A/N: HEADCANNON TIME: I believe that while Zoro is an adorably stupid mossball, that when it comes to practical every day knowledge he usually slays Sanji. Sanji is definitely more intelligent, but with more mathematical and problem solving like questions...


Sanji sat at the kitchen table, legs tucked neatly underneath his chair as they crossed at the ankles as his fuzzy pink Sunday morning socks slid back and forth across the black linoleum. In one of his baggy white sweaters and a pair of Zoro's black sweat pants he absently tapped a pen to the piece of paper on the table. Humming quiet tunes to himself as a hand lightly played with his own hair.

Zoro remained on the couch, early morning news playing on mute as he set it to Japanese captions to practise his second language. Sprawled across the couch on the rainy Sunday morning they both just enjoyed the tranquil state provided by the workless day ahead of them and the rain pattering hypnotically on the window.

Sanji had a thing for doing the crosswords in the paper; boasting about improving his vocabulary or some other nonsense like that. Usually he just struggled with the damned thing before giving up and doing the slightly easier Sudoku, but even that usually ended up with the paper torn and in the garbage in frustration. Zoro didn't do anything, everyone had their own medicine they liked to take.

"Hey Zoro." Sanji asked lightly, not looking up from his paper as he pointed the pen at something on the page, "What's a three letter word for a Japanese sash?"

"Obi." Zoro responded easily, not even needing to think about the answer as he stared absently up at the ceiling. Sanji liked to pretend that he could do the crosswords, but the amount he asked Zoro's help for easily out weighed the amount that he himself filled in.

It wasn't long before the blond was hitting another wall and he asked, "Heavyweight wrestler; Muhammad...?"

"Ali." Zoro shot out without question, knowing Sanji clearly asked that since he knew Zoro never missed a damned match on the telly if he could help it.

"Fencing sword?"

"Saber." Zoro listed off easily, clasping his hands behind his head as he was really starting to wonder how the blond was having so much trouble with the damned thing. These were all simple answers; how was the blond struggling at all?

Pushing himself up he sauntered over to where his boyfriend was currently hunched over the table, pen tapping away in thought again. Running a hand through his own hair Zoro bent down, resting an arm over the back of the chair as he leaned over Sanji's shoulder to look at the crossword for himself. Several boxes were filled in, but most had only been due to Zoro's answers.

Snorting loudly at one of Sanji's answers he muttered, "Of course you would get the Streisand movie question right."

The back of Sanji's neck even tinted a little red with the force of his blush and an elbow was shot out, catching Zoro in the ribs as the blond growled, "Shut it!"

"Oh look!" Zoro pointed out mockingly, "You got 'whisk' too. Good job there. I'd be worried if you missed that one."

"Make yourself useful and grab me another cup of coffee asshole." Sanji only grumbled in response, placing his chin his hand as he refocused back on all the hints given for the wordplay. "I got 'maraschino' too."

"Bless you." Zoro muttered as he picked up Sanji's empty mug, making his way over to the counter as he filled up the blue swirly cup to the right amount before adding the correct portion of cream. Two cubes of sugar and he began stirring it absently so it would be just as the blond liked it.

Sanji flustered something fierce nearly tripping over his words as he said indignantly, "I didn't sneeze! It's a cherry you uncultured swin-" Sanji's words cut out as a small chuckle took over and had Zoro glancing back at his boyfriend.

"What?"

"Your name is in here." Sanji smirked up at the man, causing Zoro to raise a surprised eyebrow. Was it a question about that old Zorro movie; cause he certainly got ripped on a lot for having such a similar name. Personally he blamed the socialized up bringing of that movie that caused him to be so addicted to sword fighting.

Taking the mug carefully over to the blond, he set it down and glanced at the clue Sanji was pointing to. Number 53 down and the clue read;

'Velvety green ground cover'

Confused for only a moment he glanced up at the finished box on the crossword sheet to see the answer fitting into place perfectly;

'Moss'

"Oh fuck off." Zoro bit out around a grin, arm coming up to punch Sanji lightly in the shoulder, only causing Sanji to laugh harder.

"It's perfect for you because it's right beside the answer for a pig's cry." Sanji pointed out, as Zoro noted the word 'oink' was directly beside his so called 'name'. Sanji was laughing entirely too hard for the lame joke, keeling over in his chair in his giggles as he held his stomach.

Zoro tried to ignore the warm, fuzzy feeling he got whenever Sanji was laughing and instead reminded himself that it was him that Sanji was laughing at. Wrapping his arms tightly around his laughing boyfriend from behind he squeezed tightly in fake punishment as he buried his face into Sanji's shoulder and growled lightly to express his annoyance.

Being so close to his newly showered boyfriend had images of late last night come flooding back and suddenly he really didn't care much for that crossword at all anymore. Taking a deep inhale he filled his body with the amazing aroma of citrus, mangoes and the early morning cigarette the blond had undoubtedly had. Suddenly he was very grateful they had no where to be for the rest of the day.

"Why don't you give up on that crossword and come see just how 28 down I can be?" Zoro whispered hotly into Sanji's ear, holding on for only a second longer to feel Sanji's shiver, before pulling away and making his way out of the kitchen and to their bedroom.

Sanji could vaguely hear the bed room door opening and he frowned in confusion from his seat in the kitchen. Picking up the crossword he glanced at the clue Zoro had previously mentioned, the only clue a single word;

'Submissive'

The paper was in the trash before Sanji was even on his feet, nearly tripping over his slippery socks in his haste to run out of the kitchen and catch up with his boyfriend.

~END~


A/N: All the words and clues I used were in today's paper :) No matter what I do I cannot escape the ZoSan...