Politically Correct ch. 05
These next two weeks are full of rock concerts, taking shots off of trannies, and trying to get my advisor to help me delay graduation for a semester (I want to graduate in Spring of '11 dammit!!)<--am obviously in college for all the right reasons. THIS MEANS I have no idea when I'll be updating these next couple weeks and finals are right around the corner soooo irregular updates for the next month. (I say as if I currently have a regular updating schedule).
Title: Politically Correct
Rating: chapter: T [Overall: probably M we'll see if it goes into NC-17 range (might as well go all out yeah?) ]
Word Count: 2,693
Pairing: eventual Zoro x Sanji + a smattering of side pairings
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: Odaaaaaa ownss one piece.
Notes: More complaints please! The critiques are honestly very helpful. I'm afraid getting a beta is going to make this feel like an assignment sooo I'll just keep having fun with the writing and let you guys deal with my inconsistencies LOL (laaazzzyyyyy) J/KAY I'll try harder, you guys!!
[Previous Chapters]
36363636363636363636363636363636
At some point Zoro had found himself showing up at Vivi’s flat even when he wasn’t training. He couldn’t remember when he’d started bringing Luffy and Usopp with him, but they were already there when he arrived.
There were bags of groceries littering the floor.
“What the hell’s all this?”
Vivi poked her head out from the kitchen. “It’s all for tomorrow’s dinner. Sanji left a list of stuff we’d need. I’m assuming he accommodated for Luffy and that’s why we ended up getting around twenty times the amount actually necessary.”
Zoro looked around and saw four bags completely filled with canned corn alone.
“What time are you coming by tomorrow night? Usopp mentioned that you’d probably still be going to the dojo tomorrow?”
Tomorrow was Thanksgiving.
Most of the dojos in the city were already closed for the rest of the week, but the non-profit dojo he volunteered at made a point to stay open during the holidays.
“Yeah, but I kind of want to make sure my students have a proper Thanksgiving dinner.”
The kids who attended their classes didn’t have anywhere else to go. Their parents couldn’t afford not to work the holiday shifts.
Vivi had a soft smile on her face. “I’m sure we can fit a few more kids in, but it’ll be a bit crowded.”
“If you’re bringing two kids it should be fine. If it’s more than that, you’ll need to go out and buy your own food and cook it yourself. We have ten other guests besides Luffy.”
Vivi and Zoro both looked at Nami.
“I’m sure the idiot cook can handle a few extra mouths. A handful of kids aren’t going to break your bank.”
I can’t believe I’ve been warming up to this selfish bitch.
“Sanji won’t be joining us for dinner tomorrow. He always reserves Thanksgiving for his favorite clients. He’ll be gone all day preparing and cooking food for them.” Nami was sitting at the table with her laptop out.
“Figures he’d rather spend the holidays with the conceited and stuck-up. Birds of a feather.”
Vivi looked back and forth between Zoro and Nami.
“I’m sure we can feed a few more people, Nami.”
Nami sat silently clicking her mouse.
“Your dojo’s over by Japan Town right?” She didn’t look up to see Zoro’s nod. “That’ll be convenient. There’s a place not too far away that’s like a buffet. They go all out on Thanksgiving and it’ll be good food. There’s a bus that will practically take you to its door”
She handed Zoro the directions and map she had drawn.
“I’d be willing to bet that your students are familiar with public transit so just give this to them and they’ll know how to get you there.” Nami had quickly learned that letting Zoro navigate, even with a GPS, was never a good idea.
Zoro stared at the map and then at Nami.
“I’ll even pay for the dinner.”
Usopp and Luffy turned, mouths open, to join Zoro’s stare.
Nami icily returned their gaze.
“What? It’s Thanksgiving.”
XXXXXXXXXXX
Zoro had six kids in his last class. All of them were chatting loudly.
He had decided to end practice early and instead finished the day with Seven Samurai. The kids hadn’t been able to stop laughing at the terrible effects and had spent the entire time reenacting the scenes in fake-Japanese.
He couldn’t bring himself to scold them.
“So. Who has plans tonight?”
One boy raised his hand.
“My uncle is visiting, so mom said she’ll be coming home early.”
“Alright. Well then. The rest of you! We’re having dinner together. Use the phone if you need to call home for permission.”
“Whaaat? Is sensei taking us out for dinner?”
“He’ll probably make us pay for him. Sensei looks even poorer than us.”
“But isn’t sensei a movie star now? Oh, but he probably has a bunch of loans to pay back.”
“Oi! You runts. Just get your stuff together, we’re going.”
An hour and a half later they found themselves standing in front of a soup kitchen.
“Sensei should’ve given me the address from the beginning. This place is only 15 minutes from the dojo.”
Zoro ignored the grumbling.
A soup kitchen?? Just how cheap can that woman get?!
XXXXXXXXXXXX
“Sanji! We just got another drop off full of cranberry sauce. We’re never going to get around to using all of this.”
“It’s fine. Make calls to the other kitchens in the area and see if they’re short on any supplies. We always get such a ridiculous amount of volunteers during the holidays that it won’t be too much trouble to find someone to go on runs for us.”
The kitchen was crowded and every stove was fired up. Sanji wiped the sweat off his face before glancing at the food that had already been put out.
The gravy always disappears so quickly. We’re running out of ham too, but at least we have another turkey ready to go out.
He found himself staring out at the crowded dining area.
“What the hell is that bastard doing here?” He waved over a volunteer that looked particularly at a loss for what to do, flashing a smile. “Can you watch my station for a second? I’ll be right back.”
Zoro had considered just taking his students and crashing Nami’s dinner party.
But then they had caught the scent of the food drifting out from the open door.
“I’ve been to a soup kitchen before. The food sure as hell didn’t taste like this.” Zoro flicked the kid’s head.
“Watch your language, Pepper.”
The two other boys sitting next to him snickered. All three of them had grown up in the same neighborhood as Usopp. The older boy had convinced them to take kendo lessons so they would stay out of trouble while he was in college. It was how he and Zoro had met.
The remaining two students were both girls: Rika and Aisa.
“But, he’s right! My mom brings home food from the restaurant sometimes and even that’s never been this good.” Aisa nodded her head vigorously in agreement with Rika, who had wrapped herself around Zoro’s arm.
He silently agreed as he chewed through his first bite and lazily surveyed the room.
It was loud and packed with people balancing trays heavy with food.
He watched as a figure rapidly approached their table.
Well, that explains why the food’s so damn good.
“What the hell are you doing here, ass? Don’t tell me you pulled some stupid shit and got kicked out of Vivi’s place? Or are you just too lazy to….” Sanji noticed the kids sitting at the table. “…umm?”
“I bet he’s sensei’s debt collector.”
“Probably a scorned lover.”
“You guys better get plenty of sleep before the next class. You’ll need the energy.” They stared at Zoro, paling at the threat.
“ ’Sensei’? ” Sanji was still staring at the children.
“He’s a sparring partner.” Zoro could feel his students staring at him.
“Him? He doesn’t look like he’d be much of a challenge.”
“Heeeey now, you punk-”
Zoro cut off Sanji’s complaint. “What have I told you about judging people based on their appearance, Carrot? Remember how badly you lost when you picked a fight with Aisa just because she was a girl?”
“Sensei, are you saying you lost to that guy?”
“What? No way in hell would that fucker beat me.”
Zoro watched as the kids stared at him with big smiles. He grimaced. He’d need to work on the auto-pilot profanity he spewed whenever the cook was brought up.
“Looks like I’ll be running laps with you.”
Sanji had been watching silently, stunned by the tender smile Zoro was showing his students. He took in the small girl with low pigtails who was happily clutching Zoro’s arm as she continued to stuff food into her mouth. He wondered at how relaxed the man was. Sanji had never pegged him as the affectionate type.
“Huh. I just assumed your students would all be… like you?” Sanji figured ‘moronic muscleheads’ wouldn’t be appropriate in their current setting.
Zoro nonetheless caught the omission and narrowed his eyes.
“Wasn’t tonight dedicated to serving your High and Mighty clients?” He was having just as hard a time processing the situation.
“What? My clients? Why would I…?”
“Uhmmm excuse me. Sanji? A volunteer from another kitchen is on the phone wondering if you could give them some dish ideas. Apparently they’re working with even less variety than we are.”
Sanji gave Zoro one last look of confusion before shaking it off.
“I’ll talk to you later.” He turned and walked off.
Zoro’s eyes trailed after his back. Watching as the blonde stopped to talk to an old man wrapped in rags who had grabbed his arm as he passed.
Sanji beamed as he listened to the man.
Zoro furrowed his brows.
I’ve never seen him show such a genuine look of happiness, even when he’s fawning over the girls.
“I think sensei is the scorned lover.”
XXXXXXXXXXX
It was past midnight by the time the staff had finished clean-up and inventory. Sanji gave his final thanks to the volunteers and watched them head towards the BART station.
He stood outside the building, relishing the feel of the crisp night air on his skin. It was refreshing after spending the day in the hot and stuffy kitchen. He took a deep breath before turning to make his way down the block.
He tripped over legs hidden by the dark shadows.
“Ow. Shit.” The hidden lump shifted and stood up.
“Mosshead? What’re you doing out here? Were you…. Were you waiting for me? You left hours ago!”
Zoro stretched his arms above his head and yawned.
“I saw my students off and was on my way home when I passed by. You said you wanted to talk, so I figured we might as well get it over with.”
Sanji looked at him skeptically.
“Probably more like you got lost and recognized the building and you had no other choice but to wait for me to come and save the day.”
He watched as Zoro cracked his neck, ignoring him.
“You could have gone inside you know, instead of sleeping on this disgusting floor in one of the seediest parts of town.” Sanji shuddered. “Really, you might want to burn those clothes as soon as you get home.”
He pulled a pack of cigarettes from his jacket.
“So, you teach kids.” He mumbled around the stick as he lit it. “Why? Don’t you make enough with your film gig?”
Zoro gave him a sidelong glance. “I’m not getting paid to teach at the dojo. It’s something I do when I have time. What about you? Nami said you always spent Thanksgiving cooking for your high rollers. She’s the one who sent me here, actually, so I’m going to assume that was just for her own amusement.”
The fucking misleading witch.
Sanji let out a puff of smoke as a corner of his mouth quirked up. “Nami’s the one helping me make sure this place has enough funding to stay open. So, yeah, she definitely knows that I’m here every Thanksgiving to help out. Why were your students having dinner with you?”
They had started walking down the block. Zoro hoped that Sanji realized he was the one leading them.
“It was better than sending the kids to an empty house.”
He was slightly ruffled.
The cook he knew wasn’t the type who would spend a day slumming it in a dirty kitchen for people who weren’t paying. Sanji was too high class for that.
“Why?”
“Use your words, algae-fuzz.”
Zoro gave him a dirty look.
“Why would you spend your time in this place, ero-cook? Aren’t your shoes a little too expensive to even walk these streets? What would your fellow upper class white males think about this if they found out?”
Zoro couldn’t get the smile out of his head. It didn’t fit Mr. Pompous Priss Sanji.
“Watch it, shithead. You’re toeing a fine line.” Sanji looked at the street sign and turned the corner. Walking home didn’t seem like a terrible idea at the moment.
“I’d love to spend every waking moment cooking for every starving person in this city or, ultimately, in the world, but that job doesn’t pay well and yet it takes a shitload of money to achieve. So I’ll settle for a high-paying job and work to keep at least this one kitchen open.”
“Then why the hell would you spend any of your time making small talk with those disgusting politicians? You do realize that they’d rather take an active role in withholding food from the poor just so they’d die quicker, right?”
Sanji rubbed his face.
So he saw them at the charity auction. Shit. No wonder he thinks I’m such a fucking terrible person.
“Look, Zoro, we were there under Vivi’s name and if I screwed up they’d have no problem making her take responsibility for it. My being at those parties is like your stunt work.” Zoro looked at him doubtfully.
“You take hits that you know are coming. In a different setting you wouldn’t let it happen, right? But as a stuntman it’s your job to take the hits. It’s the same for me. When I’m there representing someone else then I have to roll with the verbal punches. If one of those guys had walked up to me on the street, I’d have no qualms about knocking him out.”
Zoro exhaled, watching the white puff of his breath slowly disappear into the cold.
“It seems I was a little quick to judge you.” And after scolding Carrot, too.
Sanji raised an eyebrow.
“You realize I’m the one who’s instigated most of our fights, yeah? And I haven’t exactly jumped at the chance to get to know you either.”
Loud music and chatter broke the silence as a drunk couple stumbled out of a bar.
“I don’t mind the fights.”
Sanji grinned.
“I think you’re a worthy rival, too.”
They walked another block in silence.
“Hey. You realize we’ve been heading to my apartment, right? Where do you even live?”
Zoro searched for the nearest landmark and caught the glow of the Golden Gate Bridge peeking between the buildings.
“Uhmm I live by Ingleside.”
Sanji slowly turned his head.
“Over by the university?”
“Yeeaaah?”
“Are you fucking with me? That’s on the complete opposite end of the city! Ugh.” He ran his hand through his hair. “My apartment is a block away. Crash for the night and in the morning I’ll point you home.”
Zoro looked at the blonde. His eyes were red and his clothes rumpled. He looked exhausted.
“No need. Buses are still running and there’s a direct line to the university from here. I’ll be fine.”
Sanji let out an exasperated sigh. I’m not going to waste my breath trying to convince him.
“Whatever. Just make sure to bother someone else when you get lost.”
Sanji began to cross the street.
“Oi, Sanji. Thanks.”
He turned to look at Zoro.
He gave a tentative smile.
“Yeah. Um. Anytime.”
They gave each other curt nods and parted ways.
Zoro stopped a few minutes later.
Where the hell are the busstops?
He pulled out his phone wondering if Ace would still be up.
The small lit screen showed he had 3 voicemail messages and 7 missed calls.
Who the hell?
The screen changed, indicating an incoming call from a private number. He flipped the phone open.
[ Zoro? ]
The voice sounded faintly familiar.
“Yeah. Who the hell is this?”
[ It’s Pell. I need you to head over to Vivi’s place immediately. Make sure you have your swords. ]
“What’s wrong? Did something happen to Vivi?”
[ No. Nothing’s wrong right now. But…. We’re just being cautious. Where are you? ]
“Err I’m not quite sure. I’m about a block away from Sanji’s apartment, apparently?”
[ Perfect, he’s right by The Marina, which is only a few blocks west of Vivi. Find the nearest cross street and I’ll direct you. ]
Chapter 06
Title: Politically Correct
Rating: chapter: T [Overall: probably M we'll see if it goes into NC-17 range (might as well go all out yeah?) ]
Word Count: 2,693
Pairing: eventual Zoro x Sanji + a smattering of side pairings
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: Odaaaaaa ownss one piece.
Notes: More complaints please! The critiques are honestly very helpful. I'm afraid getting a beta is going to make this feel like an assignment sooo I'll just keep having fun with the writing and let you guys deal with my inconsistencies LOL (laaazzzyyyyy) J/KAY I'll try harder, you guys!!
[Previous Chapters]
36363636363636363636363636363636
At some point Zoro had found himself showing up at Vivi’s flat even when he wasn’t training. He couldn’t remember when he’d started bringing Luffy and Usopp with him, but they were already there when he arrived.
There were bags of groceries littering the floor.
“What the hell’s all this?”
Vivi poked her head out from the kitchen. “It’s all for tomorrow’s dinner. Sanji left a list of stuff we’d need. I’m assuming he accommodated for Luffy and that’s why we ended up getting around twenty times the amount actually necessary.”
Zoro looked around and saw four bags completely filled with canned corn alone.
“What time are you coming by tomorrow night? Usopp mentioned that you’d probably still be going to the dojo tomorrow?”
Tomorrow was Thanksgiving.
Most of the dojos in the city were already closed for the rest of the week, but the non-profit dojo he volunteered at made a point to stay open during the holidays.
“Yeah, but I kind of want to make sure my students have a proper Thanksgiving dinner.”
The kids who attended their classes didn’t have anywhere else to go. Their parents couldn’t afford not to work the holiday shifts.
Vivi had a soft smile on her face. “I’m sure we can fit a few more kids in, but it’ll be a bit crowded.”
“If you’re bringing two kids it should be fine. If it’s more than that, you’ll need to go out and buy your own food and cook it yourself. We have ten other guests besides Luffy.”
Vivi and Zoro both looked at Nami.
“I’m sure the idiot cook can handle a few extra mouths. A handful of kids aren’t going to break your bank.”
I can’t believe I’ve been warming up to this selfish bitch.
“Sanji won’t be joining us for dinner tomorrow. He always reserves Thanksgiving for his favorite clients. He’ll be gone all day preparing and cooking food for them.” Nami was sitting at the table with her laptop out.
“Figures he’d rather spend the holidays with the conceited and stuck-up. Birds of a feather.”
Vivi looked back and forth between Zoro and Nami.
“I’m sure we can feed a few more people, Nami.”
Nami sat silently clicking her mouse.
“Your dojo’s over by Japan Town right?” She didn’t look up to see Zoro’s nod. “That’ll be convenient. There’s a place not too far away that’s like a buffet. They go all out on Thanksgiving and it’ll be good food. There’s a bus that will practically take you to its door”
She handed Zoro the directions and map she had drawn.
“I’d be willing to bet that your students are familiar with public transit so just give this to them and they’ll know how to get you there.” Nami had quickly learned that letting Zoro navigate, even with a GPS, was never a good idea.
Zoro stared at the map and then at Nami.
“I’ll even pay for the dinner.”
Usopp and Luffy turned, mouths open, to join Zoro’s stare.
Nami icily returned their gaze.
“What? It’s Thanksgiving.”
XXXXXXXXXXX
Zoro had six kids in his last class. All of them were chatting loudly.
He had decided to end practice early and instead finished the day with Seven Samurai. The kids hadn’t been able to stop laughing at the terrible effects and had spent the entire time reenacting the scenes in fake-Japanese.
He couldn’t bring himself to scold them.
“So. Who has plans tonight?”
One boy raised his hand.
“My uncle is visiting, so mom said she’ll be coming home early.”
“Alright. Well then. The rest of you! We’re having dinner together. Use the phone if you need to call home for permission.”
“Whaaat? Is sensei taking us out for dinner?”
“He’ll probably make us pay for him. Sensei looks even poorer than us.”
“But isn’t sensei a movie star now? Oh, but he probably has a bunch of loans to pay back.”
“Oi! You runts. Just get your stuff together, we’re going.”
An hour and a half later they found themselves standing in front of a soup kitchen.
“Sensei should’ve given me the address from the beginning. This place is only 15 minutes from the dojo.”
Zoro ignored the grumbling.
A soup kitchen?? Just how cheap can that woman get?!
XXXXXXXXXXXX
“Sanji! We just got another drop off full of cranberry sauce. We’re never going to get around to using all of this.”
“It’s fine. Make calls to the other kitchens in the area and see if they’re short on any supplies. We always get such a ridiculous amount of volunteers during the holidays that it won’t be too much trouble to find someone to go on runs for us.”
The kitchen was crowded and every stove was fired up. Sanji wiped the sweat off his face before glancing at the food that had already been put out.
The gravy always disappears so quickly. We’re running out of ham too, but at least we have another turkey ready to go out.
He found himself staring out at the crowded dining area.
“What the hell is that bastard doing here?” He waved over a volunteer that looked particularly at a loss for what to do, flashing a smile. “Can you watch my station for a second? I’ll be right back.”
Zoro had considered just taking his students and crashing Nami’s dinner party.
But then they had caught the scent of the food drifting out from the open door.
“I’ve been to a soup kitchen before. The food sure as hell didn’t taste like this.” Zoro flicked the kid’s head.
“Watch your language, Pepper.”
The two other boys sitting next to him snickered. All three of them had grown up in the same neighborhood as Usopp. The older boy had convinced them to take kendo lessons so they would stay out of trouble while he was in college. It was how he and Zoro had met.
The remaining two students were both girls: Rika and Aisa.
“But, he’s right! My mom brings home food from the restaurant sometimes and even that’s never been this good.” Aisa nodded her head vigorously in agreement with Rika, who had wrapped herself around Zoro’s arm.
He silently agreed as he chewed through his first bite and lazily surveyed the room.
It was loud and packed with people balancing trays heavy with food.
He watched as a figure rapidly approached their table.
Well, that explains why the food’s so damn good.
“What the hell are you doing here, ass? Don’t tell me you pulled some stupid shit and got kicked out of Vivi’s place? Or are you just too lazy to….” Sanji noticed the kids sitting at the table. “…umm?”
“I bet he’s sensei’s debt collector.”
“Probably a scorned lover.”
“You guys better get plenty of sleep before the next class. You’ll need the energy.” They stared at Zoro, paling at the threat.
“ ’Sensei’? ” Sanji was still staring at the children.
“He’s a sparring partner.” Zoro could feel his students staring at him.
“Him? He doesn’t look like he’d be much of a challenge.”
“Heeeey now, you punk-”
Zoro cut off Sanji’s complaint. “What have I told you about judging people based on their appearance, Carrot? Remember how badly you lost when you picked a fight with Aisa just because she was a girl?”
“Sensei, are you saying you lost to that guy?”
“What? No way in hell would that fucker beat me.”
Zoro watched as the kids stared at him with big smiles. He grimaced. He’d need to work on the auto-pilot profanity he spewed whenever the cook was brought up.
“Looks like I’ll be running laps with you.”
Sanji had been watching silently, stunned by the tender smile Zoro was showing his students. He took in the small girl with low pigtails who was happily clutching Zoro’s arm as she continued to stuff food into her mouth. He wondered at how relaxed the man was. Sanji had never pegged him as the affectionate type.
“Huh. I just assumed your students would all be… like you?” Sanji figured ‘moronic muscleheads’ wouldn’t be appropriate in their current setting.
Zoro nonetheless caught the omission and narrowed his eyes.
“Wasn’t tonight dedicated to serving your High and Mighty clients?” He was having just as hard a time processing the situation.
“What? My clients? Why would I…?”
“Uhmmm excuse me. Sanji? A volunteer from another kitchen is on the phone wondering if you could give them some dish ideas. Apparently they’re working with even less variety than we are.”
Sanji gave Zoro one last look of confusion before shaking it off.
“I’ll talk to you later.” He turned and walked off.
Zoro’s eyes trailed after his back. Watching as the blonde stopped to talk to an old man wrapped in rags who had grabbed his arm as he passed.
Sanji beamed as he listened to the man.
Zoro furrowed his brows.
I’ve never seen him show such a genuine look of happiness, even when he’s fawning over the girls.
“I think sensei is the scorned lover.”
XXXXXXXXXXX
It was past midnight by the time the staff had finished clean-up and inventory. Sanji gave his final thanks to the volunteers and watched them head towards the BART station.
He stood outside the building, relishing the feel of the crisp night air on his skin. It was refreshing after spending the day in the hot and stuffy kitchen. He took a deep breath before turning to make his way down the block.
He tripped over legs hidden by the dark shadows.
“Ow. Shit.” The hidden lump shifted and stood up.
“Mosshead? What’re you doing out here? Were you…. Were you waiting for me? You left hours ago!”
Zoro stretched his arms above his head and yawned.
“I saw my students off and was on my way home when I passed by. You said you wanted to talk, so I figured we might as well get it over with.”
Sanji looked at him skeptically.
“Probably more like you got lost and recognized the building and you had no other choice but to wait for me to come and save the day.”
He watched as Zoro cracked his neck, ignoring him.
“You could have gone inside you know, instead of sleeping on this disgusting floor in one of the seediest parts of town.” Sanji shuddered. “Really, you might want to burn those clothes as soon as you get home.”
He pulled a pack of cigarettes from his jacket.
“So, you teach kids.” He mumbled around the stick as he lit it. “Why? Don’t you make enough with your film gig?”
Zoro gave him a sidelong glance. “I’m not getting paid to teach at the dojo. It’s something I do when I have time. What about you? Nami said you always spent Thanksgiving cooking for your high rollers. She’s the one who sent me here, actually, so I’m going to assume that was just for her own amusement.”
The fucking misleading witch.
Sanji let out a puff of smoke as a corner of his mouth quirked up. “Nami’s the one helping me make sure this place has enough funding to stay open. So, yeah, she definitely knows that I’m here every Thanksgiving to help out. Why were your students having dinner with you?”
They had started walking down the block. Zoro hoped that Sanji realized he was the one leading them.
“It was better than sending the kids to an empty house.”
He was slightly ruffled.
The cook he knew wasn’t the type who would spend a day slumming it in a dirty kitchen for people who weren’t paying. Sanji was too high class for that.
“Why?”
“Use your words, algae-fuzz.”
Zoro gave him a dirty look.
“Why would you spend your time in this place, ero-cook? Aren’t your shoes a little too expensive to even walk these streets? What would your fellow upper class white males think about this if they found out?”
Zoro couldn’t get the smile out of his head. It didn’t fit Mr. Pompous Priss Sanji.
“Watch it, shithead. You’re toeing a fine line.” Sanji looked at the street sign and turned the corner. Walking home didn’t seem like a terrible idea at the moment.
“I’d love to spend every waking moment cooking for every starving person in this city or, ultimately, in the world, but that job doesn’t pay well and yet it takes a shitload of money to achieve. So I’ll settle for a high-paying job and work to keep at least this one kitchen open.”
“Then why the hell would you spend any of your time making small talk with those disgusting politicians? You do realize that they’d rather take an active role in withholding food from the poor just so they’d die quicker, right?”
Sanji rubbed his face.
So he saw them at the charity auction. Shit. No wonder he thinks I’m such a fucking terrible person.
“Look, Zoro, we were there under Vivi’s name and if I screwed up they’d have no problem making her take responsibility for it. My being at those parties is like your stunt work.” Zoro looked at him doubtfully.
“You take hits that you know are coming. In a different setting you wouldn’t let it happen, right? But as a stuntman it’s your job to take the hits. It’s the same for me. When I’m there representing someone else then I have to roll with the verbal punches. If one of those guys had walked up to me on the street, I’d have no qualms about knocking him out.”
Zoro exhaled, watching the white puff of his breath slowly disappear into the cold.
“It seems I was a little quick to judge you.” And after scolding Carrot, too.
Sanji raised an eyebrow.
“You realize I’m the one who’s instigated most of our fights, yeah? And I haven’t exactly jumped at the chance to get to know you either.”
Loud music and chatter broke the silence as a drunk couple stumbled out of a bar.
“I don’t mind the fights.”
Sanji grinned.
“I think you’re a worthy rival, too.”
They walked another block in silence.
“Hey. You realize we’ve been heading to my apartment, right? Where do you even live?”
Zoro searched for the nearest landmark and caught the glow of the Golden Gate Bridge peeking between the buildings.
“Uhmm I live by Ingleside.”
Sanji slowly turned his head.
“Over by the university?”
“Yeeaaah?”
“Are you fucking with me? That’s on the complete opposite end of the city! Ugh.” He ran his hand through his hair. “My apartment is a block away. Crash for the night and in the morning I’ll point you home.”
Zoro looked at the blonde. His eyes were red and his clothes rumpled. He looked exhausted.
“No need. Buses are still running and there’s a direct line to the university from here. I’ll be fine.”
Sanji let out an exasperated sigh. I’m not going to waste my breath trying to convince him.
“Whatever. Just make sure to bother someone else when you get lost.”
Sanji began to cross the street.
“Oi, Sanji. Thanks.”
He turned to look at Zoro.
He gave a tentative smile.
“Yeah. Um. Anytime.”
They gave each other curt nods and parted ways.
Zoro stopped a few minutes later.
Where the hell are the busstops?
He pulled out his phone wondering if Ace would still be up.
The small lit screen showed he had 3 voicemail messages and 7 missed calls.
Who the hell?
The screen changed, indicating an incoming call from a private number. He flipped the phone open.
[ Zoro? ]
The voice sounded faintly familiar.
“Yeah. Who the hell is this?”
[ It’s Pell. I need you to head over to Vivi’s place immediately. Make sure you have your swords. ]
“What’s wrong? Did something happen to Vivi?”
[ No. Nothing’s wrong right now. But…. We’re just being cautious. Where are you? ]
“Err I’m not quite sure. I’m about a block away from Sanji’s apartment, apparently?”
[ Perfect, he’s right by The Marina, which is only a few blocks west of Vivi. Find the nearest cross street and I’ll direct you. ]
Chapter 06