Politically Correct ch. 14
Took foreverrrr. No excuses. Blame Arthur&Eames.
Title: Politically Correct
Rating: T
Word Count: 3,330
Pairing: Zoro x Sanji
Summary: AU set in the San Francisco Bay Area Nami has decided that she's tired of Sanji constantly chasing after girls only to be taken advantage of & decides to take a more active role in Sanji committing to a Real Relationship.
Disclaimer: One Piece = Eiichiro Oda =/= me.
Notes: So, the end is in sight. There will probably only be a handful of chapters from here on (not even sure I'll hit the 20 chapters mark, but we'll see.)
[Previous Chapters]
ododododododododododododododododododo
Living with Your Someone was definitely overrated.
Sure, the sex was convenient. And, okay, it was nice to wake up next to a warm body.
But I just want to sleep in for a few extra hours. Sanji sat up. “FOR FUCK’S SAKE. Make your own damn breakfast and let me sleep!” He was met with a shoe to his face. Sanji squinted at the brightness of the room and ducked as his other shoe flew towards him. “Seriously, Zoro. What the hell.” Sanji rubbed at his eyes as they adjusted to the light and was finally able to make out Zoro standing in front of the open closet. “You’re dressed.”
“Sorry to disappoint. Now get up. Chopper called.” Zoro threw a handful of random clothes towards Sanji. “Kohza’s in the hospital and Vivi’s not there.”
“What? What happened?” Sanji threw off his sheets, trying his hardest to ignore the sudden shock of cold air. He looked at the pile of clothes Zoro had thrown onto the bed. “I have my slacks and jackets matched and hanging together. Yet somehow you still managed to choose the worst possible combination…”
“My priorities don’t include making sure you’re wearing matching shades of black.” Zoro secured his swords at his side and walked out of the room.
“I’m surprised you even know there’re different shades of black.” Sanji put on his clothes and pulled on his shoes as he rushed to catch up to Zoro, who was impatiently holding the elevator door open. “So? Does anyone know if Vivi’s okay?”
“Chopper doesn’t know any details. The Feds showed up and Kohza’s being interrogated. I figured we should swing by Vivi’s place before heading over to the hospital and see what’s going on.” Zoro watched as Sanji patted his pockets, fingers twitching. Most people would assume it was lack of nicotine, and in most cases they’d be right. But Sanji’s twitching wasn’t a sign of his addiction; Zoro knew it was Sanji worried.
He pulled a pack of cigarettes from his back pocket and tossed them to Sanji.
Sanji stared. “Oh? Have I corrupted you into joining the ranks of us smokers?” He tapped the pack against his palm and pulled out a stick.
“I figured you’re bitchy enough as it is without withdrawals.” Zoro pulled out a lighter.
Sanji grinned.
Zoro smirked.
The elevator doors opened and the two stepped out. Smoker was waiting for them. “Hope you weren’t planning on heading out of town.”
“Is this gonna take long, Smoker? I’ve got other shit I need to do.” Zoro could see Sanji tapping his foot, already impatient to leave.
“Feel free to do what you want, Roronoa. We’re here to take the blonde in for questioning.”
“The hell? On what grounds?” Sanji’s head was pounding. Fuuucking hangover. I don’t understand how that fucking marimo bastard gets away with drinking all the time and never having to deal with the morning after.
“On the grounds of you matching the description for our lead suspect.”
“Matching the description? You mean a blonde-haired blue-eyed male smoker wearing a suit? You’re right. That’s obviously a rare sight in a big American city.” Sanji puffed out a cloud of smoke. “You’ve got one hell of a crap job if you’re going around taking everyone who fits that description in for questioning.”
Smoker made a small motion with his hand and the cops standing behind him rushed at Sanji. Zoro looked on in amusement as Sanji took them down with ease.
A smug grin found its way onto Smoker’s face. “I bet the majority of those blonde-haired blue-eyed male smokers can’t boast fancy footwork like that.” Smoker opened the back door of his government issued SUV. “Easy or hard? You’re coming with me regardless.”
Sanji dropped his cigarette and crushed it under his heel, stepping in front of Zoro, who looked about ready to pounce. “Does this have anything to do with Kohza being in the hospital?”
Smoker stepped aside as Sanji approached him. “Well, I sure as hell didn’t pick your name out of a hat.”
Zoro was calm. “Is this Kohza’s roundabout way of getting to me? I’ve already accommodated that paranoid fuck’s concerns about my past and now he’s accusing Sanji of attacking him?” Maybe more pissed than calm, but his swords weren’t drawn. It was an improvement.
Sanji was staring at him, the slightest hint of a smirk at the corner of his mouth. “And just why would going after me get to you, marimo?”
Zoro’s return gaze held a challenge. “Because Kohza knows I’d need to protect my woman, love-cook.”
Smoker grabbed Sanji’s arm and threw him into the car, slamming the door shut. “I’ve only been around you two twice and I’m already sick and tired of your juvenile playground flirting.” He pulled open the driver side door and got in, giving Zoro a final judging look before shutting it and driving away.
“Well. Shit.” Zoro stood on the sidewalk and glared at the two officers Sanji had beaten earlier as they piled into their own police car and followed after Smoker. He could’ve at least left me his fucking car keys.
Zoro watched the police car drive down the street and looked back at Sanji’s car, still parked in its spot. He stared at the car a moment longer and dug his phone out of his pocket. “Hey, Franky, how do I hotwire a car?”
[ Zoro? Did not expect to hear that request from you. Is this about what’s going on with Vivi? You in trouble, bro? ]
“Probably to do with Vivi and... trouble? Not yet, no. I’m just improvising.”
[ Alright, well, first you’ve gotta get into the car and- ]
Zoro pulled one of his swords loose, still sheathed, and slammed the hilt into a side window, the glass shattering onto the passenger-side seat. “Okay. I’m in.”
[ …okay then. I guess I won’t need to tell you how to pop the lock. How ‘bout we take the next few steps a little less… hastily. ]
Several minutes, one mangled dash, and an intensive GPS tutorial later, the engine finally rumbled to a start and Zoro was on his way.
XXXXXXXXXXX
Sanji flattened his palms against the cool metal table, willing them to stop shaking. He hadn’t been arrested. He had been detained. Sanji had no idea what the difference was. He was still being kept in a gloomy gray room with all of his belongings sitting in a tray elsewhere in the building. I guess I should be grateful I’m not cuffed. Maybe that’s the difference.
Sanji wasn’t sure how long he’d been in the interrogation room. He wasn’t even sure it was an interrogation room. It had the tell-tale two-way mirror, heavy bolted table, and chairs as the only furnishings. But Sanji had been put in the room immediately after arriving at the station (the local FBI building was, apparently, not a convenient location) and had been left alone with no interrogator in sight.
It felt like hours had passed.
He stared at his hands. Sanji couldn’t tell if the tremors were from lack of cigarettes, concern for Vivi, or a physical manifestation of just how fucking pissed he was getting. At least he had had the time to sober up.
Another countless number of minutes later and the heavy door at the far corner of the room finally groaned open. Smoker was lighting a cigar as he walked in. He silently leaned against the wall, choosing to stand rather than sit in the stiff metallic chair.
“Where were you around 10pm last night?” Sanji stared at Smoker, who tossed a pack of cigarettes and a lighter onto the table. “Answer the question.”
Sanji slowly pulled out a stick, rolling it between his fingers. As much as he hated answering on command, Vivi was his priority. “I was at a soup kitchen until midnight and then I went out drinking. With witnesses. Are we done?”
Smoker flipped open the manila folder he had brought with him. “What time did you get home?”
“Fuck if I remember. It was after midnight. Which, in case you didn’t notice, is well past 10pm.”
“When was the last time you saw Vivi Nefertari?” Smoker placed a large photograph of a smiling Vivi on the table in front of Sanji. He hated dealing with interrogations. What he loved was the chase. Questioning witnesses and suspects was much too psychological and most of the really bad guys were already hardened to even the worst of interrogation techniques.
Sanji looked at the photo before tilting his head to stare straight at Smoker. “She was asleep when I left for the soup kitchen at around four-thirty Christmas morning. That was the last time I had any contact with her.”
“And this was at Robin Nico’s house, correct?”
“Correct.” Sanji’s mind was in over-drive. He had already come to the conclusion that Vivi was missing and had replayed his entire day minute-by-minute. Sanji’s Christmas had had a distinct and unforgiving lack of Vivi. Which meant she was out there. Somewhere. And Sanji was stuck in a police station. Completely useless. “I can write out an itinerary of my entire day, if you’d like. Except for after midnight. That’s when things get a bit hazy.” Sanji didn’t break eye contact. “But keeping me here is a waste of time and I’m sure you realize that we could both be doing something much more productive.”
“You’re stuck here until we’ve at least checked on your alibi.” Smoker puffed on his cigar in silence, still flipping through the file. “There were a group of you who stayed overnight. Was there a ‘Nami’ in that group?”
Sanji shook his head. “Nami left after the party the night before.”
Smoker tossed another picture on the table. “And was that the last time you saw her?”
Sanji froze. His eyes narrowed. “What the hell happened to Nami?”
“Hit a soft spot, then?” Smoker’s eyebrow had quirked up.
Sanji took a drag from his cigarette, focusing all his attention on the twirling smoke. Something happening to Vivi had always been a possibility. A possibility that Sanji had never actually believed would come to fruition, but a possibility nonetheless.
Something happening to Nami hadn’t even been something he’d considered.
Sanji put a smile on his face and looked back at Smoker. “Soft spot? Why, both Nami and Vivi are the softest angels in existence! I wouldn’t dare say that one has a softer spot than the other.” He took another puff on his cigarette and settled back into his chair.
Smoker, despite his disinterest in most cases, was good at his job. His eyes were steady as he looked into Sanji’s face. The blue eyes had hardened. There was a clarity that hadn’t been there earlier in the day. Smoker recognized the look. It was a look that meant Sanji was no longer interested in talking. So, now… do I just keep pushing out of spite or do I let him go? Smoker stared at the file. Sanji’s alibi had actually been established and cleared not long after he had been brought in. Half of the local officers were familiar with Sanji’s soup kitchen set-up and had recognized him. The other half had at one point in their life been hit on by Sanji and refused to believe he was the perpetrator.
But he’s currently our only lead and the higher-ups want this case closed before it becomes an international issue. Smoker grit his teeth around the cigar. Those old farts in Washington would care more about losing face on such a large and public scale than achieving justice.
Smoker’s attention snapped back to the room as the heavy metal door slammed open.
“Sir! You’re not allowed in there!”
Zoro peered into the room, ignoring the shouting officer attempting to haul him backwards in futility. He flashed a grin when he saw Sanji sitting behind a table in the center of the room. “I’m here to bail you out.”
“Very knight in shining armor, jackass, but, one, I’ve yet to be arrested or charged with anything and, two, I’m not some fucking damsel in dis-” Sanji snapped his mouth shut, pursing his lips. He realized how hypocritical his words were when Nami and Vivi might be in need of saving.
Smoker pushed off the wall, muttering a gruff “we’re done here, you’re free to go,” before meeting Zoro’s eyes as he brushed past him on his way out the door. The green-haired youth’s connection to Mihawk was still under scrutiny, but a kid causing a very public scene at a police station crawling with FBI agents in order to post a non-existent bail for his male lover, didn’t exactly fit the profile of an international assassin-in-training.
Sanji decided not to question the turn of events and made his way through the station, stopping briefly to pick up his belongings, with Zoro close behind. He immediately recognized his car parked outside. “Why the hell is my engine still running? Did you actually leave the keys in the ignition?”
“I didn’t have a key. And I left it running because it’d be a bitch to start up again.”
“Then how did you…” Sanji looked a little closer at the car and realized the passenger-side window wasn’t rolled down, as he’d initially thought, it was missing. “My window!”
“I didn’t have a key,” Zoro repeated.
Sanji threw him a dirty look. “You better believe you’re fucking paying for all the damages.”
“Who needs money when we’ve got friends like Franky and Usopp?” Zoro watched as Sanji slid into the passenger’s seat. The blonde was borderline docile, not even putting up a fight. It was unnerving. Zoro climbed into the driver’s seat. “I stopped by the hospital, but Tashigi was standing guard at Kohza’s door.” Zoro joined the flow of traffic. “But Chopper overheard some stuff and it seems Vivi was supposed to meet Nami last night, but some guy that Kohza insists was you showed up instead.”
“Nami’s missing too.” Sanji fumbled for another cigarette. “Neither should’ve gone missing. I should’ve been paying more attention to Nami and Vivi was supposed to be protected.” What Sanji hated the most was the not knowing. Having a clearly defined enemy meant you could strategize, you could prepare.
Zoro had no idea where he was supposed to be driving to. He figured that, in the grand scheme of things it wasn't that big a deal. What mattered, right now, was Sanji’s growing anger. “You think I shouldn’t have left Vivi. Which is pretty much the truth. Her disappearance, or, kidnapping, I guess, is ultimately my fault for leaving her with Kohza.”
Sanji looked at Zoro in disbelief. “I wasn’t blaming shit on you. What I think is that you shouldn’t be fucking putting words in my mouth.”
Zoro regretted his next words before he even said them, but that didn’t stop him. “Like I could fit any words in your mouth with all the crap the women have already stuffed in there anyways.”
The sudden silence was thick. He decided that he didn’t exactly regret the words themselves, because those he meant, he did regret the time and the place. He also hated the creeping insecurity that accompanied the absence of two of Sanji’s favorite women. As though, with Nami and Vivi both missing, Sanji would suddenly realize that he had absolutely no reason to actually be with Zoro anymore. He would have no one to praise his good work.
The silence was drawn out for a few more moments before Sanji finally shattered it. “You’re going to explain exactly what the hell that was supposed to mean.” He was completely unamused.
Right now, in the car with an already worked up Sanji, was not Zoro’s ideal setting for this conversation. “It doesn’t matter. It’s not like I didn’t already know you were their whimpering lap dog before we got involved. I already knew that you loved performing little tricks for them.”
Sanji straightened up in his seat. “You had better not be implying that this… us… our being involved was just me ‘performing a trick’ for the ladies. As if I’m incapable of having feelings of my own.”
Zoro didn’t say anything.
“Fuck. You.” Sanji’s voice was a low almost-growl. “I may have been the one to take the initiative in this ‘relationship’, but I wasn’t the one who made it public. Seriously, when did I ever use my feelings for you to impress the ladies? Wouldn’t falling in love with a guy be a bit counterproductive in that case?”
Zoro spared a sideways glance towards Sanji. “Love?” The tone of Zoro’s voice was borderline mocking. The expression on his face was of incredulity.
But his heart was in overdrive.
Sanji returned the look with one of slight disdain. “I said ‘wouldn’t it be’. That there is a hypothetical situation.”
“Hypotheses are made to be tested.” Zoro had meant it to come out as an obviously cheesy pick-up line. But somewhere in the transition from thought to words it had turned into an actual and earnest suggestion.
Sanji wanted to laugh. He wanted to kick something or someone and he wanted Vivi and Nami to be somewhere safe, somewhere known, so he could focus on This Thing with Zoro. “I don’t blame you for what happened to Vivi.”
“So you’ve already said.”
“And maybe Vivi would’ve been safe if it were you on watch instead of Kohza-”
“There’s no ‘maybe’ about it. I wouldn’t have failed.”
“-but then, if you had refused to leave Vivi’s side, this thing with us would never have developed into anything more than a random one-night stand. And, at this point…I’m not exactly regretting the way things have turned out.” Once again, Sanji found himself marveling at his seeming inability to stem the flow of emotional verbal vomit when in front of Zoro. Some people would insist that such candid sharing of feelings was a blessing in a relationship. Sanji just found it to be really fucking annoying. He looked out the window and noticed that they had pulled over. “Where the hell are we, fungus fuzz? This looks an awful lot like a dirt road.”
“Just shut the fuck up, target-brow.” Zoro leaned over the center console dividing their two seats and kissed Sanji. Hard.
Sanji responded instantly. It was almost second-nature. He pulled away just far enough to say, “Of course, I reserve the right to take back all of the shit I just said if we don’t find Nami and Vivi in perfect condition. And soon.”
Zoro pulled him back in. Tongue against tongue. Teeth grazing skin. Lips caressing lips. “Just so you know. I already decided that, even if you were just in it to impress the girls, I wasn’t going to give you up.”
Zoro’s mouth trailed along the ridge of Sanji’s collar bone.
Sanji’s lips were at Zoro’s ear.
“Like you’d have any fucking choice in the matter.”
“As long as I have the choice to fuck, it doesn’t matter,” Zoro smirked.
“Then your number one priority should be finding our dear Nami and Vivi because there’ll be no fucking until my eyes have once more seen their lovely faces unmarred.”
Zoro’s hand cupped Sanji’s face, forcing the blonde to look at him. “You’re not the only one that’s worried about them. Just because I think you’re really damn obnoxious anytime you’re around them, doesn’t mean I wish they were out of the picture.”
Sanji met his eyes. “I know.” He looked past Zoro’s shoulder. “Seriously, though? I didn’t think we had dirt roads in the city. Are we even still in San Francisco?”
Zoro looked around. “You never actually told me where the hell we were going. So, I just drove.”
Sanji kicked his door open. “Somehow, I highly doubt giving you a destination would have made much of a difference in where we ended up. Get out. I’m driving.”
[ Chapter 15 ]
Title: Politically Correct
Rating: T
Word Count: 3,330
Pairing: Zoro x Sanji
Summary: AU set in the San Francisco Bay Area Nami has decided that she's tired of Sanji constantly chasing after girls only to be taken advantage of & decides to take a more active role in Sanji committing to a Real Relationship.
Disclaimer: One Piece = Eiichiro Oda =/= me.
Notes: So, the end is in sight. There will probably only be a handful of chapters from here on (not even sure I'll hit the 20 chapters mark, but we'll see.)
[Previous Chapters]
ododododododododododododododododododo
Living with Your Someone was definitely overrated.
Sure, the sex was convenient. And, okay, it was nice to wake up next to a warm body.
But I just want to sleep in for a few extra hours. Sanji sat up. “FOR FUCK’S SAKE. Make your own damn breakfast and let me sleep!” He was met with a shoe to his face. Sanji squinted at the brightness of the room and ducked as his other shoe flew towards him. “Seriously, Zoro. What the hell.” Sanji rubbed at his eyes as they adjusted to the light and was finally able to make out Zoro standing in front of the open closet. “You’re dressed.”
“Sorry to disappoint. Now get up. Chopper called.” Zoro threw a handful of random clothes towards Sanji. “Kohza’s in the hospital and Vivi’s not there.”
“What? What happened?” Sanji threw off his sheets, trying his hardest to ignore the sudden shock of cold air. He looked at the pile of clothes Zoro had thrown onto the bed. “I have my slacks and jackets matched and hanging together. Yet somehow you still managed to choose the worst possible combination…”
“My priorities don’t include making sure you’re wearing matching shades of black.” Zoro secured his swords at his side and walked out of the room.
“I’m surprised you even know there’re different shades of black.” Sanji put on his clothes and pulled on his shoes as he rushed to catch up to Zoro, who was impatiently holding the elevator door open. “So? Does anyone know if Vivi’s okay?”
“Chopper doesn’t know any details. The Feds showed up and Kohza’s being interrogated. I figured we should swing by Vivi’s place before heading over to the hospital and see what’s going on.” Zoro watched as Sanji patted his pockets, fingers twitching. Most people would assume it was lack of nicotine, and in most cases they’d be right. But Sanji’s twitching wasn’t a sign of his addiction; Zoro knew it was Sanji worried.
He pulled a pack of cigarettes from his back pocket and tossed them to Sanji.
Sanji stared. “Oh? Have I corrupted you into joining the ranks of us smokers?” He tapped the pack against his palm and pulled out a stick.
“I figured you’re bitchy enough as it is without withdrawals.” Zoro pulled out a lighter.
Sanji grinned.
Zoro smirked.
The elevator doors opened and the two stepped out. Smoker was waiting for them. “Hope you weren’t planning on heading out of town.”
“Is this gonna take long, Smoker? I’ve got other shit I need to do.” Zoro could see Sanji tapping his foot, already impatient to leave.
“Feel free to do what you want, Roronoa. We’re here to take the blonde in for questioning.”
“The hell? On what grounds?” Sanji’s head was pounding. Fuuucking hangover. I don’t understand how that fucking marimo bastard gets away with drinking all the time and never having to deal with the morning after.
“On the grounds of you matching the description for our lead suspect.”
“Matching the description? You mean a blonde-haired blue-eyed male smoker wearing a suit? You’re right. That’s obviously a rare sight in a big American city.” Sanji puffed out a cloud of smoke. “You’ve got one hell of a crap job if you’re going around taking everyone who fits that description in for questioning.”
Smoker made a small motion with his hand and the cops standing behind him rushed at Sanji. Zoro looked on in amusement as Sanji took them down with ease.
A smug grin found its way onto Smoker’s face. “I bet the majority of those blonde-haired blue-eyed male smokers can’t boast fancy footwork like that.” Smoker opened the back door of his government issued SUV. “Easy or hard? You’re coming with me regardless.”
Sanji dropped his cigarette and crushed it under his heel, stepping in front of Zoro, who looked about ready to pounce. “Does this have anything to do with Kohza being in the hospital?”
Smoker stepped aside as Sanji approached him. “Well, I sure as hell didn’t pick your name out of a hat.”
Zoro was calm. “Is this Kohza’s roundabout way of getting to me? I’ve already accommodated that paranoid fuck’s concerns about my past and now he’s accusing Sanji of attacking him?” Maybe more pissed than calm, but his swords weren’t drawn. It was an improvement.
Sanji was staring at him, the slightest hint of a smirk at the corner of his mouth. “And just why would going after me get to you, marimo?”
Zoro’s return gaze held a challenge. “Because Kohza knows I’d need to protect my woman, love-cook.”
Smoker grabbed Sanji’s arm and threw him into the car, slamming the door shut. “I’ve only been around you two twice and I’m already sick and tired of your juvenile playground flirting.” He pulled open the driver side door and got in, giving Zoro a final judging look before shutting it and driving away.
“Well. Shit.” Zoro stood on the sidewalk and glared at the two officers Sanji had beaten earlier as they piled into their own police car and followed after Smoker. He could’ve at least left me his fucking car keys.
Zoro watched the police car drive down the street and looked back at Sanji’s car, still parked in its spot. He stared at the car a moment longer and dug his phone out of his pocket. “Hey, Franky, how do I hotwire a car?”
[ Zoro? Did not expect to hear that request from you. Is this about what’s going on with Vivi? You in trouble, bro? ]
“Probably to do with Vivi and... trouble? Not yet, no. I’m just improvising.”
[ Alright, well, first you’ve gotta get into the car and- ]
Zoro pulled one of his swords loose, still sheathed, and slammed the hilt into a side window, the glass shattering onto the passenger-side seat. “Okay. I’m in.”
[ …okay then. I guess I won’t need to tell you how to pop the lock. How ‘bout we take the next few steps a little less… hastily. ]
Several minutes, one mangled dash, and an intensive GPS tutorial later, the engine finally rumbled to a start and Zoro was on his way.
XXXXXXXXXXX
Sanji flattened his palms against the cool metal table, willing them to stop shaking. He hadn’t been arrested. He had been detained. Sanji had no idea what the difference was. He was still being kept in a gloomy gray room with all of his belongings sitting in a tray elsewhere in the building. I guess I should be grateful I’m not cuffed. Maybe that’s the difference.
Sanji wasn’t sure how long he’d been in the interrogation room. He wasn’t even sure it was an interrogation room. It had the tell-tale two-way mirror, heavy bolted table, and chairs as the only furnishings. But Sanji had been put in the room immediately after arriving at the station (the local FBI building was, apparently, not a convenient location) and had been left alone with no interrogator in sight.
It felt like hours had passed.
He stared at his hands. Sanji couldn’t tell if the tremors were from lack of cigarettes, concern for Vivi, or a physical manifestation of just how fucking pissed he was getting. At least he had had the time to sober up.
Another countless number of minutes later and the heavy door at the far corner of the room finally groaned open. Smoker was lighting a cigar as he walked in. He silently leaned against the wall, choosing to stand rather than sit in the stiff metallic chair.
“Where were you around 10pm last night?” Sanji stared at Smoker, who tossed a pack of cigarettes and a lighter onto the table. “Answer the question.”
Sanji slowly pulled out a stick, rolling it between his fingers. As much as he hated answering on command, Vivi was his priority. “I was at a soup kitchen until midnight and then I went out drinking. With witnesses. Are we done?”
Smoker flipped open the manila folder he had brought with him. “What time did you get home?”
“Fuck if I remember. It was after midnight. Which, in case you didn’t notice, is well past 10pm.”
“When was the last time you saw Vivi Nefertari?” Smoker placed a large photograph of a smiling Vivi on the table in front of Sanji. He hated dealing with interrogations. What he loved was the chase. Questioning witnesses and suspects was much too psychological and most of the really bad guys were already hardened to even the worst of interrogation techniques.
Sanji looked at the photo before tilting his head to stare straight at Smoker. “She was asleep when I left for the soup kitchen at around four-thirty Christmas morning. That was the last time I had any contact with her.”
“And this was at Robin Nico’s house, correct?”
“Correct.” Sanji’s mind was in over-drive. He had already come to the conclusion that Vivi was missing and had replayed his entire day minute-by-minute. Sanji’s Christmas had had a distinct and unforgiving lack of Vivi. Which meant she was out there. Somewhere. And Sanji was stuck in a police station. Completely useless. “I can write out an itinerary of my entire day, if you’d like. Except for after midnight. That’s when things get a bit hazy.” Sanji didn’t break eye contact. “But keeping me here is a waste of time and I’m sure you realize that we could both be doing something much more productive.”
“You’re stuck here until we’ve at least checked on your alibi.” Smoker puffed on his cigar in silence, still flipping through the file. “There were a group of you who stayed overnight. Was there a ‘Nami’ in that group?”
Sanji shook his head. “Nami left after the party the night before.”
Smoker tossed another picture on the table. “And was that the last time you saw her?”
Sanji froze. His eyes narrowed. “What the hell happened to Nami?”
“Hit a soft spot, then?” Smoker’s eyebrow had quirked up.
Sanji took a drag from his cigarette, focusing all his attention on the twirling smoke. Something happening to Vivi had always been a possibility. A possibility that Sanji had never actually believed would come to fruition, but a possibility nonetheless.
Something happening to Nami hadn’t even been something he’d considered.
Sanji put a smile on his face and looked back at Smoker. “Soft spot? Why, both Nami and Vivi are the softest angels in existence! I wouldn’t dare say that one has a softer spot than the other.” He took another puff on his cigarette and settled back into his chair.
Smoker, despite his disinterest in most cases, was good at his job. His eyes were steady as he looked into Sanji’s face. The blue eyes had hardened. There was a clarity that hadn’t been there earlier in the day. Smoker recognized the look. It was a look that meant Sanji was no longer interested in talking. So, now… do I just keep pushing out of spite or do I let him go? Smoker stared at the file. Sanji’s alibi had actually been established and cleared not long after he had been brought in. Half of the local officers were familiar with Sanji’s soup kitchen set-up and had recognized him. The other half had at one point in their life been hit on by Sanji and refused to believe he was the perpetrator.
But he’s currently our only lead and the higher-ups want this case closed before it becomes an international issue. Smoker grit his teeth around the cigar. Those old farts in Washington would care more about losing face on such a large and public scale than achieving justice.
Smoker’s attention snapped back to the room as the heavy metal door slammed open.
“Sir! You’re not allowed in there!”
Zoro peered into the room, ignoring the shouting officer attempting to haul him backwards in futility. He flashed a grin when he saw Sanji sitting behind a table in the center of the room. “I’m here to bail you out.”
“Very knight in shining armor, jackass, but, one, I’ve yet to be arrested or charged with anything and, two, I’m not some fucking damsel in dis-” Sanji snapped his mouth shut, pursing his lips. He realized how hypocritical his words were when Nami and Vivi might be in need of saving.
Smoker pushed off the wall, muttering a gruff “we’re done here, you’re free to go,” before meeting Zoro’s eyes as he brushed past him on his way out the door. The green-haired youth’s connection to Mihawk was still under scrutiny, but a kid causing a very public scene at a police station crawling with FBI agents in order to post a non-existent bail for his male lover, didn’t exactly fit the profile of an international assassin-in-training.
Sanji decided not to question the turn of events and made his way through the station, stopping briefly to pick up his belongings, with Zoro close behind. He immediately recognized his car parked outside. “Why the hell is my engine still running? Did you actually leave the keys in the ignition?”
“I didn’t have a key. And I left it running because it’d be a bitch to start up again.”
“Then how did you…” Sanji looked a little closer at the car and realized the passenger-side window wasn’t rolled down, as he’d initially thought, it was missing. “My window!”
“I didn’t have a key,” Zoro repeated.
Sanji threw him a dirty look. “You better believe you’re fucking paying for all the damages.”
“Who needs money when we’ve got friends like Franky and Usopp?” Zoro watched as Sanji slid into the passenger’s seat. The blonde was borderline docile, not even putting up a fight. It was unnerving. Zoro climbed into the driver’s seat. “I stopped by the hospital, but Tashigi was standing guard at Kohza’s door.” Zoro joined the flow of traffic. “But Chopper overheard some stuff and it seems Vivi was supposed to meet Nami last night, but some guy that Kohza insists was you showed up instead.”
“Nami’s missing too.” Sanji fumbled for another cigarette. “Neither should’ve gone missing. I should’ve been paying more attention to Nami and Vivi was supposed to be protected.” What Sanji hated the most was the not knowing. Having a clearly defined enemy meant you could strategize, you could prepare.
Zoro had no idea where he was supposed to be driving to. He figured that, in the grand scheme of things it wasn't that big a deal. What mattered, right now, was Sanji’s growing anger. “You think I shouldn’t have left Vivi. Which is pretty much the truth. Her disappearance, or, kidnapping, I guess, is ultimately my fault for leaving her with Kohza.”
Sanji looked at Zoro in disbelief. “I wasn’t blaming shit on you. What I think is that you shouldn’t be fucking putting words in my mouth.”
Zoro regretted his next words before he even said them, but that didn’t stop him. “Like I could fit any words in your mouth with all the crap the women have already stuffed in there anyways.”
The sudden silence was thick. He decided that he didn’t exactly regret the words themselves, because those he meant, he did regret the time and the place. He also hated the creeping insecurity that accompanied the absence of two of Sanji’s favorite women. As though, with Nami and Vivi both missing, Sanji would suddenly realize that he had absolutely no reason to actually be with Zoro anymore. He would have no one to praise his good work.
The silence was drawn out for a few more moments before Sanji finally shattered it. “You’re going to explain exactly what the hell that was supposed to mean.” He was completely unamused.
Right now, in the car with an already worked up Sanji, was not Zoro’s ideal setting for this conversation. “It doesn’t matter. It’s not like I didn’t already know you were their whimpering lap dog before we got involved. I already knew that you loved performing little tricks for them.”
Sanji straightened up in his seat. “You had better not be implying that this… us… our being involved was just me ‘performing a trick’ for the ladies. As if I’m incapable of having feelings of my own.”
Zoro didn’t say anything.
“Fuck. You.” Sanji’s voice was a low almost-growl. “I may have been the one to take the initiative in this ‘relationship’, but I wasn’t the one who made it public. Seriously, when did I ever use my feelings for you to impress the ladies? Wouldn’t falling in love with a guy be a bit counterproductive in that case?”
Zoro spared a sideways glance towards Sanji. “Love?” The tone of Zoro’s voice was borderline mocking. The expression on his face was of incredulity.
But his heart was in overdrive.
Sanji returned the look with one of slight disdain. “I said ‘wouldn’t it be’. That there is a hypothetical situation.”
“Hypotheses are made to be tested.” Zoro had meant it to come out as an obviously cheesy pick-up line. But somewhere in the transition from thought to words it had turned into an actual and earnest suggestion.
Sanji wanted to laugh. He wanted to kick something or someone and he wanted Vivi and Nami to be somewhere safe, somewhere known, so he could focus on This Thing with Zoro. “I don’t blame you for what happened to Vivi.”
“So you’ve already said.”
“And maybe Vivi would’ve been safe if it were you on watch instead of Kohza-”
“There’s no ‘maybe’ about it. I wouldn’t have failed.”
“-but then, if you had refused to leave Vivi’s side, this thing with us would never have developed into anything more than a random one-night stand. And, at this point…I’m not exactly regretting the way things have turned out.” Once again, Sanji found himself marveling at his seeming inability to stem the flow of emotional verbal vomit when in front of Zoro. Some people would insist that such candid sharing of feelings was a blessing in a relationship. Sanji just found it to be really fucking annoying. He looked out the window and noticed that they had pulled over. “Where the hell are we, fungus fuzz? This looks an awful lot like a dirt road.”
“Just shut the fuck up, target-brow.” Zoro leaned over the center console dividing their two seats and kissed Sanji. Hard.
Sanji responded instantly. It was almost second-nature. He pulled away just far enough to say, “Of course, I reserve the right to take back all of the shit I just said if we don’t find Nami and Vivi in perfect condition. And soon.”
Zoro pulled him back in. Tongue against tongue. Teeth grazing skin. Lips caressing lips. “Just so you know. I already decided that, even if you were just in it to impress the girls, I wasn’t going to give you up.”
Zoro’s mouth trailed along the ridge of Sanji’s collar bone.
Sanji’s lips were at Zoro’s ear.
“Like you’d have any fucking choice in the matter.”
“As long as I have the choice to fuck, it doesn’t matter,” Zoro smirked.
“Then your number one priority should be finding our dear Nami and Vivi because there’ll be no fucking until my eyes have once more seen their lovely faces unmarred.”
Zoro’s hand cupped Sanji’s face, forcing the blonde to look at him. “You’re not the only one that’s worried about them. Just because I think you’re really damn obnoxious anytime you’re around them, doesn’t mean I wish they were out of the picture.”
Sanji met his eyes. “I know.” He looked past Zoro’s shoulder. “Seriously, though? I didn’t think we had dirt roads in the city. Are we even still in San Francisco?”
Zoro looked around. “You never actually told me where the hell we were going. So, I just drove.”
Sanji kicked his door open. “Somehow, I highly doubt giving you a destination would have made much of a difference in where we ended up. Get out. I’m driving.”
[ Chapter 15 ]