enough, even though he’s a little intimidated by Ace.”
“And who isn’t?” Kaya had joined them by this point. “Is Usopp still there?”
“Usopp probably made up an excuse and took off so he wouldn’t get saddled with Luffy,” Zoro put in.
“True enough. I’ll give him a call,” Kaya sighed and dug her cell phone out of her purse.
“We’d better get going before lover-boy here decides to get sick on me,” Zoro nodded to Sanji, who gave him a glare. “We’ll see you girls later.”
“Bye!” Vivi waved.
“Ah, my darlings, it makes me feel so much better to merely bask in their immeasurable beauty,” he sighed.
“You need special help,” Zoro muttered.
“Shut up.”
Zoro didn’t reply as they made their way back out to the parkade and opened the door to set Sanji in the passenger’s seat. The blonde fell asleep on the way back to the apartment, and Zoro lifted him out and carried him into the bedroom, laying him gently on the bed. “Z’ro?”
“Yes?”
“Thank you.”
Zoro couldn’t explain why he felt the need to blush at the innocent comment. “You’re welcome,” he said tersely before heading out again.
Obviously if curly-browed blonde-haired idiots were affecting him, he needed to train more.
Just a few notes this time around:
1. While I’m currently writing chapter 15, the story has ground almost to a halt. I’m super busy with Uni right now and am sound designing two shows for a drama festival soon so I have NO LIFE.
2. Just a note about character’s ages: Vivi is a year younger than Usopp/Luffy in the manga but I’ve made her the same age just to get her into the University. We don’t really know how old Kaya is, either, so she’s the same age as Usopp. We also don’t know Kohza’s age, but he seems to be a bit older than Vivi, so I’ve made him the same age as Sanji and Zoro.
3. Another Kohza note: he doesn’t have his scar mainly because I find the whole ‘Vivi-was-kidnapped-so-I-had-to-save-her’ scenario a little too cliché for a modern-AU, and I couldn’t think of a good alternative story. If I do, I may change it! Thanks for the comments, and I hope you all enjoyed:)
Previous Chapters Can Be Found HERE