Greetings, my lovlies! Sorry about the lateness of this. I blame the college work! This is a rather long chappie, so I hope you don't get bored. Happy readings! R&R as always! xLPLx
ABPD: Love Lawless
Chapter 5: The Lost Paramour
Sanji had made his way home, back to Zoro's apartment. He slowly and sadly fumbled with the lock, but, eventually realising that he would need a key, he turned his back on the door, gently sliding down it until he plopped onto the floor. There he stayed for what seemed an eternity. Even in the stale, deathly gloom of the corridor, no answers jumped out at him, nothing became any clearer- the woman he loved- that beautiful, talented, wonderful woman that had captured his heart, was, in fact…
Sanji drew his knees up to his chin, hugging his legs to his body. A slight wind whistling through the windows was starting to get to him, and this wasn't helped by the fact he'd left his shirt back at the station. He pressed his forehead to his knees, screwing his eyes shut. That face materialised through the gloom- those long, lustrous eyelashes casting shadows over flushed cheeks, that dusky, smooth skin, that hair… it all amounted to something so enticing that Sanji wanted it all for himself. But there was the small problem of her being a him…
The blonde's head was spinning, almost painfully, from the truth. What he needed right now was a large bottle of whisky, several cigarettes, and a raid on Zoro's fridge. He could forget the whole thing. Push it all to the back of his mind. Start over.
At that moment, Zoro appeared at the door to the stairwell, carrying Sanji's shirt. Seeing the figure huddled in the doorway, he hesitated.
"Sanji…"
The blonde didn't move. Zoro cleared his throat and glanced around uncertainly.
"I've, uh… I've brought you your stuff."
His voice echoed distantly across the concrete hallway. There was no reply.
"Do you want me to let you in?" he queried, as kindly as possible, trying to mask the frustration in his voice.
Sanji shrugged indifferently, one glistening eye just visible over his bare shoulder. Zoro groaned impatiently, tossing the bag, shirt, tie and keys into a heap at the blonde's feet. He turned away, banging the stairwell door open with one hand.
"Fine. Mope. See what I care. I show you a little sympathy, and what do I get?" he let out a loud, disdainful laugh, not bothering to look back at his partner. "Whatever. Goodnight, Sanji."
He threw the door open, leaving it to close slowly behind him. But before the thin slither of light from the hallway had disappeared, he felt a hand seize him by the collar of his shirt, and, momentarily caught off balance, he was swung back through the door, the next moment finding himself pinned face first against the damp concrete wall, Sanji's harsh breathing rasping hotly in his ear.
"Y'know, I thought I was on to something. It would have been so damn perfect. Me, with a new job, a new life, and best of all, the most wonderful creature in the world on my arm, the one to make my dreams complete. But trust a certain Officer Roronoa to screw it up!"
Sanji bellowed the last few words at the top of his lungs, making Zoro's ears ring. A dog started baying inside one of the apartments.
"What? You'd rather I'd have never told the truth? Let you carry on believing that your 'wonderful creature' was a woman?" hissed Zoro, at which Sanji forced him up harder against the wall, twisting his wrist painfully as he did so, Zoro's chin grazed raw on the rough concrete.
"I'd rather-" he spat savagely, "-you'd keep your nose out of other people's business!"
He released his fierce grip from Zoro's arm, spinning round to collect his things from off the floor. Zoro turned slowly, massaging his burning wrist, trying to regain the breath that had been crushed out of him. Sanji let out a mocking laugh.
"What does it matter anyway, Zoro? I'll be gone in less than two weeks from now. None of this will matter. I can forget all about it. Easy."
His face was hidden for a moment in shadow, his expression hard to distinguish in the gloom.
"It's not like I loved him or anything…"
Zoro detected a slight air of uncertainty in his voice. Looking out of the grimy window, he saw stars twinkling distantly on the red horizon.
Things were starting to come back to him. Things buried deep.
His low, quiet voice echoed strangely through the dark hall.
"You didn't… did you?"
Sanji raised an eyebrow, fumbling with the key in the lock.
"Didn't what? Screw him?"
Zoro flinched slightly with embarrassment.
"Love him."
The apartment door creaked open. Sanji picked up his shirt, pushing his arms through the sleeves. He laughed airily.
"No! Love a guy? Don't be disgusting!"
He picked up his bag and threw it through the half-open apartment door. Zoro's voice echoed behind him.
"Good."
Sanji snapped his head up, turning an inquisitive expression towards the green haired man.
"Huh?"
But Zoro was gone. The stairwell door was swinging slowly to a close, a few pieces of litter clattering across the floor where he had just been standing. Sanji gazed out into the empty hallway for a moment longer, shrugged, and slammed the door behind him.
Zoro stood at the foot of a large house situated in an avenue. He walked slowly and uncertainly up to the front door, gingerly pressing on the doorbell and waiting quietly beneath the porch. The street itself was clean, neat, with trees and shrubs planted all the way down the sidewalk. Zoro looked around, visibly impressed. It definitely wasn't cheap to live here.
The door creaked open slowly, and a bespectacled, very casual looking Usopp poked his nose outside to see who it was. He brightened as he saw Zoro bathed in the golden light from the hallway behind.
"Oh! Hey, Zoro! Come in! Would you like some coffee?"
Zoro nodded nervously, shuffling past Usopp, who shut the door behind him. The curly-haired youth gazed at his face for a moment.
"Is there something wrong?" he asked, batting his eyelashes quizzically.
Zoro flushed, cursing himself as the rosy tint reached his ears.
"N-no! I just came to see if you were alright after… wh-what happened at the station…"
His sentence trailed off weakly. Usopp flapped his hand up and down impatiently.
"Oh, that! I'm fine, Zoro. I think my underwear survived being yanked off. Although you did spilt a seam… tugged on them a bit too hard, I think!"
Zoro cringed. Usopp laughed awkwardly.
"Ah ha ha. Ah. Sorry."
Half an hour later, Zoro was sitting on the couch in Usopp's large, airy living room, carefully sipping a scalding coffee. Usopp was busying himself in the kitchen behind. Zoro's stomach rumbled like a miniature earthquake, and he poked it tentatively, mentally trying to subdue his nagging hunger. The long nosed man gasped and ran out of the kitchen, slinging himself over the back of the couch to snatch Zoro's half-full mug away.
"Oh my goodness, where are my manners? I'll fix you up something straight away! Stay right there!"
The sound of clattering and banging rang through the kitchen door. Zoro leant back, surveying the room around him. He sighed. How could he ask Usopp now? After all the trouble he'd had today… he didn't need anymore, that was certain. Maybe he should just not say anything. But with all the recent events, things in his mind had started to resurface. Not unpleasant things, but things that he would rather forget about, for his sake… and for Usopp's.
He picked up a framed photograph that sat of the coffee table in front of him. It showed the beach on a glorious, sunny day, seagulls wheeling through the azure sky. In the foreground stood Usopp, glowing radiantly (Zoro noticed, with a strange buzzing in the pit of his stomach) in the soft light, wearing a light summer shirt. He was smiling happily, looking uncharacteristically carefree. They both were. Zoro was there too, standing alongside Usopp. Both of them were grinning, almost ecstatically. Zoro's hand disappeared out of one side of the picture, as he had been holding the camera to take the photograph. The green haired man sighed, a distant expression washing over him. He remembered now…
The door to the kitchen banged open suddenly, making him jump. He spun round to see a hot and flustered Usopp clutching oven mittens and a spatula.
"Zoro, do you want mustard or… oh!"
Usopp smiled at the photograph in his friend's hand.
"Do you remember?' he said gently. "That was the year I first joined the force. We went on vacation that year. To the ocean."
Zoro nodded, putting the photograph shyly back on the table. Usopp stood ponderously for a moment more, then shrugged and disappeared back into the kitchen.
Zoro closed his eyes softly.
I remember…
Throwing open the door of the beach house, inviting the delicious summer breeze into the room. The whole force was there- most of the guys sharing the room had gone off to spy on Chief Nami in her bathing suit. He, however, was going to find a quiet spot and have a good, long nap. He needed that. He'd stretched, locked the door behind him, and set out a jaunty pace to find a decent place to spend a few solitary hours.
After a period of walking and climbing, he found it. A tiny bay, with sand as soft and fine as sugar, with a rocky outcrop that stretched a little way out into the docile ocean. He found a patch of springy moss and sea grass, and, lying back, let relaxation wash over his overworked and aching body.
A few minutes he'd lain there, when the distant and gentle sloshing of water reached his ears. He sat up, disgruntled that some jackass had come to ruin his peace. He scanned the flat expanse of crystal, and there it was- a tiny shadowy ripple beneath the water, quite close. It stayed there for a moment, and he'd leant in closer, to get a better view of who- or what- it was.
Suddenly, the shape exploded out of the sea, gasping for air- he had jumped back in alarm, watching the droplets tumble over the shape like diamonds into the chaotic water below.
Gaping, he watched the shape emerge as a figure, with smooth, lightly tanned skin, and curly shoulder length hair. The young man turned- he had figured out pretty soon that it was a man, as the dusky expanse of skin continued down, unhidden, to a bare abdomen, and, well… he'd thought maybe it would have been polite to cover his eyes, but that didn't occur to him at the time.
Slender hands brushed over thick black curls, heavy with the ocean water.
He opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Dark eyes beneath darker lashes.
His palms were sweating. His heart was pounding.
Lips full and red, like deep-sea coral.
His throat was dry. His mind was on fire.
Zoro was in love.
The two men froze, simply staring at one another. The boy in the water began to tremble, his eyes growing wider, his mouth dropping open with shock, fear, and embarrassment. Zoro began to stumble an apology, but the young man got there sooner.
"I-I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
At this point, he'd leapt back, rather clumsily, into the water, trying to preserve what was left of his modesty. Crouching sheepishly with only his head and shoulders now visible, he looked up at Zoro, stray strands of jet-black hair clinging to his face.
"It's just that I… forgot my swim suit… and th-th-then everyone had gone, so I didn't think anyone would be around, and I thought I'd go for a quick… dip…"
The boy had begun to talk into his chest, as if he had just been scolded. Zoro raised an eyebrow.
"It's all right… I'm not offended by you at all. In fact, I was thinking about how much I was enjoying your…"
He choked and turned scarlet.
"I mean! Uh… n-never mind. Ahem."
There was a silence. Their gaze met again. The moment the boy met Zoro's emerald stare, he'd quickly snap his head back to looking at his chest, blushing like a bride. The edge of Zoro's mouth twitched into something like a playful smile. He shuffled closer to the water.
"What's your name?" he asked, fascinated by the lazily swimming shapes beneath the young man's bare shoulders.
The boy seemed to be catching on to the gentle inclinations in Zoro's tone. He glanced down shyly, then peered up at him through strands of ebony hair.
"I'm Usopp. I'm on vacation with my department… I'm a police officer."
Zoro cocked his head with interest. A new recruit? He looked young… 17, 18, maybe. Zoro was known to be tough on the newest cops. But… he felt like making an exception this time.
"Nice to meet you, Usopp. I'm Zoro."
He sat in thought for a moment. Drawing his arms out of his sleeves, he held out his shirt, offering it to the boy in the water.
"Come on up, sit by me. I'll lend you my shirt."
The young man gazed up at him uncertainly, clutching his arms around his body.
"Won't it get all wet?"
Zoro shrugged.
"Eh, it doesn't matter. Better than nothing, right?"
The boy hesitated, but then began to wade through the shallow water towards him, a cheery smile of gratitude now spreading across his face. Zoro smiled back, holding out the shirt in front of him like a curtain. The boy turned round, slotting his arms into the sleeves, then clambered up onto the rocks next to Zoro, one hand clenching the shirt against his body. Zoro chuckled. The shirt was so big on the other boy, it looked like a dress. Usopp glanced up at him, and then suddenly took to staring avidly at his knees, an odd expression of embarrassment and hurt flinching across his face.
"What's wrong?" queried the older man uncertainly, mentally scolding himself for staring so much.
"It's too big, isn't it? Too long."
Zoro chuckled again.
"Yeah. Kinda makes you look like a girl!"
The boy looked at Zoro as if he was mad.
"Sorry?"
Zoro nervously pointed at the shirt wrapped protectively around the young man's body.
"I… I was talking about the shirt."
Usopp's hands immediately flew to clamp over his face.
"Oh… s-sorry… I thought you were staring at my nose!"
Zoro grinned, gently taking the boy's hands away from his face. The boy squinted cutely at the rather abnormal projection in between his eyes, poking it resentfully.
"All the others make fun of it."
Zoro folded his arms, taking a good long look at the curly haired youth beside him.
"Well, I'm not 'all the others', y' know." he said reassuringly, and the boy gazed up at him in awe.
"You don't think it's weird?"
Zoro laughed and shook his head.
"No."
"You don't?"
"No!"
"You really don't?"
"No!"
Zoro grunted irritably, and the boy sat back on his heels, punching the air with one fist.
"All right!"
He flopped back down again, kneeling in front of Zoro on all fours. His expression softened, long lashes lowering over bright brown eyes.
"I really like you, Zoro."
Zoro blinked, his trademark frown fading from his brow.
"I like you, too."
The sun certainly was getting hotter. The heat felt like it was pressing down, closing in.
Encroaching warmth.
Closer and closer and closer.
Every strand of jet-black hair, every crystal ocean drop clinging to every dark and lustrous eyelash.
Zoro closed his eyes. His breathing was shallow, matching the languorous hiss of the ocean as it broke rhythmically upon the shore, lips tingling with anticipation, heart fit to burst, feverishly awaiting the soft and heated touch of something that was not his own-
"Zoro! Dinner's ready!"
Zoro's eyes flicked open. He was in Usopp's living room, the smell of something tasty but slightly burnt wafting from the kitchen. He ruffled his hair with one hand, licking his lips absentmindedly, and noticed that his mouth was dry, and his heart was pounding. Usopp leaned through the half-open kitchen door. He grinned.
"Having a little nap there, Zoro? It is kinda hot in here. I'll go turn the air conditioning on!"
Still slightly in the throes of his daydream, Zoro nodded dazedly, getting up slowly to sit in the kitchen.
A few minutes later, they were both seated at the small kitchen table, slurping on two large bowls of instant ramen. Usopp smiled sheepishly.
"Sorry about the meal. I guess I'm not cut out for cooking!"
Cooking. That word momentarily brought Sanji into the back of Zoro's mind. Screw him. Let him sulk himself to sleep on his own.
"Zoro?"
"Huh?"
"Is it alright? Is the ramen alright?"
Zoro nodded quickly, taking another hearty slurp from the bowl.
"Nn-hn!"
Usopp smiled kindly.
"You've always been so understanding towards me, Zoro. Even when I mess up."
Zoro flushed, his recent daydream once again flitting through his mind in selective chunks. He gulped down the last of his food, wiping the corners of his mouth whilst pretending to be engrossed in the tablecloth.
"Usopp…"
"Hmm?"
"Do you remember… when we…"
"Yes?"
"Well- do you remember, when we…sort of…" Zoro gesticulated silently for a moment, face contorted with the effort of finding a suitable word. "…on vacation?"
Usopp cocked his head inquisitively for a moment, but then the meaning of Zoro's implication dawned him. He swallowed slowly on a mouthful of food, as if trying not to choke.
"Oh?" He wound his chopsticks distractedly through the sloppy mess in his bowl. "Why do you ask?"
Zoro sat up straighter, hastily avoiding Usopp's gaze.
"Well, it's just that, with all this stuff that's happened lately, it kind of… reminded me… of… us."
Usopp chuckled nervously.
"As I remember it, you were a little more… gentle compared to Sanji. H-he's a gentleman, but, y' know… kinda… desperate."
Zoro joined in with the nervous laughter.
"Ah ha… mmm."
An odd look of loathing came into Usopp's face.
"You'd have to be desperate to want me." he muttered quietly, standing up to collect the empty bowls. Zoro glanced up, frowning.
"Huh?"
Suddenly bright and cheery again, Usopp bustled around the kitchen, busily tidying away cutlery and dropping dirty dishes and saucepans into the sink.
"Oh well! It's all over now! Back to square one! You, me, Sanji, all over. Time to start a clean single life on our own, yessiree!"
Zoro shook his head, slowly rising from his seat. The radio had been switched on at full volume, and Usopp was leant over the sink, up to his arms in overly soapy water, singing loudly to himself.
It's late,
Ooh, it's driving me so mad
It's late!
Yes I know, but don't try to tell me that
It's too late
Say 'I love you' and turn out the light
I've been wrong but I'll learn to be right!
Suddenly, a pair of strong arms wrapped tightly around his middle from behind, making him yelp in surprise.
"Z-Zoro?"
It's late, it's late, it's late,
But not too late!
Zoro clutched fervently at the younger man's shirt, landing light kisses on his face and neck, sending heated breath fluttering through his dishevelled hair. Usopp clung to a bowl in the sink as if his life depended on it, gasping at the weight that was now crushing him into the kitchen counter. With a valiant attempt at composure, he tried to politely shrink away from Zoro's peppered kisses.
"U-u-uh, now, Z-Zoro… wh-what are y-you doing? You should g-go home to b-bed! Y-your own nice, comfy bed!"
Zoro seemed undeterred by this, instead trying to crane round to reach Usopp's violently protesting mouth.
"Zoro! Zoro! ZORO!" yelled Usopp wildly, feeling the older man's teeth sink into the curve at the bottom of his neck.
"If you think that someone has to be desperate to want you…" he growled, Usopp whimpering in response- "…then consider me to be an extremely – desperate - guy!"
The curly-haired youth turned to utter some sort of counter to Zoro's notion, but was promptly silenced by a tangled meeting of lips.
"Zoro… why are you-?" Usopp managed to stutter, hands still immersed in the soapy water.
"Let's just say…" muttered Zoro indistinctly between kisses- "…now that Sanji's out of the picture, I think I'd like to re-acquaint myself with you."
Usopp swung round, flinging a pair of soapy arms around the older man's neck.
"Oh, Zorooooo…"
And, with that, the pair collapsed unceremoniously onto the linoleum floor, conveniently drowned out by the blaring radio…
Sanji was slumped on Zoro's couch, gorging himself on Zoro's stash of food. He stuffed another clump of corn chips into his mouth, tuning up the radio as he did so. As he listened to the lyrics grate through the speakers, his mind turned to Usopp.
Crap. Not that again.
You're staring at me, with suspicion in your eye,
You say 'what game are you playing?
What's this that you're saying?'
I know that I can't reply…
He glanced at the telephone. Damn. He just couldn't get that stupid he… she… whatever out of his head.
If I take you tonight, is it making my life a lie?
Oh, you make me wonder-
If I lived my life right!
Maybe he could ask Zoro. He may be an asshole, but he sometimes knows what he's talking about. Kinda like a big brother.
It's late, it's late, it's late,
But not too late!
"Oooh…"
Zoro groaned, propping himself up painfully on his elbows. He looked down at Usopp, who was sprawled awkwardly underneath him.
"Usopp… where are my pants? I can hear my cell ringing."
The curly-haired youth pointing vaguely over to a corner of the kitchen.
"I think they landed over by the fridge." he replied hoarsley, making a feeble attempt to shift himself from the hard linoleum floor. Zoro pulled his pants towards him, fumbling for the cell phone in his pocket, flipping it open and clamping it to his ear.
"Hello?"
"Hey, it's Sanji. Where the heck are you?"
Zoro mouthed wordlessly for a moment, glancing wildly around the room for the rest of his clothes.
"Wh-where am I? Uh…um… you mean right now?"
"What do you think? It's 1 in the morning!"
Usopp had now managed to prop himself against one of the counters, fanning himself with one hand whilst patting around the floor for his underwear with the other. He grinned, reeling slightly.
"Geez, and you didn't even let me finish the dishes! Talk about spontaneous!"
"Who is that?" asked Sanji, suspicion heavy in every word.
"N-nobody! I'm, uh… I'm on a train."
"Right…"
Sanji didn't sound entirely convinced. Zoro grimaced. Usopp had crawled over, and was now draped over one side of him, laying a small, warm hand on his bare abdomen.
"Zoroooo… hang up…"
The green haired man gulped, turning to mouth desperately in Usopp's direction- It's Sanji! He wants to know where I am! The younger man rolled his eyes, resting his chin on Zoro's chest and gazing up at him with a beguiling puppy-dog expression, tracing his name across Zoro's flat, firm expanse of stomach.
"Zoro, pleeease?"
"No, really, who is that?"
"Uh! Um! Oh! I-I-I'm coming up to a tunnel! I'm gonna break off! See you later! Bye!"
"Hey, wait a minute! I-" Click.
Zoro turned a scolding frown on Usopp's beaming countenance.
"Christ, Usopp, you nearly blew my cover!"
Usopp chuckled, pressing the tip of his long nose against Zoro's.
"I don't care."
The older man sighed, reluctantly removing Usopp's wandering hands from his stomach.
"I'd best get back. Sanji's getting suspicious. And I'm starting to feel guilty."
Usopp sighed in disappointment, gazing balefully up at him as he wandered around the kitchen, his clothes haphazardly strewn around the floor.
After an extensive search to find his boxers (which, inexplicably, had ended up being caught on the ceiling fan) Zoro stood at the threshold of Usopp's front door, ready to step out into the relative cool of the early morning. The atmosphere felt slightly awkward.
"Well… I'll see you tomorrow."
Usopp nodded, pulling the hem of his shirt over his bare legs. He leant towards Zoro momentarily, but the pair ended up in a rather nervous hug, parting a few seconds later.
"Goodbye."
He walked down the steps slowly, turning to see the door shut gently behind him.
The trains wouldn't be operating at this time. Zoro sighed, slinging his bag over one shoulder.
It looked like he would be taking the long way home…
End of Chapter 5
Gasp! I thought I would die then. Yes I did. The end of chapter 5, finally! I was having a mini celebration, actually. I saw on my stats that this story has now had over 1000 hits! A little landmark to call my own, yosh! Thankyou to everyone who has read this humble story!
Now then, what to say about this chapter? Hmm. Well, those song lyrics are, in fact, also by Queen, and the song is It's Late. Great song. Don't sue me!
The part where Zoro first meets Usopp was inspired by a scene from a French comic called Adios Palomita. The girl in it even looks vaguely like Usopp! XD It took a long time to think about how to write that part. I hope you enjoyed it!
Naughty, naughty Usopp. Using kitchen floors as they were never meant to be used. But, as I'm sure many Usopp fans will agree, it's about time he got some action! Narf!
And… oh noes! Zoro and Usopp? Whatever next? Some would say it's like chalk and cheese. They don't mix. But when writing it, I thought- 'Hey! This sounds like it's working!' So, apologies to whoever became instantly disgusted and flicked right off this story, but hey- I tried!
Sanji didn't appear very much in this chappie. I'M SORRY! His story will appear next time.
Thankyou very much for reading! Until next time!