Win You on a Bet

Summary: Zoro makes a bet with Usopp that he can seduce any man or woman. Then a certain foul-mouthed chef walks into the bar and poses a challenge.

In the meantime Law attempts to escape his shady past and Luffy can't stop himself from being his curious self. (Modern AU, ZoSan and LawLuffy)

Author's Note: I told you I don't abandon my stories…I merely go on really long breaks ^^.

Chapter 28: Normal but Better

Sanji eyed Zoro's training wearily as he dropped the groceries on the floor with a soft thud.

"Oi, moss for brains did you somehow mishear Kureha and Chopper?" he asked, sending the other a glare conceal some of the worry.

The swordsman smirked, not bothering to stop with his regime. Not bothering to put on a shirt either, though Sanji wasn't too mad about that.

It was surprising really how easy it was for them to fall into a routine, to tip toe around one another.

"Already told you, blondie, I'm fine," he grunted, got up and seemed about to do some damn push-ups before the French put his leg above him. A silent threat he wasn't willing to go through with, not when Zoro was still healing. But something needed to be done to stop him.

"I'm not letting you train," he deadpanned, stretching out a hand for the other to take.

Roronoa met his eyes, blue colliding with grey. There was so much intensity behind his stare Sanji nearly looked away but in the end didn't. He needed to get through to the other one way or another. Speaking of which, desperate times called for desperate measures,

"Zoro…" the use of his actual name alone seemed to catch his attention, "Please, listen to me, no training at least for now."

Zoro's mouth hung open a little too longer than acceptable, making him look like a fish out of water. Sanji cocked an eyebrow, ready to make fun of him if it weren't for how it looked kind of cute.

Roronoa's cheeks flushed a little red as he took his hand. Not that he needed it – the cook knew he was more than capable to take care of himself, even after taking a gunshot and nearly dying in the process.

Damn moss head was so stubborn, he'd probably slice through death itself someday.

Still, feeling calloused fingers curl around his palm and cling onto it did something funny to Sanji, sending a jolt of electricity straight through his heart.

"I still can't believe I let you drag me to your apartment," Zoro grunted but judging by the absurd flush on his tan face, he was only saying it to save his pride.

"Mmm, you don't seem to complain about the food," the chef countered, already opting to head for the kitchen, starting the dinner.

The gang was coming over, in celebration of the moss head's release. That and defeating Doflamingo, coming out of the entire ordeal alive and closer than ever before. The cook mused on it, thin lips curling into a smile as his mind went back to the events.

His whole life had changed, turned upside down and he himself wasn't the same person he once was. It was for the better: now he had someone by his side, the ever present loneliness in his chest gone.

xxx

It was cold outside already, the kitchen window cutting a slice of dark grey sky. It would snow soon and Sanji could practically smell the cold. His eyes fly to the calendar, noting Christmas was coming soon.

The thought made his heart flutter as he mentally started preparing lists of presents, wrapping gifts in colourful ribbons and thinking of nice things to write on the ladies' cards.

Not to mention the food, oh, that would be glorious, now that he had a family to cook for and not just himself and a grumpy Law.

"You seem…" Zoro's voice trailed away and Sanji was a little startled as he noticed how the swordsman leaned heavily against the doorframe, "Happy."

The chef rose an eyebrow, amused at the other's inability to translate thoughts into words. He still understood him though and a sudden wave of appreciation washed over – this was nice. It was something new between them, a fresh take on the dynamics between them.

They did things in reverse – sex first, talking later.

Sanji would deny it but he still believed you ought to be friends with the person you date. Underneath the crude tongue, the smoke stained lips and the strong kicks he was still a romantic, through and through.

Roronoa opened his mouth, to say something witty or throw an insult his way as he mistook silence for anger.

"I am," he admitted, not bothering to conceal feelings for once, "Doflamingo is locked up, Law is happier than…well ever. Luffy seems to have a good effect on him."

Zoro smirked, traces of pride in his one remaining eye as his best friend was brought up,

"Luffy has a good effect on everyone." he pointed out with a shrug, "You included."

Sanji wasn't sure how to respond, he was never good with compliments. He didn't know if he wanted to press further, make the conversation more intimate or steer away from it, opt to escape from the newfound familiarity between them.

In the end he figured it was about time they progressed,

"It's not just because of Luffy. This town, the restaurant, the gang…it has all they changed my life for the better,"

Zoro appeared to stiffen, offering him a calculated nod which looked misplaced on his face. The Frenchman took a deep breath,

"And you. You've made me happier, moss for brains." He was sincere, "In a strange, sometimes hurtful way but still…I'm glad you came into my life, despite all the shit."

Roronoa was surprised at the words but grateful to hear them, as though they erased some unspoken doubt off his mind. The frown on his face vanished momentarily before it was replaced with a trace of hesitation,

"Sanji…I ruined things between us. I lied to you. I…used you to further my own ego,"

The blonde winced at the words, he didn't need another reminder of that.

"I'm sorry about it, I really am." He admitted, a serious look over his tan face, "I wish I didn't do it for some bet. If I could I'd give us a clean start."

The chef met his gaze, overwhelmed by the regret in it. No one had cared so much about him before, at least not in such a way. No one had bothered return his affections or apologize in a sincere manner for their mistakes.

The fact it was Zoro, of all people, the man who was always so reserved, so keen on hiding his emotions saying all this, bringing his feelings out in the open for him…it did something funny to Sanji's heart.

Slowly the last bits of the anger and bitterness started to finally melt away, replaced by some unfamiliar warmth.

"You may not believe it after what I did but I do care about you, love cook."

Sanji took him in, searching for traces of lies on his tan face but finding none. If anything Zoro looked a little vulnerable and it had nothing to do with the bandages wrapped around his chest.

"I know you do,"

The situation was weighing on them and a part of him wanted to escape it for that was how he dealt with things – by evading them all together. However, the more mature part of him, the one that had thrived in the last few months knew that was no longer a solution he was willing to accept,

"Look…what you did was really fucking shitty," he admitted, unable to wash away the bitterness, "But…I do think we should…"

His voice trailed away, unsure what to say. His eyes were firmly locked on Zoro, examining every inch of him, as though something in his expression would help him chose the right path. He half hoped perhaps the swordsman would speak up but he remained silent, as though he too needed a reminder that what stood between them was real and mutual.

"We should give it another go," Sanji concluded in the end, a weight lifting off his shoulders, "Give us another go I mean."

Zoro's eye lit up, his lips curling into a fragile smile.

Blink and you miss the subtle change and yet the chef knew him all too well. The other was more than willing to try again and yet at the same time there seemed to be a "but" hanging somewhere in the air,

"I'd like that too," he agreed, tone almost nonchalant, as though they were talking about the weather, "But I don't want you to do it out of obligation."

"This again!?" Sanji cried out, a sudden bout of anger making him slam his fist over the table, "You stupid marimo! You really think I'm doing out of some sort of perverted sense of debt!?"

He laughed at the words, it sounded so ridiculous but of course the swordsman would think of something like that – that's just how his brain worked.

"How about I'm doing this because even though you're a green haired idiot and an asshole who all but took a fucking sledgehammer to my heart – or perhaps a katana or whatever – I-I still love you!"

Zoro gaped at the words, a look of shock written over his face.

Sanji felt his cheeks burn with embarrassment. He should not have said that! Now the damn bastard would think he was clingy or perhaps rushing into things or maybe –

"Yeah, me too,"

The words were simple, maybe even a little flat. Still, they silenced all of Sanji's insecurities, spoke louder than the demons lurking at the back of his mind.

"That's…all?" he managed to ask, trying to insert some lightheartedness before things got a little too dramatic, even for his taste, "I made a speech and all, maybe you should do the same."

Zoro laughed at him, the sound loud and cheerful, sincere. It had a nice ring to it as it flew across the room and straight into the French's heart.

"Another time, curlybrow,"

The chef was so busy enjoying the damn fluttering in his chest, the lightheartedness of finally being able to say those words he'd hidden for the last few months, he nearly missed the stupid nickname.

"Come here," Zoro said as he stepped in closer and pulled him in for what Sanji could dub as a mix between a death grip and a hug.

He placed his hands over the other's shoulders, the sense of having him close as invigorating as a dip in the ocean after a long cold winter.

He took Roronoa's hands in his own, ignoring the way he thought it was a little on the cheesy side.

They'd been through so much, he'd nearly lost the damn guy so even if it was cheesy, he wasn't letting it go. He swiped a finger across the calloused skin of, feeling the little scars,

"Thank God you seem to have a healing factor or some shit," he mumbled, opting to step closer and rest his chin against the other's shoulder.

The swordsman didn't fight the contact rather welcomed it.

"I'm not going anywhere, blondie," he responded after a while, words dissipating in the quiet silence of the warm kitchen air.

Sanji felt something oddly domestic about the entire scene.

"Good," he mumbled,

Zoro stepped away a little, breaking the contact much to his dismal. But it seemed he only wanted to switch positions as he brushed a calloused finger across his chin before taking it in his hand.

Their eyes met and from then on it all went on autopilot, the swordsman leaning in and sealing their lips. At first the kiss was surprisingly tame, almost chaste. As though Roronoa was still uncertain, asking for permission before he went deeper. Sanji eagerly allowed his tongue into his mouth and kissed back, struggling for dominance.

Zoro pushed him against the kitchen counter and a whole series of flashbacks ran through his mind, he knew where they were going. He could already feel himself harden and judging by the bulge he felt pressed against himself, so was the other.

Roronoa's hands rummaged through his torso, slipping in under his shirt and caressing the skin underneath before dipping lower, just above the hem of his boxers –

"Stop," Sanji breathed out, evidently taking him by surprise.

Zoro stepped away, retrieving his hand as though he'd been burnt.

"You don't wanna do this cook?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow, trying to feign arrogance as hurt flashed through his eyes.

"I do," the chef was quick to assure, "But not now. Not when you're still injured."

Roronoa's features settled into a frown,

"I told you I am perfectly fine!"

Sanji wasn't too certain about it so he sent a serious look towards his boyfriend, holding his grey gaze,

"I don't want you to get hurt, I mean it,"

Zoro grunted, as stubborn as ever.

"Oi, moss for brains…" he let the words hang in the air for one long moment, filled with something like familiarity between them, "I do want to be with you. In every way possible."

"Is that so, blondie?" the swordsman asked, his previous doubt now melting away, replaced by the everpresent cockiness and a smirk.

"Oui. And we have all the time in the world for this. For now though, just heal."

Roronoa smirked,

"Fine…but just so we're clear, there are other ways to feel pleasure."

Sanji shook his head, lips curling into a smirk as he pictured just that,

"Then we may explore those options…so long as you behave."

xxx

Franky's blue eyes fell over the suitcases and the various small parcels. Clothes, cosmetics and above all – books.

"You sure this is okay?" he asked, leaning in against the door frame as he tried to ignore his ex-fiancé's gaze and focus instead on one the countless stacks of historical encyclopedias, all about to be taken away.

(Wouldn't the apartment seem empty without them? After all they were all but an extension of her).

"Yes," Robin replied, not bothering to look up or perhaps avoiding his gaze on purpose.

Franky knew her well enough to realize behind the calm tone she was in a whirlwind of emotions – a mirror image of himself.

"You don't have to move out," he pointed out, rubbing the back of his neck.

The historian hesitated and the small space between them filled with silence for a few painfully long minutes. Franky clung onto the silence, searching for answers in it, trying to find a simple solution that would fix the broken bond between them.

"We talked about this already,"

The bar owner grunted in exasperation, "We were both mad and hurt back then."

"And we still are…" Robin admitted, spinning to turn around and face him.

Soft light from the cold autumn day invaded the room, illuminating her tan face. It almost hurt Franky how beautiful she was, just as the day when he met her. Her eyes were the same intense shade of dark blue, little specks of green melted in them. She was wearing a soft purple shirt, highlighting her curves without being tacky.

God, Robin was anything if not elegance.

"I guess we still are…" he surrendered in the end, unsure what else there was to say.

The archeologist hummed, a soft and delicate sound that flew straight to his heart.

"Don't worry, Nami and Vivi were more than happy to offer me a place to stay."

Franky nodded, grateful for her friends. Well, their friends.

A dark thought ran through his mind – how would they continue to meet? What about the awkwardness between them?

"We can…meet separately with the gang," Robin suggested, as though reading his mind.

He had always loved her intelligence and wisdom, never afraid of a smart woman. If anything, Franky had always searched for one without realizing it.

And he had found her…only for her to leave. Or was it him that was leaving? Was he the one giving up on her? On them? Unable to forgive and move on?

One part of him – the mature and leveled headed one (and yeah it existed, despite his Hawaiian shorts saying otherwise) whispered a firm yes.

And yet…Robin had hidden secrets from him, lied over and over for years. There was an entire segment of her life to which he was a stranger because she never let him in.

The other, dark and fucked up part of him – the young boy who had been abandoned by his parents and never learned why, the younger brother of a politician who lied as a way of living…it couldn't accept her back.

Not now at least.

He met Robin's gaze and something in his own eyes must have told his decision without any words. For a fraction of a second the archeologist's face fell but then it was gone, replaced by the usual calm and collected expression she wore like a mask, a shield to protect her from the world.

"So…I guess this is goodbye, Franky." She said after a while, red tinted lips stretching into a warm, trained smile.

The brunette was already at the door when he finally found his voice,

"Oi, Robin…this goodbye…this is not forever is it?"

She met his gaze and he figured no answer was needed – her eyes told him everything,

"No, I think not."

xxx

Law stared at the road straight ahead, feeling Luffy's warm fingers intertwine with his.

He sent the brunette a quick look, still not tearing his attention away from driving. Luffy looked like his usual happy self, blabbering on and on about one thing or another, jumping from topics and ideas.

"This car was so cool!" he exclaimed pointing towards a flashy one that passed them by.

The Spaniard shook his head, slowly but surely Luffy's excited chatter was becoming the background of his own thoughts. The shorter man was an intrinsic part of his life and often times it was hard to imagine the time without him.

"Weather's so cool today, isn't it?" he went on, staring out of the window, "I bet it will snow soon!"

Trafalgar's lips betrayed him, curling into a small, warm smile as he watched the enthusiasm pour in thick, strong waves out of his boyfriend. It was contagious and he found himself happier each day.

Of course it all took him by surprise, like an unexpected storm in the mountains. It was nothing short of shocking how quickly their bond solidified and how intense was.

"You know…Ace really hates snow, he's so obsessed with fire!" Luffy said out of the blue, the words catching Law's attention,

It reminded of him how much he missed his own family – his parents, his little sister and the man who acted like a second father to him, Corazon. So often he wished they could see what he'd become.

"I'm so happy Ace is coming back from his trip with Marco!" the shorter man exclaimed, a sunny grin over his face.

A wave of nostalgia, mixed in with pain washed over Law. He too wished Corazon and his family were coming home, that their absence could be easily explained away with something as trivial as a vacation.

That there was a phone to pick up or any other shortcut, any way to meet them again.

The car's engine slowly came to rest as they'd arrived.

"Torao?" Luffy asked cautiously, turning his black gaze to face him, "You have your sad face on, what's the matter?"

The soft words tore him away from his own introspection and he leaned in, sealing their lips.

The brunette was as eager as always to respond to the kiss, mischievous tongue exploring his own. His tan fingers curled into his hair and Law felt as though the bitterness from a minute ago subsided.

In the end Luffy pulled away, a little less worried about him as the tension in the car started to dissipate.

"Better?"

Law smirked, leaning in against the back of his seat,

"I am, Mugiwara," he replied, hesitating before he added, "Thanks to you,"

His boyfriend grinned, his smile lightening up the dark car and the entire street with it. He still seemed a little suspicious though,

"Wanna tell me why you frowned though?"

Trafalgar weighed his options, realizing he wouldn't be left off the hook so easily.

It was then that he heard Franky's loud, boosting laughter and Usopp's unmistakable taste in music, followed by some shouting. As he listened closely he recognize Sanji and Zoro's voices, and he was pretty sure he caught the words, "Shitty cook" and "moss for brains" amongst other things.

That sealed his decision, the weight in his chest suddenly lighter.

"Nah, maybe some other time,"

If only his family and Corazon, who was an extension of it now, could see him today. Despite being an atheist a small fraction of him wished they had a way to do it.

There were many graves in his heart but there were just as many people to live for, people who were one hand away and he wanted to keep them that way.

"Kay!" Luffy grinned, grabbing his hand as he opted to leave the car, "Come on, now let's go! I'm starving and I can already smell the food from here!"

Law couldn't help but laugh, the sound light and free, rid of the baggage he'd carried around for so long.

Before long the entrance to Sanji's apartment building came into view. It was strange he'd moved in with Luffy but then again everything surrounding the sunny boy was strange. In a pleasant way which he couldn't bother to explain but was grateful for it.

As he listened to Luffy's happy chatter and felt his hand on his he smiled, looking up towards the sky. Hope sprouted like a weed in his chest and there was no tearing it away.

A tiny voice in his head, one that sounded awfully like a certain brunette told him there was a way for the ones he loved to see how happy he was. And for once he listened.

Author's Note: So thoughts on Sanji and Zoro being domestic…ah, that's as much fluff as I can give those two xD

While I was writing the scenes with Ace I just realized how much I miss the guy! His death was one of the most meaningful and emotional moments in the manga/anime and I applaud Oda for his courage to do it but maaan….do I miss him at times!

Last but not least – thoughts on Robin and Franky?

Thanks to: yukino76, Tanuki2000, miyaaabi, Guest, SabrinaHon, lashayluv, Random, Guest, lbfb, Oswen Red, LawLeeEt, Guest for the supportive words

Only one more chapter just to tie in some lose ends, share your thoughts and tell me if you enjoyed the journey!