The Dark Knight of GLU

Chapter 14
Cloak & Dagger Folly

Bon Kurei watched the two men get into the blonde’s car and proceeded to squeal in excitement. He couldn’t believe that the green-haired man was able to camouflage himself that well. If it hadn’t been for the glimpse of the Knight’s face in that dark alley, he would have never been able to make to make the connection himself. He admired the unknown man for being able to continue a dual relationship with the handsome blonde. He wondered what would happen if Sanji ever figured things out. Maybe he should try to warn the swordsman and tell him he should be a little more careful.

He asked a passerby if they knew the taller man, and was directed to a fiery redhead, who gladly spilled everything she knew about her classmate, except for his full name. When he asked for that, she began asking her own questions in return. He eventually gave up, and went with what information he had collected so far. It seemed odd that the man was dating someone other than the popular blonde, and he began to ask around more. Not many people knew anything about him, and no one else could confirm that the mysterious man was dating anyone. It was rumored that he had a close relationship with the child prodigy Tony ‘Chopper’ Tonee. Bon Kurei knew that name well. He was the youngest med student to enter the college ever. Maybe Chopper was the man’s doctor for when he was injured during a fight. A light suddenly went off in Bon Kurei’s overly decorated head and he took off running for his office.

He began pulling out every photo album he had stored on the shelves, searching for the one from his vacation earlier in the year. He had gone to Tokyo to study Kabuki Theater and ended up taking a tour of other major cities as well. Finding the book finally, he eagerly sat down at his desk and opened it up. There were several pictures of the actors in various stages of dress followed by shots of the different performances they had given. More pictures of scenery and scantily dressed men at the beach brought him to his time visiting the hidden side of the small island holding the city of Okinawa. It had taken a great amount of skill, but the flamboyant man had managed about a dozen pictures of the most vicious fight he had ever seen in his life. There in the center of all the action was the now familiar piercing black eyes and strange green hair. His opponent was a tall man with sharp gold eyes, black hair, and an unholy sword of gigantic proportions.

Bon Kurei had thought the young man had died from that injury, but was happily mistaken. He wondered how the fighter had ended up here of all places, especially enrolled in college classes. Why would he turn away from such glory? That was probably why the man had invented the Knight, so he could still get the thrill of a fight while staying hidden from… well whatever it was he was running from. Could it be that he got in serious trouble with the law enforcement in Japan and was sent back to the United States to live with another family member? So much could be solved if he just had a name to go by. It was time to go to the administrations building and see his friend Igaram.


DK*DK*DK*DK

Ace was bored, and that usually spelled trouble for Chief Garp. So, in order to prevent any problems for his dear sweet grandfather, the grinning freckled man decided to bypass all other formalities and head straight to the downtown precinct.

Waltzing into the office, he greeted the familiar faces with a huge smile and a wave. No one thought it odd to see him, assuming that he was there to talk to the Chief, and let him through without question. Ace bypassed the closed door to the old man’s office and made his way over to the messy desk of his favorite detective. Seeing that the day’s mail hadn’t been opened, he knew that Smoker had yet to show up. He sat down in the desk chair and began playing with everything he could find. All of the paperclips were hooked together in a chain, the caps on the pens were switched around, staples were shot out of the stapler into the ashtray, and the stash of cigars in the back of the top drawer was replaced with rolls of printer paper.

He placed an unlit cigar in his mouth and kicked his feet up on the top of the desk, slumping down in the chair to get comfortable for a nap. He shifted his boots to get in a better position and ended up knocking several papers onto the floor along with a CD case. Wondering if it was anything of importance, Ace sat up and gathered the things into a pile with the disc on top. Not one to keep his nose out of other’s business, he opened the case and read the note inside.

You really need to keep a closer eye on him. Just be thankful I found this before Makino did.

Cheers,
Shanks

What in the world could be on a disc that would interest Makino? Beyond curious now, he booted up the PC and decided to take a look. The login screen came up with Smoker’s ID already entered, only requiring a password to continue. Ace preened with unabashed pride when access was granted by the use of his own last name. So maybe he was finally making more progress than he realized. A few clicks, an insert of the silver object and he was ready to delve further into the workings of his conquest’s mind.

It appeared to be a video feed from a surveillance camera in the back of Makino’s pub. Ace had been there enough times to be able to recognize that kitchen without question even in the dark lighting. A door opened and a strange figure entered the room. It took a moment for the lighting to adjust again, even longer for Ace to figure out just what it was he was watching. It looked like two people making out, but due to the fact that it was only in black and white, and the weird jacket one of them was wearing, he was having a hard time making out individual features.

Suddenly the two men parted and the strange jacket was removed, followed by two… swords? Holy shit it was Sanji and Zoro! They were in Makino’s kitchen, fucking on her countertops! No wonder Shanks was trying to hide this. If that woman found out, there’d be hell to pay. Luffy usually was cuffed upside the head just for eating with his fingers; what would she do if she found out something this unsanitary happened in her absence.

The two figures spun around Sanji was laid back onto the center table. Ace winced as he thought of how cold the metal must have been on bare skin, though it looked like Zoro was doing a good job of distracting him. Oh God, Sanji was flexible. If only there was a bit more light, he would be able to enjoy this better. Ace sucked on the cigar in his mouth wondering how long it would be before he could have a taste of what he really wanted. The smell of familiar smoke became stronger as he watched the men on the screen finish their little play and separate. The last think he saw before the video cut off was a brief glimpse of Zoro’s smug face as he left the building.

“Damn it!”

Ace fell out of the chair from the shock of Smoker’s voice bellowing loudly directly behind him. He sat there looking up into the older man’s very red face and wondered if he was possibly the one who would receive the brunt of the outrage that was bound to come forth.

“Hey there Detective! You know you really can’t say anything to him about this. It happened before you gave him the ultimatum.” He tried to give his best innocent smile as angry brown eyes bore down on him.

“You knew?”

“I had an idea that something happened between them, but I had no idea they broke into somewhere to do it. Oh, and Shanks sent this to you. He’s probably trying to keep it from his lovely wife so she doesn’t try to skin them alive.” Ace stood up and straightened his clothes. He might be unable to touch, but nothing was said about him tempting. “I wonder if I could get Sanji to help me learn to get my legs to bend like that…”

Smoker reached out and grabbed a fistful of Ace shirt, yanking him close so they were nose-to-nose. The smile never left Ace’s face as he watched every little movement in the large man’s features. Just a little over an inch separated their lips right now. If he tilted his head slightly, he could easily close the distance and claim his trophy. But if he did that, he would be losing the grand prize in the end. Patience was something that Ace excelled in, but right now, it was severely being put to the test.

With a final grunt of annoyance, Smoker released him, taking yet another moment before he actually stepped away. Oh yeah, Ace had this one in the bag. All Ace needed now was a final act to push Smoker over the edge. Time to return home and plan. Without another word, he left the office and a stunned detective in his wake, wondering how long it would be for him to open the large brown envelope of photos that was also in the stack of mail. Hopefully the chief wasn’t around when it happened. Christmas was hard enough for him as it was.

DK*DK*DK*DK

Sanji was frustrated beyond anything he had ever experienced in his life. He had been following Zoro all week so far, with the exception of the times he had to work, and the man had absolutely no life. All he ever did was go between school, home and work. Nothing else even remotely interesting had happened. He just knew that the elusive green-haired man was the Dark Knight, there was no other explanation, but proving it seemed to be a different matter. That trip to Zoro’s home had turned up nothing, but he refused to give up. If he held out long enough, his luck was sure to change. That or Zoro would eventually slip up and make a mistake. Sanji was looking forward to tomorrow morning, since Sunday was one of the few times he could actually sleep in.

Zeff called out to everyone saying it was time to leave, then reminded Sanji of the fact he still had homework left to do. He smiled and nodded to his foster father and they all bid each other good night, heading out to their separate cars. Sanji sat behind the wheel for a long time, slowly nursing a cigarette as he tried to sort things out in his head. It had been a week now since he and the Knight had desecrated someone’s kitchen, and his body still remembered every little ounce of pleasure their encounter had made. He had tried baiting Zoro with hints and teases when they were around each other, but every single one of them seemed to fall on deaf ears. Either the green-haired man was the best actor in the world or he was wrong to assume him to be the Knight and he was honestly not interested.

The fact that Zoro wouldn’t be interested didn’t sit well at all with the prideful cook. He had never been turned down in the past and to be rejected by someone of that standard was a huge blow to his ego. He would expose the Knight for who he was, tie him down to the bed and show him exactly what it meant to be the lover of the famous Sanji Black.

DK*DK*DK*DK

Zoro frowned as he continued walking around unfamiliar streets. Eventually, something familiar would come up and he would be able to feel a bit more comfortable about being out here at this late hour. When Jiji came home with his date and a rented movie, Zoro knew there was no way in hell or anywhere else he would be caught dead within hearing distance of the obscene couple. Even now, it sent waves of nausea through him to think of what they might be doing on that poor couch. He emerged from an alley and realized he was only a few blocks from the Baratie. If Sanji was still at work, maybe he could get the man to give him a ride… Yah that would work out really well. ‘Hey Sanji, can I come sleep with you tonight?’ The blonde would kick his ass for sure over that one. Still enough, he found his feet already carrying him towards the restaurant.

All the lights were turned off and there were no cars visible in the parking lot to the side. Sighing, he stepped into the alley and began yet another mindless leg of his journey to keep from returning home too soon. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a black car sitting by the entrance to the kitchen on the back of the building. Sure enough, a shadowy figure sat behind the wheel, and smoke crept out from the cracked window. Damn, he’d been caught. Zoro pretended not to notice anyone and wondered if Sanji would follow him on foot or come after him in the car. He really hoped for the latter.

DK*DK*DK*DK

A slow moving figure caught his attention, and the flash of green caused him to see red. There, walking down the alley behind the Baratie was the devil himself. Thinking that Lady Luck was finally on his side, Sanji waited for him to get just out of sight before he exited his car and hurried after the bothersome man. He stuck to the shadows, playing his best Cloak & Dagger moves, not wanting to alert his prey to his presence. Three blocks down, several figures stepped into the moonlight blocking the green-haired man’s path.

“A little late for an evening stroll, aye four-eyes?” one of them laughed.

Sanji edged closer to the group to watch the action. He couldn’t wait to see Zoro beat the shit out of these guys. Said man just stood still as he became surrounded by the small group.

“You realize you’re trespassing on our territory, don’t you?” another said snidely.

Why wasn’t the swordsman doing anything? Was it because he was unarmed? No, it couldn’t be that simple. It made no sense to the blonde as he waited anxiously for the attacks to begin.

“What, cat got your tongue, or are you just that stupid?” The entire group started laughing.

“All I want is to climb into bed and sleep. It’s been a long day.” Zoro finally spoke. His voice was calm and even, not a hint of malice or anger at all. In fact, he seemed almost tired in a way.

“Oh, we can put you to sleep if you want.”

Sanji shifted uneasily in his hiding spot as the rough looking men changed their stances in preparation for the fight. Zoro’s movements were slow and stiff compared to what Sanji had witnessed in the past. He seemed to be uneasy on his feet and showed nothing of the fierce skill the Knight had presented a few weeks ago. What was he up to?

Zoro blocked the incoming kick on his right, making sure to protect the still tender wound in his side. A fist from the left was deflected by his forearm and he swung out clumsily to the man approaching his front. The blow sent the attacker stumbling back, nursing a broken nose and yelling profanities. Zoro turned his body slightly to receive the kick on his left to his shoulder, rotating his torso to soften the impact. One of the men showed a slight level of skill and managed to get in a hard jab to his kidney on his left. As long as they stayed away from his right, he could handle the abuse. The next hit he allowed himself to take was in the face, splitting his bottom lip open and sending his glasses flying. He blocked the next few blows, not wanting to receive too much damage, and then went on the offensive again. He might not know any fancy kicks like the blonde hiding halfway down the alley, but he could definitely put power in his legs when he needed it.

If that fucking cook hadn’t been there, Zoro wouldn’t have hesitated in beating these wimps into a non-descriptive pile of broken bones and bloody clothing. Instead, he knew he had to try to mislead the beloved reporter to keep any suspicion of him being the Dark Knight at bay. He couldn’t just not fight though, because he was supposed to be a self-defense instructor. However, he could change his style and take some damage to create a greater effect.

Sanji watched in disbelief as Zoro took another hit to his shoulders. He was doing great compared to an average person, but nothing compared to what the blonde knew the Knight was capable of delivering. It was possible that the wound in his side would hinder his movements, but even still, the grace and precision was no longer there as he watched his classmate’s attempts to land another kick to the nearest opponent. Could he have really been mistaken about Zoro being the Dark Knight? He was so positive that it was true that he would have bet his career at Baratie on it. Everything pointed to Zoro and it all fit perfectly. Since his face wasn’t covered, he could see why the man wouldn’t want to pick up a pipe or something and use it as a makeshift sword, but to drop his abilities this much was insane. The green-haired man didn’t know he was being followed so he couldn’t be putting on a show, right? Fed up with seeing the moron getting his ass kicked, Sanji decided to end the mockery.

Zoro heard him coming and braced for the impact coming to his face from one of the attacker’s feet. It hit him across the right side of the face and he allowed his body to fly into the air and land in a heap at Sanji’s feet. He looked up into shocked blue eyes for a moment before pretending to lose consciousness.

Sanji kept his head bent as he drew out a cigarette from his pocket calmly and lit it as the thugs began to taunt him.

“Oh, look another pansy has come out to play.”

“This has nothing to do with you, unless you want to end up like that piece of shit there.”

“Hey there Blondie, I’d hate for that expensive looking suit of yours to get blood on it, so why don’t you just turn around and leave?” The men all chuckled as they dusted themselves off, waiting for the newcomer to take off running in fear.

“You see, that’s where you’re wrong. This has everything to do with me.” Sanji removed the stick from his mouth and looked up to the sky, letting out a long stream of smoke into the night’s air. “Marimo’s mine.”

The instant the cigarette was secured back between his lips, he sprang into action. A solid kick to the first idiot’s chest sent him crashing into the two men behind him. The next victim received a roundhouse to his face followed by a near lethal drop kick to the top of his head. He met each punch with an evasive dodge followed by a powerful thrust of his shoe into the first available piece of solid flesh he could reach. Not an ounce of mercy was shown as he took them down, one by one.

Zoro watched with hooded eyes, forcing himself to stay still and not assist his secret lover. The feral look in the blonde’s face caused a sharp stab of guilt in his chest along with the growing feeling of admiration for his ability to fight. It was obvious that Sanji was seriously concerned for his well-being and it was upsetting the cook that Zoro was defeated, but it was unavoidable if the swordsman wanted to try to keep the truth hidden. The last man hit the ground hard, and Zoro quickly closed his eyes all the way again, evening out his breathing and heart rate to coincide with someone who was sleeping.

“Zoro? Wake up, shitty-bastard.” Sanji nudged him with the toe of his shoe. With no response, he bent down and grabbed the unconscious man’s shoulder to shake him gently. He sighed in relief when Zoro’s eyes started to slowly open. “Fuck, don’t scare me like that.”

Zoro groaned and tried to sit up, the pain in his head from being kicked hard shadowing his vision for a brief second. He hissed as his side protested the rough treatment he had just put it through. He wiped the blood from his mouth with the sleeve of his jacket and looked up into the angry face of his favorite person. He lowered his eyes to the ground and slowly stood up.

“What are you doing here, baka-cook?” Zoro refused to look up, not wanting to run the risk of letting his thoughts show on his face. Instinctively, he caught the foot that was directed at his head. “Just what the fuck is your problem?”

“That’s my line asshole. Just what was that bullshit fighting out there?” Sanji jerked his foot out of Zoro’s grasp and snorted in disgust at the larger man. “I thought you were this high-speed self defense instructor and shit. I can’t believe you let a bunch of damn punks kick your ass.”

“Fuck you. It’s been a long night and I was more worried about protecting the stitches than doing anything fancy. Chopper’ll have my head if I fuck that up.” Zoro wrapped an arm around his middle to place his hand cautiously over the tender area to emphasize the point.

“Yah, he does get a little scary when he changes into his doctor mode,” Sanji sighed heavily. “Come on, I’ll give you a lift to wherever it is you’re going.”

“Thanks, but I’m trying to kill time right now. I have no desire to head home until at least dawn.” Zoro scrunched up his nose in abhorrence to whatever it was deterring him from his house.

“Then I guess you have no choice.” Sanji started walking back towards his car. “Come on shitty-Marimo.”

“Where?”

“You’re coming home with me.”

Zoro narrowed his eyes and waited for the punch line. When Sanji didn’t elaborate and just kept walking back to the parking lot, he began to grow uneasy. This is exactly what he was hoping for only a short time ago, but it was the cook that had suggested it rather than him having to ask. Was this some sort of twisted reality or had their relationship actually progressed into a friendship of some sort. Maybe if he went along with it he’d be able to meet this unknown lover of Sanji’s. It was eating him up inside to know that he wasn’t the only one to touch that gorgeous pale flesh; to listen to his pleasure filled cries; to taste his smoke laced kisses. Zoro let out a low growl as he vowed to find a way to remove anyone who dared to take what was his.

“Hurry up shitty-bastard.” Sanji called out from further down the road.

“Keep your pants on, idiot-cook.”

“If you insist.”

Zoro fisted his hands and let the nails bite into his palms to help keep his mind on pain instead of the memory of Sanji practically naked beneath him. Tonight would be a very long night indeed.

DK*DK*DK*DK

Usopp sat there looking at the paper that had just printed out from the machine. There was no match in the database but on closer inspection, there did seem to be a strange ‘flaw’ in the results. Of course, there was no way to discover what that actually meant, but it was definitely interesting. Who knew, maybe he was a genetically altered mutant with special powers that would melt if light touched his face so that was why he only came out at night and wore a hood. The long nosed man shivered at the thought of his blonde friend being in contact with someone of that caliber and wondered just what they were doing for Sanji’s clothes to have that much blood on them. That was easy enough to find out, he’d just ask. His friend should be just getting home from work about now anyway. Usopp pulled out his phone and hit the corresponding speed dial.

“Sanji here,” the rough voice on the other end of the line answered.

“Hey, it’s Usopp. I have the results of that experiment you wanted me to do.” Usopp wanted to laugh at the sound of his friend almost dropping the phone in his excitement.

“Really! It’s about fucking time. What did it say? Did you find anything?” Sanji’s voice was rushed as he began asking questions.

“Um, well I told you already that I wouldn’t be able to tell you much.”

“I don’t give a shit! Just spit it out already!”

“First you have to tell me why there was so much blood.”

There was a brief pause before Sanji spoke, as if he were trying to decide if he should even answer the question. “Fucker was shot.”

“What! Is he ok? Did you get him to a hospital? How is he doing?” Usopp thought back to the article about the Dark Knight and wondered if possibly the hero was the one to which Sanji was referring.

“Actually, I have no idea. You know what, forget that, and just tell me what you found out.”

“Oh, um, ok! Let’s see…” Usopp started looking over the paper wondering just what he could tell his friend that might appease him. “Well, it’s definitely a guy. That much is for certain, though he’s not in our database.”

“Damn.”

“I told you I couldn’t do much. I mean this little abnormality could mean anything.” Usopp waved the paper around as he spoke.

“I know… Wait, what abnormality?” Sanji’s voice was quiet and hesitant.

“Huh? Oh, well you see there’s this strange chromosome factor here that I can’t account for. I know all the ones for the major genetic deformities, but this one isn’t on the list.” The lab tech scanned over his reference book again to see if he missed something. The silence on the other end of the line began to worry him. “Sanji, are you ok?”

“So, you’re telling me there’s something wrong with him?”

“Well, there could be. I really don’t know. It may just be a strange mutation of some sort that’s not catalogued.”

“Mutation! He’s a fucking mutant!? Oh shit!”

“Sanji calm down, it’s ok. It’s nothing contagious or anything. You don’t have to worry about it. It’s not like you two were having sex or anything, right? Hehe… Um… Sanji please tell me you weren’t having sex with an injured man. Sanji?” Usopp began to worry when there was no answer. The idea was just too ludicrous to even begin to imagine. Had he known that this was the way the blood was transferred, he would have refused to touch the shirt to begin with. A male voice could be heard in the background asking the blonde if he was ok.

“I… I gotta go.” Sanji said softly.

The call was disconnected, leaving Usopp staring at his cell in stunned silence. Just what the hell was going on with his friend?

DK*DK*DK*DK

Zoro had fallen asleep the instant his head leaned back against seat, even before Sanji had a chance to start the engine. He woke up to the sound of music and realized that the noise was coming from the blonde’s phone and they were currently sitting in the parking lot at the apartment building. Whomever it was that Sanji was talking to, he was extremely excited about it, and Zoro hurried out of the car after him to try and catch every word.

“Fucker was shot.” Sanji kept his back to him as he spoke.

Oh, so this was about the Knight. Zoro tried to seem disinterested as they entered the elevator.

“Actually, I have no idea. You know what, forget that, and just tell me what you found out.” The blonde ran a hand through his hair, a sure sign he was getting frustrated.

“Damn.” The elevator doors opened and they stepped out, quickly heading down the corridor. Sanji fished his keys out of his pocket and inserted them into the lock.

“I know… Wait, what abnormality?”

Zoro inched as close as he dared; trying to hear what was being said on the other end of the line. He could tell the person was probably a guy, but the volume wasn’t loud enough for him to catch anything clearly. He realized that they were still standing in front of Sanji’s door with the keys in the lock, the blonde’s hand hovering over the knob.

“So, you’re telling me there’s something wrong with him?” Slowly Sanji began to move and opened the door but didn’t enter.

Zoro frowned, wondering what in the world they were talking about. When Sanji had mentioned being shot, he assumed they were talking about the incident last weekend, but now it was as if they were discussing test results. Oh, shit! Did Sanji have connections to someone in the forensics lab to run his DNA? This was bad, very bad. But he had just been tested while he was in the hospital with his injury from Mihawk. There was absolutely nothing wrong with him, he was sure. He couldn’t be the one they were talking about.

“Mutation! He’s a fucking mutant!? Oh shit!”

Zoro couldn’t help the bark of laughter that bubbled out. OK, they definitely were talking about something else. Maybe it was another case he was working on for the paper. He put his hand on Sanji’s shoulder to give him a shove forward. It wouldn’t do to have them standing in the hall all night. Zoro could feel the slight tremble in the blonde’s body and began to worry.

“You ok, cook?” He stepped up directly behind Sanji so their bodies were all but touching, prepared to catch him in case the cook should happen to actually pass out

“I… I gotta go.” Sanji said softly into the phone and then let it fall to the floor. “I…”

“Come on. I got you.” Zoro put his arm around the blonde’s shoulders and helped him inside. He took the keys out of the lock and placed them on the table by the door, just as he did the first time. Out of habit, he kicked off his boots and urged Sanji to do the same.

Sanji stood there staring at Zoro trying to decide if there was anything about the man that could be considered a mutation. True, he had green hair, but how many people out there colored their hair for one reason or another. Carmen for instance, because he knew for a fact she was naturally blonde. Zoro’s body seemed to be proportioned in the right way as well, or from what he could remember when they wrestled around on the floor during the party.

“You’re not deformed in any way are you? I mean you’re normal and all, right?”

Zoro just looked at the blonde, dumfounded and confused. “I guess so. I mean I don’t have a tail, or any shit like that, if that’s what you mean.”

“Oh… good… I guess.” There was a slight hint of disappointment in his voice.

“What the fuck is going on? You’re freaking out ever since that call came in.” Zoro grabbed him by the shoulders and looked him in the eyes.

Sanji tried to decide what to do. On one hand, Zoro would probably be upset when he found out that he had been under suspicion of being the Dark Knight, and then there was the fact that he’d been followed for the last week. But, after seeing him fight, and of course finding that the real Knight was a freak in some way, Zoro was definitely off the list of possibilities. Sanji shrugged out of his hold and walked over to the couch to sit down.

“You’ve been reading the articles about the Dark Knight, right?” Sanji didn’t wait to hear the response before he continued. “Well, a while back we met up again and ended up getting into a fight. The next think I know he’s shoving his tongue down my throat.”

“So wait, you mean you know who he is then?” Zoro’s voice was amused.

“Fuck no! That bastard managed to stay in the fucking shadows the entire time.” Sanji was furious all over again.

“Ok. So you guys kissed. What’s so bad about that?”

“Nothing, the shitty part is when we fucked after the gunfight last week.” Sanji hid his face in his hands and groaned in misery.

“Damn, I bet your lover is pissed with you.”

Sanji leaned back and began searching for his cigarettes. He couldn’t believe he was telling this moron all of this. Maybe it was because he had really hoped that Zoro was the Knight and they could have a repeat of what happened.

“Yah, the Knight was really upset that I let him have his way.”

“What?”

“There is no lover shit-head. Just him.” Sanji turned to look over at Zoro who had taken a seat in the plush chair on his right. “To be honest, I really thought he might be you.”

The comical shocked look on Zoro’s face amused the blonde and he began to laugh. “Yah, pretty fucking stupid, huh? I’ve spent the last week following you around trying to catch you doing something to prove my theory. I was so sure of it, especially when you came to school with that injury. The Knight was shot somewhere on his right so I just assumed…”

“Wow. That’s pretty wild. I’m kind of flattered, too. That you would think I have that much skill and shit surprises me. I thought you hated my guts.”

“I do. More now than before. I was really hoping that it was you, and then maybe turn the tables and have you tied up this time.” Sanji snapped his jaw shut and turned, wide eyed, to look at the green-haired man. “I mean, well, that we could, um, shit.”

Zoro laughed deeply at the blush that covered Sanji’s entire face and neck. “Sorry to disappoint you. I can prove to you that there’s no bullet hole if you want.”

Sanji thought about it, wondering if he should make sure, or continue to dream his little fantasy. Truth won out in the end and he nodded his head in agreement. Zoro lifted his shirt on the right to reveal an angry red line with several stitches still holding it shut. Sanji reached out to run his hand softly against the skin just under the healing wound. Zoro jumped at the sudden contact and his shirt shifted enough to show the lower part of the scar across his torso.

“What the fuck? How the hell did this happen?” Sanji moved his fingers to run over the exposed portion of the scar.

“I tend to attract trouble. Johnny, Yosaku and I ended up in a bad section of town where there were some… questionable people running around. I ended up in a knife fight and lost. My father blew up when he found out and sent me back here to live with my granddad. You want to see the whole thing?”

Zoro knew he was taking a huge risk with what he just offered, but he needed something to distract his blonde from the pool of self-pity he was on the verge of drowning in. The eager nod from the cook caused the knot in his stomach to tighten and he took a deep breath to steady himself. Slowly he lifted his shirt over his head and waited for the flood of questions he was sure would follow.

“What kind of fucking knife did this?” Sanji’s fingers began to trail up the rough line.

“A really big one,” Zoro chuckled. “That’s enough, it tickles.”

Zoro grabbed Sanji’s wrist to stop his fingers from continuing up their path. The blonde stood up straight and looked him in the eye as he brought his right hand to the tan chest to pick-up where the other left off. When his hand reached the top of the scar, it continued up and around Zoro’s neck to play with the short green hair on the back of his head. Zoro closed his eyes and leaned back into the welcome touch. He allowed Sanji to bring his head back forward and was met with soft warm lips against his own.

Not wanting to do anything to bring back memories of last week, Zoro allowed the blonde set the pace, and let himself relax. He let go of Sanji’s wrist and wrapped his arms across the man’s lower back, just above the beltline. Zoro parted his lips willingly when Sanji ran his tongue across them. Everything was slow and measured, full of passion yet lacking any immediate demand for more. It was an exploration of taste and texture with Sanji leading the way. Zoro moaned softly into the kiss when Sanji slid his trapped arm from between them to wrap around the taller man’s shoulders and pull them closer together.

They drew in what little air they could each time the seal of their lips broke and they shifted to get a better angle for the next kiss. He traced the shell of the Zoro’s left ear and played with the gold hoops adorning it. Sanji’s hand let go of his hold in the short green hair to join its mate in explorative caressing of muscular shoulders, arms and back. The blond searched for every inch of skin he could reach as Zoro tentatively began to pull the soft dress shirt from the slim trousers. As soon as it was free, he eagerly began his own quest to be reacquainted with his lover’s body.

Sanji felt like he was in heaven. The body beneath his hands was that of a god and the emotion behind each movement of their lips spelled out the promise of pleasure to come. How he could have passed over a man like this for so long bewildered him. Maybe this is why the green-haired man hid behind such ugly clothes; he was afraid of the hoards of men and women that would attack him if they knew what he could do. He began to wonder why Zoro was giving in to him now of all times. Was he doing this out of pity? Did he think that Sanji needed cheering up after finding out his lover was a freak? So what if that was partly true, he had no desire to be a pity-fuck. If they were going to do this, he wanted their feelings to be real. It was rare he let someone into his own bed, and this time he wanted it to last.

Sanji pulled back and broke the kiss; slowly opening his eyes to look into his partner’s smoldering black ones. He was able to catch a brief glimpse of the tidal wave of emotions normally hidden behind thick black rimmed glasses. He gave Zoro a little smile and stepped away. Zoro cleared his throat and opened his mouth, but closed it again when Sanji shook his head.

“You’re injured dumbass. It can wait.” The blonde headed to the bathroom for a quick shower to rid himself of the smell of cooking and sweat before climbing into bed. Maybe he could at least allow the accident-prone moron out there to join him rather than sleep on the couch. It had been too long since he had woke up in the arms of another. Idly he wondered how Gin was doing. After toweling-dry his hair, he wrapped the damp fabric around his hips and walked into the living room. There Zoro was, passed out on the decorative rug in front of the TV, fast asleep and snoring. Sanji chuckled and grabbed a large blanket from the closet after donning a pair of lounge pants. He joined the sleeping man on the rug, making sure to lay on his left to avoid aggravating his injury, and snuggled in to Zoro’s chest happily when the larger man pulled him close.