Sooo... after I nearly died laughing because of the recent One Piece chapter, this is the first of your prompt stories.
First of all, I want to thank everyone who has submitted a prompt. Together with readers on LJ and DA, we've gathered the amazing number of 30 prompts!
That means, there will be 30 chapters to this story (ah, how I love even numbers :3)!
I'm writing on several prompts simultaneously, so update times may vary greatly. Sometimes, it can take a few weeks and at other times only days.
Please be patient and don't ask when I'm going to do your prompt... it all depends on my imagination and inspiration.
Same goes for the length of the chapters. I've set myself a limit of 1000 words (most will surely be over that), but please don't expect as long chapters as for AKitD. That was a rather big story squeezed into a few chapters... some might reach it but others won't, so please don't be offended if yours turns out to be shorter :)
That aside, most of you have requested ZoSan (and even more smut... you little perverts, you! ;)) but other pairings like Marco/Ace, Luffy/Nami and Kaku/Jabra were requested as well. If you absolutely don't like one of these pairings, then you can just skip the chapters while reading. Only the ZoSan stories will have plot relevant information (for the proper sequel for example). Well, the chapters about other pairings might contain a bit of information about those particular characters, but nothing you'll absolutely need to know to understand the sequel :)
Prompts were submitted by (in no particular order):
FFnet:
thakidisbac, Minnesota Fireball Wolf, Superafro, Chibi-Onee-chan, ghostlyangel, immer wenn es dunkel wird, aj (unregistered), Rika90, Valentine's Vocation, TheEndofTag, reodavle, aQiel, The Amazing Art of Living, crystalbluefox, luvanime14, Umi the Seadragon, Sceans, WhiteCourtain, Queenoffiction, QuillSunset, NanamiDuck, RenKain
LJ:
loveandallthat, twigglet1717, narcisisticniny, dragon5174, jo_booksarelife, fendstrat_chick
DA:
NatsuhiaUrOrA, mugiwaragrl
If you don't see your name on the lists, then please let me know. I might just fail at copy/paste XD
And I'm a bit behind at commenting and replying to messages... sorry about that! Uni started again and I'm doing the most writing during breaks. I don't have internet access then and when I get home, I'm often tired enough that I'm pushing things like that back. Sorry! ^^°°
I'll try to reply to everyone either today or tomorrow.
First prompt:
From: aQiel
prompt: move in
pairing: zosan, maybe an appearance of zeff?
feeling: happy, sappy
sex: zeff-you want to die 'lil eggplant? seriously, in front of your old man?
Actual rating: T
Additional notes: I ended up making it a bit funnier than I intended to, but there is still a lot of fluff :)
Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.
Notes:
20.000 yen = 188 € / $246
Aniki = big brother, often said to gang bosses and higher ranked Yakuza
A Place of Thousand Stories
First Story: Move it, Baby!
"Shitty old geezer, I'm gay!"
Determinedly, Sanji stared at his old man, arms crossed while he waited for an answer.
It was a quiet Sunday morning, the newspaper had just arrived and in front of Zeff rested a steaming mug of coffee on the pine-wood kitchen table. Anticipating this kind of relaxing atmosphere, Sanji had arrived early to say what he had to say. It was perfect... absolutely perfect. Perfect to announce him moving into a different apartment as well as admitting his new-found sexuality to his adoptive father.
"Bi," Zeff said, his eyes fixed on the newspaper he held in one hand while he reached with the other one for his mug.
"Wha-?"
"You're bi, eggplant," Zeff explained after taking a sip. "That's what it's called when someone likes men and women."
"O-oh..." Sanji stuttered. This wasn't at all how he had imagined this conversation to start. "Anyway! I just wanted to tell you and... and I'm in a relationship with Zoro now. We will move in together, so... so even if you're against it, I'm still going to-"
"I don't really care. Tell Zoro you have my blessings," Zeff said before chuckling at one of the cartoons in the paper.
Sanji first stared at his old man for few seconds and then groaned in frustration.
That was way too easy. "Can't you be at least a bit surprised that your son tells you he's in a relationship with a man? Just a tiny bit? I've come to terms with my friends taking everything in stride... Hell, I bet they even knew about everything before I did!" he said and began to pace while ruffling his hair in aggravation. "But you? You're my father! Aren't you supposed to... to... be angry, cry about never getting grandchildren or... or... try to get me to join a football team? Anything like that?"
Zeff snorted. "Don't be ridiculous. You're too much of a pansy to play football."
"Oi!"
"The point is," Zeff continued. "-that I've known about you two for ages. Zoro has liked you for as long as I can remember and Koshiro and I always talked about you. We knew it would only be a matter of time until you realised everything."
"Then... you aren't surprised at all? And the others... all of them knew?"
This time, Zeff looked up. "Knew? We've been making bets about you! I think Nico-san won... she said Zoro would have to get hurt badly before you got a clue. Damn smart that woman."
"... you... you made bets?"
"It was Patty's idea..." Zeff grunted. "We started betting with the whole staff and then several other people joined in. Nami-san probably threw a fit when she realised, she had lost. You should be careful around her, eggplant. She might want revenge..."
"Everyone... everyone knew?"
"Yeah, everyone. Well, you obviously didn't. What do you think why I gave you all those early shifts? I thought you would finally turn to Zoro if your supply of women was cut... that was my bet. You're owning me twenty thousand yen, by the way."
Staring wide-eyed, Sanji opened his mouth a few times but no sounds seemed to come out. Then he plopped down in a chair opposite Zeff and stared unblinkingly at the table's surface. "... what the actual fuck..." he muttered disbelievingly.
"Oh, I just remembered something," Zeff said, oblivious to his son's predicament, and stood up to go to the living-room. Seconds later, he came back with a thick book inside his hands. "I got you this a few months ago. I thought it might help you a bit with everything." He chuckled. "There really are manuals for everything..."
Sanji took the book and stared at the title for a few minutes.
101 Ways of being Gay
"Will you stop laughing? It's not funny!"
"Oh, but it is! It's just too good..." Zoro pressed out between chuckles, tears building in the corners of his eyes while he held his stomach. His whole body shook with barely repressed laughter.
"You idiot! They've made complete fools out of us... don't you care about that?"
"Nah... and you're the only fool here. I always knew what my sexuality was. And this book-" He held up Zeff's present. "Is just priceless! I would've loved to see your face when Zeff-san gave it to you!"
"Shut up," Sanji grumbled and made to unpack the box with his photo-albums.
He continued to unpack his stuff even when Zoro's arms had come around him and pressed him back against the swordsman's firm body.
"You mad?" Zoro asked before he began to nibble at Sanji's right ear.
"Not talking to you," Sanji mumbled as he took out the framed picture of Zoro, Zeff, Koshiro and him. He had got it from his room when he had visited Zeff earlier that day. Taking in how their younger selves pulled at each other's hair, Sanji smiled as he softly ran a finger over the thin glass. After everything that had happened, the photo held a special value to him.
"Ah, I remember that one," Zoro said. "You got mad at me because a girl in my kendo class gave me chocolates for Valentine's Day, didn't you? Did you fancy her?"
"No, I didn't," Sanji answered curtly.
"Really? Why were you mad then?"
"Because..." Sanji began and relaxed in Zoro's arms, his back moulding against the swordsman's chest. "You've never eaten my chocolate before... you have always said you don't like sweet things, but... you've accepted hers."
"You were jealous?"
"Maybe, yeah."
Sanji could feel Zoro grin without seeing it. "I only accepted them because Koshiro-sensei told me to. They were just out of gratitude, anyway. I have helped her train a few times, you know?" Zoro explained and then chuckled. "And sensei loves chocolates. He always made me give him everything. But you being jealous then..." Zoro hugged him even closer. "Mh... that makes me a bit happy," he whispered, his breath tickling Sanji's ear as he spoke.
"I know," Sanji said. His body shuddered as the warm gust of wind met his skin and without a second thought he entwined his fingers with Zoro's on his stomach. Turning his head slightly, he looked at the swordsman over his shoulder. "Your 'happiness' is poking my butt," he whispered, lips only inches apart from Zoro's.
"We could move this to the bedroom... try out the new bed," Zoro said back with dark eyes, his lips ever drawing nearer to his. "I can do that thing with my tongue again..."
Smiling gently, Sanji sighed happily and neared Zoro's lips even more before... he suddenly pulled back, grinned at Zoro's growl as he escaped the swordsman's lips and Zoro ended up kissing his neck instead.
"Believe me, I would love to," Sanji began, ignoring Zoro's low growls of disappointment. "-but the shitty old geezer said he wants to pay us a visit today. He said he would cook for us."
Zoro frowned. "Oh? That's unusual..."
"Yeah... the bastard said you should taste proper food every once in a while. Damn asshole... he knows I'm the better cook but still has to play the gourmet chef," Sanji said and left Zoro's embrace to continue unpacking the boxes.
"You should really stop talking like that about your old man..." he heard Zoro say behind him.
"Why? Are you taking his side now?"
"Yeah... gotta be on the good side of my father-in-law, don't I?"
That shut Sanji up. Stopping in the middle of unwrapping his favourite porcelain, he turned around to stare at Zoro. They hadn't really talked about it but since the beginning, it was always clear to Sanji that he would be staying for the rest of his life with Zoro. Hearing his lover say something like that on the other hand...
Zoro's face broke into a smug grin. "Your face is all red!"
"Shut up!"
The rest of the afternoon was spent decorating their apartment.
Well, Sanji decorated it... fortunately, Zoro had soon learned that it wasn't wise to try and interfere with the cook. Not when he didn't fancy a kick to his stomach or even to his nether regions, anyway.
It hadn't been difficult to decide who was going to move in with whom, either. After they had announced the news of them getting together to their friends (who all had reacted with sighs in relief and words like 'finally' or 'was damn time'... something Sanji now knew the reason for all too well), Robin had asked Sanji if she could have his apartment once the cook wanted to move in with Zoro. Of course, Sanji had been unable to refuse her wish... a brave act, considering he hadn't even talked to Zoro about moving before. But the swordsman had been surprisingly happy to share an apartment with him.
"Oi! Has Robin told you why she didn't move in with Franky?" Zoro asked while handing Sanji plates and cups to put in the cupboards. "She wanted your apartment to live closer to him, so why aren't they living together?"
Sanji grinned as he received the kitchenware. "Apparently, Franky has a strange sleeping habit. He makes poses and cries 'SUPER' in his sleep. He has even thrown Robin out of bed once before. Bet she made him regret it big time..."
Zoro snorted. "Why doesn't that surprise me... that guy is strange enough when he is awake, I don't even want to know what he dreams."
"I bet he has a sort of gang in his dreams who all do his poses and listen to his every word," Sanji said, snickering.
"Yeah, that sounds like something he would like... being called 'aniki' and all," Zoro returned as he took out another plate of the box.
"And everyone would've to wear speedos!" Sanji said laughing, but the swordsman snorted at that.
"Now you're being ridiculous..."
When Zeff visited that evening, nearly all of the boxes were unpacked.
"Not even a day and you can already see eggplant's girly touch," Zeff said as he took in the purple curtains.
"Shut up! Purple happens to be the colour of the year and it gives a nice touch to the otherwise white walls. It also compliments the dark brown pillows and-"
Zeff and Zoro looked at each other and rolled their eyes. "Girly," they said together and grinned while Sanji bristled.
"Will you stop it? You might be fine with a boring and practical place but I happen to have some style, thank you very much!" Sanji said before going to the open kitchen to look after the soup, he had insisted on making in spite of Zeff's offer to do the cooking.
Zeff placed a hand on Zoro's shoulder. "You'll have it tough..."
Zoro grinned. "That's part of the challenge," he said and went after Sanji who had already put on his favourite pink apron.
Zeff raised an eyebrow as he watched the couple bicker in the kitchen before Zoro said something in Sanji's ear that made him blush.
"How the hell did my son need ten fucking years to figure out his feelings?" Zeff asked himself, shaking his head at the newly-wed behaviour he was witnessing and plopping down on the couch.
When Sanji even began to spoon-feed Zoro his soup, grinning like an idiot when the swordsman smiled at the taste, Zeff realised it had been optimistic to think he could cook for them.
It didn't look like Zoro would be eating anyone else's food ever again.
After a hearty meal (Zeff was allowed to help Sanji at least), the three were sitting in the living room and Zeff had great fun telling Zoro all of the embarrassing stories, he had missed out on so far.
"He was covered in mud, you say?"
"Completely," Zeff answered. "You couldn't even recognise him any more! And all to woo a girl in his class..." The older chef shook his head. "Even in middle school, he was a complete loser at picking up girls."
"Oi!"
"They didn't give him the light of day, the girls, but he still had to play their 'charming prince'." Zeff barked out a laugh. "Our little princess had to discover the wonders of alcohol before he lost his virginity!"
"Will you stop it?" Sanji exclaimed, his face a deep red. "If the ladies I've been fortunate enough to spend a night with were a teeny weeny bit drunk, then only because I've picked them up in a club! I'll have you know that I was quite a Casanova in my old days..."
"Yeah and that's why Kalifa, the only woman he had ever had a relationship with, picked him up and not the other way around," Zeff told Zoro who grinned back.
"I-... that's not-... it was my charm that attracted her, alright?"
The other two men laughed at Sanji's outburst and took another sip of their sake.
"You two get along far too well for my taste," Sanji mumbled under his breath.
"Can't be helped. Zoro is like a second son to me."
After that comment from Zeff, Zoro had suspiciously shiny eyes as he excused himself to wash the dishes.
Smiling, Sanji looked after him. "I might look like the 'girly' one," he said softly. "-but I'm telling you, he is the softy in our relationship."
"Well, he sure is a keeper," Zeff said as he watched Zoro washing their dishes. "Treat him well, eggplant. He deserves it."
"Believe me... I know."
After Zeff had finally left, Sanji and Zoro lay on the couch and watched some strange and boring TV drama. Sanji was hugged by Zoro from behind again, one of his arms draped over the cook, while Sanji's fingers drew small circles on Zoro's hand.
"You had better not lose this arm in a fight, Zoro..." the cook said after enjoying Zoro's warmth against his back for a while.
"Hm? Why?"
"Because... if you did, you wouldn't be able to hug me like this any more," Sanji said, fighting down the heat rising to his face. He knew, he was being a sap again but he couldn't help it... he was too happy and comfortable to care.
"That's about the cheesiest thing I've ever heard," Zoro said before he hissed. Sanji had pinched the skin on his hand at that comment.
"Shut up... I'm just being romantic here," the cook said.
"Hm... didn't say I don't like you saying cheesy things, did I?" Zoro said and Sanji felt him burying his nose in his hair.
"I'm serious, though," Sanji mumbled. "Lose that arm and I'm gonna kick your ass!"
"You're always kicking my ass."
Sanji grinned. "And you enjoy it more than you should."
"Hear, hear!"
"Damn pervert..."
Zoro just grinned.
"I love this, you know..." Sanji said after a while. "Living with you, I mean. Only a day and I already love it..."
"Me too," Zoro returned and the cook blushed as he felt him breathing in the scent of his shampoo. "A few weeks ago, I didn't even dare to dream about being like this with you..."
"I'm sorry..." Sanji whispered. He felt Zoro pulling away and pushing himself up so he could look down at the chef.
"Stop apologising, cook," Sanji heard him say. "We've been through this too many times already. Because I didn't say anything, I was as much at fault as you were."
"Still... if only we could've solved everything sooner. We've lost so many years..." Sanji mentioned wistfully.
"Maybe but... there are still many years to come."
Sanji slowly closed his eyes and sighed. Another look into their future... another declaration of them being together for years and years to come. For some unknown reason, it scared him a bit.
"... Zoro?" Sanji asked tentatively. He had opened his eyes again when he had felt the swordsman resting his head in the crook of his neck and shoulder.
"Hm?"
"If you're gonna get yourself killed one day, I'm gonna kill you," Sanji mumbled.
He felt Zoro grinning against his neck. "Do I hear a threat of domestic violence? Do I have to get Smoker?" the swordsman asked.
Sanji laughed. "Just try it. That guy has waited for ages to arrest us..."
"Hm, wonder why..."
"Might have to do with Luffy accidentally blowing up his car," Sanji mentioned.
"Best bonfire we ever had."
"Yeah, but Usopp cried."
"Well, Luffy used up all of his explosives," Zoro threw in.
"I think he was crying because he didn't want to be arrested, though..." Sanji said.
"True... and Smoker didn't really appreciate the fire either."
"He appreciated even less how Garp-san and Iceburg-san pulled strings to let Luffy and Usopp walk free with near to no punishment."
"Yeah, those days working at the zoo were the best of Luffy's life, if I remember correctly," Zoro mentioned.
"Hm, he loved the monkeys," Sanji said.
"They're related... he has to love them."
Both of them grinned and stayed silent for a few minutes. The TV drama, despite reaching its climax, was neither heard nor seen.
"I love this, Zoro," Sanji whispered after a while. "I love my life, my job, my friends... you."
"I love you, too," Zoro answered and Sanji smiled. He had heard these words a few dozen times by then but they still made his heart skip a beat.
"But I'm a bit scared, you know? Everything is too perfect. Usually when things go that well then... I expected my old man to have something against our relationship or at least be shocked about it and you know how that turned out. He practically adopted you."
"Do you want something terrible to happen?" Zoro asked.
"Of course not! But... I have a bad feeling."
"Hm, even if something bad was to happen, don't you think we can handle it? We are strong, Sanji. Our friends are too... the world could come to an end and I wouldn't worry at all as long as we're all together," Zoro said, his voice so full of confidence that Sanji almost believed him.
"Didn't picture you to be the optimistic type..." the cook said slowly.
"Well, I wasn't before I got you... now I feel as if anything is possible. I'm feeling stronger than ever."
"Good," Sanji said. He was smiling as he turned around in Zoro's arms to face him. "Because I won't go easy on you tonight."
Zoro grinned. "That's my line, shitcook."
One day later, Sanji called in sick and they had to get a new bed
... again.
End of Story One
I hope you liked your chapter, aQiel :)
I've had trouble uploading this again (for some reason I always got a block of text -.-), so tell me if anything doesn't seem right.
And as always: feedback is much appreciated.
Thank you for reading! :D