Of Seminars and Men

AN: Here it is. So enjoy. I've been out of state so dont ask when my next chap will be out. I don't know. Please thank my beta for all her hard work. ichigo_usagi, I couldn't do this without you.

Chapter 4

The morning was beautiful and sunny. A hint of clouds was all that could be found in a perfect blue sky. A light breeze swayed the leaves in the trees as bird song and the sound of soft snores filled the air. Sanji sighed and tried to snuggle deeper into the warmth surrounding him. A pair of arms tightened around his waist and he realized he wasn’t alone. Ah, Sanji thought he must have given in to that sexy redhead last night. His body ached, but the underlying feeling of sexual satisfaction still lingered. She must have been something else. Usually, he woke up hard no matter how much sex he’d had the night before. Today there wasn’t a single hard muscle in his body. Everything was lax in satisfaction. He nuzzled his nose into a firm chest and sighed in contentment. For a moment he considered having another round before he had to get to work. Unfortunately the sound of Fall Out Boy’s ‘Dance, Dance’ broke through his daydream.

Sanji fought out from under the covers to grab his cell phone off the nightstand. The quick movements caused a horrible pounding in his head, and pain was shooting up his lower spine. His stomach started to protest. Just how much did he drink last night?

“Moshi, moshi. Sanji speaking.” He mumbled.

“Sanji-kun! Where are you, mon ami? Mon Dieu! You were supposed to be here almost an hour ago. Your presentation is in 90 minutes. Merde, you can’t afford to be late.” The horrific sound of a bad French accent filled his ears.

“Hai, Bon Kurei-san. I’m com… Wait! What did you say! Kuso!” Sanji sat up quickly and almost passed out. His stomach churned and he ran for the bathroom, dropping the phone on the bed. Pain jolted thru his lower body and head as he raced to make it to the toilet in time.

Zoro halfway opened his eyes to see a blurred slender frame with blonde hair rushing to the bathroom. He searched for the source of the irritating noise and found the open phone. He picked it up and listened for a moment. Most of what was being said was French, so he didn’t understand. The rest was just nonsense.

“Oi, shut the hell up. She’ll be there soon.” He growled out and slapped the phone shut. He then tossed it onto the floor and buried his head in the pillow. It still lingered with the smell of lavender, unknown spices and nicotine. He could hear the woman in the bathroom throwing up. She must have been drinking at the bar with him. Since he got a nice view of her naked ass, he assumed they’d had sex. For some reason the fact that he did it with a complete stranger didn’t bother him as much as he thought it would. What bothered him was his not remembering it. With the way his body felt, he must have enjoyed it, but who was it with? He didn’t remember talking to any woman last night other than Robin. He did remember a blonde though. Vaguely. Zoro’s head was pounding and he realized his own stomach was slightly unsettled. He’d just think about it later when he wasn’t so hung over. He pulled the blanket up over his ears and decided to sleep it off. Seconds later he was out.

Sanji flushed the commode, hobbled to the sink and hunched over to rinse out his mouth. His body started to shake as he looked up into the mirror. Staring back at him was a complete stranger. This could not be his reflection at all. He quickly straightened up and another shot of pain erupted from his ass. All color drained from his face as the realization hit him. The pair of arms that were around him were quite strong and not very small. The chest he had been sleeping on had no protrusions. It was flat and very firm. Kami, he slept with a man! And worse, he had been uke.

He leaned against the countertop trying to keep from falling to the floor. This couldn’t be happening. Just what went on at the bar? He remembered going down and having a few drinks. Then things got a little fuzzy. Obviously he didn’t accept the redhead’s advances. So who was he with? Why didn’t he stop them? He looked at his reflection again. His hair was in complete disarray, mused enough to show his entire face. The left side, normally hidden beneath a curtain of hair, was now open for the world to see. How could someone stand to look at him like this? He blinked away tears of shame and continued his assessment. His lips were still slightly swollen from what he assumed was very intense kissing. There were several dark marks along his neck and shoulders, one on his stomach, and at the bottom of the mirror he could just barely see the top edge of another in a more private area. Sanji swallowed hard and looked down. Sure enough, there was a large love bite an inch below his navel and another next to the base of his flaccid cock. With one hand, he traced the trail. His fingertips met with the now dry evidence of last night’s encounter on his stomach. Sanji didn’t think he could take much more. He turned around and threw up again.

When he was sure his stomach was empty, he closed the lid to the toilet and sat down. His wrists were sore, like they had been held with a lot of pressure. He gently rubbed them to help rid the ache. There were odd bruises on the insides of his thighs. Confused as to what could cause them to appear in that way, he began to look closer. There were four on the outside of each thigh and one on the inside. It almost looked like just the fingertips where someone had been gripping really hard. What the hell did that guy do to him? The same pattern appeared on each hip.

Memories tugged at his mind, but the pain was making it difficult to concentrate on anything. Maybe if he could see the guy it would help him try to figure out what went on. This way he could also give an accurate description of who had obviously attacked and taken advantage of him to the Security here at the hotel. Something tugged at his mind with the thought of the uniformed guards. Maybe he’d remember it later. Right now he had to know what that man looked like. He hoped the guy was at least decent looking. It would kill his pride to have lain with a complete dog.

Sanji slowly opened the door and looked at the bed. The covers were pulled up high, but he could make out something green on the pillow. He carefully walked over intending to pull the blanket down just enough to see his assailant’s face. As he slowly pulled at the comforter he realized the man’s back was to him. Suddenly, the man shifted and turned on his stomach causing Sanji to jerk the covers to his waist. The cook’s breath caught in his throat. The man’s shoulders were marked with deep scratches, and the now familiar five bruise pattern was on the large biceps.

Sanji had to admit that, from what he could see, the man was definitely handsome. His body was covered in muscles and nicely tanned. Just the tip of the cleft of his ass could be seen. If the front looked as good as the back, he was definitely better than average. The stranger’s face couldn’t be seen, as he had it buried into the pillow. The odd colored hair caught the blonde’s attention again. He reached out and gently touched it before he could think. Suddenly a flash of the previous night went thru his mind. He saw the head going down his stomach while he ran his fingers in the short, soft green hair. He could hear himself in his mind moaning like a harlot, begging for more.

Sanji jerked his hand away as if he had touched fire. He had hoped that he had been taken against his will and this was just a nightmare situation he had to get out of. That brief flashback just blew that theory out of the water. Sanji had been a willing participant. He had met some very sexy strange guy in the bar last night and willingly brought him up to his hotel room to be screwed mercilessly. His enjoyment made it worse! Sanji, the ladies man of the Baratie, had been turned into someone’s bitch. He brought his hand to his face to rub his temples and winced at the musky smell. Another image of his fingers disappearing into a pair of heated lips caused him to flush. He needed to shower and get out of there as fast as possible. Sanji had his lecture to attend, and he wanted to be gone before this sex fiend woke up.

Sanji frowned as he picked up his destroyed shirt. It used to be his favorite. There was another flash of an amused smirk on a face he just couldn’t quite make out. With a heavy sigh, he tossed it on the bed and opened his luggage for another. Fortunately, he had all his clothes pressed before he went on the trip. With a new suit, shirt and clean boxers, he returned to the bathroom to get ready. He now had barely an hour to get to the Convention Hall. The hot shower served to loosen his muscles enough that he could function fairly well. He’d still have difficulty sitting, and his walking would be awkward, but he would be standing for the most part all day anyway. He tried to think of ways to cover the marks on his neck. Bon Kurei used make-up, maybe he could get something from him.

Shit.

Bon Kurei called him earlier. He dropped the phone on the bed, next to his sleeping… What was he suppose to call him? His one night stand? His fuck buddy? His lover? His mistake? Kami, what was he supposed to do? What would he tell people? He hoped he never had to find out. But, what if someone already knew? When he dropped the phone, Bon Kurei was yelling pretty loud. What if the guy had picked it up and said something. That ballerina looking freak would never let him live it down if he found out that Sanji had slept with a man. The tension that had left with the warmth of the water returned full force. He quickly finished washing and exited the shower, dripping water all over the floor. He stood naked before the mirror and blow-dried his hair, styling it back over his eye. He frowned at the pink shirt he had brought with him. The color now seemed too feminine. Well, too late to change it. He had to get going.

After dressing, he left the bathroom to look for his shoes. One was found easily by the door, but the other was still missing. He got down on his knees to look for it. Music sounded again in the room as he was fishing his shoe out from under the chair by the window. The cook hurried to pick his phone up. He really didn’t want his guest to wake up.

“Moshi, moshi. Sanji speaking.” The cook half whispered.

“Do you know what time it is? I have called you un, deux, trios, quatre times. Where have you been? With that man who was on the phone earlier? Your new lover, n’est pas? I knew it! C’est manifique! I’m so happy for you.”

“Oi, shut the hell up!” He yelled into the phone. The man in the bed groaned and rolled over, giving the blonde a look at his face. The cook could do nothing but stare, completely ignoring the screeching in his ear. The man in the bed was hot! He had a strong jaw, high cheekbones and lips that were slightly parted as if in anticipation of a kiss. The well sculpted muscles on his stomach and chest begged to be touched. The massive scar starting at the shoulder disappeared beneath the sheet. Sanji remembered how odd it felt under his thumb. It was then that he noticed the bite mark on the man’s jugular. Holy shit! Did he do that? Panicked, Sanji grabbed his case with his cutlery and his notes for the lecture then ran out the door. He shut it as gently as he could behind him.

“Ok, you fucking okama, just what are you talking about?” Sanji wasn’t about to give any information out to his cross-dressing co-worker. He was probably fishing for information and really didn’t know what was going on. He entered the elevator when it opened.

“Mah, I just spoke with him for a moment, but he said you’d be coming soon. That was half an hour ago. I tried calling again, but there was no answer. I figured you two were having a last fling before you left. Ah, amore. It’s so sweet.” You could hear the joy in Bon Kurei’s voice. He was in heaven. His favorite employee in the restaurant was finally in love, or so he thought. He couldn’t wait to tell the rest of the crew.

Sanji was torn between turning around and going up to the roof or going to his meeting and strangling the effeminate man with his bare hands. For the moment he would just continue on his way to the Convention Hall. He could always find another building to jump off of.

“I don’t know what that Marimo bastard told you, but we are NOT, I repeat not together. He just helped me up to my room last night because I had too much to drink. I’m not even sure why he’s still there. It was his fault anyway.” Sanji hoped that was the truth. He had this nagging feeling that it was this green-haired man’s fault for everything that happened. Even if it wasn’t, he was going to blame the bastard anyway. There was no way in the world that he would have stooped so low as to start something himself. Right?

“Damn I need a smoke. I’m going to stop by the store on my way. I’ll be there in time don’t worry.” Sanji’s hands began to twitch with anticipation at the thought of a cigarette between his fingers. How he managed to leave the room without one he didn’t know.

“But, of course. I will inform everyone of the good news, mon amie. They are all worried about you and wondering about your absence.”

“NO!” Sanji’s shout startled several people in the lobby. He had exited the elevator and tried to slink past the front desk unnoticed. His shout drew more attention than he had anticipated and a flush rose up his neck to his face. A dark haired man with lots of freckles, standing by the door marked ‘Security’ gave him a sultry smile. The blonde’s blush deepened as he scurried away completely embarrassed. He hoped that his upturned collar hid the worst of the marks on his neck. Maybe he’d buy cover-up when he got his cigarettes as well. He never noticed the guy pull out his phone and snap a few pictures.

The red-faced cook harshly whispered into the phone. “This thing between Marimo and me is personal. Wait, scratch that. There is no thing between us. This is all just a misunderstanding. Yes, a very big misunderstanding. Tell no one. I swear if you do, you’ll be banned from all theaters of reputation within a thousand miles. Just try me.”

A strangled noise answered him on the other end. “Oui, Monsieur. I understand.”

Sanji closed his phone and practically ran out of the hotel. He hurried down the street to a little shop and rushed in to get what he needed. As soon as he exited, he lit up. He stood there on the sidewalk taking in long deep drags. When the cigarette was spent, he crushed it out and immediately lit another. It wasn’t until he had finished the second that he decided to hail a cab. The cabby made the mistake of chuckling in amusement as the annoyed cook tried to apply the make-up to his neck in an inconspicuous way. Never had the driver been happier to have the barrier between the front and back seats.

Sanji went into the room the Public Relations Representative had prepared for him to use as an office of sorts, and again tried to get the cover-up to go on smooth. He almost dropped the bottle at the sound of the feminine laughter behind him.

“Oh, Sanji-kun. What are you doing?” A beautiful young woman with long blue hair walked over to him and took the container from his hands.

“Vivi-chan, I didn’t hear you come in. Um, I can explain. You see…” Sanji was at a loss. He prided himself on always being put together and here he was a complete mess in front of a beautiful lady. Well, there was that and the fact that he was using make-up to cover hickeys on his neck. Even worse, Vivi was a close friend of his. They met at a function that Sanji had catered years ago. He was still studying under Zeff at that time. They sat and talked for hours that night, and stayed in touch ever since. She was already happily betrothed so he never made a move. That didn’t mean he never flirted with her, though.

“Here, look up for me. I’ll help you out. They’re expecting you soon. I just dropped by to say hello and wish you luck.” Vivi gently applied the cool liquid substance to his neck in smooth strokes. What felt like only a moment later, she was done. “There you go. No one will notice unless they are really looking for it. You lover should really be more careful. With your pale complexion these marks will stand out more and last forever. I know this from personal experience. I still have to remind Kohza from time to time, though.”

Sanji blushed deeply. He chose to ignore most of her comments rather than incriminate himself further. “Vivi-chan you’re so wonderful. Thank you so much. What can I do to repay you?” He took her hands in his own and kissed the tops of each. He prayed she wouldn’t ask him to tell her who it was that he had been with. He could see the questions in her eyes, just begging to be spoken. He tried to act as normal as possible, but today it just wasn’t happening. A flash of green caught his attention and he almost fell out of his seat trying to turn to see what it was.

“Are you alright, Sanji-kun?”

“Oh, um, hai. I’m fine, Vivi-chan. I just thought I saw someone, I mean something, but I was mistaken. Thanks again for all your help. I… well, that is… Please don’t tell anyone. I really don’t need the rumors spread around.”

Vivi could tell that he was embarrassed. She had so many questions, but they would wait. There were ways of making him talk, but now was not the time. She smiled at the flustered cook and assured him she would tell no one. She gave him a look of understanding before she walked out the door. Sanji looked in the mirror and admired her work. She was right. Nothing was truly visible. There were a few shadowed spots that could be noticed if you knew where to look, but that was all. He nodded to his reflection in a silent approval and buttoned up his shirt. Searching thru his case, he pulled out his spare tie so he could fix his attire to its normal state. He also pulled out his cigarettes. This would be his last chance for a while. Not many people liked to have smoke lingering around their cooking. Maybe he could even make time for two.

He was just cinching up his tie when the nasally voice of his co-worker filled the halls. He wondered if the cost of sending him to France for a year would be worth it. As the individual entered the room he decided that it definitely would be.

“Sacré bleu! Everyone is in a panic that you were not here. Let me look at you. Hm, oui. You look incroyable! Wait, are you wearing make-up? Mais non, why would you do that? Come, come. It is time. It is rude to make them wait.”

Bon Kurei was dragging Sanji down the hall as the blonde cook was trying to light another smoke. A young girl appeared in front of them. She blushed at the smile the cook sent her way and held up a glass of water and two pills.

“Miss Nefertari asked me to give you this. She said it looked like you had a headache.”

Sanji took the pills and water gladly. He pulled the cigarette from his lips and in a smooth motion, he tossed the medicine in his mouth and downed the entire glass. This would help with the pain in his ass as well. The irony of that thought caused the blonde to let out a laugh. He shook his head at the questioning look his friend gave him and said thanks to the girl. Bon Kurei immediately noticed that the man didn’t swoon over her as he would have normally done. The revelation brought a smile to his lips. He only needed a little more information before he could continue his investigation into the mysterious voice on the phone this morning. His employer may have said to not tell anyone, but he never said to not ask questions.

When Sanji opened the door to the lecture room he immediately turned to scowl at… well nothing, because Bon Kurei had wisely disappeared. When he was found, he would suffer. The cook sighed and squared his shoulders. The class he had been given was full of beginners. Someone up there hated him today. He put on his best smile and stepped into the room. Apparently his reputation as a ladies man had preceded him here. Some of the women had actually tried to strike a pose in order to gain his attention. Normality finally returned as Sanji relaxed and began to flirt back. A pouty redhead approached him as he took his place in the front of the room.

“Ohayo, Sanji-sama. I’m Nami. It’s such a pleasure to be here in your class. I was really hoping we could talk last night, but you seemed a little busy.” Nami traced her fingertip up his arm and was playing with the collar of his jacket. She assumed that whatever funk he had been in last night had passed. He was flirting with all the ladies and seemed to be back to his old self. There was still a chance she could pull this off.

“Ah, my lovely flower. We met at the hotel, did we not?” Sanji tried to keep his voice steady. This woman may know what happened last night. He vaguely remembered her hitting on him when he first got there. He wasn’t in the mood so he politely turned her down. He could only hope that she left before he had too much to drink and did something stupid. Like maybe leave the bar with that green-haired god. A flush came to his cheeks as he thought about the man he left in his bed.

“Oh, you do remember me. How sweet. I was thinking that maybe, since we didn’t get to talk then, you might join me for dinner. Are you busy tonight?” Inside, she was dancing for joy. All she had to do was get him to invite her back to his room, and she’d be able to knock him out with a few drops in his drink. It was rumored that he always kept his favorite recipes on hand at all times.

OK, she didn’t seem suspicious of him. That was good. Maybe he should go. Having dinner with a beautiful woman was just what he needed to get his mind straight again. Then maybe he could get her to join him in bed. That would wipe any thoughts of his own gender from his mind. Yes, that’s just what his body needed.

“I’d be honored. Are you staying in the same hotel as we met?” He gave her his most charming smile. Plans were made for them to meet in the lobby of the hotel at 7pm. He made a mental note to make dinner reservations somewhere during the break.

Only two dishes were planned so it would not take all day to teach. The pain medicine Vivi had given him was working for the moment, but he didn’t know how long it would last. He felt Nami’s eyes on him the entire time, but thought nothing of it. She was obviously enamored with him. His mind switched gears and focused on cooking. He was in his element and the students were in awe. The lecture went smoother than he could have ever imagined. The class asked intelligent questions, and everyone seemed genuinely interested in being there.

Close to the end of the session, one of the men caught his attention. “Sanji-sama, why do you only work with green vegetables? I mean, they go well together, but is there a reason you don’t use any of the other colors? Or maybe it’s just a particular theme?”

Nami’s head shot up. She had been actually trying to follow the instructions. Her older sister was always teasing her that she could even burn water. If she could get this right, it would prove her wrong. When she heard the man ask about green, the bastard from the bar last night came to mind. Maybe something did happen. Sanji obviously had that particular color on his mind. She gave a mischievous smirk at the thought of the so called guard seeing her and the cook head to the room tonight. Apparently he wasn’t that good, or the blond wouldn’t be agreeing to the dinner date.

Sanji stood there in confusion looking at what he had prepared. Bell peppers, green onions, parsley, spinach, and celery were the choice ingredients. Green. Everything was green. Even the dessert. Grapes, green apples, honey dew melon, pears, and kiwi, were used in the filling for the crepes. He frowned at the obvious play of his subconscious thoughts. Yes, he was definitely going to dinner and sleep with the redhead tonight. Truth be damned if his body and mind were wanting something on the other side of the color spectrum instead.