The Dark Knight of GLU

AN: someone pointed out that i accidentally left in my beta's notes in this and someone kindly pointed it out for me. so sorry for the confusion guys. it's fixed now


Chapter 13
Identity Crisis

Sanji was completely confused because there was no way this sexy male was the same man he attended classes with at the university. Sure they had the same piercing black eyes, green hair, straight nose, strong jaw line, and thin lips, but this man was hot and Zoro… well, wasn’t. Zoro’s clothes were old, worn out and way too big for even his large frame. This man wore tailored black slacks that enhanced everything just right without giving too much away, a snug shirt that hinted at well defined muscles carefully hidden beneath and three gold earrings in his left ear. The two couldn’t be more different, yet he somehow knew they were the same. Realizing how rude he was being, just staring openly at the man, he decided to at least speak with the couple and see if there was anything they needed. It was his responsibility to look after the guests after all, and he was dying to find out what the moron was doing with such a beautiful woman.

Zoro began to panic. The bastard was supposed to have the night off. That’s was the only reason he agreed to come here in the first place. He knew that Sanji had been following him around all week, but was still unsure why, and assumed that if the man was off work, the cook would be out searching for him. He would have never dressed this way if he knew there was a chance he would come face to face with the blonde. Sanji drew closer and he knew he would need to take control of this quickly before his evening was completely ruined. Why the hell did the fucker have to look so damn good tonight? It probably wouldn’t go over well if he was caught ogling another man by his date, so Zoro narrowed his eyes and frowned.

“Sanji, you have no idea how good it is to see you again. Have you come to reconsider?” Carmen’s face lit up when the blonde approached their table.

“Sanji,” Zoro deadpanned, hoping to seem calm and disinterested.

“Zoro,” was the same bland reply before the cook turned to the pink-haired woman. “Carmen, my dear! How lovely it is to see you again. You’re looking as beautiful as ever.”

“So, is that a yes?” She was about to snatch her hand from being kissed when Zoro placed his hand between them and stole the lips for himself. He shivered slightly at the contact, but took Carmen’s hand out of the surprised blonde’s grasp and held it firmly.

At first, Carmen was delighted that Zoro had acted like a gentleman when her rival cook tried to place his lips on her person, but the brief glimpse of lust that shone in the dark eyes told her otherwise. She realized it was jealousy hiding itself because she was being kissed and he was not. Knowing that her date was interested in the same man she had her eyes on was not how things were supposed to turn out. She knew the blonde was not picky about gender when he started looking for a lover, and who could pass up what Zoro obviously had to offer. Desperate times called for desperate measures, and she was very desperate.

“How dare you! I am here on a date with another man and yet you still try to force yourself upon me. I cannot believe the audacity of some people.” Carmen stood and called out, making sure to gain as much attention as possible. “If you think you can con me into your bed to get me to drop this challenge, you are sorely mistaken.”

“Madam, I assure you that I have no desire to replace my lover with you, or anyone else. If you do not appreciate my attention, I suggest you no longer pursue me, for I have not treated you any different this night than any other time we have met in the past.” Sanji bristled at the accusation and did his best to remain polite in his rebuttal.

“I will face you in battle, understand that.” Carmen grabbed her purse and got right up in Sanji’s face. “I hope you enjoy your evening… I know I will.” With that, she gave a suggestive look back to Zoro who had stood and was tossing bills on the table to pay the tab.

Zoro stood there torn between shock and amusement at the whole thing. Seeing the embarrassed flush on Carmen’s face was extremely satisfying, but who was this lover Sanji was referring to? Could he have found someone or was it just a bluff to get her off his back? If he had someone, then did that mean that he no longer had a chance either as the Dark Knight or as himself? What would happen now? He returned his wallet to his pocket and glanced up to the jealous glare of the cook and the very scary, almost predatory look of the pink-haired woman.

“Take me home, Zoro,” she says sweetly.

Sanji grabbed Zoro’s arm as he passed and immediately the larger man’s hand encompassed his wrist. He winced slightly at the sting in the still raw flesh, courtesy of the coarse rope. The feel of the strong grip brought a flashback of a dark alley where his wrists were forced above his head as his mouth and neck were ravished. They both let go quickly, as if they had touched fire. An uneasy look passed between them and they turned in opposite directions.

Frequent customers who knew the blonde personally came forward to offer their sympathy and support, assuring him that they didn’t believe a word of what the insane woman said. He soon slipped back into his usual charm and suave demeanor and had everyone convinced he would be just fine. In reality, his mind was reeling with different scenarios and playing out every hypothesis he could possibly think of to rationalize the ludicrous idea that the identity of the Dark Knight had been solved.

DK*DK*DK*DK

They walked briskly back to the café, with Carmen fuming the entire time.

“Just how well do you know Sanji? Are you two close? Has he mentioned anything about the competition? Can you believe he spoke to me like that?”

Zoro tuned her out until they got to the truck. Suddenly, her hand shot out and slapped him across the face. He grabbed her wrist when she attempted it again and prepared to toss her back when she leaned in and spoke harshly.

“I know you’re his new lover. Just the way he looks at you gives it away and it sickens me. I will not lose him to you.”

“You’re one fucked up bitch. I can’t stand the shitty-cook and I’m damn sure he feels the same about me.”

“Oh you’re wrong about that. On both parts.” Carmen wrenched her arm from his grasp and stormed off to her car, calling out over her shoulder. “You don’t deserve him.”

He watched her drive away, thinking about what she said. The fact that she thought he didn’t deserve the cook didn’t bother him, but the idea that maybe he was wrong about the cook’s feelings did. Could he be the lover the blonde spoke of? Or more specifically, was the Dark Knight the mysterious lover? Did this mean he made the connection between the two? A simple mistake, or did the blonde really have someone special tucked away that Zoro didn’t know about. If only the Knight were really the one Sanji had been speaking about, it would make all of these miserable dates actually worth something.

DK*DK*DK*DK

Sanji tossed and turned most of the night, his sleep riddled with dreams of dark shadows, green hair and passionate kisses. He had to get some solid information before he could come forward and accuse the asshole face to face with his theory. All he had at the moment was suspicions and circumstantial evidence: a hickey, a wound, the right height and physique, the way his hand fit just right around the blonde’s wrists, the time when he arrived at the school, and the unknown background. But knowing the stubborn green-haired idiot, he’d never admit to being the Dark Knight even if he confronted him. He needed to catch the fucker in the act, and that was just what he planned on doing. Come Monday morning, Sanji wasn’t letting him out of his sight.

DK*DK*DK*DK

It had been a really shitty weekend. First the date with Carmen, then the dinner with Yuu and Kureha, followed by Logan saying he needed his truck back. To top it off, the wagon was dead with no hopes for resurrection and this left public transportation or walking as Zoro’s only means of getting to school. If he had access to a gym to shower and change in, the foot method appealed to him much more than being cramped on the crowded bus with all the scornful looks of the older generation. Maybe he should find some larger earrings, take off his shirt and carry his swords at his hip, then they would all have enough reason to stare.

When his cell phone rang after his first class, he pulled it out and didn’t bother even looking at the caller ID since only five people even had his number; well, six if you counted Johnny and Yosaku separate.

“Hai.” It could have been ‘hi’ but who knows.

“Hello, is this Zoro Roronoa?” A sweet female voice asked.

Zoro stopped walking and hesitated answering, worried just who it might be on the other end. This could be either a prank or bad news, and he was hoping for the former. “It is.”

“Oh good. I was given your number by a Mr. You Hay-gah…”

Zoro scowled at the horrible pronunciation of his grandfather’s name. “It’s Yuu Higa.”

“Oh, forgive me, yes. Well as I was saying, he gave me your cell number because there is a problem here with your boys and we need you to come in to the office. How soon can you get here?” The woman was clearly annoyed, but did her best to remain polite. Zoro however wasn’t that kind.

“Lady, I’m on my way to class right now, one that I cannot afford to miss. Are you sure you have the right person?”

“Yes, Mr. Roronoa, I’m sure. Mr. Higa assured me that you would be happy to come down here and deal with this.”

Zoro stood there silent and confused. Whose boys and why would he care? Whatever it was, Jiji apparently thought he should be involved. Sadly, this meant that he would be missing his chance to see Sanji if he left so it had better be REALLY good.

“Give me the address and I’ll be on my way,” he grumbled. He pulled a pen out of his back pocket and wrote the information on his hand, snapping the phone shut without even saying goodbye. As soon as he turned around, he bumped into someone, causing them both to reach out and steady each other. A puff of smoke hit him in the face and he snapped his head up to look into an amused blue eye. “Sanji.”

“Classes are that way Marimo, or are you lost?”

“Fuck you, shitty-cook.” Zoro shoved past him and walked towards the main street. “I’m headed to Imperial Down”

Sanji fell in step with him, much to Zoro’s dismay, and began chatting like they were old friends. “So you have a little brother or something?”

Zoro glanced over at him and raised an eyebrow in question. “No. What does that have to do with…? Wait, just what is that place?”

“You’re going and you don’t even know why? Shit, you are an idiot.” Sanji shook his head and tossed his spent cigarette away before abruptly changing direction. “Come on, I’ll drive.”

“Wait! Who the fuck says I want you to go?” This was not good. He wasn’t ready to spend this kind of time with the blonde just yet. He still had a few kinks to work out in the plan, like how to tell him he was really the Knight in disguise. Or was he the real one and the Knight the disguise? Whatever, he needed to end this right now because for some odd reason he found himself hurrying after the aggravating man. His jaw dropped as he watched Sanji walk up to a beautiful black Audi TT and open the door. Sleek, elegant, and classy. It fit the blonde perfectly.

“Che, come on, asshole. If we hurry we can make it back before the next class starts.” Sanji slid into the driver’s seat and grinned.

Zoro climbed wearily into the passenger seat. It was probably a good idea that the blonde offered to take him over there because he would have had to call Logan to come and get him. Besides, it was true that he had no idea what was even going on. He began to think back to the conversation with the woman. Jiji… Trouble… Boys… Office…

“Oh shit!” Zoro exclaimed as everything came together. “It’s a fucking school isn’t it?”

“Yah, moss for brains, it is.” Sanji chuckled.

“Fuck you, dartboard brow.” Zoro spat out.

“Nah, I got taste.” Sanji shot back, never missing a beat.

This caused Zoro to start laughing, thinking about how funny that statement was after what had happened between them. He reduced it to a snicker when he caught Sanji scowling at him. “Sorry, but from what I’ve seen you have no taste. Carmen seems to be quite infatuated with you, though.”

“So did you have a good time with her the other night? I’m sure you were quite amused at her little accusations.” Sanji’s knuckles went white as he tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

“I honestly wasn’t paying attention to her. I just went out with her as a favor to someone.” Zoro shrugged it off as meaningless.

“You mean you’re not together?” Sanji turned his head slightly to look at Zoro’s frown through his peripheral vision. “Oh I get it, you’re not into ladies. That’s a shame. Do you have any idea what you’re missing?”

Zoro remained silent and fumed at the thought of being with a woman again. His first time having sex was with a high school girl from Kansas. Her dad was a mechanic on post and she just happened to wander down into the fights one night. In order to keep her safe, he proclaimed her his girlfriend and she insisted on thanking him properly. It was what it was for a first time; quick messy and unsatisfying. They both got dressed and agreed to never talk about it again. He swore he would never let a woman into his bed after that.

Sanji watched the different levels of anger and disgust pass over Zoro’s face and fought to keep from reaching over to smooth out the frown lines in his forehead. The only expressions he had seen on the tan face without glasses were boredom and aggravation; and that one glimpse of something peaceful when he had been kissing Luffy. Sanji mentally shook his head to rid himself of that image. It seemed unfair that the skinny boy had been the first to kiss those rough lips.

He thought back to the first time he had kissed the Knight in the alley. When the adrenaline rush had finally receded, so did the sound of the mysterious man’s voice. It was right there on the edge of his memory, but never close enough to grasp. Friday night, was much easier to recall, but everyone’s voice changes in the throes of passion. Sanji fought to keep the smirk of his face as he thought of Zoro making those noises. Would he sound different when he wasn't trying to mask his voice? Could he maybe bring himself to seduce the green-haired man and find out? There was no doubt he would enjoy trying, especially if Zoro was really the Dark Knight. If it did somehow turn out that he wasn’t… Well Zoro was hot anyway, if the way the dress clothes fit gave him anything to go on. Realizing that they had reached their destination, Sanji put those thoughts aside and pulled into the parking lot.

The car stopped and Zoro looked around, admiring the lavish playground and landscaping at the large elementary school. He followed Sanji up to the main doors and walked in to the reception area where a snobbish bleach-blonde sat behind an impeccably clean desk filing her nails.

“Hello there, can I help you?” There was that sickeningly sweet voice he heard over the phone.

“I was called about my Horsemen.” He said shortly. The comical look on Sanji’s face was worth bringing him along.

“I’m sorry, ma’am. Please forgive his brutish behavior. I’m afraid he hasn’t had his daily dose of manners yet today.” Sanji stepped forward and held out his hand with a warm charming smile to accompany it. The receptionist immediately relaxed and blushed as she placed her palm in his grasp, her eyes lingering on specific lines of the blonde’s suit as she blatantly checked him out. Zoro wanted to rip her arm off when the cook brought her hand to his lips and brushed the knuckles ever so lightly. “We received a call a little while ago and were asked to come in.”

“Oh,” she looked back and forth between the two men, noting the drastic difference in their appearances, and settled on Zoro’s threatening glare. “Would you be Mr. Roronoa?”

He just nodded and waited for her continue. When she didn’t, he sighed and tried again.

“You called about my boys, something to do with a problem?”

“Oh, yes. Please follow me.” The anxious woman quickly led them to one of the side doors and down a short hallway. “Your, um, boys… are in here. I’ll let the Principal know you’ve arrived.”

Zoro snorted in disgust as he noticed just what part of her Sanji was staring at as she hurried down the hall. Sanji grinned perversely and gestured at the closed door.

Now determined to find out what was going on, Zoro quickly opened the door and walked in. Nine boys with an assortment of black eyes, busted lips and covered in dirt looked up at them. Suddenly, the Horsemen were on the ground, kneeling with their heads bowed. Zoro heard Sanji’s sharp intake of breath and did his best to keep his face a mask of indifference. The five remaining boys watched on with something akin to fear and awe. Zoro sighed heavily and closed his eyes.

“Gomen-nasai, Zoro-sensei,” they chorused.

“You’re making a spectacle of yourselves, get up.” Zoro waited until the shuffling sounds ceased and then opened his eyes. “I take it, it happened again?”

The boys hung their heads and nodded, obviously ashamed of whatever it was that had occurred. Sanji had the strongest urge to step in and take control, feeling that there was no way this buffoon could handle this situation correctly. “Go easy on them; I’m sure there’s a perfectly good explanation for whatever happened.”

Zoro turned and glared at him. “This is none of your business shitty-cook, so fuck off.” All nine boys gasped at the angry tone of the man and his use of colorful words. “These are my boys; let me handle this my way.”

“Look, dumbass, intimidating and bullying them isn’t going to work. I doubt you’d even know what to…” Sanji stepped forward to get between the angry man and the children.

“Back off Blondie! You can’t talk to our sensei that way!” Sam shoved Sanji to the side.

“Yah, he’s a hell of a lot smarter than you.” Chad shouted.

“Don’t butt in where you’re not wanted.” Brian stepped in front of Zoro in a defensive position.

“You’re not even half the man he is, so shut-up!” Mark joined his teammate in front of their instructor.

Zoro began laughing and placed a hand on his guard dogs’ shoulders to calm them down. “He gets the point. Now tell me what’s going on.”

Sanji stood there in awe watching the way the boys automatically obeyed every word from Zoro’s mouth. Yet again, the image he had of the green-haired man was torn to shreds and he found himself admiring the man even more. He wondered just what kind of ‘sensei’ Zoro was. Maybe he taught swordsmanship or something. It would make sense if he really were the Dark Knight. Sanji focused on the four boys who were taking turns talking, and it didn’t take long for the story to be revealed. Apparently, the other boys in the room had been bullying the smaller kids and they finally decided to stand up for themselves.

“We swear we didn’t attack them. All we did was defend ourselves like you told us and kept them from hurting anyone else.” Chad looked as if he were on the verge of tears.

“Then what are you upset about?” Zoro looked at them slightly confused.

“Because, we were told last year that if we got in trouble again, they would suspend us. My mom will kill me if that happens.” Mark’s voice was barely above a whisper.

“I won’t let that happen,” Zoro promised.

“It might not be my business, but I’m here. I’ll do what I can to help.” Sanji looked down at the boys and grinned. They each looked to their sensei for guidance, returning the blonde’s smile only after gaining permission from their respected adult.

Zoro turned his eyes towards the smug looking boys on the other side of the room. It seemed that their confidence had returned to them when Zoro didn’t appear to be very upset anymore. He looked closer at their clothing and haircuts, realizing that these were probably a bunch of spoiled little brats that had never been told no in their lives. There was no way they would last ten minutes with him in training. He was about to address them when the doors opened and in walked several adults. The way the other boys’ expressions changed, it could only mean that these were the parents.

“If you would, please, take a seat with your children and we can begin.” A tall man with bright blue hair directed everyone to the chairs at the conference table. He walked over to Zoro and held out his hand. “I’m Principal Iceberg, and you are?”

“Roronoa Zoro.” Zoro bowed slightly to the man, knowing that he needed to get on his good side if he were to keep that promise he had just made. If he had known that this was such a serious matter, he could have come a little better prepared.

“Ah, I’ve heard much about you.” Iceberg offered his hand to the blonde as well. “Are you an instructor as well?”

“No, we attend college together. I’m Sanji Black.”

“You’re the chef from the Baratie, aren’t you?” one of the ladies with dark red hair walked over and shook his hand as well. “I’m Victoria Floyd. My husband and I have dined there several times and it was always exquisite.”

“We offer nothing but the best, Madame,” Sanji brought her hand to his lips and gave her his most charming smile. Maybe bringing the prissy, well-dressed cook along wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

Zoro rolled his eyes and gathered his students on the opposite side of the table from the older boys. He leaned down and whispered into their ears to keep quiet about their style of training and let him do the talking, unless of course they were asked a direct question. Sanji gave each of them a pat on the shoulder or ruffled their hair as he walked by and took a seat on Zoro’s left. It never occurred to them that they appeared to be acting out the role of parents perfectly; Zoro the strict father, and Sanji the kind mother.

“Principal Iceberg, I want to know why these boys’ parents are not here. I can see Mr. Black is a respectable young man, but what on earth is that ruffian doing here?” A somewhat round man in a deep blue suit asked.

“Sen-“ Sam clinched his fists at his side but quieted when Zoro held up his hand.

“I apologize, but I must agree. Why were their parents not called as we were?” A woman in a low cut summer dress chimed in.

“Rest assured, Mr. Jenkins, Ms. Thurston. They have been. I just told them that I did not see the need for them to come in at this time. I believe Mr. Zoro here is exactly what we need.” Principal Iceberg sat back in his chair and twiddled his thumbs, not bothering to hide his boredom.

“What could he possibly have to offer? A visual of grooming don’ts?” Ms. Thurston literally turned up her nose and huffed at the green-haired man’s appearance. “He’s wearing multiple piercings, dyed hair, and glasses that should be smashed with a hammer they’re so hideous. He can’t even dress himself in clothing that fits! How you can associate with something like this, Mr. Black, I don’t know.”

Sanji couldn’t help it and started chuckling. “I know what you mean.” The humorous tone to his voice disappeared and he narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at her. “But today it’s not about how bad Marimo here dresses; it’s about the kids behind us.”

Zoro shot him a dirty look for the name calling but bit his lip at throwing out his usual reply. It wouldn’t do for him to start a verbal battle with several words that these students probably hadn’t heard before, or ever should for that matter. He instead settled for reaching under the table and pinching the underside of the cook’s thigh. It took a considerable amount of effort to keep a straight face when said blonde jumped and smacked his knee on hard wood.

“Mr. Black are you ok?” the redhead, Mrs. Floyd, asked.

“My apologies, the leg of the table was much closer than I thought.” Sanji smashed the heel of his shoe onto the toe of the black boot as he sat up straight.

Zoro gritted his teeth against the sharp pain in his foot and wondered if grabbing his tie and smashing his face into the tabletop would be too much. Instead he tried to reach over the top of Sanji’s leg and grab the soft flesh of the inside of his thigh. The blonde caught his hand as it reached its destination and held it firmly in his grasp. Even when he tried to pull away, the man refused to let go. Feeling slightly uncomfortable with intimate contact he opened his mouth to demand the release of his hand. As if he finally realized what he was doing, Sanji practically threw his hand off his lap. Zoro wondered how much of a problem it would cause if he tried to reclaim the spot. The remaining two parents didn’t give him any time to seriously consider the idea though.

“Mr.… Zoro was it?” The balding man with a goatee asked.

“Roronoa,” Zoro corrected him.

The annoyed parent scowled at him and continued. “Your boys are nothing but hooligans. Last year alone they were involved in several fights, but even still, they never managed to cause this much of a commotion. I can only assume you are responsible for this change.”

“I am.” Zoro’s tone was calm and even, his face telling nothing of his current anger boiling just under the surface.

“This is absurd!” The last father stood up and slammed his hands down on the table. Two boys, obviously twins, cringed and scooted closer to each other in fear, something that Zoro and Sanji both noticed. “How dare you recruit children into your gangs? Mr. Black, I had hoped that you had better standards than this, but I can see I was wrong. To willingly acknowledge your relationship with thugs such as this is unacceptable. He’s probably working for that group that is attacking the innocents. I hope the Dark Knight comes for you next Roronoa.”

If the accusations hadn’t been so serious, Sanji would be rolling on the floor in laughter. Even if he didn’t have his suspicions that Zoro was the Knight, there was no way anyone could convince him that this buffoon was a member of an illegal gang. He needed Zoro’s trust if he wanted to get the truth, so the blonde did the only thing he could think of. He stood up and defended the man’s honor.

“I can assure you that Zoro is nothing but an outstanding model citizen. He is in his second year at the University with almost perfect scores and even volunteers time with a study group during the week. He is the cousin of a prominent detective at the downtown station and close friends with the grandchildren of the Chief of Police himself. These children here are his students, and they obey him out of respect and admiration. Judging from the fear on your children’s faces, the Knight would be more likely to come after you than him.”

Zoro felt like his heart was about to burst out of his chest. Guilt began to eat at him as he realized just how far out on a limb Sanji had to go to back him up. The cook had just placed himself in a very precarious position if things ever went bad for the Knight and Zoro’s identity was discovered. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to beat the shit out of the blonde or throw him down on the table and kiss him senseless. Maybe a combination of both… Zoro reached up and grabbed Sanji’s arm, pulling him back into his seat.

The angry father took a step back in shock at the blonde’s outburst and looked to the other parents for support in his accusations. When he noticed them all studying the green-haired man, as if to ascertain the information they just received was true, he turned his fury on the principal. “Principal Iceberg, I refuse to allow this to go on. I want these children’s parents here now!”

“No,” was the simple reply. Iceberg turned to look at the Horsemen and cocked his head to the side. “I took the liberty to look over these boys’ records for a moment before everyone got here. Last year they were involved in 23 different fights, ranging from shoving to full-blown punches. Their grades were barely passing and the teachers were constantly complaining of their disruptiveness.”

Zoro turned and looked at the boys, his eyes narrowed in disappointment. Each one of them hung their heads in shame and refused to meet his gaze. “Is this true?”

“Yes, Sensei.” They mumbled.

The angry father sat back down in his chair with a satisfied look.

“This year…” the principal paused for effect. “Each one of them holds an A-B average with the exception of Mark who has straight A’s. Their teachers have only turned in two detentions total for the four of them, and this is the first fight to come to my attention.” The parents looked over the boys before them in disbelief. “I, for one, would like to know what method Mr. Zoro is using to have gained such a drastic change in their behavior.”

Murmurs of agreement whispered around the room, including from the older boys and the impressed cook.

“I teach self defense and discipline at the Higa Dojo. The Horsemen are my best students, and my mischief-makers. Our agreement for my continuing to teach them was that they stay out of trouble and maintain a B average.” Zoro didn’t even look at the parents as he spoke, his eyes studying the five boys behind them the whole time.

The parents looked at each other and began to talk quietly. One of the boys opened his mouth a few times like he was about to speak, then clamped it shut, furrowing his brow in frustration.

“Ask.” Zoro simply said as he caught the boy’s gaze. Everyone in the room grew quiet and listened.

“So all that stuff they did… I mean how they moved and avoided being hit. You taught them that?” He looked over to his friends when Zoro nodded. They huddled together and whispered excitedly.

Iceberg stood up and walked towards the door. “That settles it. I expect to see each of you enrolled in classes at this dojo. If you can complete one course, I will take this incident off of your permanent record. Otherwise, it will be an automatic suspension the next time you get in trouble.”

The door shut and everyone began talking at once. The older boys were immediately hounding their parents about the classes and wondering when they could start. The parents were trying to gain control and failing miserably. The Horsemen gathered around Sanji and Zoro as they walked out of the school, thanking them both for standing up for them, though neither really did anything for the boys at all. Zoro looked back at the parents struggling with their unruly kids and wondered how many of the children at this school were that uncooperative. All they really needed was a good swift kick in the ass and a solid set of ground rules. When they had all exited the building, he called out to them.

“Horsemen.” Zoro immediately took his instructor tone and the boys reacted accordingly. They lined up in front of him and awaited his instructions. “You realize that Sanji and I had to miss class to come down here and fix this.”

“Gomen, sensei.” They all four hung their heads again.

“Your chores at the dojo will double for the rest of the semester.” If they thought about it, that was only a few weeks away, a really slight punishment for their actions.

“Aw man!” “No, way!” “Double?” “Shit.”

“Mark’s will now triple.” Zoro frowned at his student’s choice of language.

“Damn it!”

“If that doesn’t work, I’ll put them on dish duty at the Baratie during the Saturday lunch rush.” Sanji slipped a hand into his pocket and placed the other arm around Zoro’s shoulders as he looked down at the shocked children. “Besides, you guys can’t really be all that good at the evading and self defense if you come out of your fights looking like this.”

“Like what?” Brian asked.

“Completely filthy and bloody. Seriously, if all you want to do is knock a guy off his feet so you can keep him from attacking then there’s better ways of going about it.” Sanji patted his jacket for his cigarettes, but thought twice when he looked down into four curious faces.

“Get off me, shitty-cook. Just what would you know about self-defense anyway? You’re too skinny to do any harm.” Zoro shoved the arm off his shoulders and turned away from the blonde.

Sanji winked at the boys and slipped into a crouch, sweeping his long leg hard against the back of Zoro’s calf and taking the man’s feet out from under him. Everything seemed to go in slow motion as Zoro flew up in the air and slammed hard back down to earth. Sanji stood over him smirking.

“Now this seems like a familiar view, shitty-Marimo.” The blonde smiled, laughing as he was surrounded by the awestruck boys and bombarded with questions.

Zoro lay there wondering how many times this vexing bastard would get him flat on his back before they ended up fucking each other in that position. He sat up to watch Sanji show the boys step-by-step the move he had just performed and couldn’t help but feel admiration for him. He was exactly what Zoro wanted in a lover; a fierce fighter, an impossibly flexible body, a strong will, loyal to a fault, and yet compassionate with a touch of gentle kindness to top it off.

After he finally pried the blonde away from the children, they realized their final class had already started and by the time they arrived, it would be almost over. Taking advantage of the free ride, and the fact that he had no idea where he was, Zoro asked Sanji to drive him home.

Sanji jumped on the chance to see where his classmate lived, hoping that it would help him gain further clues into Zoro’s identity and solving the mystery as to whether he was really the Dark Knight. Fortunately, he was familiar with the streets of the city, because the moron couldn’t seem to remember how to get there unless they went all the way back to the college first. They pulled up in front of a small home with beautiful landscaping and a tall wooden privacy fence surrounding the back yard. As soon as the car fully stopped, Zoro hopped out, immediately heading for the front door.

“What, no goodbye kiss?” Sanji had opened the driver’s door and stepped out, trying to find a way to con the escaping man to invite him inside the small abode. He smirked as Zoro tripped over his own feet to turn around and stare wide eyed at him. “You could at least invite me in for a drink to say thanks.”

You could see the weariness pass over the larger man’s face as he contemplated just what to do. A slight slump of his shoulders signaled his defeat and Sanji stepped away from the car to close the door.

“Just remember this was your idea. I’m not responsible for anything that happens.” Zoro mumbled.

Sanji wondered just what the comment might mean as he crossed the threshold into the Higa residence and entered another world. He was told to remove his shoes in the large entryway and given a pair of blue slippers to wear. The turned to the left and entered a large kitchen with a small table for four set up in front of a bay window.

“Do you drink tea?” Zoro asked as he filled a small kettle with water. Zoro sat the water on the stove and turned on to boil. He measured out the loose tealeaves from a canister into a small teapot.

“Yah. I mean I guess it’s the least I can do since you ate my cooking. Where’s the bathroom?” Sanji looked around, itching to begin his search.

“Down the hall to the left. Don’t go anywhere else,” Zoro threatened.

Sanji was out the doorway with a noncommittal ‘hnn’ and turned in the direction indicated. As soon as he was out of Zoro’s sight, he began his quest. He opened a door to a small sparse bedroom with a low table in the center and a futon mattress folded up in the corner. Seeing nothing of interest, he closed the door and moved on. The next door led to the bathroom, and he quickly entered, shutting the door behind him. Opening the mirrored medicine cabinet, he found the typical hygiene products and a bottle of painkillers. The doors under the sink hid various cleaning products and an exceptionally large first aid kit. Frowning, but not surprised, he opened the door and walked back into the hall.

The door to the last room was left slightly ajar, so he gently pushed it open with his foot. There was no doubt that it was Zoro’s bedroom judging from the textbooks and papers that were piled all over the desk. He was surprised to find it otherwise very clean and organized. The bed was made perfectly, the books on the shelves organized, clothes in the closet were hung neatly and all the dirty laundry was inside the white basket sitting by the door. Sanji walked in and began looking at the assorted trinkets lying atop the small chest of drawers.

A string of black beads was laid neatly in the center next to a stack of letters. Unfortunately, they were written in Japanese and Sanji was unable to gain any information from them. Four stones with faces painted on them, were lined up across the front edge. Turning them over, he saw the names of each of Zoro’s Horsemen. For the rocks to be placed in front showed just how much the instructor thought of his students. The last item was a small decorative box that refused to open, but seemed to have no lock.

“It’s a puzzle box,” a cheerful voice piped up.

Sanji jumped, completely embarrassed at being caught. Beside him stood a short old man with a very disturbing grin on his face. “I got turned around coming back from the bathroom and found myself in here.”

“Yes, yes, it’s easy to do in an unfamiliar place,” the man nodded in agreement. “If you’re looking for anything in particular let me know. I always love snooping around in here. I don’t think he’s figured it out yet, but I know where everything he has is, even the condoms.”

Sanji shivered at the almost insane laughter that bubbled up from the little man. It was no wonder Zoro tried to stay hidden; his grandpa was crazy. Maybe this was why he had been warned to not wander around. He needed to get back to the kitchen. Carefully, he replaced the puzzle in its resting place. “The box just caught my eye, I wasn’t looking for anything.”

“Pity, and here I was hoping for some fun. Are you sure you don’t want to look through his drawers? I’ll go keep him distracted.” The old man bounced on his feet in obvious excitement. “He doesn’t have any porn, but he does have…”

“Damn it Jiji! Urasai!” Zoro stormed into the room, grabbed the little man by the back of his shirt, and began to drag him out of the room.

“Ahhh! Help me! He’s gonna lock me in my room again!” Jiji cried out.

“Holy shit, Zoro. What are you doing?” Sanji ran forward to help the old man out.

“Stay out of this, shitty-cook. I told you not to go anywhere else.” Zoro continued to pull his grandfather out of the room.

“He’s gone mad! Help me!” Jiji flayed his arms and deliberately stumbled to the ground.

Sanji sprang into action and aimed a powerful kick to the back of Zoro’s head. The green-haired man ducked just in time and spun around to face him, releasing his grip on Jiji’s shirt. They stood there glaring at each other while Yuu watched on in amusement. He sat there on the floor between them with a mischievous grin plastered on his wrinkly face.

“To think that my opinion of you had changed today, I can’t believe I started to think you were halfway decent. You’re some piece of work attacking a helpless old man like that,” Sanji berated him, disgust evident in his voice.

“Helpless? You think he’s helpless?” Zoro started laughing. The idea that his grandpa was a weakling cracked him up. He turned around and continued out of the room. “Come on, tea’s ready.”

“Yosh! Tea!” Yuu jumped up, with more grace and agility than a man of that age should possess, and ran after his grandson. “Tea! Tea! Tea! Tea!”

It took Sanji a moment to process what had just happened. Apparently, he’d just been had, and he began to feel a bit guilty for the harsh words he had spoken to the other man. He should have known better than to assume that Zoro would treat the little man like that when he had shown such care and respect for his boys earlier. He wondered if the grandfather was the one that owned the dojo that Zoro taught at. If so, the old man was probably proficient in one or more forms of martial arts and could easily kick both of their asses. He’d better go apologize.

Sanji entered the empty kitchen and wondered where everyone had gone. He could hear Zoro’s deep voice faintly and decided to follow it. He noticed a paneled wall when they had first entered the house and could see now that it was a set of sliding doors that opened to a beautiful living room. On the opposite wall was another matching set that had also been opened to give him a view of back yard. It was in various stages of construction, but the general idea was evident and it shocked the blonde to see the vast extent of the garden Ace had mentioned. Changing into a different set of sandals, resembling a set of wooden flip-flops, he walked into the paradise-in-progress.

There was a small stream that ran in the middle of the yard with a beautiful arched bridge connecting each side. At the head of it was a large rock waterfall that was nearly complete. Several trees that he didn’t recognize gave the perfect amount of shade to sit under and enjoy the serene surroundings. It was a tremendous amount of work for one person to have accomplished. Sanji could easily see how Zoro could injure himself trying to do all of the work alone. He looked around again for his classmate and found him sitting under one of the larger trees alone.

Sanji quietly joined him, eyeing the serving tray that held the teapot and cups. He watched in awe as Zoro served the tea, and wondered just how many times he would have his opinion of the strange man changed in a single day. He picked up his cup and deeply breathed in the soothing aroma. Coffee was his preferred choice of drink, but he was known to have a cup of tea on occasion. Taking the first tentative sip, he was surprised to find the blend quite pleasant.

“Your grandpa is quite something,” Sanji started.

“He’s a demon.”

Sanji chuckled and sat his empty cup back on the tray. “He’d probably get along great with my foster father. I bet they’d spend the entire day planning our demise.”

Zoro shook his head and joined in the blonde’s mirth. They remained in comfortable silence for a while as the sun started to set. With the day’s warmth receding, they both shivered slightly when the wind grew chilled. Zoro gathered up the tray and stood, Sanji following in kind.

“Look, I’m sorry...“

“Thank you...”

They both spoke at once; stopping in shock as the other spoke words they never thought they would hear. Sanji blushed, but remained composed while Zoro just gaped at him.

“I said some pretty harsh things back there. I should have known that that old fart was up to something.” Sanji ran a hand through his hair nervously as he gave his apology.

“Um, yah, don’t worry about it.” Zoro shifted on his feet, trying to keep from grabbing the blonde up in a crushing hug. “You really helped out at the school. It wouldn’t have gone over so as well if I went by myself.”

Sanji smirked at him and nodded. “Your people skills aren’t worth shit. I hope you aren’t going into customer service anytime soon.”

“I was thinking of running for president,” Zoro replied with a straight face.

It was quiet for about the count of ten before they both broke out in full laughter.

“Get the hell out of my house shitty-cook; I’ve got homework to do.” Zoro shoved him with his shoulder since his hands were full, a big smile still etched on his face.

“Shit, with your scores, you could probably just skip the rest of the semester and still pass.” Sanji changed back to the house slippers and frowned. “You change shoes a lot here.”

“We never wear shoes in the house. But, sometimes when we have a large amount of company it can’t be helped.” Zoro stepped out of his geta sandals and chose to remain barefooted as he returned the serving tray to the kitchen. He joined Sanji at the front door as the blonde slid on his normal dress shoes.

“I’ll find out what we missed in class today and let you know.” Sanji stood and brushed off his slacks, drawing Zoro’s attention to the way they accented his long legs perfectly. Noticing the direction of Zoro’s gaze, Sanji decided to give him a hard time about it and also test his reaction at the same time. “I don’t think my lover would appreciate you staring at my ass like that.”

A strange, unknown look passes over the green-haired man’s face before he responded with a touch of sadness to his voice. “He’s a lucky guy.”

It wasn’t at all what Sanji had expected, but it gave him a great opportunity. “No, I’m the lucky one… See ya.”

“Ja.” Zoro stared at the closed door for a few minutes, fighting with the sharp stab of jealousy eating his gut. The sound of his grandfather’s laugh as he watched TV reminded him of a promise of pain he had made earlier in the evening. “Oi, Jiji!”