Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Disappointing. That one word could sum up Sanji's entire experience. He'd driven almost 3 hours to try that diner, and it was absolutely not worth it. 

His food blog had led him to many places, but he could definitively say this was one of, if not the worst. And now, unless he wanted to deal with rush hour traffic in LA, he wouldn't even be able to make it to his normal sports bar for the game tonight. 

He'd originally planned on staying in and watching it in his hotel room, but after that horrible late lunch dining experience, he needed a stiff drink and some shitty bar food to enjoy it with.

A quick search on his phone pinpointed a little sports bar within walking distance from his hotel. So, after getting checked into his hotel, he threw on a pair of jeans and his jersey and started his trek to the bar.

— — —

Zoro wasn't lost. The place he was heading to had to be around here, somewhere. He KNEW he'd taken the right exit; it's the same exit he took every Monday and Thursday night after work.

He didn't remember the place being this far from the freeway, but he refused to open maps like he usually did. He could find the place by himself.

After another 30 minutes of driving, he finally gave up. At this rate, he was going to miss kickoff, and he'd really hoped to be at least 2 beers in before the end of the pre-game show.

He pulled over to the side of the road and pulled up his maps, typing ‘sports bar’ in the search field. He never remembered the name of the place, but he figured he was close enough that it should pull up the one he was looking for.

He selected the closest one on the map, 10 minutes away. Perfect, he should still get there with plenty of time left. He pulled back onto the road and followed the prompts. Fortunately, maps only made him take 2 wrong turns the rest of the way there. 

Except this was decidedly NOT the place he was trying to get. It was the exact reason he didn't trust maps in the first place. 

He let out a sigh as he pulled into an available stall. With only 30 minutes to game time, he didn't really have time to try and find the right place.

The bar didn't look too bad, honestly; there weren't too many cars in the lot, so it probably wasn't too busy, and it looked like it was kept in good order, unlike some of the more dive places he'd been.

When he walked into the bar, his eyes were drawn to a blonde sitting in a corner wearing a hideous yellow and blue jersey. Damn, that was too bad. He might’ve been cute if he wasn't a Rams fan. 

His eyes fell to the jersey number, 10, Cooper Kupp. He was probably a freaking bandwagoner too. There'd been a lot of them recently, with the Rams moving to LA back in 2015. 

He turned away and headed to find a seat at the bar itself, making sure he had a good view of one of the big screens that were scattered throughout the bar, and ordered a pint of beer.

He was always happy to see the Rams lose, but for some reason, he was even more excited for that prospect tonight. 

— — —

Sanji leaned back in his chair as he took in the bar; it was actually quite cozy. It wasn't too busy, but it also wasn't dead; it would be a nice atmosphere to enjoy the game.

He'd ordered a drink and an appetizer platter when he got here and was just sipping his drink while he waited. The pre-game was just background noise as he sat and decomposed. He'd heard the door swing open and closed a couple of times, but ignored it until he thought he felt eyes on him. 

He turned his gaze towards the door to see a guy with green hair heading towards the bar. He could only see his profile from this angle, but he wasn't too hard on the eyes. If only he wasn't wearing that ugly red and white jersey. Too bad; he's exactly the kind of guy Sanji usually liked to invite back to his hotel. If only he wasn't a Niners fan.

He loved seeing the Niners lose, but watching the Rams beat them tonight felt like it would be sweeter than usual.

— — —

Zoro cheered as Kittle landed, both feet touching down in the outside corner of the end zone, the play setting the Niners up to be ahead by 10 at the end of the half.

“Come on, that was incomplete! He was out of bounds!’

Zoro turned to glare at the patron who'd said it, a retort on the tip of his tongue, but someone beat him to it. 

“Shut the hell up. Assholes like you are the type of fans that give the rest of us a bad rap. It was a good catch, exactly what you'd expect out of 85, unfortunately.”

The comment was made by the blonde in the corner; Zoro turned a little bit further in his chair to glance at him, and their eyes met for a fraction of a second before the other man's eyes dropped to Zoro's chest, where the number 85 was sewn across his jersey. A scowl crossed the man's face before he looked intently down at his food, picking at the basically empty plate in front of him.

Zoro snorted and turned back around. He may be a Rams fan, but at least he wasn't completely stupid. The announcers on the TV confirmed the call, the slow-motion replay showing both feet in bounds as Kittle secured the catch, and the kicker was brought on to kick the extra point before the teams made their way to the locker rooms for halftime. 

It had been a pretty fun game so far; there was a mixture of both Niners and Rams fans spread throughout. Which made sense considering the location of the bar. Zoro had, at some point, realized he'd traveled MUCH further than intended and was almost as close to San Francisco as he was to his own home on the outskirts of LA.

Zoro called over the bartender. He needed another beer, and maybe he'd order something else too.

— — —

Sanji glared down at his plate, picking up a couple of the remaining fries and shoving them in his mouth. 

Stupid musclehead and his stupid George Kittle jersey. He'd definitely been looking at the number earlier, and not the way the jersey stretched obscenely over the man's ridiculously large chest.

He was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of a glass being set on his table. Another one of the cocktails he'd been ordering. He glanced up at the bartender, confused. 

“I didn't order this.”

“It's from the green-haired man at the bar. He also asked me to give you this.”

The bartender handed him a folded-up piece of paper and walked away. 

Sanji glanced at the other man, who just smirked at him before turning back around to his own drink and the TV in front of him. 

He looked back down to the paper in his hand. It was probably the guy's number. What an asshole; thinking he could order him a drink and Sanji would fall all over him. 

He was so tempted to just throw it away without opening it but decided not to. He unfolded the paper to read the words sprawled almost illegibly across the paper. 

‘Sorry your team sucks.’

Oh, that absolute piece of shit. 

Sanji stood from his seat and stormed over to the bar. 

“MY team sucks?!? Remind me again how our match-up ended earlier this year. Who won that game? Oh, that's right, WE did.”

The green-haired man stood from his own seat, standing eye to eye with Sanji, a scowl on his face. 

“That was a fluke, and you know it! Niners are 9-3 over the Rams since the start of the 2019 season!”

“Yeah, but they're 0-1 where it really matters. Do you need a recap of the 2021 NFC Championship game? We're also one game up on up in the division.”

“We're changing that tonight!”

By now the two were in each other's faces, foreheads pressed together. 

“Boys! Don't make me ask you to leave.”

The two men stepped away from each other in a hurry, both flushing a little in embarrassment.

They both mumbled an apology to the bartender and separated themselves. The green-haired man took his seat and immediately got to work chugging his beer, and Sanji went back to his table to nurse his own drink.

The heat under his collar was definitely, 100%, due to the fact that the other man pissed him off. There was absolutely no other possible reason. He hated that guy. He knew nothing else about him other than the fact that he was an annoying Niners fan, and he positively despised him.

He was distracted from his brewing by the start of the second half.

— — —

Zoro chugged the rest of his beer and ordered another one, apologizing again to the bartender.

The nerve of that guy, getting in his face like that. Sure, he may have brought it on a little bit with his note, but damn, the man had a short fuse. And that fact should not be affecting him this way. He was just a little pent up; that must be the reason his body was reacting the way it was. 

Zoro took another glance around the room, paying a little extra attention to the other Niners fans. Maybe he could convince one of them to take him home tonight. He didn't really want to rent a hotel room, and he sure as hell wasn't driving 3 hours home after the game. 

His attention was pulled back to the TV by the start of the second half.

It was only a couple of minutes into the third quarter when he heard someone sit next to him at the bar. He glanced to his side to see a man, probably about his age, with dark brown hair braided to look like a mohawk, then continuing in a braid down his back. He had a tattoo on the left side of his face that went down his neck and continued underneath the white Niners jersey that he was wearing. 

“What're you drinking?”

Zoro turned to fully face the man at his question. 

“Guinness.”

The man called the bartender over, ordering another pint for Zoro and something for himself. 

“Names Wyper.”

“Zoro.”

“Haven't seen you around before. You new to the area?”

“Nah. Just passing through.”

“Where you staying for the night?”

Zoro grinned.

“Nowhere yet. You have any recommendations?”

Wyper grinned back. 

“I'm sure I could think of somewhere.”

— — —

Sanji was glaring daggers at the bar. Some other guy had been sitting next to Mosshead, as Sanji had decided to call the green-haired man, since around the start of the third quarter. And, for some reason, it was getting under his skin; he'd barely been able to pay attention to the game. 

He stood from his seat and made his way over to the bar, sitting in the stool on the other side of Mosshead.

“So, question, did you willingly dye your hair that color, or did you lose a bet? With your taste, I'm betting on the former.”

Mosshead turned to him with a glare.

“You trying to pick a fight, dartbrow?”

“It was an honest que- DARTBROW?!?”

Mosshead smirked at his reaction. 

“Are they naturally like that, or do you paint them on every morning?”

“Listen here, Mosshead!”

“Mosshead?!?”

“The fourth quarter is starting.”

This time they were interrupted by mohawk guy. 

Sanji had to bite his tongue to prevent himself from telling the man to fuck off. 

“Can I get any of you something to drink?”

Sanji placed his order, but instead of heading back to his table after getting his drink, he stayed in his new seat at the bar. The view of the TV was definitely better from here. 

Mohawk ordered himself and Mosshead another round, and Sanji tried to pretend like that fact didn't piss him off. 

— — —

Zoro could feel Curly, as he’d decided to call the short-tempered man, stewing beside him. Was he really that pissed about being called dartbrow?

“Zoro?”

Oh, Wyper was talking to him, and he hadn't heard a word he'd said.

“Sorry, I spaced out.”

Wyper laughed. 

“Do you do any sports betting?”

“Not a ton. I like to play around in DraftKings a little, but I feel like if you get too much into that kinda thing, it takes some of the enjoyment out of just watching a good game of football.”

“That makes sense. How about a friendly wager then?”

Zoro could still see Curly out of the corner of his eye and was having a hard time giving Wyper his full attention again.

Fortunately, he was saved from whatever he'd been saying by a cheer going around the bar. He glanced up at the screen to watch the replay. Stafford to Nacua, 46-yard touchdown to tie the game. Shit. This was feeling a lot like a repeat of the game earlier this year. 

But there was still a lot of time left in the quarter. Wyper was talking again. It was nice at first, but he really wanted to watch the game, not make idle chit-chat. But he was still hoping the man would take him home.

He turned just slightly towards him.

“You're really engaged in the game, aren't you?”

Zoro shrugged. He knew the question was hypothetical, so he just picked back up off the last thing he remembered hearing.

“Friendly wager? What did you have in mind?”

“Next Niners touchdown, running or passing, and who?”

Zoro heard a snort from his other side. 

“They're not going to make it in again.”

Zoro ignored him while he went over the game in his head. Kittle and Purdy were on fire tonight, but that was pretty common lately, and the Rams D would expect it. Guerendo was running pretty well tonight too. But what if…

“Purdy is going to run it in for the next touchdown.”

“I think it's gonna be a pass to Jennings.”

“What does the winner get?”

Wyper smiled suggestively at him.

“Whatever they want.”

“Deal.”

Wyper’s attention finally went back to the TV, and Zoro relaxed back into his seat. He figured that either way he was in for a good night. Then he remembered something. 

He turned to face Curly.

“We will make it in again. More than once.”

“Yeah? How confident are you on that?”

He glanced at the TV; 4 and out, the Niners were punting to the Rams. But the Niners would get it back. 

“You wanna make a bet too, Curly?”

“Yes, I do, Mosshead. Niners aren't scoring another touchdown.”

“I think they'll score at LEAST two.”

“Ok. Then one touchdown is middle ground.”

“What are your terms?”

“If they don't score a touchdown, you have to dye your hair blue for the rest of the season.”

“Deal. And when the Niners DO score two touchdowns, you have to shave off your stupid eyebrows.”

Curly glared at him. 

“Fine. But only because I know it's not going to happen.”

Zoro stuck out his hand, and Curly took it, shaking on the deal.

They both turned back to the TV.

***

No one won any bets that night. There was one more touchdown scored by the Niners, but it was a run by Guerendo.

And about halfway through the fourth quarter, Zoro had lost interest in Wyper, or maybe Wyper had lost interest in him; either way, he wasn't too concerned about it. As soon as Guerendo got in, Wyper had wanted to start talking again about who knows what, and Zoro had been too invested in the game to reply with more than some minor acknowledgment. He also maybe started paying a little more attention to Curly, hurling insults about their teams as the time on the clock wound down. It wasn't long after that that Wyper’d wandered off, leaving just Zoro and Curly at the bar.

The game came to a close, and Zoro was stuck with a decision; he either had to drive home or find a hotel. 

“Well, Mossy, it was horrible meeting you, and I hope to never see you again.”

Zoro rolled his eyes at the remark.

"Feeling’s mutual, Curls.”

Zoro watched the other man leave before he ordered another beer and looked up the closest hotel on maps. There was one a couple blocks away. After finishing his drink, he closed out his tab and made his way to his truck, heading to the hotel. He could have sworn he saw a flash of blonde accompanied by that disgusting blue and yellow walking into one of the rooms, but he was probably seeing things. 

He checked in and got the key to his own room, stripping out of his clothes and tossing them on the floor as he climbed into the bed. 

If his dreams were focused on a certain blonde, this time dressed in scarlet and gold, well, that was no one's business but his own.

— — —

Sanji paid his tab and made his way out of the bar as quickly as he could, before he did something stupid like try to have an actual conversation with the infuriating mosshead. 

Zoro, that's what Mohawk had called him.

Not that he cared what his name was. He'd never come back to this town, and he'd never see him again. 

The fresh air on the way back to his hotel was just what he needed to clear his head. He heard the sound of a truck pulling into the hotel as he entered his room. He glanced back for a moment before he closed the door and could have sworn he saw a flash of green, red, and white. But it must have been a trick of the light. He didn't care enough to confirm.

He stripped off his clothes, folding them up nicely to put into his bag, before pulling out some pajamas to change into after his shower.

He took his time washing the day's events off his skin, both the miserable lunch experience and the chaotic events at the bar. He pulled on his pajamas in a tired haze before climbing into bed and passing out.

His dreams brought visions of green, but this time covered in royal blue and gold. He probably enjoyed it a little too much, but that was a secret he'd take to his grave.

Chapter Text

Zoro had successfully navigated to his regular place this time. The bartender recognized him when he came in before the afternoon games, commenting about how they'd missed him Thursday night, and was already pouring his draft.

He sat alone, nursing his third beer as he stared mindlessly at the TV closest to him. Had watching football here always been this boring? Maybe it was the fact that the Niners season was all but over for the season. 

Sure, if the Niners win out the season and both the Rams and Seahawks lose the next two games and tie in their head-to-head at the end of the season, and the Cardinals lose 2 out of 3, the Niners could still make it. But, despite the fact that he had actually gone through possible scenarios in his head, he wasn't delusional enough to really think that was a possibility.

He watched as the Cardinals walked all over the Patriots. If they win this game, like they likely would, the Niners would officially be at least one game behind everyone in their division.

He drained the last of his drink, turning in his chair to look out over the room. Was it just him, or were there more Rams jerseys than usual? A crowd of them cheered as the Patriots made it into the end zone. Their season was still dependent slightly on the outcome of that game, as it would put the Rams up by 2 games instead of 1 if the Patriots did pull it off.

At this point, he was, very healthily, wishing for the downfall of the Rams. He couldn't even muster any animosity for his other two division rivals. It was all focused on those assholes in yellow and blue.

He hoped the rest of their season spiraled, just like that idiot's eyebrows.

Where the hell had that thought come from? 

Zoro groaned as he turned back around to the bar, glad to see a full beer sitting where his empty one had been. He grabbed it and took a nice long drink. 

The Seahawks played tonight; if they lost, the Rams would take over the division. If there was anything he hated as much as rooting for the Rams, it was rooting for the Seahawks, but he might make an exception tonight.

Though, he supposed it was in his own team's best interest to root against them too. So, it looks like he's a Packers fan tonight. Curly would probably be at that other stupid bar rooting for the Packers too.

Not that he cared. 

— — —

Sanji walked into his regular bar just before Sunday Night Football’s opening kickoff. He had spent most of the day debating whether or not he actually wanted to come out, but tonight's game had just as much of an impact on his season as Thursday nights had. If the Seahawks lose today, the Rams are at the top of the division, meaning they're that much closer to a playoff spot.

He'd known for sure that he didn't want to come for the afternoon games; with the Chargers playing in that time slot, the bar was probably filled with Chargers fans, and he wanted to avoid some of the crowd.

Honestly, it wasn't the best bar around; it was usually a little more crowded than he preferred, but it was within walking distance of his apartment, and walking was much better than driving when you lived in LA, even on the outskirts.

There were still quite a few Chargers fans in there, drinking away their sorrows after a 40-17 loss, but a lot had seemed to filter out, leaving a few empty seats at the main bar.

He made his way to the bar and flagged down the bartender once he'd taken a seat.

“Hey Sanji! Missed you Thursday night. Thought for sure you'd be here with the Rams playin’.”

“Yeah. Had to go out of town for work.”

“Aw. That's too bad. Just the usual for ya?”

“Yeah, thanks, Pedro.”

He turned his attention to the TV, his nose scrunching a bit. The Seahawks were wearing their ugly green highlighter jerseys. They were insufferable to begin with, almost as bad as the Niners, but these jerseys were hideous and always gave him a headache. 

The Seahawks are playing the Packers tonight. The Packers were wearing their whiteout jerseys, solid white with green details, a much more palatable shade than the Seahawks. The color was kind of similar to the Mosshead’s hair.

Shit. Why was he still thinking about that moron?

“Something wrong with your drink, Sanji? Need me to remake it?”

Sanji realized he'd been glaring at the glass placed in front of him, and he flushed a little. 

“I'm sure it's fine. Sorry, I was thinking about something else.”

He took a sip of his drink as he continued thinking. Was Zoro the type of guy that went to that bar every day there was football? Or was he the kind that only went for Niners games? He seemed kinda chummy with mohawk, so maybe he was a regular there. He probably went home with him that night. Not that Sanji cared what he did or who he went home with.

He groaned and violently shook his head, as if doing so would clear the other man from his mind.

Pedro leaned against the bar, a smile on his face. 

“Anything I can help with to get that frustrated look off your face?”

Sanji turned his attention back to the bartender. He wasn't gonna lie, the man was attractive. Rugged, built, and he carried himself well; he had a feline grace to him, and sometimes he got this look like he was ready to pounce. 

He was also a huge flirt, at least where Sanji was concerned. Sanji wasn't sure if he was like that with anyone else, but he laid it on pretty heavily with Sanji. He would basically lavish attention on Sanji anytime he was in the bar. It was nice, to a degree, but he was a little too… sweet. Sanji liked his men a little more rough around the edges.

Pedro may be built to be able to throw someone around, but he didn't seem like the type who would do so. Zoro, on the other hand…

Sanji dropped his head on the counter. Ugh. He needed to stop thinking about him; he was never going to see him again, and he didn't want to.

He sat up straighter and tried to focus on the game, anything to keep his mind off the stupid mosshead.

But the game wasn't much of a distraction… The Packers were killing the Seahawks. It was exactly what he wanted to happen, but it made the bar seem duller than it usually would.

There were still plenty of Rams fans cheering and generally rowdying up the place, but it all seemed rather lackluster, almost like something was missing. Had it always been like this?

Sanji ended up leaving before the end of the game. It was a blowout, and the fact that the Rams topped the division now was just a thought in the background. 

— — —

Zoro left the bar early; the Packers were up by 17 at halftime, and the Seahawks weren't playing like they wanted to win. He couldn't even get into the game, so he left before the start of the second half. He'd try again tomorrow; maybe today was just an off day. There were two games on Monday night, so hopefully the bar would be a little more exciting.

***

Monday night rolled around, and Zoro found himself just as bored as yesterday. He’d decided to root for the Bears today. He always got a kick out of it when a 4-9 team like the Bears beat an 11-2 team like the Vikings. The Falcons and Raiders were also playing that night, with the Raiders being the underdog, but it would be a cold day in hell before he EVER rooted for the Raiders. So, Bears it was.

The game itself was a snooze fest, and not even the alcohol was helping. The Falcons and Raiders game was closer and maybe a little more exciting, but like he said, a cold day in hell, so he didn't even want to watch it.

Was he getting sick or something? He usually loved watching football just to watch it, but he couldn't bring himself to care. 

He found his mind drifting again to the blonde from Thursday night. He didn't even know the asshole’s name. Would things be more interesting if he were there to annoy?

He shook his head at that useless thought; it really didn't matter.

When he got back home that night, he flopped down on his bed and grabbed his phone, pulling up the maps application to his most recent trips.

‘Moby Dick’s Sports Bar. 2 hours and 47 minutes away.’

He quickly closed out of the app. There was no way he was actually thinking about it. He was not going to drive 3 hours to see someone who would probably be happy to never see him again. Zoro wasn't even sure why he wanted to see the other guy; he'd probably rub salt in his wounds about the fact that the Rams were top of the division now. 

God, Zoro just wanted to punch his stupid pretty face. But he couldn't, because he was absolutely never going to see him again. 

He pulled up the app again, clicking and holding the entry in his history and selecting delete.

— — —

Sanji didn't even bother going to the bar Monday. He knew he wouldn't enjoy himself. Monday nights at the place he went to were usually a bit slower than Sunday's, but he didn't even care about any of the games tonight. Bears vs. Vikings and Falcons vs. Raiders. Neither one held any interest to him. Sure, he enjoyed watching football in general, but with the huge difference in overall records for the two matchups, both games would probably be blowouts, and he'd already watched one of those last night. 

So he just stayed in, taking the night to chill and take a nice relaxing bath.

Thursday night was supposed to be Broncos vs. Chargers, so his normal bar would be packed with Chargers fans, and they were bound to get annoying if the Broncos were playing well. 

Was there another place around here that he could check out? Maybe he just needed a change of pace. Or maybe he would just stay home Thursday too.

What was the name of that other place? Moby’s something or other? Maybe he could show up there, just to rub the Rams standing in Zoro's obnoxious, handsome face. Pick a fight with the other guy, this time outside of the bar, and see if those ridiculous muscles were all for show. He'd been itching for a real fight recently. 

He shook his head; he was absolutely NOT driving 3 hours for that; it wasn't worth it. He was just going to forget that place even existed for his own sanity. He was never going back there again.

Chapter Text

Sanji couldn't believe he was actually doing this. It was a good thing that he had a hybrid with great gas mileage, because he was currently making a 400+ mile round trip to a stupid sports bar.

The place was just as slow as it had been last Thursday. He pulled into a parking stall a little bit away from the front entrance and just sat there, watching as more people began arriving the closer it got to game time. His eyes scanned the people he saw for a flash of green hair.

This was so stupid. What did it matter if Zoro was here or not? It's not like he came here just to see him. The bar was just more exciting, and their drinks were better, and maybe he was just a little sick of bars in LA. Sick enough of them that he'd drive any distance to find somewhere else. He just happened to know exactly where this one was. 

He climbed out of his car and went in, making a path to the bar and climbing onto a stool. The bartender was the same one from the other day, an attractive guy with wavy brown hair and freckles scattered across his nose and cheeks. 

He gave Sanji a smile from where he stood, pouring a draft for one of the other customers. 

“One minute, I'll be right with ya.”

Sanji nodded as he looked out over the room. He hadn't even thought about the fact that the Chargers were playing tonight. He was even happier that he'd decided to come out here tonight. His other bar was probably packed to the brim with Chargers fans.

He placed his order when the bartender came over, an appetizer platter and an Old Fashioned, sipping on his drink as he watched the TV screen.

He'd seen mohawk come in out of the corner of his eye but hadn't seen any green yet. But there was still time before the game started.

— — —

Zoro was really regretting his decision to try a new bar. This one was packed with Chargers fans; he'd even come an hour before game time. And who decided that both of the LA teams should be blue and yellow? It wasn't even a good color combination to begin with; it was almost nauseating in this magnitude.

Fortunately, most of the people seemed to be in groups and sitting in booths or at tables, so he was able to find an open spot at the bar. The bartender gave him a nod in greeting as he sat, and Zoro waited patiently for him to finish serving the other people before he came over.

“Sorry for the wait. What can I get for you?”

“Can I start with a pitcher of Guinness?”

“Sure thing, coming right up.”

He waited as the man poured the pitcher, delivering it and a cup to Zoro.

“Anything else?”

“I think that's it. Thanks.”

“Sounds good. Name's Pedro. If you need anything else, just give me a shout.”

Zoro nodded, and the bartender turned around, off to attend to another patron. 

— — —

Sanji barely paid attention to the game; his eyes were pulled to the door every time he heard it open, but by halftime there was no sign of Zoro.

“You waitin' for someone?”

He turned in the direction that the voice came from to see a man standing next to him.

“Why would you think that?”

“You keep looking at the door.”

Sanji tried not to flush; he hadn't realized he'd been that obvious. He adjusted his chair, turning it so the door wasn't as obvious in his peripherals and slightly more towards the person next to him. 

“Nah. Just distracted easily tonight, I guess.”

The man was tall and lanky, with a narrow face and short, spiky dark hair. He had a white and blue striped headband covering most of it.

The man smiled at him. 

“You new around here?”

“I'm actually from a little further south, came here a little bit ago, and liked the atmosphere, so decided to come back.”

It was mostly true.

“Ah, it's a pretty nice place. I live about an hour out, but I try to come out anytime the Chargers are on Prime Time; there isn't really anywhere to watch them where I live.”

Sanji glanced down to see the Chargers jersey the man was sporting and tried not to roll his eyes; he was trying to get AWAY from these guys. 

“Gin! Where's my drink!?”

Gin startled and turned to face the person who'd been addressing him. 

“Sorry, Kreig. I'll be right over.”

He turned back to Sanji, a sheepish look on his face.

“Well, it was nice meeting you…”

He trailed off, and Sanji realized he was waiting for his name.

“Sanji.”

“Sanji. I hope to see you around sometime.”

Sanji just nodded at him, a fake smile plastered on his face, as the guy grabbed the drinks that had been sitting in front of him and went back to his table. Had he seriously been trying to flirt with Sanji while his boyfriend was right there? What an asshole. Not that Sanji had even been interested in the first place. 

He glanced up at the TV; 21-13, the Broncos were up. He'd expected the Chargers to put up at least a little fight, since their playoff chances were on the line, but maybe he'd expected too much. He should just go home. 

He flagged down the bartender and ordered a glass of water. He'd only had 2 drinks and had finished the food he'd ordered, so a glass of water would be enough for him to head home. So he downed the glass of water, closed out his tab, and left.

— — —

Zoro had almost headed home at halftime. The Broncos had been up by 8, and this bar was worse than his usual one. Not only was it still boring, but the obnoxious yelling at the screen by all the Chargers fans was driving him crazy.

He decided to stick it out, though. He was already there and he'd just ordered another drink. By the end of the 3rd quarter, the Chargers had brought the score to 24-19, they'd come out of the locker room with a renewed spirit and were playing hard.

He found himself getting into the game a little bit more. He always loved watching it when games took a 180 at the half.

The game ended with the Chargers on top 34-27. They'd outscored the Broncos 21-6 in the second half, and even Zoro could admit that that was impressive, especially with the way the Chargers had been playing lately. The rest of the bar had been ecstatic.

He'd left shortly after the game ended. It had actually been a pretty entertaining day, but he was definitely never going back to that bar again. He'd seen enough blue and yellow to last the rest of his life, even if the shades were slightly different.

***

Sunday morning Zoro found himself heading north. His maps pulled up on his phone, the destination set was Moby Dick’s. He'd deleted the place from his app specially to prevent this from happening, but after Thursday night's game, he couldn't get the place, and a certain person in blue and yellow, out of his head.

So here he was, at 6 am, driving way out of his way so he could make it before opening kickoff for the 10 am games. Maps said 2 hours and 47 minutes, but he had to account for the 30-45 minutes it would add to make up for the times he knew maps would send him the wrong way.

The place was pretty dead when he got there, which wasn't surprising considering it had only opened at 9.

The bartender gave him an odd look before it quickly turned to a smile. It was the same guy from the last time he was here.

“Welcome back. What can I get ya?”

Zoro took a seat at the bar.

“Can I get an Irish Coffee?”

“Sure thing. Want anything to eat?”

Food was probably a good idea, considering how early it was.

“What do you have?”

The bartender handed him a menu and got to work making his drink as he continued talking.

“It's mostly just the basics, but if there's anything specific you're craving, Thatch is more than happy to whip it up as long as we have the ingredients.”

Zoro glanced at the menu. 

“Think he could make omurice?”

“I can definitely ask.”

He placed Zoro's drink in front of him.

“Thanks.”

“Sure thing, give me just a quick minute to talk to Thatch, and I'll let you know.”

He disappeared into the back, and Zoro took a swig of his drink, watching the pre-game show on the TV directly in front of him.

He heard the door swing open and barely kept himself from turning to look at who it was. If Curly was gonna show up, it would be soon. The Rams started at 10 today.

Not that it mattered if he showed up; Zoro certainly hadn't driven out here just on the off chance that he'd see him; it was only because he was tired of the places in his area. Though, he was paying way more than he should for gas in his truck. But he was choosing not to think about that.

The bartender came back out, and the person who just entered greeted him.

“Hey, Ace. How are you doing today?”

He recognized the voice. 

“Doin' good, Wyper. Just the usual?”

“Yeah, thanks.”

Ace turned to Zoro. 

“Thatch says he has what he needs, so that'll be right out.”

Zoro nodded his thanks.

He turned to the other man at the bar who gave him a smile. 

“Just passin' through again?”

Zoro shrugged. 

“Somethin' like that.”

Wyper took a seat next to him, and Ace delivered him his drink, and he lifted it in cheers. 

“Fuck the Rams?”

Zoro laughed, raising his own in response and clinking them together. 

“Fuck the Rams.”

— — —

Sanji looked at the sign above the bar he'd chosen today. 

‘Funky Bar’

He wasn't sure what possessed him to choose this place for his Sunday football fix, but here he was. The place was a little hole-in-the-wall type place, but it looked like it was in good repair, and he was pleasantly surprised to find that it really wasn't too packed at all. He hadn't wanted to stay home, but he also hadn't wanted to go to his usual place. 

There were a few Rams jerseys scattered around the bar, and it seemed cozy enough; he could see himself coming back here if the atmosphere was right.

Rams were playing the Jets today, so it should be a fairly easy game, but every game mattered right now with them and the Seahawks neck and neck. The Seahawks were playing the Vikings today too, so it was a pretty good probability that they could pull ahead by a game this week. But he didn't want to jinx anything, so he was being cautiously optimistic.

He was disappointed by the end of the first half, sure the Jets were only up by 3, but he was a little peeved at how the game was going. The kicker missed the extra point after their touchdown, which was always annoying, but on top of that it meant a field goal would tie it instead of putting them ahead. Which didn't seem like much, but it could easily be the difference between winning in regulation or going into overtime. And overtime was never fun.

He was getting even more frustrated as the third quarter passed without either team putting any points on the board. 

The bar was not as loud as he was hoping it would be. A few more people had wandered in, so it's not like the place was empty, even though it wasn't packed, but he felt like he was the only one actually watching the game; it was incredibly dull.

In the beginning of the fourth, the Rams started running away with the game. A field goal, to tie the game, followed shortly after by a touchdown to take the lead, then another field goal. The Jets didn't score at all in the second half. 

He cheered to himself as the game came to a close. The Rams would remain at the top of their division for at least another week. Playoffs were in sight. 

— — —

Zoro groaned as the Rams game came to a close. Of course they had to go and beat the Jets, not that he'd expected anything different, but he could hope. The Niners last chance at making the playoffs was squashed first thing Sunday morning by the same team that destroyed their hopes last week. He couldn't even hold on to his delusional thoughts for one more week.

At least the morning had been more entertaining than the previous Sunday. Wyper was actually pretty good company; they'd commiserated over the season, and Zoro had bought the two of them a few drinks throughout the game.

He still found himself glancing at the door occasionally, hoping, for some odd reason, that the curly-browed idiot would walk through the door. Probably just so he had an actual person to blame the loss of his season on, someone to bicker with. 

Maybe he could piss him off enough that he'd meet him outside after the games for a fight. He'd been itching for a good brawl recently, and something told him the other man would be a good opponent.

The next set of games was even more of a disappointment. Sure, the Seahawks lost, but so did the Niners. So even if the Rams hadn't won, the Niners would have ended their own season with that loss.

He'd also drank more than he should have if he'd planned on driving home tonight, so he would probably end up paying for a hotel again. 

“Well, that was a disappointing morning and afternoon.”

Zoro chuckled. 

“Definitely. Not sure there's enough alcohol in this place to drown my sorrows.”

Wyper laughed at that.

“I've got a pretty strong bottle of whiskey back home and a spare room for you to crash in if you haven't already booked a hotel. We could watch Sunday Night there and commiserate into oblivion.”

“Sounds good to me.”

He was glad that he hadn't ended up going home with Wyper that first night. He could definitely see himself spending more time out here, and it would be a little less expensive if he had a friend's house to crash at. 

— — —

Funky Bar got a little louder when both the Seahawks and the Niners lost in the afternoon games. It was one thing for the Rams to win, but the Seahawks losing put them a solid game ahead. Meaning the Rams were really in charge of their own destiny.

They played the Cardinals next week and the Seahawks the week after. With both teams being divisional rivals, though, they were going to be tough games, so their playoff spot was anything but clinched. But he was feeling really good about their chances.

The bar had also picked up a little, and Sanji actually found himself enjoying the place a little more. He ended up sticking around through the evening game, only a little disappointed as the Cowboys pulled out a win over the Buccaneers. 

He wasn't sure who still decided that the Cowboys were ‘America's Team’. Not a single person in the bar was glad that they won. 

As he walked home, he decided that today hadn't been too bad. Maybe he'd come out to this bar again sometime. 

Chapter Text

Zoro didn't even watch Monday night’s game. He'd woken that next morning with a pounding headache. Wyper hadn't been kidding; the whiskey had been strong. They'd both been on the right side of too drunk and just drunk enough when they'd called it a night, retiring to separate rooms.

The next morning, they'd exchanged numbers over breakfast and coffee before Zoro headed out. They’d also planned for Zoro to come back up this weekend. The last 2 weeks of the regular season, and into the playoffs, there were usually games on Saturday and Sunday, so he'd come out Saturday morning and hang around for the next day.

Plus, the Rams are scheduled to play Saturday night, so if a certain blonde was gonna show up, that would be when. And he wasn't going to miss the opportunity to antagonize the man. 

He'd been tempted to ask Wyper about him, to see if he knew when he usually came in, but he didn't want the guy to get the wrong idea.

The NFL usually had a few games on Christmas, and since Christmas fell on a Wednesday this year, that meant additional days of football. Zoro was looking forward to it.

He usually spent his Christmases alone, and he kinda preferred it that way. His family lived in another country, and his best friend was usually never in one place long. So on his way home Monday, he stopped at the store to grab some beer and plenty of microwavable foods and snacks so he wouldn't have to leave his house and deal with last-minute holiday shoppers.

He spent the whole day Wednesday on his couch, his Niners blanket over his legs and snacks and beer on his coffee table. He hadn't even bothered to put clothes on, just remaining in the boxers he'd slept in. 

The first game, Chiefs vs. Steelers, went about as he'd expected, Chiefs coming out on top. Though he still wasn't sure how the Chiefs had the record they did. He didn't expect them to make it past the AFC Championship game, though. But they were the Chiefs, so you could never rule them out.

Ravens dominated in the afternoon game vs. the Texans. 31-2. The only points the Texans managed to put on the board were from a safety. 

Overall, it had been a pretty relaxing day, even if the excitement had been lacking. Tomorrow's game would hopefully be more entertaining. 

— — —

Sanji was glad he'd just watched Monday night from home. Packers beat the Saints 34-0. They'd been up 21-0 at the end of the first half, and Sanji had turned it off and turned in early. He was planning on heading out to his dad's the next day and staying there the rest of the week, so a little extra sleep would only do him good. 

He didn't watch much of the games on Wednesday. He spent most of his time with his dad and the rest of the crew from the restaurant. They'd been his little found family when he and his dad relocated here from St. Louis when he was a kid. 

The games that day didn't really matter to him anyway; he was mostly interested in Thursday night's game. Seahawks were playing the Bears. He was really hoping for a Bears win, anything to keep the Seahawks behind them. A loss would make the rest of the season easy. They wouldn't have to worry if they lost to the Cardinals. But if the Seahawks won and the Rams lost, playoffs would hinge completely on who won the last game of the season.

***

The Seahawks were really looking like they wanted to lose with the way they were playing. The team couldn't get into the end zone to save their lives. 

The score was 6-3 at halftime. Seahawks up by 3.

The rest of the game was scoreless. It was a big disappointment. Both in the excitement of the game as well as the outcome. 

He had his fingers crossed that the Rams could pull out a win against the Cardinals so that maybe the starters could sit against the Seahawks and get a week of rest before the playoffs. 

***

He really had planned on leaving his dad's Friday afternoon, but he'd been roped into helping a little bit at the restaurant, not that he minded; he almost missed working in the kitchens.

Then suddenly it was after 9, and he was exhausted from being on his feet all day, so he decided he'd make the trek home tomorrow. As long as he left by 11, he'd make it back in town before the Rams game. But if he wanted to watch the afternoon game as well, he'd have to leave around 7.

Unless…

— — —

“You know, I'm all for the Rams not making the playoffs, but I don't know if the Seahawks making it really makes me feel that much better.”

“Right? Though, I don't know if either will make it past the first round anyway.”

Zoro and Wyper sat at the bar as the first Saturday game came to a close. Chargers beating the Patriots, which was no surprise to anyone.

Next up was Broncos vs. Bengals. Should be a pretty entertaining game with both of their playoff hopes in the balance. 

He'd just finished his drink and ordered another when the front door swung open. He glanced over at who was coming in and was met with the sight of a blue and yellow jersey, the number 10 written across the front. His eyes continued up until they met with another shade of blue, right beneath a curled eyebrow. 

As soon as their eyes met, Zoro quickly turned away. 

“I think I'd rather the Seahawks went to the playoffs than the shitty Rams.”

His voice was a little louder than it needed to be. Wyper shot him a questioning look until his eyes caught on something, or someone, over Zoro's shoulder.

He laughed and shook his head. 

“Someone's a sore loser.”

The voice came from his other side, and he heard the man sit in the open seat next to him.

“Tch. As if you wouldn't be thinking the same if you were in my place.”

Zoro turned to the other man, just in time to see him shrug.

“You've got me there. But c'mon, the Seahawks?”

“Lesser of two evils at this point.”

“Really? The Seahawks are the lesser of two evils?”

“Well, the Cardinals don't have a chance at the playoffs anymore, so yeah. Though I will be rooting for the Cardinals tonight.”

Zoro grinned at the other man, who rolled his eyes and turned to Ace to order a drink.

Zoro glanced back up at the TV as the next game started. He was feeling more excited for this week's games than he had the last two weeks. 

— — —

Sanji had been excited when he saw the green-haired man at the bar when he walked in. Which made no sense. Probably just because the prospect of annoying him all night filled Sanji with immense glee. 

After their first interaction, there hadn't been much more said between the two. Though Zoro kept leaning over to his other side to say something to mohawk, and the two of them would chat like old pals, or maybe something more. It was pissing him off.

After hearing the announcer calling out Broncos cornerback Riley Moss multiple times throughout most of the game, Sanji decided he had the perfect opportunity to agitate the man.

“Moss on the Broncos sidelines?”

Zoro turned to him with a raised brow, and Sanji continued. 

“I didn't know you played for Denver, Marimo.”

Zoro scoffed.

“I'd never be caught dead in a Broncos uniform.”

Sanji chuckled. 

“Yeah, the orange and blue would clash with your hair. Maybe the Seahawks then, since you're such a fan now.”

“Oh, hell no. Plus, I don't play on the defensive side of the ball. I pl-”

Zoro cut off at that, like he'd noticed he was saying too much, and instead took another swig of his drink, scratching almost absent-mindedly at his chest.

“No. Please continue.”

“It's nothing. Just drop it.”

“It almost sounded like you were gonna pretend you had a chance to actually make it in the NFL.”

Zoro's shoulders tightened, and an odd look passed over his face, but it passed as quickly as it had come. 

“I said, drop it.”

Something in his head told him to stop, but Sanji was never one to listen to reason. 

“With that build, I doubt you were ever anything more than a generic lineman that was only good for hitting people.”

“You don't know anything about me.” 

The words came out a little harsher than the previous comments, and Zoro lifted his cup to take another drink.

Sanji scoffed; the voice in the back of his mind was screaming at him.

“Oh, please. I've met plenty of guys like you. Just another jock who peaked in high school.”

Zoro slammed his glass on the bar top.

“Fuck you.”

The words were full of heat as Zoro pushed out of his seat and walked out the back door.

Sanji stared after him, a look of shock on his face. He glanced over at mohawk who was looking back at him with the same confused look on his face. 

Sanji debated going out after him; he wasn't sure what he'd done wrong, but he'd done something, and he didn't want Zoro to HATE him, at least not for real.

Before he could decide to do so, the back door swung open again, and Zoro came back in, his face a mask of indifference. And Sanji felt like he should apologize.

“Zoro, I-”

Zoro gave him a quizzical look.

“How the hell do you know my name?”

— — —

Zoro was pretty sure they hadn't exchanged names the first time they'd met. He tried to rack his brain to see if he could think of the man's name, more and more confident that they had never swapped them.

The guy flushed. Cute . Almost made him forget how pissed he was at the other man.

“Sanji.”

Now Zoro was even more confused. Why the hell did it matter what time it was? Zoro glanced at the clock above the bar. It wasn’t even 3 o’clock anyway.

“It’s almost four.”

It was Sanji’s turn to stare at him dumbfounded.

“You speak Japanese?” Sanji shook his head. “Never mind, that doesn’t matter. I wasn’t telling you what time it was, idiot. That’s my name.”

“Damn, what kinda parents name their kid 3 o’clock?”

A scowl passed over Sanji’s face.

“Not very good ones.”

Not one to pry, Zoro decided to let that part of the conversation drop.

“That still doesn’t answer my question, though. How do you know my name?”

“I overheard your…” Sanji glanced at Wyper. “ friend there, when you were talking the other day.”

Why did he put such an odd inflection on the word friend? 

“So you’re listening in on my conversations, eh, Curly?”

“No! I just happened to- stop calling me Curly! I told you my name!”

“Meh, Curly fits better.”

“You little shit.”

Sanji stood up from his chair to get up in Zoro’s face. Zoro just shot him a patronizing grin in response.

“Sit down, Curls. You’re gonna make us miss the last part of the 4th quarter.”

“Like you even care.”

“Hey, it’s interesting football. Tie game with under nine minutes left.”

When Sanji turned to look at the TV, Zoro stepped around him and sat down again, chugging the rest of his drink.

“You good, man?”

He glanced over at Wyper, who was looking at him quizzically.

“I’m good.”

He definitely was not getting into why Sanji’s words affected him so much, not with someone he'd just become friends with, and certainly not when he was still this sober.

“Hey Ace, can I get a Moscow Mule extra strong?”

“Sure thing.”

Ace stepped away to pour his drink, and Sanji sat back beside him with a huff.

— — —

The rest of the Broncos/Bengals game actually turned out pretty entertaining. They swapped points for another round and ended up going into overtime, where the Bengals missed the game-winning kick, giving the Broncos a chance to win the game. Fortunately for the Bengals, their defense was able to hold the Broncos to a 3 and out, and then their offense scored a touchdown on their next drive, winning the game.

Now they had about an hour to wait until the Rams/Cardinals game. He listened to the announcers going over the current playoff picture, as well as the impact of the game tonight. They were basically saying the same things he'd thought about before, during, and after the Seahawks game Thursday night.

Zoro was talking to mohawk again; maybe he should learn the other guy's name… He felt like it would be weird to just ask for it at this point, though, so he figured he’d just find out sooner or later.

Sanji leaned forward, facing the other two, drawing both of their attention.

“Wanna make a bet?”

“You and I?”

“All three of us. You, me, and your friend.”

“I'm listening.”

“Who's gonna score first, and how? I'm gonna go with touchdown Rams.”

Zoro piped up next. 

“Touchdown Cardinals.”

They both turned to look at mohawk.

“I guess that leaves me with, field goal. And I'm gonna go with… Rams.”

“Traitor.”

Sanji laughed.

Mohawk shrugged.

“Not saying it’s what I WANT to happen, but it is more likely.”

Zoro huffed.

“What are the terms?”

Sanji thought for a second; it was a little different with three people in the bet.

“How about the losers buy the next two rounds, and the winner chooses what we’re drinking?”

Zoro glanced over at his friend, who just shrugged in response.

“Alright, you’ve got a deal, Curly.”

“Perfect. It’s gonna be nice to get two free rounds.”

“We’ll see about that, Curly.”

***

The first quarter was completely uneventful. 5 punts, neither team put anything on the board.

Zoro laughed as he leaned back in his chair, and Sanji glared at him.

“Does that bet have a time limit? Or are we gonna keep it going throughout the whole game?

“Shut up. The Rams are going to score next quarter; just watch.”

“I’m watching, Curly, and this game is great.”

“Go to hell.”

Mohawk laughed at their interaction.

“My bet is starting to look far more likely with the way this is going.”

Sanji sighed.

“Yes, it is, unfortunately. I guess I'll need to order myself another drink between now and then, though.”

Sanji flagged down the bartender. The man, Ace if he remembered correctly, gave him a smile.

“You know, it's much nicer having the two of you here when you aren't trying to get into a physical altercation every other play.”

Sanji flushed.

“Yeah, sorry about that; not my greatest moment.”

Ace laughed; it was a pleasant laugh, contagious too, and Sanji found himself chuckling in response.

“What can I get for you?”

Sanji leaned forward, a grin on his face.

“I dunno… Dealer's choice?”

“Hmm. My favorite. Sweet or spicy?”

“How about a little bit of both?”

“I think I've got just the thing.” Ace winked at him and got to work mixing a drink. 

He pretended not to notice mohawk leaning into Zoro, bumping their shoulders together and whispering something to him, causing Zoro to blush.

— — —

Zoro glared down at his own drink before taking a drink and finishing it off. Not sure why Sanji flirting with Ace was pissing him off so much. 

Wyper leaned over and bumped their shoulders together, drawing his attention.

“Ace is married; his flirting is harmless. You don't need to worry about him charming Sanji.”

Zoro flushed.

“Why would I care? Doesn't matter to me who Sanji flirts with.”

Wyper laughed as he leaned back in his seat.

“Whatever you say.”

Zoro couldn't care LESS about who Sanji flirts with, if you could even call that flirting. 

He shifts his glare to the TV. It's over halfway through the 2nd quarter, and both teams are still 0. Is it seriously going to be a scoreless first half? 

He needs more alcohol.

“How about you two? You guys ready for another?”

He glanced over at Sanji's drink, his nose wrinkling at the fruity-looking concoction.

“I'll just take a Long Island. You want somethin’ Wyper?”

“I'll have the same.”

“Two Long Islands coming right up.”

Ace turned away, and Zoro found himself watching Sanji. Sanji's eyes were locked on the TV in front of him, and he chewed a little on the straw before taking his first sip. His nose did a cute stupid little crunch as the flavor hit his tongue, his eyebrows scrunching as he bit his lip, almost like he was analyzing what he'd just tasted. 

Zoro almost fell out of his stool when Sanji suddenly slammed his glass on the counter, jumping out of his seat, hands in the air. 

“Touchdown!”

Sanji turned to Zoro with a grin on his face.

“You two ready for a shot?”

Zoro grumbled. 

“Whatever.”

Wyper patted Zoro's shoulder.

“I'll get the first one. What are we drinking?”

“Fireball.”

“Sounds good. Three shots of Fireball.”

Zoro stared at the red liquid when it was placed in front of him. Of course Sanji would order something like Fireball. Such a basic, boring drink.

He picked his glass up and raised it. 

“Cheers, I guess.”

Sanji chuckled. 

“Don't sound too excited, Marimo.”

The other two clinked their glasses to his, and they took the shot. 

Zoro chased his with a swallow from his long island. 

“Can we get a real drink next time? None of this cinnamon candy crap.”

“Well, maybe you should stop making stupid bets; then you can decide what we drink.”

“I'll show you a stupid bet.”

“That doesn't even make sense.”

Zoro watched the screen as the Rams scored again, this time with a field goal, leaving less than 30 seconds in the first half. 

He watched the remaining seconds count down before both teams headed to the locker room for halftime. 

The announcers talked as the cameras panned over the retreating players. Puka Nacua showed on the screen as the announcer flashed his stats for the season.

Sanji was talking to Ace again about something, a smile on his face, and it was getting under Zoro's skin.

“I'm surprised a bandwagoner like you is in a Kupp jersey instead of a Nacua one.”

The other two stopped their conversation, and Sanji spun on him, his brows pinched in anger.

“Bandwagon– oh, you little shit. I am NOT a bandwagoner!”

Zoro raised his eyebrow critically, looking again at Sanji's jersey. 

“Kupp came around in 2017, right? Rams moved to Los Angeles just before the 2016 season.”

“Forgive me for not wearing my Dickerson or Warner jersey. You don't see me calling you a bandwagoner because you were sporting a Kittle jersey and not a Rice or Montana one. And, not that it's any of your business, but I'm originally from St. Louis; I've been a Rams fan since I was a kid. Or maybe you ARE a bandwagoner. Do you even know who Rice and Montana are?”

Zoro stood from his seat to stand in front of Sanji. They were basically the same height, but Zoro had a lot more bulk on him, though that fact didn't seem to concern Sanji, who stood his ground, staring right back into his face.

“Wanna take this outside, Blondie? I'm sure Ace would appreciate it if I didn't get your blood all over his bar.”

Sanji scoffed. 

“As if you could even get a hit in.”

“Why don't we see if you're right?”

“Sounds good; there's plenty of time before the second half for me to kick your ass.”

Zoro pushed past Sanji and headed out the front door, Sanji following behind him. 

Ace let out a sigh as he watched them walk out. 

“Guess I spoke too soon.”

— — — 

Sanji aimed a kick at Zoro's head as soon as they were out the door. Zoro was quick to duck, the kick sailing over his head.

Zoro lunged forward underneath it with more speed than Sanji had anticipated, but he was still able to dance to the side and avoid the attack. Both men stepped back, finally taking a second to size up their opponent.

Sanji's blood was singing in his veins, adrenaline pumping through his system as he kicked out again, this kick aimed at Zoro's side. 

Zoro blocked it, Sanji's shin connecting with his forearm hard enough that he knew they'd both be bruised tomorrow. 

The next time Sanji threw a kick, he was surprised by Zoro catching his ankle and tugging him forward. The alcohol in his system caused him to lose his balance with the move and fall forward, his head connecting with Zoro's jaw, then his face connecting with Zoro's fist.

Fortunately, Zoro hadn't actually been moving to punch him yet; otherwise, his nose would probably be busted. 

They both stepped away from each other again; there was blood trickling down Zoro's chin from a split lip, and Sanji could feel the blood pouring from his own nose. 

The sight of blood froze them both in their tracks; neither one had actually wanted to do real damage to the other. 

“You guys get it out of your system?”

Both men turned to see an unimpressed Ace leaning against the wall, Wyper beside him. 

Neither one replied, and Ace rolled his eyes. 

“Get back in here before someone calls the fucking cops; I'd prefer not to deal with Smoker today.”

With that, Ace turned and walked back into the bar; Sanji followed behind him, leaving Wyper and Zoro behind. Ace sat him back in his stool, going around the bar to grab some water and a rag. 

Sanji sat in silence as Ace cleaned up his face; he noticed Zoro and Wyper coming in as well. His and Zoro's eyes met as he walked past him to sit again in his original seat. 

Ace handed Wyper the other water bottle and rag as he passed. 

Ace looked at Sanji, then over his shoulder to where he knew Zoro was sitting. 

“You two pull that shit again, I'm kicking you out of my bar for real. Understood?”

Sanji nodded.

“Yeah, sorry.”

“Zoro?”

“Won't happen again.”

Finished with his work, Ace went back around to his side of the bar, tossing the rags that he and Wyper had used in the trash.

“For your guys’ next shots, you get these nice, cold cups of water. And maybe if you can show you've calmed down, I'll think about giving you another drink or two tonight.”

Neither of them argued as they took the glass of water.

Sanji stared down at his glass between drinks. He could hear the third quarter of the game playing in the background but couldn't bring himself to look at it. Zoro probably hated him for real this time, not that he could blame him. This really was going to be the last time he came out here. After tonight he was never stepping foot in Moby Dick's again. 

He heard Wyper talking to Zoro, annoyed with himself that he was listening to every word. 

“A couple of my friends just got here. I'm gonna go sit with them for the rest of the game. You wanna come over there?”

“Nah. I'll stay here.”

“Sounds good. Let me know when you're ready to head out, and we can go whenever.”

“K.”

Wyper left, and Sanji and Zoro sat in silence for a minute before Sanji spoke up. 

“You're not gonna go sit with your boyfriend?”

Sanji isn't sure what prompted him to ask; it's not like it was any of his business. 

“Are you talking to me?”

Zoro sounded confused rather than angry, and Sanji finally turned to face him. 

“Yeah. Wyper, I think that's what you said his name was, right? Are you not going to go sit with him?”

Zoro stared at him like he was crazy before he turned to look at the booth that Wyper was at with his friends.

“Wyper?”

“Yeah. Did I get his name wrong?”

“You… I'm not…” 

Then Zoro was laughing. 

“Wyper is NOT my boyfriend, Curly.”

“Oh.”

Zoro was still laughing, and Sanji felt the knot that had been growing in his chest loosen.

— — —

Zoro thought he'd fucked everything up. Thought for sure that Sanji was never going to talk to him again. They'd spend the rest of the night in silence and then go their separate ways. Zoro had decided that this really was going to be the last time he came here. 

Then the idiot opened his mouth. 

He supposed it wasn't too far of a stretch; he had been with Wyper both times Sanji had been here, and when he'd left, he'd inferred that the two of them were going home together.

Sanji's shoulders seemed to relax when Zoro answered him, and he glared at Zoro, but it lacked any real heat.

The words were out of Zoro's mouth before he really thought about them.

“Wanna make a bet? Cardinals are gonna score a touchdown this drive.”

Sanji looked up at the TV; the Cardinals were on their own 40. They still had 60 yards to go for a touchdown.

“Seriously? You can't still believe they're gonna win this.”

“I didn't say they were gonna win it; I said they were gonna score a touchdown.”

Now it was Sanji's turn to laugh. 

“You still owe me a drink from our last bet.”

“I got you a nice cold glass of water for that bet.”

“That does NOT count.”

They were still arguing, but anyone could tell it was lacking the heat from their previous exchanges.

“I'll get you a drink, if Ace lets me. But I wanna make another bet.”

“And what are the terms?”

“If the Cardinals score a touchdown this drive, I get to ask you one question that you have to answer. And if they don't score, then you get to ask me a question.

“Interesting terms, but I accept.”

It was less than 10 plays before the Cardinals were in the end zone. Zoro cheered as the ref signaled the touchdown.

Sanji groaned and turned to look at Ace.

“Can we please have another drink before I have to answer whatever stupid question this mosshead has for me?”

Ace looked between the two of them for a moment. 

“You can have a drink, no more shots, though.”

“You hear that, Marimo? Ace says we can have a drink.”

“I heard. So what are we drinking? Rule was you get to choose, right?”

Zoro hoped that Sanji didn't decide too quickly. He'd spoken before he had the time to think, and he had no idea what he was actually going to ask him. To be honest, he hadn't really thought the Cardinals would get a touchdown. He'd been hoping they'd get a field goal so neither would win because, for some reason, the prospect of Sanji asking him something was not something he was looking forward to either.

“Two mint mojitos, please.”

“The hell is a mint mojito?”

“You'll just have to wait and find out. You can ask your question when the game is over. It's just getting interesting.”

“That wasn't part of the deal.”

Zoro was just being contrary for show; he was secretly grateful for the delay.

“Well, it wasn't NOT part of the deal. What's the real harm in waiting?”

Zoro rolled his eyes.

“Fine, whatever.”

Ace brought their drinks, and Zoro hesitantly took a sip but was pleasantly surprised when it hit his tongue. It was actually pretty good. 

— — —

Sanji tried not to look too anxious as they watched the rest of the game. He had no idea what question Zoro planned on asking him, and he wasn't in a hurry to find out.

The Cardinals scored again at the start of the fourth. It was just a field goal this time, and their extra point from the third quarter touchdown had been blocked, so the score was 9-10, with the Rams up by 1.

The Rams moved the ball down the field, scoring a field goal of their own, putting them up by 4. If they could hold the Cardinals from getting a touchdown, the playoff spot was practically theirs.

The next Cardinals drive ended with an interception, Rams ball again. If they could just waste enough time… but the Cardinals still had their timeouts and held the Rams to a 3 and out. Cardinals would get the ball with plenty of time to get into the end zone if they played well enough. 

“This game is way more intense than I was expecting. Cardinals might pull it off.”

Sanji didn't even look over at Zoro.

“Shut up, they will not.”

Zoro chuckled, but Sanji knew he was watching just as intently as he was. 

Then, the Cardinals were on the five-yard line, and Sanji was trying not to pull his hair out. This must be how Zoro felt a couple of weeks ago.

The next play went off, the ball was in the air. Sanji held his breath as the ball crossed the line. Then, the ball was caught in the end zone… 

But not by someone in a Cardinals jersey. 

Sanji flew from his seat. 

“Interception!”

“He was out of the end zone. Why the hell did he do that?”

Zoro called out, equally in disbelief. 

Sanji looked at him confused, the implications not quite sitting at first. 

Zoro turned to look at him. 

“He's gonna be down on the 1. That's, like, prime position for a safety.” 

Sanji looked back at the screen to see the announcers confirming what Zoro had just stated.

“There's not enough time.”

“If they get a safety, they get 2 points and the ball back.”

“I know how a safety works.”

“I'm just saying, 30 seconds could be plenty of time to get in field goal range for the win.”

“They won't get it.”

Sanji's eyes were glued to the TV. He knew the odds of the Cardinals actually getting a safety, then getting in field goal range, were low, but they weren't zero.

He watched in anticipation as the last seconds of the game played out. Then the last snap was made, the game was over, Rams won.

Monday night's game would clinch them the division, based on strength of schedule, if the Lions win. Then next week's game against the Seahawks won't matter. 

Only one team stood in their way to clinching the division this week. And the irony of it was laughable. 

“Hey, Marimo?”

“Hmm?”

“Think the Niners could do us a favor and lose Monday against the Lions?”

Zoro laughed.

“In your dreams, Curly. We ain't throwin’ a game, especially not to the Lions.”

“Doesn't hurt to ask.”

Not like Zoro had any actual say over what the Niners did.

Wyper joined them at the bar. 

“You ready to head out?”

“Yeah. Let's go.”

“Wait. The bet. You never asked your question.”

Zoro looked at him, and they stood there for a minute. 

“My question is…”

Sanji held his breath, unsure what to expect.

“Are you going to be here next Sunday?”

Sanji let out his breath in relief; it didn't take any thought to answer. 

“Yeah.”

“Cool. See ya then.”

Chapter Text

Sanji started shucking off his clothes as soon as he got back to his hotel room, carefully avoiding his nose in the process. He'd already gotten blood on his jersey from the initial bleed; he didn't want to risk catching it and getting more. He really hoped the blood would come out; he'd just bought this jersey at the start of the season. 

Stupid muscle-headed idiot. With his stupid big muscles and his stupid shirt that was definitely 2 sizes too small.

He threw his clothes on the floor as he made his way to the bathroom and turned on the shower.

He couldn't help but remember the way the muscles in Zoro's arm had flexed as he'd moved to block Sanji's kick and how solid his arm had felt when they connected. He hadn't even flinched. 

Sanji had never wanted someone to throw him around so badly in his entire life. And he knew Zoro could do it too. He'd seen enough to know his muscles definitely weren't all just for show. 

He stepped into the shower, letting the warm water run down his face and his body. 

He ran his hands over his own chest; he wondered what Zoro's chest would feel like. Would it be tight and firm like his arms had been? Or would it be softer and more malleable beneath his grasping hands? He licked his lips as he pictured Zoro's bronze skin spilling between his fingers.

He let one of his hands trail lower, picturing Zoro in front of him, warm, thick hands running over his body. 

He gasped as he finally wrapped his hand around his hard, aching dick. 

Zoro was on his knees now, looking up at Sanji with that smug little smirk of his. Still a little shit, even when he's on his knees.

“That all you got, Curly?”

“Do you ever shut your fucking mouth?”

Even in his imagination the man was a brat.

“If you want me to shut up, why don't you make me?”

Sanji threaded his fingers through Zoro's hair, gripping it and tugging, causing a gasp to fall from his lips.

His hand working furiously over his own length as his fantasy continued.

“On second thought, maybe you should keep it open.”

His hand trailed from Zoro's hair to his jaw, and he pressed his thumb between Zoro's lips and past his teeth. Zoro bit down gently on the pad of his thumb, his eyes still locked on Sanji's, a hint of fire dancing in his steel gray iris.

“Tch. Watch the teeth, Mossy.”

Zoro smiled around his thumb, flashing his teeth at Sanji before opening his mouth a little more, allowing Sanji to push his thumb in further, pressing down on his tongue. He pulled down on Zoro's jaw, encouraging him to open it further, and Zoro obliged, his tongue following Sanj's thumb out of his mouth to rest on his lower lip. Mouth open and waiting, eyes still boring into Sanji.

Sanji groaned as he imagined finally feeding his length into Zoro's mouth. He closed his eyes tighter, trying to imagine the hot water flowing over him was the other man's mouth. Hot and wet as Zoro's lips stretched around him.

“Fuck. This is definitely a much better use of your mouth.”

Sanji tightened his fist as he imagined Zoro growling at that comment, the sound travelling up his throat and causing a zing of pleasure in Sanji's gut.

Fuck, he really wasn't going to last long.

He moved his hand back to Zoro's head, gripping his hair and pulling him off.

“Keep your mouth open.”

He worked his hand over himself a couple more times as Zoro stayed where he'd left him, eyes closed and mouth opened. It only took a couple more strokes before he was cumming, white threads of cum covering Zoro's face and dripping into his open mouth. Zoro's tongue poked out, trying to lick up any bit that he could. 

Then there was water running over Zoro's face and washing away every trace of the man as Sanji’s eyes blinked open and he was alone in his shower again. He watched as the water ran over the tiles, washing away the last of his spend.

He let out a frustrated groan as he shut off the water and climbed out of the shower.

He slipped on his pajamas and climbed into bed. Sleep was already tugging at him once his head hit the pillow.

He couldn't believe he'd just done that. But damn, did it feel good. Hopefully that got it all out of his system. He couldn't afford to be hung up on some moronic asshole 49ers fan.

— — —

What a waste of a question. Zoro hadn't even been sure if HE was going to come out next Saturday. The last week of the year was usually full of throwaway games and bad teams just wanting to play spoiler. But now he didn't really have a choice, did he?

Granted, if the Niners win Monday, the Rams/Seahawks game could determine the winner of their division. So that could at least be a good game.

Zoro enjoyed the cool night air as they walked back to Wyper’s place. It was only about a five-minute walk from the bar.

It had been a long night, and exhaustion was starting to set in, but there was an undercurrent of something else that had been simmering under the surface since his and Sanji's fight. 

He may not necessarily like the other man, but you'd have to be blind to not see that he was attractive. And he could fight; they hadn't really gotten a chance to exchange real blows, but he knew he'd make a good sparring partner; those kicks could be deadly. Just the kinda thing Zoro liked. His blood raced a little at the memory of the flexibility and ease of Sanji's kicks, causing him to heat up even more.

He knew exactly what he'd do about it if he were at his own place, but since he was staying at Wyper's, he definitely wouldn't be doing that. 

If he was being honest with himself, he'd almost been tempted to ask if Sanji would take him home, but he'd been able to push back that desire. The guy was an asshole… and a Rams fan. He had to keep reminding himself of that fact; otherwise he might do something stupid, like actually start liking the guy.

He'd hoped the cool air would make quick work of the heat in his veins, but it was still there when he walked through Wyper's front door.

“Hey, you cool if I take a quick shower?”

“Go right ahead; there's towels in the closet by the bathroom. I'm gonna call it a night.”

“Thanks. I'll probably turn in after my shower. Good night.”

“Night.”

Wyper made his way into his room, and Zoro made his way to the spare bedroom to grab a change of clothes before grabbing a towel and heading into the bathroom. 

There was blood all over the collar of his shirt. He'd probably just toss the thing. He pulled it off and threw it on the floor. He was about to turn to the shower when his gaze caught on the mirror, and he stared at his reflection and the jagged scar across his chest.

He shook his head against the memories threatening to break to the surface and tore his gaze away.

He turned the shower on to the coldest setting as he removed the rest of his clothes. Hopefully the cold shower would chase away not just the lingering arousal but also the hints of his past.

— — —

Sanji's alarm blared to life the next morning, and he groggily grabbed his phone off the nightstand to shut it off. 

He flipped on the TV for background noise as he started getting ready for checkout. He hadn't decided if he'd go to the bar again for today’s games, but based on Zoro's question last night, he wouldn't be there anyway, so he may as well head home.

As the TV announcers went over the games from the previous day and their playoff implications, his mind was brought back to yesterday, when Zoro had stormed out of the bar. 

He's not sure what prompted him to try it, but he found himself reaching for his phone and pulling up the search app.

He took a seat on the bed and typed in ‘Zoro football California’. It was a pretty unique name, so he'd probably get some results, maybe some high school stats or even a year or two of college, but that wasn't what he found.

He clicked the first link. 

“Career Over Before It's Begun? Top Football Prospect, Zoro Roronoa, Injured in Accident.”

He read over the article’s detailing of Zoro's high school career. He'd apparently played tight end, just like the man whose jersey he'd been wearing the first day they met. He'd been one of the biggest players in Southern California, if not the whole state. 

Scouts from every college worth playing football for attended every one of his games that year. He'd had offers from all of the biggest schools; the article said his most likely destination would have been USC.

There’d even been rumors of NFL scouts showing up as well to decide how much attention they wanted to give to the boy’s college career. 

Based on the year this came out, Sanji would have been in his first year of college already, making Zoro a year or so younger than him. If Sanji had paid attention to college football, he probably would have heard about him. Sanji had been across the country that year as well. Knee deep in his first year of culinary school, he definitely hadn't had time to look up football players going into college.

It was a car accident. Zoro had been on his way home from a meeting with one of the scouts when a car crossed the centerline, forcing his car off the road. His vehicle had rolled, causing a severe injury to his chest, and the front of the car had been smashed in, crushing his legs and apparently almost severing both feet at the ankle. 

He'd had to be cut out of the wreckage and life-flighted to the nearest hospital. With the damage to his legs alone, he'd probably need years of physical therapy to get back to where he'd been, and there was no telling what lasting damage would be caused by the injury to his chest.

It didn't go into much detail on the damage done to his chest, but it must have been pretty bad.

He glanced at the picture in the article showing a young boy with sandy brown hair; it was almost hard to tell that it was the same person, except the cocky smirk was the exact same.

Sanji sat there quietly as he took in the information. Sure, he hadn't known, but Zoro had told him to back off multiple times. And instead, he'd doubled down each time. 

God, he felt like such an asshole now.

— — — 

Zoro had the nightmare again that night. The sound of breaking glass and crunching metal. The flashing and screaming of sirens. It had been a few years since he'd last had it, but it was still just as vivid. He knew he'd tossed and turned all night, waking up in a cold sweat more than once. The gash in his lip had reopened at some point during the night.

He stood in front of the mirror the next morning. A wet rag in hand, trying to wash away the blood from his lip. He felt more exhausted than he had when he went to bed. 

He hadn't realized how hard he'd been pressing on his lip until he felt the warmth of fresh blood flowing over his chin. It wasn't even that bad of a split, but lip wounds seemed to bleed way more than they should.

He tossed the rag into the hamper with a huff and walked out of the bathroom, following the smell of coffee into the kitchen and pouring himself a cup. He grabbed a cube of ice out of the fridge, dropping it in the cup to cool it a little before chugging the whole cup and pouring himself another. 

“You look like shit.”

He shot a glare over the counter to where Wyper was sitting in the living room, but the other man wasn't facing him anymore; he'd turned back to the TV to scroll through channels, trying to decide what to watch since there was still an hour or so before the games started. 

Zoro didn't respond as he made his way into the living room as well, taking a seat in one of the chairs. 

“You know, the first time I saw you, I thought you looked familiar. I couldn't figure out why, though. That is, until last night.”

Zoro sighed but didn't respond. 

“You were still a sophomore the year we faced each other in the state championship game. But you were already a starter for your varsity team. It was my senior year, and the last time I played.”

That got Zoro's attention, and he turned to Wyper. He tried to remember anything he could about that year; it felt like another life at this point. 

“I don't expect you to remember anything about me. What was it that Sanji said? ‘A generic lineman that was only good for hitting people’?” Wyper laughed. “That's what I was. It's funny, 'cause people usually tell you things like, ‘you're the reason I started playing,’ but you're the reason I stopped playing. I saw the passion you played with; hell, you laid me on my ass more often than I laid anyone else on their ass that game. Sure, I'd gotten a couple offers to play for some community colleges, but I realized I'd never have even a sliver of the passion that you did on the field. When I heard about the accident, I remembered feeling like it was a loss to football in general if you weren't able to make a comeback. Then, the world moved on, and no one talked about it again.”

Zoro was quiet as he thought about everything. It had taken him a few years after the accident to get back into a healthy place, first physically and then mentally, though even now he still hadn't fully managed that second part, and he wasn't sure he was ready to open up to anybody about it. He'd started dyeing his hair green to hide, to make himself less recognizable to people on the street.

“You don't have to say anything. I just, I don't know, wanted you to know?” 

They fell into silence, and Wyper started scrolling through the games that were finally starting. 

After a few minutes, Wyper broke the silence again.

“You wanna watch the Eagles kick the Cowboys ass?”

Zoro appreciated the out, and he relaxed a little into his seat, his mind still reeling a little, but he was able to muster up a response this time. 

“Fuck Dallas?”

Wyper smiled. 

“George Kittle himself couldn't have said it better.”

— — —

Sanji listened to the Eagles/Cowboys game on his drive home. He didn't really care about any of the games that were going that day, so it was mostly just background noise to his thoughts. 

A lot had happened in the last 24 hours, and he still wasn't quite sure how to feel about all of it. Maybe he should do something to apologize to Zoro? He hadn't meant to offend or hurt him, but his inability to back down or read the atmosphere had done just that. 

The only thing he could really think to do would be to cook him something. But there were a couple problems with that. One, he had no idea what Zoro even liked, and two, it would probably be a little weird to bring food into a bar that served its own. So maybe that wasn't the best option. 

Zoro did seem to like his alcohol, so maybe he could get him a nice bottle of whiskey or rum. Though, that would probably be strange too. Not to mention, he didn't really want to bring up what actually happened again, and he was sure Zoro didn't want attention brought to it again.

By the time he made it home, he was no further in his thought process than he was when he'd started his drive.

He was passing by one of the bars, watching some people file out when he got an idea. Not just for an apology, but as a way to tease the other man as well.

As soon as he got home, he pulled out his phone and placed an order to put his plan in motion. He almost wished he was going to see him tomorrow so he could also give him shit when the Niners lose to the Lions tomorrow, but he could always tease him extra next Sunday. He could hardly wait. 

— — — 

The rest of the day was a lot lighter than the beginning. Zoro and Wyper had turned off the Eagles/Cowboys game at half time when the Eagles were up 24-7 at the end of the first half. Instead, they turned on the Red Zone channel, deciding since none of the games really mattered, it would be more entertaining to watch that. It would show any scoring play as well as any amazing plays that were worth watching. No commercials either, so that was always a plus.

Their conversation was light too, talking mostly about moves that the Niners needed to make in the offseason as well as contracts that were expiring and what they needed to do and who they needed to pay.

The day continued on, and before Zoro knew it, the Sunday night game was starting. He should be on the road already.

“Why don't you stay another night? We can hang out and watch the Niners game tomorrow. You look like you could use another day off.”

Zoro chuckled. Wyper wasn't wrong; he still felt exhausted, and he'd seen himself in the mirror a couple of times today as well. His lip had thankfully stopped bleeding, and he'd been able to get his face cleaned up without it opening again.

“Don't wanna impose.”

“Honestly? I've enjoyed having your company. There's not really many interesting people out here, and at the very least, you and Sanji have livened up the place a little.”

“Ugh. I don't wanna talk about that asshole.”

Wyper chuckled.

“Whatever you say. But my point, and the offer, still stand.”

“Alright, but we need to make a run to the store for some more booze.”

“Sounds good to me.”

***

Zoro woke again in the middle of the night gasping for air as he struggled to remember where he was. Fuck, he was exhausted. He picked up his phone and glanced at the time; it was only 2 AM. He stumbled out of bed and into the bathroom, trying his best not to make too much noise. 

He turned the shower on to cold and pulled off his boxers and stepped under the stream. The cold water always helped him clear his head. He rinsed the sweat off his body and let the cool water wash over him. 

Once he felt a little more present, he shut off the water and made his way back to the spare room; flopping down and staring up at the ceiling, every time he tried to close his eyes again he was met with red flashing lights, jolting him awake immediately.

Fuck, he thought he was over this shit. He'd been told that even though he was doing well, it didn't mean he wouldn't have rough times again, but he hadn't really expected something so simple to send him back.

He hadn't really gotten any more sleep before he heard Wyper get up and start his day. He'd let Zoro know that he had to work today and would be back in time for the game.

He waited until he heard Wyper leave before finally getting up and dressed. He decided to take a jog around town; maybe find a place that looked good for some coffee and some breakfast.

He'd found a little diner that looked fairly new and had gotten a basic all-meat breakfast and a cup of coffee. It wasn't too bad, but now that he was thinking about it, he should have just gone to Moby Dick's. That omurice the other day had been to die for. He'd have to remember next time.

Food consumed and coffee downed, he felt a little more human as he made his way back to Wyper's house. There was a grocery store across the street that he could stop in for alcohol and maybe some food for when Wyper got back. 

After that stop he settled himself onto the couch, turning on the TV and flipping through the channels before settling on some repeat of a TV show he'd already watched.

As he relaxed on the couch, he felt his eyes start to droop, the lack of sleep the last two nights catching up to him, and he couldn't fight against the pull.

— — —

Sanji was running errands most of the day on Monday. The order he'd placed yesterday had been for pickup since he wanted to make sure the items made their way to him on time, which meant braving the mall. Fortunately, it was the middle of the day on a Monday, so there weren't too many people there.

Now that he was settled at home, he decided he'd stay there for the night. He needed a Lions win tonight. A Lions win would clinch them their division due to strength of wins. Which basically meant, win or lose next Sunday, the Rams would be going to the playoffs. Which meant they could rest their starters in preparation for the Wild Card round.

He was feeling pretty optimistic about it overall, though. With the way the Niners have been playing and the way the Lions have been playing, it would probably be an easy win for the Lions. Especially because they were still neck and neck with the Vikings for their own division. One loss on their part could be the difference between the first seed with a first-round BYE and a fifth seed with no time to rest.

He got all showered and changed into his pajamas. He knew it was a little early, but he didn't have anything else to do, so he may as well get comfy. 

He'd made a fairly simple dinner and paired it with a nice wine. It would be nicer if he had someone to share it with, though. Someone nice and warm, tanned skin and green hair. 

Fuck. Why was he thinking about him again? He would be the absolute worst person to watch this game with. Why couldn't his mind picture him snuggling up with someone like Pedro? He would probably run warm too, be nice and cozy to snuggle up to. Did Pedro have a favorite team? He wasn't sure if he'd ever asked the other man. Maybe he should go back to his normal bar soon and ask him. See if he could get the man to take him home and get his mind off of Zoro. But he knew that he wouldn't. If he'd had any actual interest in Pedro, he'd have been with him already. 

He sighed as he took a big sip of his wine. Why did he keep doing this shit to himself? Maybe he should just not show up Sunday and just never show up there again. It wouldn't really be that hard; it was almost the end of the season anyway; what was he really expecting? 

Who was he kidding? He knew exactly what he was expecting, or hoping for, at this point. A hate fuck in some random hotel room with a guy who could probably lift him with one arm. Someone he would never see again after they did it. And he was too far into it now to give up.

For now he'd just focus on the game and getting through to next week. Just one day at a time, starting with the Lions kicking the Niners ass.

— — —

Zoro was startled awake again, but this time it was by someone shaking him as opposed to sirens, and he finally felt like he'd at least gotten some sleep.

“What time is it?”

“Almost 5.”

Zoro let out a yawn as he stretched.

“I ran to the store and grabbed some stuff for tonight.”

“Sweet.”

He rolled off the couch and padded into the kitchen to throw what he bought into the oven. Then they settled in to watch the game.

The game has basically been all offense. It was crazy. Neither team’s defense could seem to stop the other. They were long drives both times, but the first quarter ended with a touchdown each, with the Lions missing the extra point, leaving the Niners up by one.

The second quarter started much the same, with the teams trading touchdowns: Niners, Lions, Niners. It wasn't until near the end of the second when the Niners finally got a defensive stop, hyping up Zoro and Wyper. The game had no bearing on their season, but they could still try to play spoilers to the Lions. Put them in the fifth seed.

By the end of the first half, the Niners were up 21-13. They would have been 24 if Jake Moody hadn't missed another field goal. He'd been horrible this season. Zoro told himself it was just one field goal; they were still up. 

The third started with another touchdown for both teams, then a field goal for the Lions. The next Niners drive ended in a disaster, an interception thrown by Purdy. 

Sanji would have had something snarky to say after that; he just knew it. He'd also try to turn it into a bet of some kind. ‘Wanna bet that's not the last pick Purdy throws?’ something like that to piss Zoro off or get a reaction from him. And Zoro would bite; he knew he would. The curly-browed idiot always got under his skin every time he opened his mouth, and Zoro had no idea why he let him. 

He tried to focus back on the game as Moody missed another field goal to start the fourth. He could hear Sanji laughing in his head. ‘Wanna bet he misses a third before the game's over?’ 

Zoro groaned as he laid his head back on the couch and stared at the ceiling. Even in his head the guy never shut up. He was probably loud in bed too.

Shit, where did that thought come from? He couldn't go down that path here. 

He hurriedly sat back up and focused on the game where the Lions were kicking a field goal; he watched as it sailed through the uprights, putting them up by 6. Just one touchdown, they could still pull it off. He'd try to not think about the fact that they'd be tied if Moody could make his field goals.

The next Niners drive ended with another interception. Imaginary Sanji cheered over winning the bet about Purdy throwing another pick. Would he have made Zoro take another shot of Fireball with him, or would he have thought of something more fun? Maybe another round of questions? Or would he make him do something stupid like dye his hair royal blue?

The Lions offense capitalized on the pick with another touchdown but missed the extra point, so they were up by 12 now. They needed two touchdowns in 3 minutes. Not impossible, though slightly improbable due to the new kickoff rule making onsides kicks basically impossible to recover.

— — —

Sanji was laughing. Not only did Moody miss two field goals and an extra point, he completely botched the onside kick. An onside kick was hard to recover anyway, but when Moody kicked it OUT OF BOUNDS, that was the end of the game.

This was just too good. Zoro was probably pissed. If Moody had made his field goals and extra point, they'd be up. Even if he'd just made the two field goals, they'd at least be tied and go into overtime. But no, 3 misses and a botched onside kick. The Niners fans were going to riot. He wished he was with Zoro so he could rub it in his face. 

Also, with the Niners loss, the Rams were officially in the playoffs, whether they win or lose next Sunday. Which means they can sit all their starters and give them a week of rest before the playoffs start. So many things he could rub in the Mosshead's face next week. He'd been excited before; now he was ecstatic. 

He flipped off the TV and made his way to bed. Maybe next week he should make a bet with Zoro about how many kicks Moody would miss. Would be a pretty safe bet on his end considering Moody’s field goal percentage this year.

His mind conjured up all the fun things he could make Zoro do when he won, though he knew he'd never actually include things like that in a bet. It was a fun little fantasy, though. 

Sunday couldn't come soon enough.

***

Sanji stood in front of the mirror of his hotel room, taking in his own appearance. He really shouldn't be caring THIS much about what he looked like. It's not like it was a date or anything. And he was definitely going to wear his Kupp jersey, and he'd only brought two pairs of pants, so he had to settle on one of them. 

The black ones were nice and sleek, and he felt like they made his legs look even longer than they were, but the blue jeans hugged his ass and thighs perfectly. He'd changed between the two at least 3 or 4 times. Finally deciding the jeans worked better, he hurried out of the door before he could change his mind again. 

He climbed into his car and drove to the bar. He would have walked, but he had the items he'd bought on the passenger seat and didn't really want to carry them around. Plus, he was kinda hoping to catch Zoro before he went into the bar to give him what he'd bought as an apology; it would probably be less awkward than giving it to him in front of everyone there. 

He'd been hoping to get to the bar before it opened so he could for sure catch the other man, but due to his clothing dilemma, he ended up there around 9:30. He chose to sit in his car for at least a little bit; Zoro didn't strike him as the extremely punctual type. 

He sat in his car til just after 10, watching as a few people filtered into the bar, keeping his eyes peeled for green hair. Maybe he should just go in and check? But it would probably look weird if he walked in and left because he didn't see him, right? He chose to keep waiting for just a little bit longer; the Rams didn't play until 1 anyway.

It was almost 11 by the time he decided that maybe Zoro was already inside. He grabbed one of the items from his passenger seat and climbed out of the car to make his way inside.

When he walked in, he stood by the doorway and looked around; there was only one or two people at the bar itself, and none of them had mossy hair. He glanced around the rest of the room, not seeing the other man at any of the tables either. 

He was about to turn around and leave to go wait in his car again, but his eyes connected with Ace’s on his last glance around the room, and he knew he'd look stupid if he turned and walked out now.

He stuffed the item in his hand into his pocket as best he could and made his way to the bar. He smiled at Ace but could already feel his mood plummeting as he took a seat. Maybe he was just late, or maybe he realized Sanji was an asshole and didn't want to see him again. 

The longer that Sanji sat alone, the more he thought about how bad he'd messed up. Zoro definitely hated him. He'd been stood up on his not date because he didn't know when to shut his mouth. 

He hadn't even fully been able to appreciate how gorgeous Jimmy G was in a Rams uniform. 

By the time that game was over, Zoro hadn't shown up, and Sanji had had too much to drink. It was a good thing his hotel was still within walking distance. He would just walk back and grab his car tomorrow.

By the time he made it back to his room, he was exhausted. Despite the early hour, he kicked off his pants and climbed into bed disappointed with the day and frustrated with himself.

He fell into a fitful sleep.

Chapter Text

The following week was a disaster for Zoro. He'd driven home after the Niners game, and after having slept that afternoon without any issues, he was hoping he'd be fine. He'd been wrong. 

His nightmares continued; most were the same: the crash, the flashing lights, the sirens. But by Thursday night, he was past the point of exhaustion and decided the only way he'd get a good night's sleep was to get blackout drunk.

It had been a long time since he'd been that drunk, but he embraced the darkness as it closed in.

The nightmare was worse that time, more vivid. It was like he was in the car again this time, everything moving in slow motion; he knew what was coming; he could see the other car, and he tried to react, but his body was too slow; he couldn't move. He was helpless as his car swerved off the road. Then, he was rolling; he could physically feel it, though, like he was spinning. He shot up from his spot on the couch and rushed to the bathroom, barely making it before he was emptying his stomach into the toilet. After it finally seemed to settle, he leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes. 

His legs ached like they had the first year or two after the accident, and the scars on his chest and ankles itched. He'd been warned that burying things instead of confronting them could cause adverse reactions, but he'd never been good at confronting anything that had to deal with emotions, so as soon as everyone backed off, he buried it as deep as he could.

When Sanji had triggered the memory, it had been easy enough to respond with anger and violence; he'd gone out back and punched the back wall as he tried to push down what was threatening to break the surface. Getting in a verbal and physical confrontation had helped, and he'd felt himself cooling off by the end of the night.

But then he'd seen his reflection and was reminded of the months he spent changing in the dark, anything he could do to try and ignore or deny the damage done to his body. 

Then there was the nightmare the first night, and Wyper brought the emotional aspect into it the next day. It had all been a slope that steepened until he couldn't stand any longer and was forced to slide, plunging into the depths of what he tried to keep submerged. 

He could feel his breathing starting to speed up as everything closed in. He tried to stumble to his feet, his stomach protesting the movement. He leaned against the counter, willing his stomach to calm down as he gasped for air that he couldn't seem to get. He opened up his medicine cabinet and grabbed out one of the prescription bottles sitting inside. He hoped the pills were still good, despite sitting in there for a year or so.

His fingers shook as he tried to twist off the cap and dump one into his hand and swallow it dry. He closed his eyes again as he tried to start his breathing and keep his stomach settled so he didn't heave it back up.

After his stomach had finally settled a little, he moved back to a sitting position against the wall, not wanting to tempt fate by going any further. The medicine started to kick in along with the alcohol still swimming in his system, and he was finally swallowed by darkness again; fortunately, it stayed that way this time, with no nightmares visiting him again that night. 

***

He woke up Friday morning with an ache in his back from sleeping slumped against his bathroom wall, but at least he'd slept. And the ache in his legs and itchiness of his scars had also disappeared. He still felt like shit, though, and he was still exhausted.

He climbed to his feet and made his way into the kitchen for some water, downing a couple of glasses before making his way back into the bathroom. He needed a warm shower. 

He started to tug off his shirt, but when he grabbed the bottom of it, he hesitated, then shut the bathroom door and turned off the light.

He stripped his clothes off in the dark, making his way to the shower and turning it on, letting the water run over his body and relax his tense muscles. His stomach was still a little upset, and his legs felt weak, so he sat down again, letting the water continue to wash over him.

He stayed there until the water ran cold, then turned it off and climbed out. He left the light off as he slid back into his clothes from yesterday.

He made his way back into the kitchen and grabbed a banana and forced himself to eat it. He wasn't feeling hungry but knew he should at least eat something. Once he'd forced it down, he grabbed another cup of water and made his way to his room. He set the glass on his nightstand and lay down, closing his eyes and hoping for some more rest.

He slept through all of Friday and on to Saturday morning. He'd woken up a few times for some water but for the most part slept through everything, grateful that there were no more nightmares that day. 

Saturday was spent on his couch; he watched the football games but didn't pay too much attention to them. To be honest, he didn't pay much attention to anything. He felt completely separated from himself the whole day; he hated it, hated how out of control he felt.

He needed to shake this feeling before tomorrow. It felt like seeing Sanji was the only good thing about this week, and he wasn't going to let this bullshit keep him from doing that.

He hoped that Sanji didn't know who he was, hoped he didn't remember him like Wyper had. He'd assumed after the interaction that he hadn't, but maybe, just like Wyper, the interaction had jogged his memory. He really hoped not; it made him feel weak, and he didn't want Sanji to view him that way.

***

Sunday morning rolled around, and he got dressed in the dark. He'd laid his clothes out the previous night, a pair of black jeans that were a little on the longer side so they bunched around his ankles, making sure they wouldn't risk pulling up at all, and one of his higher-collared t-shirts that was a little on the looser side to keep from pulling too tight and rubbing against the scar that seemed to be more sensitive than usual.

Everything was fine until he made it out to his truck. There was a small tremble in his hand as he opened the door and climbed in. He tried to shake the odd feeling off, but when he turned the engine on, his chest tightened, and that feeling of breathlessness was back. 

He tried to push it down, putting the truck in reverse and letting his foot off the brake. As soon as the car started moving, all he heard was sirens. He slammed his foot back on the brake, slapping it into park, before tightly gripping the steering wheel and closing his eyes.

He couldn't breathe; he couldn't do this. The truck was quickly shut off, and he was scrambling out of it, barely having the presence of mind to shut the truck door behind him as he rushed back inside. 

His keys were thrown hard against the floor in frustration as he tried to steady his own breathing. He glanced towards the bathroom, where he knew his med bottle was still sitting on the counter from Thursday night.

His legs were aching again, and he felt like he could barely stand, each step a struggle as he made his way down the hall. He grabbed the meds on his way past the bathroom and went into his still darkened room.

He swallowed another one of his pills dry and collapsed back on his bed, staring up at his ceiling. Well, he certainly wasn't going anywhere today. He'd be lucky if he could get himself to go anywhere for the next week.

Fuck, Sanji was going to hate him more than he already did.

— — —

Sanji felt a little off the rest of the week. It was aggravating. He went back and forth between feeling like he was an asshole and understanding why Zoro would stand him up, to thinking that Zoro was the asshole for standing him up. If he'd made Zoro that mad, or offended, or hurt, why would he have bothered talking to him or bringing up seeing him that Sunday? He could have just not said anything. 

He was torn between never wanting to go to Moby Dick's again and showing up every weekend until Zoro showed up, just so he could give him a piece of his mind. The latter was starting to win out more and more the closer it got to the weekend, though.

By the time Saturday morning rolled around, he was in his car and headed out. He was gonna show up to the bar every day that weekend, and every weekend after if he needed to, until Zoro showed up too. So as soon as he'd checked into his room at the hotel, he headed to the bar.

The first Wild Card game started at 1; it was just Chargers/Texans, so nothing too exciting, but he planned on showing up a little early. He wasn't sure how it was out here, but he knew that the bars around him usually got more packed during the playoffs than the regular season, so he wanted to make sure he'd get a spot at the bar with a good view of the front door. 

The place was a little busier when he got there, but not too bad. He scanned the room when he walked in, immediately noticing the lack of green hair. He tried not to be disappointed as he made his way in, choosing a stool that still had open seats on both sides and a good view of the front door. 

The game was just about to start when he saw a familiar face, but it wasn't the one he'd been looking for. The man smiled at him, and he tried to rack his brain for the guy's name. He hadn't been paying too much attention to him when they'd met. Gen or something maybe?

“Hey Sanji! Fancy seeing you here again.”

The man took one of the open seats next to him. Sanji turned to him with a smile that he hoped looked genuine. 

“Like I said, I liked the atmosphere. And playoffs are always the best time to come out.”

“Hell yeah they are. It's going to be a good game this afternoon. Chargers are gonna kick ass.”

Sanji wasn't so sure about that; they seemed to be choking at the worst times this season. He hummed in response and glanced back at the door again as it swung open.

“Watching the door again?”

“Mm. Just a habit, I guess.”

“Well, maybe I can distract you from that? Can I buy you a drink?”

Before he could snark about how he was sure his boyfriend wouldn't like that, Ace was in front of them.

“Gin, Sanji, what can I get you guys?”

“Hey Ace! Kinda busy today.”

“Yeah, it's getting that way. Expecting a pretty busy weekend with both the Chargers and the Rams in the playoffs. Can only imagine how much crazier it'd be if the Niners had made it too.”

Sanji scoffed at the mention of the Niners, and Ace smirked.

Gin turned his attention to Sanji.

“You a Niners fan, Sanji?”

“Fuck no. Niners fans are the worst.”

Ace laughed, and Gin looked between the two, confused for a second, before deciding not to ask and turning his attention back to Ace.

“Can I get a Negroni? What do you want, Sanji?”

Sanji decided not to argue against a free drink. 

“Can I get another one of whatever it was you mixed me the other day? Never got a chance to enjoy it.”

The drink had been pretty good, but he'd only gotten a swallow or two before he and Zoro had gotten into it, and Ace had gotten rid of it when they were outside.

He found himself watching Ace as he mixed their drinks; the game had started, but he wasn't too invested. 

Ace came back with their drinks and moved on to another customer, and Sanji glanced back at the door. Was he really going to spend the entire night staring at it? The place wasn't that big; it's not like he'd miss Zoro if he did show up, even if he didn't see him when he walked in.

Gin was talking to him again. 

“So, not a Niners fan. You a Chargers fan too?”

He sounded almost hopeful.

Sanji shook his head. 

“Rams.”

“Ah. The animosity towards Niners fans makes sense then.”

Sanji laughed. He didn't know the half of it. 

The bar cheered, and Sanji glanced up to see the replay of the field goal the Chargers just made, scoring the first points of the game, putting them up by 3.

“Can you imagine how insane this place would be if the Chargers and the Rams faced each other in the Super Bowl?”

While it technically COULD happen, since the Chargers were in the AFC and the Rams were in the NFC, there was no way the Chargers were making it past the Bills or the Chiefs. They probably weren't even going to make it past the Texans.

Deciding to make the most of it, he decided to engage in conversation with Gin for the time being.

“It would certainly be entertaining. I'm sure half the bars in LA would end up torn apart, riots in the streets no matter who won.”

Sanji had his eyes on the game, watching as the Texans fumbled the ball on their second play, the Chargers recovering it. They didn't get it into the end zone that drive, but they did get a field goal, putting them up by 6 now. At least they were putting up a fight.

“So, Sanji, you a betting man?”

Sanji was definitely a betting man, but he had no interest in making any bets with Gin. He had nothing to gain. He was about to deny it when a voice spoke up behind him. 

“He loves a good bet, don't you, Curls?”

Sanji didn't need to turn around to know who it was. He heard Zoro sit in the seat next to him, and his grip tightened around his glass. He whipped to face him, a scathing remark on the tip of his tongue, but all the anger faded as he took in the other man. He looked exhausted, his tanned skin slightly paler than Sanji remembered, dark circles under his eyes. 

“You ok?”

— — —

Zoro had left his house early Saturday morning. The games didn't start until 1 that day, but he knew it would take him a lot longer than the normal 4 hours. He'd been working himself back into driving over the last week. Little trips here and there, mostly late at night when no one was on the road. 

It hadn't taken him as long to get used to it again as it had the first time, but he was still a little nervous. He'd been going under the speed limit for most of the drive, stopping frequently to get out of the truck and breathe. His meds were stuffed in his glove box in case he needed them. 

Wyper was going to be gone that weekend, but he'd told Zoro where the spare key was so he could stay there. He would have been fine checking into the hotel again, but Wyper had insisted, and he knew that having a familiar place would help him relax. 

He made it to Wyper's place a little before noon, the drive taking him about 6 hours overall. The drive had been exhausting, so he decided to take a little nap before heading out. He didn't care too much about the games today, so even if he missed most of the first one, he didn't really care. He was rooting for the Chargers because anytime a Texas team lost, it was a win in his book, but he didn't really care either way. Whoever won would lose to the Bills or Chiefs next week either way. 

The nightmares had also become less frequent but were still there, so any time he could get a little more sleep, he did. The meds he took also made him drowsy since he didn't take medication very often. The drive had frayed his nerves and left him feeling on the edge, so he took one before passing out in the spare room. 

He slept around an hour and a half and woke up still feeling a little groggy but knew he wouldn't really fall back asleep, so he decided to start walking to the bar. He imagined it was probably middle to end of the first quarter by now.

It was a little busier than usual and put him a little on edge, but he felt a little relief when he saw Sanji sitting at the bar. The relief was short-lived, though, as he saw the blonde shake his head and laugh before turning to a man that was sitting next to him. The other man’s attention was fully on Sanji, even as Sanji turned to glance at the TV after the bar had cheered. 

Zoro made his way a little closer, trying not to alert either man to his presence. Sanji kept his eyes on the screen as the other man continued to stare at him. The guy was wearing a Chargers jersey, and Zoro immediately decided he was going to root for the Texans just to spite him; maybe it would piss Sanji off too.

He'd just gotten close enough to hear them when the other man spoke up.

“So, Sanji, you a betting man?”

He's not sure why, but the idea of Sanji making a bet with the other man pissed him off, but now was the best time to get his attention.

“He loves a good bet, don't you, Curls?”

Zoro took the open seat on Sanji's right side and watched as the other man turned to glare at him. He was ready for whatever snarky comment the other would throw at him, but instead the glare morphed to concern.

“You ok?”

Zoro huffed; he knew he looked like shit; he FELT like shit, but he was maybe hoping the other man wouldn't notice. He really didn't want to deal with unloading any of that. 

“I'd be better if the Texans could remember they were playing an actual playoff game.”

“You've got to be joking. No way you're rooting for the Texans, Mosshead.”

“And what if I am, Curls? What are you going to do about it?”

The person on the other side of Sanji cleared his throat, and they both turned to look at him. He stuck his hand out to Zoro, a fake smile plastered on his face. 

“Hi, I'm Gin. It's nice to meet you.”

Zoro took his hand, grip probably tighter than it needed to be, and shook it.

“Zoro.”

The fake smile remained on his face as he took Zoro in. 

“So, you a friend of Sanji's?”

Zoro and Sanji both scoffed and responded at the same time.

“Hardly.” Zoro commented.

“As if.” Sanji said.

Gin looked between the two of them, confusion on his face.

“They're frenemies. You want something to drink, Zoro?”

Zoro rolled his eyes at Ace’s comment. 

“Vodka, Red Bull.”

“Disgusting.”

“You're not the one drinking it, Curls.”

“Yeah, because I have class.”

Zoro snorted. 

“Is that what you call it? I call it a stick up your ass.”

“I'll shove my foot up your ass.”

“Don't threaten me with a good time.”

Sanji sputtered at that, and Zoro grinned as he took a drink of his drink that Ace had delivered.

— — —

Sanji grumbled as he took a sip of his drink. Zoro had only been here for like 10 minutes and had already managed to get Sanji's blood pumping. And he definitely didn't need more thoughts than he already had about Zoro's ass.

He turned to face away from Zoro and saw that Gin was still sitting next to him on his other side. Gin smiled when he accidentally made eye contact.

“You want to move with me to a table?”

Did Zoro just fucking growl? Sanji chose to ignore whatever it was either way. He needed to let Gin down easy. 

“Look, Gin. I appreciate it, and you seem like a nice guy…”

“For a Chargers fan.”

Sanji kicked his foot out, reveling in the hiss from Zoro as his foot connected with the other man's leg, but otherwise ignored the comment. 

“But you're not really my type.”

Gin looked a little put out but nodded in understanding.

“Well, it was nice talking to you. I'll be over in the corner if you change your mind.”

Gin ordered another drink for himself and finally stepped away.

Sanji turned back to glare at Zoro, who had a grin on his face as he pretended to be watching the TV even though it was halftime and there was nothing interesting going on.

Though, the Texans had managed to score 10 points while holding the Chargers to 0 the rest of the half, putting them up 10-6. Much like Sanji had expected. 

“You're such an asshole.”

“What is your type, Curly?”

You.

“None of your damn business.”

Zoro turned to look at him with a smirk, and Sanji took a minute to finally take in Zoro's appearance. He knew it was a weird thing to latch on to, but he'd noticed earlier that Zoro's hair had been a little less vibrant, and now he could also see the small section of sandy brown hair at his roots. He stuffed his hands in his pockets to prevent himself from running them through Zoro's hair.

He realized he must have been staring too long when Zoro raised his eyebrow at him.

“What are you looking at?”

“Your roots are growing out.”

“My…? Fuck. I knew I forgot to do something.”

Sanji’s hand clenched around the fabric he had in his pocket, reminding him what it was and why it was there, and he decided now was the perfect time.

He pulled the Niners beanie out of his pocket, holding it in his hands for a second, and before he could second-guess his actions, slid it onto Zoro's head.

“There, now no one can see.”

He knew he was blushing as Zoro stared back at him wide-eyed, his drink frozen halfway to his mouth. 

“It just looked like shit, and I didn't want to be seen sitting next to you with it looking like that.”

“And you just randomly happened to have a Niners beanie in your pocket?”

“Go to hell.”

Sanji turned back to his own drink, trying to ignore Zoro's stare. After a couple of seconds, Zoro let out a quiet huff of laughter.

“Thanks, Curly.”

The words were barely loud enough for Sanji to hear, and Sanji smiled into his glass.

Ace came around and got them both another drink, and they sat in a companionable silence as they watched the second half kick off. The Texans first drive ended with a fumble, but the Chargers did nothing with it, turning the ball over on downs after only 5 plays. 

“Are you really rooting for the Texans?”

“Nah, not really. Couldn't care less who wins this. Either team will end up losing next week.”

“At least that's one thing we can agree on.”

“Don't say that too loudly; you might offend some people.”

“No one that I'm worried about offending.”

“What about the sad little puppy that keeps looking over here like he thinks you're going to give him more attention?”

“He might be offended, but I'm not worried about it.”

“You guys looked like real good buddies earlier.”

“I was just being nice, Marimo. Wait, how long were you standing there?”

“Long enough.”

Sanji turned back to look at Zoro; was he blushing? His attention was pulled from analyzing that as the whole bar yelled out and not out of excitement. He glanced at the TV as they replayed the interception Justin Herbert had just thrown. 

He looked at the score and almost laughed. They'd been chatting through the third quarter, and the Texans had managed to pull even further ahead, the score now 20-6. The Chargers haven't scored since the first quarter. 

“Whaddya wanna bet he throws another before the game's over?”

“Oh, he definitely will. He seems to get in his head after he throws a couple, and he's already got 2 this game.”

“He's only gonna throw one more this game.”

Sanji glanced at the TV and the time left. The Texans were just kicking a field goal; the ball was about to go back to the Chargers, and there were 12 minutes left.

“I think he's got 2 more in him.”

“Loser buys the next round, winner picks the drink?”

“What if we sweeten it a little? Winner chooses the drink AND the next bet.”

If Zoro agreed, this would be the perfect opportunity to put his other plan in motion.

“You've got yourself a deal.”

— — —

When Zoro turned back to face the TV, he caught his reflection again in the mirror behind the bar, eyes landing on the beanie sitting on his head, just like they had multiple times tonight. His heart did this stupid little flip every time he looked at it.

Why the hell had Sanji bought him a beanie? There was no pretending that that wasn't exactly why he had it. He had no other reason to get it. And Zoro could tell that it was new because the tag was still attached to the top of it. 

He was only half paying attention to the rest of the game. He also had to think of another bet to make. He didn't think the Chargers would get the ball enough times for Herbert to throw two more interceptions. The Texans were gonna waste as much clock as they could since they were up.

The Chargers had managed to get another touchdown, but the extra point was blocked and recovered by the Texans, who took it into the end zone to score 2 points of their own. That had been pretty entertaining, not something you usually see.

But even with that score, it was still 25-12; the Chargers would need to score two touchdowns without allowing the Texans to score any if they wanted to win. There was still a decent bit of time left in the game, so it wasn't impossible, but it was highly improbable.

Just like he'd anticipated, the Texans took 7 minutes off the clock before scoring their next touchdown, leaving less than 4 minutes left to play, and the Chargers now needed 3 touchdowns to win. They weren't coming back from that.

It took less than a minute after that for Herbert to throw his next interception. That was the game; they weren't getting the ball back, and Zoro was gonna win his bet. And he had no idea what he was going to do for the next one. 

He heard Sanji sigh from next to him.

“Alright, Mossy. What are we drinking?”

“Throwing in the towel early?”

“I know when to admit that I'm beat. Plus, my glass is empty, so I was getting ready to order another anyway.”

Zoro realized then that his glass was also empty. He was feeling a little more awake, so he didn't really want another vodka Red Bull, though he was tempted to say that's what they were drinking just cuz he knew Sanji would hate it.

But he's sure he could think of something else that Sanji would hate equally. Should they just do a shot or an actual drink? He watched as Ace pushed a glass of blue liquid towards an unhappy-looking Chargers fan at the other end of the bar and grinned. That would be perfect.

“We're drinking AMFs.”

“Hell no.”

“Winner chooses the drink. Suck it up, Curly.”

“But come on, an AMF? What are we, 21-year-olds at the bar for the first time? There are better drinks out there.”

“You're right, there are plenty of good drinks out there, but maybe I just wanna order something I know you'll hate but drink anyway. And if you don’t, well, two drinks for me then.”

Sanji looked like he wanted to argue some more but instead let out a sigh and called over to Ace.

“Can we get two AMFs, please?”

Ace raised an eyebrow at them but otherwise made no comment as he got to mixing their drinks.

He came over and deposited one in front of each of them.

“You gonna behave yourselves this time?”

Zoro felt like he was being scolded by an older brother, though he was sure Ace wasn't that much older than him.

“As long as Curls doesn't provoke me.”

“As long as I don't provoke you ?”

Ace threw his hands in the air and walked away, and Zoro just smiled as he took a sip of his drink, his nose wrinkling at the taste. He forgot how sweet these things were.

“You look like you're regretting your decision.”

“Definitely not; I love sweet shit.”

Sanj snorted and took a drink of his own, his face remaining neutral. 

“So, Ravens or Steelers?”

“Honestly? I hate them both equally. Steelers seem to have a slight edge over the Ravens in head-to-head games, but Ravens generally play better in the postseason overall.”

“What are we betting on?”

“You're sure in a hurry to lose again.”

“This time I'm gonna win. Then I can choose the bet.”

Zoro chuckled at Sanji's enthusiasm. He seemed pretty confident, and Zoro was pretty sure he had something planned. He almost wishes he'd lost; that way, Sanji could do what he wanted, and Zoro didn't have to think of another bet.

“Alright, since I really couldn't care less, it's going to be a boring bet. I'll say, Steelers scoring first.”

“Giving me Ravens by default. And what are the stakes?”

This was where he really had the problem. He wasn't very imaginative outside of the things he wanted to do with Sanji in the bedroom, but he wasn't bringing any of those into the terms of a bet. At least, not yet.

“Loser has to tell the other a random fact about them.”

“Awe, you wanna know more about me, Mossy? You could just ask.”

“Nah, we don't have that type of relationship.”

Sanji laughed, and Zoro was pretty sure it was the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard. He quickly turned away and took a gulp of his drink, not sure what his face would look like if Sanji looked at him now and not wanting to find out.

Fuck, he liked the guy, didn't he? This went past the point of just wanting to get into his pants. He wanted to know more about him and wanted to spend time with him outside of the bar. When the hell had that happened?

— — —

Sanji laughed and took another sip of his drink. Zoro wasn't wrong, but maybe…

“Maybe we could change that.”

He glanced over at Zoro, who was looking back at him with a smile on his face.

“Yeah?”

“But not until after I win this bet.”

Zoro laughed and lifted his glass towards Sanji, who raised his back, clinking the rims in a toast.

“You mean after I win this bet?”

“Nope. I'm gonna win this time.”

The game had already started while they were talking, and it was about halfway through the first quarter. Neither team has scored yet, and the Ravens had the ball about halfway down the field. 

The next play had them crossing the field into Steelers territory, and Sanji knew he had this bet won.

“Better be thinking of something to tell me, Mosshead. And it better be something good.”

“You haven't won the bet yet.”

“They're on the 12-yard line. Even if they don't make it into the end zone, they'll at least come away with a field goal. And you said first score, not first touchdown.”

Zoro opened his mouth like he was about to argue but instead cursed as the next play put the Ravens in the end zone.

“Well? I'm all ears.”

Sanji leaned a little towards Zoro as he waited patiently for what the other would decide to tell him. Trying to pretend that he wasn't as eager as he was to learn about the other man.

“I like swords.”

Sanji raised an eyebrow at him before he broke out into a grin.

“Are we talking like real swords? Or is this some sort of metaphor?”

Zoro looked wholly unimpressed as he glared back at him. 

“Well, I guess both, but I was talking about real swords.” 

“Is that really all you're going to tell me?”

“Awe, you wanna know more about me, Curly? You could just ask.”

Sanji glared at Zoro as he parroted his own words back at him with a shit-eating grin. But instead of bristling and fighting back like he knew Zoro was expecting, he decided to do the unexpected. He turned in his seat so he was facing Zoro more fully. 

“Tell me more about your sword obsession, Zoro.”

“It is not an OBSESSION. They're cool, ok? I was really into samurai when I was younger. Wanted to be the greatest swordsman. I even created my own sword style. Over the years, my dreams changed; but my interest in swords didn't. Instead, I started collecting them. There, that's all you're gonna get. Now choose your freaking bet.”

Sanji chuckled.

“That was surprisingly adorable. Now that the terms of the last bet have been satisfied, I'll come up with the next.”

He glanced at the game; the rest of the first quarter had passed, and it was on to the second quarter with no additional points scored. The Steelers had just punted the ball, so the Ravens had possession again. 

“Steelers aren't going to score in the first half.”

He knew it was still a crazy prediction but was still possible. But he needed something that Zoro felt confident in; otherwise, he might not agree.

“So I win if they score at all?”

He sounded suspicious, and honestly, Sanji couldn't blame him.

“What are you planning, Curly?”

“Well, when I win, I have a fresh new Puka Nacua shirt in my car that you have to wear for as long as the Rams are in the playoffs.”

“Like hell I will.”

“Are you chickening out of the bet?”

Sanji glanced over his shoulder to the corner where Gin had moved to. He was sitting alone, looking a little dejected and drinking away his sorrows after his team's loss.

“Maybe Gin would be interested in it. I guess I could go ask him.”

Sanji put his hands on the bar, acting like he was going to stand up and do just that, but Zoro was quick to react, a heavy hand on his shoulder keeping him in place. 

“I'll take the bet. But what do I get when you lose?”

“If I lose-”

“You have to wear this Niners beanie for the rest of the weekend.”

Well, you have to bet big to win big.

“You got yourself a deal.”

“Fuck, I need another drink.”

Sanji hummed in agreement and watched as Zoro flagged down Ace. Fuck, were his arms always that thick? Maybe the shirt he bought wouldn't fit him; he may have to put a slit on the sleeves that would rip more and more every time Zoro flexed his stupid, ridiculously huge biceps. 

“Sanji?”

Sanji startled and looked at Ace, who had been the one to say his name. 

“Huh?”

Ace gave him a knowing smirk, and Sanji flushed. 

“What do you want to drink?”

“Uh. Just an Old Fashioned, I guess?”

“Coming right up.”

Sanji glanced back up at the TV. The Ravens were eating up a lot of time in this drive. They'd had the ball for almost half the quarter on this one drive and were just barely getting into the red zone. Which was good for Sanji’s end game. 7 minutes closer to getting Zoro in Rams gear.

It was only a couple more plays before the Ravens were in the end zone again. Then they were kicking off, leaving the Steelers with about 4 minutes to score. Sanji had never rooted for the Ravens defense more in his entire life. 

And his cheering paid off, at least for this drive. The Steelers were punting back to the Ravens two minutes later. Now all the Ravens had to do was take another 4 minutes getting down the field.

And the Ravens delivered. They made it down the field and even scored another touchdown, leaving only 2 seconds in the first quarter for the Steelers to try and do anything. And everyone knew they were going to take down the ball and let it roll to halftime. 

He heard Zoro groan beside him, and he grinned. 

“You're gonna look so good in blue and yellow, Mossy.”

“I don't think any of your clothes are gonna fit me; I'll stretch your precious Nacua shirt out.”

“No, you won't. I bought this one bigger. It should fit you.”

“You planned this, didn't you?”

“I was going to make as many bets as I needed to get you to wear it.”

— — —

Zoro couldn't believe he'd lost. Who would have seriously thought the Steelers would put up 0 points the whole first half of a playoff game? 

And Sanji, that asshole, had baited him into agreeing to it. He was probably just bluffing, but the idea of Sanji going and talking to Gin again had made him boil.

But Zoro wasn't a sore loser, so he'd wear the shirt like he said he would. 

“Alright, go get your stupid shirt.”

“It's in my car, and I didn't drive here; I'll meet you here with it tomorrow, and you can change.”

Sanji looked way too excited about this.

Zoro sighed and took a drink of his new drink. The Ravens/Steelers game was not exciting to watch at all, and he was quickly losing interest in watching it.

The bar had gotten quieter since the Chargers game had ended as people had begun filtering out. Zoro found himself feeling lighter and more comfortable than he'd felt the last few weeks. 

All of his sleepless nights and the stress and anxiety were catching up. He should probably head back to Wyper's place and call it a day, but he was loath to leave just yet, worried that if he did, this sense of calmness would leave and he'd be right back where he started.

He needed something to focus on to keep himself present. 

“So, you gonna set another bet? Or are you done now that you've accomplished your goal?”

“Hmmm…”

The Ravens were just getting ready to punt the ball, the Steelers defense finally doing their job at the start of the half. He waited for Sanji to decide, struggling a little to keep his eyes open. Sanji's shoulder looked really inviting.

Sanji wasn't as bulky as him, but Zoro could still see the strength in his form. If Zoro just leaned a little further to his left, he could rest his head on Sanji's shoulder, and he knew the other man would easily hold his weight. He felt himself tilting just a little bit further that way.

“Zoro?”

He jolted a little at the sound of his name and realized how close he was to Sanji. He quickly righted himself in his seat and picked up his drink to try and hide his embarrassment.

Sanji was staring at him oddly, and Zoro didn't know what to do or say. Had Sanji asked him a question? Had he missed something? 

He glanced at the TV to keep himself from meeting Sanji's gaze. He looked just in time to watch Wilson throw it into the end zone. 

“Steelers are finally on the board.”

He could see Sanji turning his own gaze back to the TV as well, taking his gaze away from Zoro.

“It's about damn time. I suppose they could still make a game of it and win if they buckle down in the second half.”

They both watched the game for a little bit in silence, and Zoro found the comfortable feeling creeping in again, and his eyes started drooping.

He heard Sanji let out a quiet chuckle; the sound was low and warm. 

“I spoke too soon. The Steelers defense is not doing them any favors today.”

Zoro barely glanced at the TV, noting that the Ravens had made it into the end zone again in less than ten plays. The Steelers weren't going to pull this off; they were getting worn down the further the game went. Zoro hummed in agreement to show Sanji that he was listening. 

“I don't think this game is even worth betting on anymore. I'll think of something good for tomorrow, though.”

“Sounds good.”

That worked for him; he didn't want to watch this game anymore anyway. His eyes fell closed.

— — —

“You gonna be here for real tomorrow?”

Sanji waited a moment for a response, but when he didn't hear one, he turned to look at Zoro and noticed his eyes closed, his head bowing against his chest. Had he fallen asleep sitting up?

Sanji watched Zoro silently for a minute. He saw the dark circles he'd noticed earlier, and they looked even deeper in this lighting. Even sleeping, he still looked exhausted. He found himself wondering what Zoro had been up to recently. Did it have something to do with why he hadn't shown up last week?

He could probably sit watching Zoro sleep for hours; he looked so peaceful, but he knew that this was not the place for Zoro to be sleeping. It wouldn't take Ace too long to notice, then he'd probably be kicking him out.

Sanji reached out and gently shook Zoro's shoulder. 

“Mossy, wake up.”

His tone was gentle as he roused the other man. He felt bad when Zoro jolted awake, looking around startled before his eyes focused on Sanji.

“Fuck.”

Zoro rubbed at his eyes with his palms. 

“You should probably head home and get some sleep. Did you drive here? I can drive you home.”

“No, I walked. Wyper's place isn't too far.”

Sanji frowned at the mention of the other man. Sure, Zoro had said they weren't together, but that didn't mean there wasn't something there. And Zoro referred to it as Wyper's place; did he not live there? If not, why was he staying there, and why was he with Wyper every time Sanji saw him here?

“Where is Wyper?”

Now that he thought about it, he hadn't seen him at all tonight. 

“He's out of town for the weekend.”

“Oh. Do you want me to walk you home? Don't want you falling asleep in a ditch somewhere.”

Zoro stood from his seat and stretched with a groan. 

“Nah, I think I can make it; the cool air should help.”

Sanji nodded.

“Ok, you better be here in one piece tomorrow, though. Dying in a ditch isn't going to save you from wearing a Nacua shirt.”

Zoro chuckled, and Sanji smiled. 

“I'll be here, though I won't guarantee it will be before the first game.”

“I can accept that. I'll see you tomorrow, Marimo.”

“See ya tomorrow.”

Sanji watched as Zoro left the bar, almost a repeat of the last time he'd seen him, but this time he was confident Zoro would show up. And if not, he'd ask Ace if he knew where Wyper lived, and he'd hunt him down.

Chapter Text

Zoro wasn't really sure how, but he made it safely back to Wyper's house. The cool air had done a little to wake him up, but the calmness and drowsiness from the bar remained with him on his walk. 

He barely made it to the bed, kicking off his pants and collapsing onto it face-first. His head itched, so he reached up to scratch it, only to remember the beanie resting on top of it. He pulled it off and rolled over onto his back and looked at it, the warm feeling growing in his chest. He felt a little ridiculous about how happy it made him, but he couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his face. He pulled the beanie to his chest and rolled over onto his side, immediately falling into a dreamless and restful sleep.

***

When Zoro woke up the next morning, he felt more like a person than he had in weeks.

He rolled out of bed and made his way to the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, he realized that Sanji was right; his roots were coming out pretty bad, and his usually emerald green hair was dulled and made him look much more like the ‘moss-head’ that Sanji liked to call him.

He normally wouldn't leave the house with it looking like this, but he had places to be. And since he wasn't home, he didn't have any dye handy. He let out a sigh as he started up the shower; there was no use dwelling on it now. It was already going on noon; he'd probably miss the whole Broncos/Bills game, but he was pretty sure the Bills had it in the bag, so it would be boring anyway.

— — —

Sanji had been awake since around 8am, but it was just after 12, and he was still pacing his hotel room. Zoro had said he probably wouldn't make it before the first game, so he didn't really want to get there too early and sit around by himself looking like a loser. He felt like he'd already done plenty of that the last couple of weeks.

He was itching to go to the bar, though; he had the Puka Nacua shirt sitting on his bed just waiting to be worn. He'd brought it inside yesterday so he wouldn't forget it, and now that he was looking at it, he knew it would be a tight fit on Zoro, and that made him even more excited to see it on him.

The way he knew the fabric would stretch obscenely over his muscles…

Sanji shook the thought from his head before he had to take another cold shower. He grabbed the shirt off the bed and headed out the door.

The walk to the bar had done a lot to clear his head, but that calm all went out the window when he caught sight of Zoro, who had gotten to the bar the same time as him.

What the fuck was he wearing?

Those tight-fitting black sweats should be illegal, with the way they hugged his ass perfectly and the stretch of the dark blue tank over his broad back and wide, strong shoulders… Fuck.

“Z-Zoro!”

Zoro paused when he heard his name and turned to face Sanji, and Sanji was pretty sure his heart stopped. 

How the hell did a guy even get a chest that big? He could probably suffocate himself in between his tits, and oh, what a way to go.

“You ok, Curly?”

Sanji finally pulled his eyes to Zoro's face. The dark circles were gone from under his eyes, and there was a healthy glow to his skin again. There was a look of concern on his face, though, his eyebrows drawn together as he looked at Sanji. Oh, he'd asked him something…

“Huh?”

“Your nose.”

Sanji brought his hand up to his nose, pulling his fingers back when he felt something warm, realizing it was blood when he saw the red staining his fingers.

“Damnit! It's the dry air.”

Sanji pressed his hand back under his nose and tilted his head up. Shit, it had been ages since he'd gotten a nosebleed. Stupid Zoro and his stupid, ridiculously built body.

“You have something for me?”

Sanji choked on his own spit.

“What?!”

Shit, there’s no way Zoro figured that out. He was so screwed.

“The stupid T-shirt or whatever.”

Oh, right, the shirt.

“Why are you acting so freaking weird?”

Sanji didn't respond verbally, just shoved the shirt he was holding into Zoro's hands.

Zoro moved to pull the shirt on over his tank top, and Sanji almost mourned the fact that it would cover up the glorious view, but it was probably better for his own sanity that way.

Or maybe not, because the shirt was definitely too small, and now he probably had enough material from today alone to get him through every lonely night for the rest of his life.

“There, you happy?”

Yes, yes he was, probably a little too happy, but Zoro didn't need to know that.

“It would look better without the beanie.”

“Well, you're just gonna have to deal. Now are we going inside sometime today?”

Sanji pulled open the door.

“After you.”

Zoro rolled his eyes and walked in, but not before shooting a sarcastic comment to Sanji.

“Such a gentleman.”

Sanji ignored his comment in favor of catching another glance of Zoro's ass as he followed him in. Yep, such a gentlemanly thing to do.

Sanji heard a wolf whistle coming from the bar as Zoro walked in, and his head snapped up to glare at whoever it was. 

“Hot damn, Zoro. Is that shirt painted on?”

Ace’s eyes moved from Zoro to Sanji, and he just smirked in response to Sanji's glare. 

The bar was even busier today than it had been the day before, and Sanji noticed more than a few heads turning Zoro's way as they made their way over to where Ace was sitting in one of the corners on the outside of the bar. Sanji glared at each of them in turn, only relaxing when Zoro took the seat directly next to Ace, leaving Sanji to sit on the other side of him, his body and the wall blocking Zoro off from most people's leering gazes.

Zoro was the first one to comment once they sat down.

“Not sure I've ever seen you on this side of the bar, Ace.”

“Yeah, it's my day off.”

Sanji glanced over at him.

“Why are you here then?”

“I've got a crush on the other bartender.”

“Better not let your husband find out.”

Sanji glanced at the bartender who had spoken as he came over to give Ace a drink. Ace had a couple of inches on himself and Zoro, but this bartender looked even taller than him. He was fairly attractive, though his haircut was certainly a little unconventional.

“I won't tell if you don't.”

Ace winked at the other man, who just laughed and shook his head.

The bartender turned his attention to Zoro and Sanji with a smile.

“Hey. I'm Marco. You must be Sanji and Zoro, right?”

Sanji nodded in response, still trying to process what was going on. Apparently Ace was married? And he was also hitting on the bartender? Hell, Ace had flirted with him too. Sanji was so gonna kick his ass.

“What can I get for you two?”

Zoro was the one that responded. 

“What's that drink you made for Ace? Is that a pineapple on the rim?”

“It is. It's called a jungle bird.”

“Can we get two of those?”

“Sure thing, coming right up.”

Sanji turned to glare at Zoro.

“I can order for myself, you know.”

“Whatever. If you don't want it, I'll just drink them both.”

“I never said I didn't want it.”

“Then why the hell are you bitching about it?”

Ace laughed from the other side of Zoro.

“You two never stop, do you? You know what would help?”

Ace wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, and Sanji scoffed at him. 

“I don't think I need advice from you on that.”

Ace raised an eyebrow at him, but there was a sparkle in his eye that said he knew something that Sanji didn't. 

“And why is that?”

Before Sanji could reply, Marco came back with their drinks. 

“Anything else I can get you guys?”

Ace turned his attention to Marco.

“You know, they say that if you eat a lot of pineapple…”

Ace made a show of taking the pineapple off the rim of his glass, running his tongue across it before sliding it into his mouth. 

Marco snorted at him.

“You're a menace.”

Zoro made a fake gagging sound from next to him at the display.

“Gross, save it for the bedroom.”

Sanji glared at Zoro. 

“Or, you know, for never. ‘Cuz Ace is married.”

All three of them turned to face Sanji, each with a look of confusion or disbelief, but Zoro was the only one who answered. 

“Please tell me you're not really that dense, Curly.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Wow. You really are.”

Zoro turned away and took a swig from his drink, and the other two laughed. 

“What is going on?”

Ace just started laughing harder and took a drink from his own glass. Realizing there was no response coming from the two on his side of the bar, Sanji turned to look at Marco.

“You're right, Ace is married…” Marco leaned over the bar, grabbing Ace by the chin and pulling him into a kiss. “to me.”

Sanji stared at them wide-eyed for a moment, the interactions over the last little bit starting to click with the new context he'd been given.

“Oh.”

The other three laughed, and Sanji tried to drown them out as he finally picked up his own drink, downing half of it in one go.

— — —

Zoro was still chuckling 10 minutes later, and every time Sanji glared at him, looking like a wet cat, he laughed even harder.

He'd made Marco and Ace the second Marco had come over with his drink. He’d handed it to Ace instead of just putting it in front of him, and when Ace had taken it, the touch of their fingers had lingered just a little longer than was necessary.

Then, every time Marco came over, Ace leaned just a little further over the bar, and his normally sunny smile lit up just the slightest bit more every time Marco laughed.

Marco had done the same, leaning just the slightest bit towards Ace when he was standing there talking to them, a small smile on his face as he watched him interact and tease. 

It was just small things, but anyone who actually watched them could tell how head over heels they were for each other. Ace was a massive flirt; he flirted with almost anyone who came into the bar, but watching the two of them, he knew that Marco had nothing to worry about, and Marco knew it.

For the first time since they'd gotten here, Zoro looked up at the TV. The Packers/Eagles game was almost at halftime. It was kinda funny that neither he nor Sanji had been paying attention to this game, seeing as it would affect the Rams matchup next week if they managed to beat the Vikings tomorrow.

The Eagles were currently up 10-0, and he didn't expect the Packers to be able to make a comeback in the second half. 

“Who'd you rather face, the Eagles or the Lions?”

Sanji glanced up at the TV. 

“Honestly? Probably the Lions.”

“Not that you have a chance against either of them.”

“Hey, you're supposed to be a Rams fan the rest of the season, remember?”

“No, you said I had to wear this stupid shirt the rest of the season, not that I had to cheer for the Rams.”

“Oh, and who else are you going to root for?”

Zoro hadn't really thought a whole ton about it yet, if he was being honest. At the end of the day, it was probably going to come down to the Eagles and the Lions in the NFC championship game, and while he disliked them both equally, he was saltier about the Eagles knocking them out in the championship game 2 years ago. They'd played the Lions last year and won, so he didn't hate them as much. 

“Lions.”

“Really?”

Zoro just shrugged in response.

“This is the part where the two of you make some stupid bet, right?”

Zoro glanced over at Ace, who was looking at them expectantly.

“Why, you want in?”

“I thought we already went over this. I'm married; I don't want to get in the middle of this weird foreplay the two of you have going on.”

Zoro ignored the sound of Sanji choking on his drink behind him. 

“You know, I don't think I've ever asked. Who's your favorite team?”

“Whichever team's fans are tipping the best on game night.”

“And how about every other night?”

Ace paused for a minute as he looked at Zoro, almost as if he was trying to figure something out, before he turned away from him and looked up at the TV.

“I don't actually pay much attention to the NFL; I've always been more of a collegiate sports fan. Go Trojans.”

Zoro felt his heart drop. The USC Trojans. The rumors that the papers put out hadn't been wrong; he'd all but signed the contract with USC before his accident. If Ace was a Trojans fan, the odds of him not having at least heard of Zoro were pretty slim. He barely resisted the urge to tug the beanie further over his head.

Before Zoro could try to respond, Ace kept talking.

“But, I want the Eagles to take the NFC, ‘cuz if the Bills can't beat the Chiefs for the AFC, then the Eagles are the best bet at keeping them from a three-peat.”

Sanji made an offended noise behind him, and Ace laughed.

“Sorry, Sanji, I don't think the Rams are going to make it that far.”

“You wanna bet?”

And just like that, the weight that had started to press down on Zoro wasn't quite as heavy. It didn't matter if Ace or Sanji knew who he was; neither of them were going to treat him any differently. Sure, there had been a little something different in Sanji's eyes when he'd first seen him, and Zoro was pretty sure the beanie was meant to be a truce of sorts, but the banter and overall tone of their interactions hadn't really changed. 

Zoro leaned back a little in his stool.

“Bet for who takes the NFC?”

Sanji smiled from next to him. 

“Yeah, could be fun. I'll take the Rams, you've got the Lions, and Ace has the Eagles?"

Zoro nodded. 

“I'm down.”

Zoro and Sanji both looked over to Ace, who chuckled and shook his head. 

“Seems like you guys aren't gonna let me out of it anyway. Alright. What are we betting for? A drink seems like a really lame prize for a bet that may take 3 weeks to settle.”

Zoro thought about it for a second. 

“I suppose we could all make our own terms for if we win? Like, if I win, we all have to come here for the Super Bowl, and you guys have to pay for my drinks the whole day.”

Sanji nodded. 

“That sounds like a good idea to me. I also like your idea, so I'm going to set the same stakes. When the Rams take the NFC, you guys have to buy all of my drinks for the Super Bowl.”

Ace laughed, then set his stakes last.

“Well, seeing as I drink for free anyway, if I win, you guys have to take me out to eat somewhere nice, my choice.”

Zoro flagged down Marco.

“Can I get 3 shots of whiskey?”

Marco nodded and brought them their shots, placing one in front of each of them. 

Zoro picked his up and raised it.

“Cheers?”

Ace and Sanji nodded, then did the same, clinking their glasses together and downing the liquid.

They enjoyed each other's company for the next little bit, making comments about the plays, but mostly just watching. The Packers had at least put up some points, but like Zoro had anticipated, they couldn't make a comeback, having been unable to stop the Eagles from putting up more points of their own. The game ended 22-10.

The next two games were going to be the most important of the week, though. At least as far as the Rams were concerned. No one had expected the Packers to beat the Eagles, so really it was just determining who would play the Lions next week and who would play the Eagles next week.

Commanders/Bucs was up next. If the Bucs won, they would go on to play the Eagles no matter what, since they were the third seed and would be middle of the pack along with the second seed Eagles. If the Commanders won, they would be playing the Lions since they would be the lowest-ranked seed. So really, tonight's game was the key factor in determining who played who next week. 

The Rams/Vikings game was tomorrow, but since they were the fourth and fifth seeds, their opponent was based solely on who won tonight. (In the NFL playoffs, they reseed every week, meaning the highest-ranked team in the conference plays the lowest-ranked team in the conference all the way up to the championship games.)

Zoro leaned back in his chair and watched the opening kickoff. The games this week had been pretty boring; if he'd been at home today, he'd probably be taking a nap on his couch at this point. 

Maybe he should just head back to Wyper's for the day. Would Sanji be disappointed if he left? Then what about tomorrow? Should he come back here again for the Rams game? Did Sanji expect him to? Fuck, when did he even start caring if anyone cared whether he came or went? Did Sanji care? 

He glanced over at the man in question, watching him as he stared up at the TV. It only took a few seconds before Sanji noticed his gaze and turned to look back at him, eyebrow raised in question. 

“Need somethin’, Mosshead?”

Would it be weird to invite Sanji over to Wyper's? It would, right? Even if Wyper wasn't there? 

“Do both of your eyebrows curl?”

That was not what he wanted to say. Sure, he'd wondered about it, since Sanji always had his right eye covered by his bangs, but he hadn't meant to actually ask. At least he hadn't followed up on his other thought, the one that was begging him to find out on his own, just reach out and push Sanji's bangs to the side so he had a view of both eyes.

“Do…? I oughta kick your ass.”

“Tch. As if you could.”

“You wanna go?”

“Not in the bar!”

Zoro almost jumped out of his seat as the reprimand came not just from Ace, like he was used to, but from Marco as well.

“Damn, I thought Ace was exaggerating when he told me about you two, but I think he may have undersold it.”

Sanji's gaze shifted to Marco.

“Undersold what?”

Marco just laughed and shook his head, turning off to help another customer. 

Zoro let out a sigh and pulled out his phone; he definitely wasn't coming back here tomorrow. He pulled up his text history with Wyper.

Zoro: Hey. Would it be cool if I invite Sanji to your place to watch the game tomorrow?

Zoro didn't have to wait long for a reply.

Wyper: Sure, just make sure to use protection. 😏

Zoro groaned as he put his phone back in his pocket; he officially hated everyone today.

He glanced up at the TV; at least this game seemed like it might be a little more interesting. 3-7 mid-second quarter, but he still wasn't too interested. This was probably the game that really had the least implications in his mind in regards to the NFC; he didn't think either of these teams would make it past the next round, no matter who won.

— — — 

Sanji was officially done with today. He still felt like a bit of an idiot after earlier. And on top of that, he was having a hard time paying attention to any of the games. His gaze was constantly pulled to Zoro; he just looked so damn good today. This really wasn't good for his blood pressure.

He'd felt the tension rise when Ace had mentioned being a USC fan, and he could tell by Ace’s actions that he knew it would have some effect on Zoro, which meant he knew exactly who the other man was. Fortunately, most of that tension was cleared up pretty quickly, but he still noticed the remaining tension in Zoro's demeanor.

He found himself a little quicker to anger too; when Zoro made a comment about his eyebrows, he was ready to kick his ass for real. That anger had also been dispersed pretty quickly. He felt like there was something simmering under his skin, begging him to do something, but he had no idea what to do. It all left him feeling a little on edge.

When Zoro groaned and shoved his phone in his pocket, he knew his time with him this weekend was probably coming to a close.

“What are your plans for tomorrow's game, Curls? You gonna be here?”

Sanji frowned a little. He had fully intended on staying here and watching the game, but something had come up and he needed to be up at his old man's place, so he agreed to stop by and stay for the game.

He had the brief thought of inviting Zoro to go with him there, but that would be an absolute disaster on so many levels.

“I won't be here. Already had plans.”

Was Zoro pouting? He folded his arms across his chest and glared at the countertop.

“Guess it means I can get away without wearing this shitty shirt for tomorrow then, right?”

“If you're at this bar, watching football, you have to wear it. Ace will tell me if you aren't. Right, Ace?”

Ace chuckled. 

“Sure thing.”

“Tch. Whatever, I'm heading out. Haven't been feeling the best lately, so calling it an early night. I'll catch you all later.”

Sanji watched as Zoro stood up and left the bar; he felt bummed out that he wasn't going to see Zoro until probably next weekend. Maybe he could call Zeff and see if he could come up another day, but Zeff had asked him to come up that day, and he wasn't going to blow him off for some guy that he would probably never see again after the football season.

After Zoro had left the bar, Sanji turned to Ace.

“So, you're a USC fan?”

“Born and raised.”

Sanji was quiet for a second, trying to decide if he even wanted to ask or even know the answer to the next question.

“So, you know who he is?”

“I pegged him the second he walked into the bar. Even with his green hair. Always been a huge USC fan, and I followed his career all through high school. I had a couple of friends in college who were on the team, and they talked about him all the time, looking forward to playing with him. Honestly, I was half tempted to smack you myself the other week, just to get you to shut up and stop pushing.”

“I wish you had. Zoro's seemed a little off since that day, and I'm worried that I'm going to say something again to set him off. I don't want to tiptoe around him ‘cuz I know he'd hate it, but sometimes I can't help it. I don't want him to disappear.”

“If he wanted to disappear, he'd be long gone by now. Don't stress too much about it.”

“Easier said than done.”

Ace laughed and ruffled Sanji's hair. Sanji let out an indignant huff and pushed his hand away before standing up from his chair.

“Well, it was fun drinking with you, Ace. I'm headed out too. I'll see you next weekend.”

“Yep, I'll see you then.”

Sanji left the bar and headed back to his hotel. He'd need to leave early tomorrow, so he wanted to get to bed at a decent time, but he couldn't help feeling like he missed out on something when Zoro asked what he was doing tomorrow.

Oh well, he'd see him next week anyway; but until then, he had plenty of images of the green-haired man to get him by.

Chapter Text

Monday night's game had been fun; the Rams beat the Vikings and moved on to the next round. He’d enjoyed watching it with Zeff and a few other members of his Baratie family, but throughout the game, he couldn't stop his mind from wandering to Zoro.

Zoro would probably be rooting for the Vikings, just to be a pain in the ass. He wondered if he was at the bar and actually wearing the Nacua shirt. He'd probably confuse the hell out of anyone who saw him. Some random person in Rams gear, rooting for the opposing team during a playoff game.

So yeah, the game had been fun, but maybe not as fun as it could have been.

The rest of the week, however, was horrible. It passed away slower than he had hoped. He'd decided to try and pass the time by staying at Zeff’s and visiting some restaurants nearby and further north for his blog, but that hadn't made a difference. By the time Friday finally rolled around, it felt like weeks should have passed. 

The drive from Zeff's to his normal hotel, though, that had taken less time than anticipated, and he found himself sitting in his room with nothing to do but anxiously wait for Saturday afternoon. 

He was past the point of fighting the fact that he was interested in Zoro. Now, he just wanted to spend more time with him and get to know him more. And as things stood now, the only time he got to do that was during their time at Moby Dick’s.

He wondered if Zoro would even be there Saturday and, if so, when. The games didn't start until 1, so not too early in the day. He wished he had the other man's phone number to ask him. He'd thought about it before but had never gotten up the nerve to ask or offer. 

It was stupid, really; surely they were friends enough for that by now. Right?

Maybe this week he'd finally bite the bullet. But in a way that minimized the potential face-to-face rejection. He'd wait until one of them was getting ready to leave on Sunday, then he'd very smoothly hand Zoro a paper with his number, then leave the rest up to him. That way, if he messaged him, then he'd have his number, and if he didn't, Sanji could just mope at home and never show his face at the bar again. 

Better to find out now than in a few weeks; better to find out before he gets more attached than he already is. 

— — —

“LA? And you've really been driving out here almost weekly for the last little bit? That's, what, 8 hours round trip?”

Zoro shrugged in response to Wyper's questions, took a swig from his beer, and avoided looking at the other man.

Zoro had ended up staying at Wyper's until he had gotten home on Tuesday. His mind and body had been trying to put off that drive home just that little bit longer, using the excuse that he should stick around and thank Wyper in person for letting him stay.

“I'd always assumed you were still outside of San Francisco, near where you went to high school. Still a bit of a drive, but I never realized you were that far away.”

“Wasn't too bad at first. But then…”

Zoro trailed off; he didn't really want to get into it again, and he was sure Wyper knew what he was alluding to.

“That's a lot of effort for someone you supposedly don't like, especially when you don't know if he's even going to show up.”

Zoro opened his mouth to retort, to claim that it had nothing to do with Sanji, but they both knew the truth. Instead, he grumbled out a halfhearted ‘fuck off,’ which only earned him a laugh from Wyper.

“So, what are your plans now, then? Drive home today or tomorrow just to drive back Friday or Saturday?”

“Yeah, basically.”

“What about work? I've been curious about what you do since it seems like you'd be missing a lot of time with how often you're here.”

“I'm a freelancer. Mostly financials and number-based shit. Numbers have always come easy to me, so it was a pretty simple thing to fall back on. I can do pretty much all of it remotely on my laptop. I usually pick up less contracts during the playoff season. I also have some money from my dad in savings, but I try not to depend too much on that.”

“Hm. I guess that makes sense. So, no real reason to be back in LA?”

“Not anytime soon. I have a few LA based clients that like to have me in their office sometimes, but no open contracts with them right now.”

“Then why don't you just stay here through the Super Bowl?”

“That's like a month away.”

“And? If you don't wanna stay that long, maybe just stay until the playoffs are over. Then you can drive home and stay there during Pro Bowl week and come back for the Super Bowl.”

“I don't have a problem staying that long; I just don't wanna impose.”

Wyper chuckled.

“How did I know you were going to say that? It's not imposing if I'm the one that invited you, right?”

Zoro thought about it for a minute. It was actually a pretty good idea. On top of the stress of the drive, he'd also been spending a small fortune on gas in his truck. He did have his laptop, so he could easily work on the few projects he did have from here. Plus, if he was being honest, it had been nice having someone else around. Being alone made everything louder. Plus everything in this town was within walking distance, so he wouldn't need to drive at all for a while.

“Alright, but you have to let me pay you rent or something.”

“You can cover food and drinks while you're here. That sound good?”

“Works for me.”

— — —

Sanji really should have gone home between Zeff's and coming back here. He'd washed the clothes he'd had while he was at Zeff's, but none of the clothing he had with him was what he wanted to wear.

He wanted to look good enough to capture Zoro's attention completely, to drive him as crazy as Zoro had driven him last week.

After digging through his bag one more time, hoping by some miracle that something else would materialize, he finally just opted for his tighter black slacks and his maroon button-up. He rolled the sleeves up to his elbows and left the top two buttons undone. It wasn't anything special, but it would have to do.

He hadn't wanted to head to the bar too early, but even with his extra-long shower and the time spent digging through his bags, it still wasn't even noon. Deciding he really had nothing else to waste time on, he made his way to the bar. 

There were a decent amount of people already there when he walked in, so he didn't feel as awkward being too early. Ace waved at him from behind the bar, and he made his way over to the end of it and took a seat. 

“Looking nicer than usual today, Sanji. You trying to impress someone?”

Ace came over to lean against the bar across from him. Sanji shrugged and tried to appear nonchalant. Though he'd be lying if he said Ace’s comment hadn't made him feel at least a little better about his choice.

“Just the first thing I grabbed while getting ready.”

“Mhmm… sure.”

Ace took another few minutes to inspect him, brow pinched in thought before speaking again. 

“You should undo a couple more buttons.”

“What?”

“Trust me, he'll like it.”

Sanji wanted to argue, tell Ace he wasn't trying to impress anyone, but he knew it was useless. He hesitantly undid another two buttons. 

Ace tutted at him and came out from around the bar. 

“Stand up.”

Sanji did as he was told, standing to face him. Ace grabbed his shirt, pulling and adjusting it so the unbuttoned sections parted a little more, showing a bit more of his chest. 

“Much better.”

Ace returned to the other side of the bar, and Sanji sat back down. 

“Now, what can I get for you?”

Sanji ordered a coffee and a sandwich and just settled in to wait. He was just about to dig in when he felt someone sit next to him. He turned, expecting to see green hair, but instead, he saw Gin. He tried to hide his disappointment as he smiled politely at the other man.

"Hey Gin."

"Hey, Sanji. You look really good today."

"Thanks."

Sanji was trying hard not to be rude. The ego boost was nice, but he thought he'd properly shot Gin down last time.

"I thought that maybe since your... not friend... wasn't here, we could actually talk again."

Wait, did he think that Sanji only turned him away because Zoro had shown up? Sanji tried not to sigh. He could be cordial; maybe it would help the time pass. Plus, it's not like he really had a problem with Gin as a person.

Honestly, he might have used Gin to blow off some steam if he wasn't already infatuated with a certain someone. Well, that and...

"What about your..."

Sanji paused. He didn't really have the best track record for assuming relationships recently, so maybe he shouldn't assume Gin's status either.

"... Friend? Craig or whatever?"

"Krieg?"

"Yeah, him. Are you two, like, together or something?"

Gin laughed.

"No. He's kinda like my older brother, I guess."

Sanji could tell there was maybe more to it than that, but he chose to let it slide. He still had no real intention of doing anything with him either way. He could be friendly with Gin; maybe that was all he wanted anyway. He shouldn't just assume people wanted to get in his pants.

"What brings you out here today? I thought you said you only made the trek out here for Chargers games."

A flush spread across Gin's face.

"Yeah, usually. But I came today hoping that maybe I'd see you again and that you'd be by yourself."

Sanji couldn't hold back the sigh this time. Guess at least one of his assumptions was correct. He'd have to let Gin down again. Probably a little less gently this time so he actually got the point across. He took another sip of coffee as he tried to think of how to respond. But before he could, he heard another familiar voice.

"You're in my seat."

Sanji turned and barely kept himself from choking on his swig of coffee at the sight in front of him. There was Zoro; he'd re-dyed his hair at some point, and his skin had gotten back its bronze glow, but that wasn't what he was focused on.

"The fuck are you wearing?”

His comment stopped whatever argument the other two were having as they turned to face him.

“The stupid shirt you got me?

"That is not... what did you... Why is half of it missing!?"

Sanji slapped his hand over the lower part of his face to hide the nosebleed that he could already feel coming.

Zoro looked down at himself with a frown before shrugging and looking back up at Sanji.

“You're being dramatic. And it's your fault you bought one that was too small anyway.”

Sanji was stuck between cursing and thanking his past self. Zoro was wearing the Nacua shirt, but a pair of scissors had been taken to it. 

He'd cut off the collar to widen the neck, then he'd cut off the sleeves and a little further down the sides so Sanji had a full view of his arms as well as little peaks at the bottom of his rib cage, depending on how he was standing. The shirt was still tight around his chest and stomach, though, leaving very little to the imagination. Sanji had died and gone to heaven.

"Yeah, sure, whatever. I'll be right back.”

Sanji quickly stood up and made his way, very calmly, to the restroom before anyone noticed the red liquid threatening to drip down his neck.

— — —

Zoro stood in confusion as he watched Sanji rush to the bathroom. What the hell was his problem? All he'd done was cut it into more of a muscle shirt so it wasn't too constricting. If Sanji had actually wanted it back to wear later, Zoro would just buy him a new one. This one would have been too big for him anyway.

Since Sanji was away for now, he turned his attention back to the other guy.

He was sure he'd been told his name, but he really didn't care. He was pretty sure Sanji had shot him down last time. Why was he here again?

“Why are you here?"

The guy glared at him, and Zoro was sure the guy thought he looked tough.

"It's a public place; I can be here if I want."

"That's not what I meant. Why are you here with Sanji again?"

"I don't see how that's any of your business. According to you, you're not even friends."

Zoro rolled his eyes.

"And you choose to believe that part of the conversation but not the part where he told you he wasn't interested? Listen... You seem like a decent enough guy, but Sanji is way out of your league.”

"Has anyone told you that you're kind of an asshole?

"Once or twice. But hey, the truth hurts."

"And everything you believe is automatically the truth? And who is in Sanji’s league? You?”

Zoro just shrugged in response.

"I think that should be decided by him, not you.”

"What should be decided by who?"

Zoro froze when he felt a warm hand rest against his lower back as Sanji came up beside him.

The other man's eyes fell from where he was glaring at Zoro to where Sanji's arm was wrapped around behind him, his eyebrows furrowing. 

"Whatever, this is obviously a waste of my time."

Before Zoro or Sanji were able to reply to him, he'd already walked past them and towards the door.

“What was all that about?”

Zoro tried not to show his disappointment when Sanji removed his hand and went back to sit in his seat. Zoro took the seat next to him.

"I need a freakin' drink."

"You're not going to answer me, are you?"

“Nothin' you need to worry about.”

Sanji didn't look convinced, but he dropped it anyway, much to Zoro's relief. He knew he was overreacting; he knew Sanji wasn't interested in the other guy, but he couldn't help the anger and annoyance he felt when he'd seen them talking. And the way he'd been looking at Sanji too…

Zoro shook his head to clear his own right thoughts; he wasn't going to unpack all of that right now. He glanced up at the TV and changed the subject. 

“You think the Texans have a chance?”

Sanji turned his attention to the TV as well.

“Not really. I'll root for them as the lesser of two evils, but rooting for them and actually thinking they'll win are two different things.”

Zoro chuckled.

“That's true.”

Ace came by, and Zoro ordered a drink. He and Sanji sat in silence for a bit, listening to the announcers discussing the upcoming games today. Chiefs/Texas was coming up in the next few minutes, and Commanders/Lions was later this evening.

Sanji was the first to break the silence, just after kick-off.

"Wanna make a bet?"

Zoro smiled.

"Always.”

"I'm sure we both think the Chiefs will score this drive. I think it'll be a field goal."

"So I get touchdown? Ok, I'm good with that. What are we betting for?”

"Information.”

"Oh? I'm listening."

"I figured betting for shots is kind of getting old. So instead, whoever wins gets to ask a question. We've done it before, but I figured it would be fun to do again and actually get to know each other."

"I'm down, but I wanna put in a clause. Loser has the right to refuse to answer. But if they choose to not answer, they owe the other a shot.”

"You planning on refusing to answer me, Mossy?"

Zoro shook his head. He was perfectly fine answering questions, and he was glad for an opportunity to get to know Sanji, but there was some stuff he may not be up to talking about.

"I'm not planning on it, but you never know."

Sanji nodded.

“Fair enough. Sounds reasonable to me."

Sanji's smile widened as he glanced at the TV. Zoro looked up as well, just in time to watch Butker kick the ball through the uprights; field goal for the Chiefs. Zoro sighed and leaned back in his seat.

"Alright, Curls. What do you wanna know?"

"Do you and Wyper live together?"

Zoro laughed.

"I don't live with him, but he has been letting me stay in his spare room for a bit.”

He hoped Sanji accepted that as an answer and didn't push for more, because he was not letting Sanji find out where he really lived. Maybe, if he was lucky, Sanji had found out where he went to high school and, like Wyper, assumed he was still living in that area.

Deciding to head off any further questioning along those lines, he made the next bet.

"I think the Texans will answer this drive with a field goal of their own."

Luckily, Sanji didn't push and just went along with him.

"I don't think they'll score this drive.”

They both went quiet again as they focused on the game. Zoro was only half focused, though; the rest of his mind was spent trying to think of all the things he wanted to know.

— — —

The questions started out pretty basic. Sanji had been infinitely grateful when Zoro hadn't kept the same line of questioning he'd started; he did not want to tell Zoro he'd been driving up here from LA almost weekly. Instead he'd opted to ask him about work. 

They'd discussed that for a little bit, then moved on to other basic questions: what's your favorite color, what's your least favorite food; simple questions that didn’t pack too much depth.

It was midway through the first quarter of the Lions/Commanders game when the first answer was refused, and it was Sanji that refused it.

"What do you want to drink, Mossy?"

"Seriously? That's the question you're gonna refuse?”

Sanji flushed a little.

"It was your clause; you can't argue about it now."

Zoro laughed and shook his head.

"Alright, get me a shot of rum."

Sanji ordered the requested shot, one for Zoro and himself as well.

"I bet it's embarrassing.”

Sanji's face turned darker red, and he refused to look at Zoro. That was exactly why he refused to answer. Well, kinda, the question wasn't too hard to answer: ‘If you could have anything you wanted right now, what would it be?’ The problem was, the first and only answer that came to mind was 'you' and he'd been so flustered over it that he’d just opted to not answer instead of trying to think of another one.

"Maybe I just don't want to tell you."

He kept his tone light and teasing, sticking his tongue out for good measure.

Zoro laughed at him and shook his head.

"Fine, keep your secrets. What are we betting on next?"

"First score in the second quarter?"

"Lions.”

The first score ended up being the Commanders, so it was Sanji's turn again. 

"What do you do for fun during the NFL off-season?"

"Mostly wallow in misery until preseason."

Sanji gave Zoro an unimpressed glare, and Zoro laughed again. Sanji was starting to get addicted to the sound. But it only lasted for a few seconds before Zoro's eyes were on him and his face turned a little more clouded and thoughtful.

"You know who I am."

It wasn't a question, but Sanji still nodded in response. 

"I know it's been a few years since everything happened, but..."

Zoro took a minute to collect his thoughts, and Sanji waited patiently. 

"I don't feel like I've had enough time to find out who I am outside of football, so I don't really know what else to do for fun.”

Zoro gave a kind of half shrug, obviously not knowing what else to say, and took a long swallow from his drink.

“Your phone number.”

“What?”

“If I could have anything I wanted…”

Zoro smiled, but it was a little more subdued than earlier. 

“Seems like a pretty lame answer to chicken out of saying.”

Sanji shrugged. 

“Didn't want you to know that I have such little aspirations.”

“Alright, gimmie your phone.”

Sanji tried not to seem too hasty as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and unlocked it before handing it to Zoro, who typed in his number before handing it back.

“There, I've made all your dreams come true.”

Sanji didn't respond verbally; he just opened a new text message and sent a quick 🖕 before saving Zoro's number and slipping his phone back into his pocket.

“You realize that if the Commanders win tonight, and it's looking like they probably will, you'll be out of the running in the bet with Ace. And then no free drinks for you.”

“Hey, don't rule the Lions out yet. We've still got half a game to go, and they're only up by 10.”

The game had just hit halftime, and the score was 31-21, with the Commanders on top. It was a pretty high-scoring game; neither team seemed to want to play defense.

Their game of questions stopped at that point, but the two of them still chatted throughout the remainder of the game. Sanji had been worried that the dark cloud from earlier would stick around and maybe chase Zoro away, but it had cleared almost as quickly as it had come, at least for now.

The game came to a close with the Commanders remaining on top, winning 45-31. The Lions had basically given up at half time it seemed.

Ace came over as it ended, three shots of whiskey in his hands. He gave one to Zoro and one to Sanji, keeping the last for himself.

"Well, looks like Zoro's out of the bet. Just between you and me now, Sanji. But seeing as the Eagles and Rams play each other tomorrow, another one of us will be knocked out then."

Zoro let out a grumble and took his shot. Sanji and Ace chuckled before doing the same. Ace continued talking.

"If the Eagles win tomorrow, do I still have to wait for the following week to see if they win before you guys take me to dinner? Or can I cash in before?"

“I don't mind paying up if they win tomorrow; not that they're going to."

Sanji glanced at Zoro after his comment, waiting for Zoro's opinion. Zoro shrugged.

"I'm fine with that. Technically it was whoever took the NFC, but I think it would be stupid for none of us to win if the freaking Commanders do somehow take it."

Sanji scrunched his nose.

"If that happens and the Chiefs win the AFC, I don't think I'll even watch the game."

Ace and Zoro both nodded in agreement. Since Ace was already over by them, Sanji and Zoro decided to close out their tabs then and left the bar together. 

Once outside, Zoro headed in the same direction as Sanji, so he decided to start up a conversation as they walked.

"What time are you planning on getting to the bar tomorrow?"

"Well, the Rams have the morning game, so I'll probably get there early and eat some breakfast before it starts."

"Breakfast? I didn't realize they had breakfast options."

"Technically they don't, but I showed up really early one morning, and Ace told me I could order whatever. Ordered some omurice, and it was pretty much the best thing I'd ever had. I've ordered a few things to eat since then; everything the cook makes is amazing.”

Sanji scoffed. He really shouldn't be as annoyed as he was about that comment.

"I'm sure I could cook it better."

“Thought you were a food critic or something, not a cook.”

“That's just temporary."

At least, it was supposed to be. Sanji had moved away from Zeff and out to LA to open his own restaurant; he had a dream, but in the two years he'd been in LA, he hadn't been able to establish himself like he'd hoped. So he started blogging, and it paid the bills. Then eventually he stopped even looking for somewhere to open a small place. But he wasn't going to focus on that now. 

He'd been so caught up in his own thoughts that it took him a second before he realized Zoro was no longer walking next to him. He stopped and turned around to see Zoro stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, a confused look on his face as he looked around.

"You good, Moss-head?"

"I think I'm going the wrong way.”

Sanji stood and watched in silence as Zoro turned around and started walking back towards the bar. As he reached the cross street they had just passed, he stopped and looked both ways down the street and just stood there. 

Was he waiting for Sanji? Sanji glanced over his shoulder, where he could see his hotel just a few blocks down.

Zoro turned to face him again and pointed to his right.

"I'm headed this way. I'll see you tomorrow?”

"Uh... yeah. See you tomorrow."

Sanji watched as Zoro turned and started walking the way he'd pointed.

He stood there in confusion for a second, watching Zoro walk off. He was just about to turn and continue his walk when he noticed Zoro again coming to a stop before turning around and walking back towards where he'd just come from. Sanj stepped a little off to the side, out of the light of the street lamp, so it wasn't as easy to see him as he kept watching.

Zoro reached the intersection again and continued walking the other way. He made it just about the same distance down that sidewalk before abruptly turning around again. This time when he made it to the intersection, he turned back the way Sanji was standing and started walking towards him again.

When he got close enough, his eyes met Sanji's, and he looked at him with an eyebrow raised.

"You lost, Curly? I thought you were headed that way.”

Zoro pointed behind him, back towards the bar.

"Zoro, I haven't moved. I'm standing in the same place you left me 5 minutes ago.”

"No. You were…”

Zoro trailed off as he looked behind himself again.

"Are you lost?"

A flush covered Zoro's cheeks, and he glared at the ground.

"No, they must have changed the street signs or something."

"Changed the... Oh my God, are you serious? Where are you trying to go?"

Zoro pulled his phone out of his pocket, pulling up his maps and showing Sanji where he was headed. Sanji barely stopped himself from face-palming. It was the opposite direction from the way they'd headed when they left the bar. He studied the map for a second.

"Alright, Mossy, come on. I'll walk you home."

Zoro looked like he was about to argue, but Sanji glared at him, and he immediately shut his mouth. Sanji started walking the correct way, and Zoro fell in step beside him.

"If it's just temporary, what do you wanna do?"

Sanji was confused for a second before he remembered what they'd been talking about before.

"I want to own my own restaurant. A simple little place near the shore."

— — —

Zoro let out a quiet hum as Sanji answered his question. It’d seemed almost a little sad as he said it.

"What's stopping you from doing it?"

"Besides money?"

"Yeah, besides money."

Sanji chuckled, but there was no humor in it.

'I'm not sure there's an easy answer to that."

Zoro chose not to push further on the subject, and they fell into a companionable silence as they continued to walk. It wasn't too much longer before they were standing in front of Wyper's place, and Zoro knew their time together was coming to a close.

"Thanks for walking me here, considering it's the opposite way of where you were headed."

Sanji laughed.

"Couldn't leave my little moss wandering around all night. He might not show up tomorrow if I did.”

" Your little moss?"

Sanji's eyes widened and Zoro was sure he was bright red even though he couldn't see it very well.

"Thats not... I didn't...".

Zoro decided to take pity on him and changed the subject. 

"I'd invite you inside, but don't wanna do that without letting Wyper know first. Sorry."

"No, it's fine. You're being a good roommate; I get it. I should probably head out anyway; I've got a bit of a walk ahead of me."

“You want me to order you a ride as thanks for getting me home?"

Sanji shook his head.

"That's not necessary. It's a nice night out, and I like walking."

Zoro nodded, feeling a little awkward now, not knowing what to do. It's not like they’d been on a date. He didn't need to give Sanji a goodnight kiss.

"Ok. Uh, text me when you get there?"

"Worried about me?”

"Not at all."

“Mhmm… Alright, I'll text you. See you tomorrow."

With that, Sanji turned and started walking away.

Zoro stood for a minute, watching until he was out of sight before heading inside. He decided to take a quick shower, and by the time he got out, he had an unread text message.

‘Made it back. Didn't run into any altered street signs.’

Zoro chuckled and saved the number before replying.

Zoro: 🖕

🍥Curly🍥: Do you need me to pick you up too, or do you think you can make it back to the bar?

Zoro: If I said yes, would you actually pick me up? 

🍥Curly🍥: Absolutely. Can't have the little moss wandering around. 

Zoro typed out his next message but stopped before sending it. ‘I thought I was your little moss.’ He quickly erased the message and typed a new one. 

Zoro: It's just cuz it was dark. I can find my way there just fine.

🍥Curly🍥: If you're not there by 11:30, I'm sending a search party.

Zoro: Maybe call first; I might just be asleep still.

🍥Curly🍥: 11:30, Mossy.

Zoro: Alright, I'll be there. 

Zoro plugged his phone in and climbed into bed, a smile on his face as he fell asleep.

Chapter Text

“I guess my little moss isn't so little.”

Zoro groaned at the feeling of Sanji's warm hand moving up and down in quick strokes over his dick.

Sanji laughed.

“Look at that, I've barely touched you and you're already making a mess.”

The comment was true enough. Just one touch was all it took to have Zoro leaking enough to avoid the need for any additional lubrication. Sanji's hand glided smoothly over him, and Zoro was losing his mind.

He wanted to argue, to wipe that smirk off Sanji's face, and tell him that it was only because he was pent up, because he hadn't touched himself or been touched for a while. They would both know the truth, though. It was because it was Sanji touching him; no one else would get the same reaction.

“I can't wait to feel you inside me.”

“Why don't you hurry it up then, Curly?”

Sanji tutted at him. 

“Patience, Mossy.”

“I've been patient… for weeks.”

The smirk on Sanji's face spread, and Zoro flushed as he realized what he'd just admitted. 

“Weeks, huh? You poor thing.”

Zoro growled and went to sit up, ready to take control, but a hand on his chest stopped him from moving.

“Stay.”

Zoro shuddered at the command, and he found himself obeying. 

“Good boy.”

Zoro's blood heated up, and he felt himself twitch in Sanji's hand, and based on Sanji's grin, he'd felt it too, but he graciously chose not to comment on it. 

“Since you've been so good and patient for me, I guess I can reward you.”

Sanji moved to straddle Zoro, lining himself up. He felt Sanji's hole resisting the pressure.

Finally losing any patience he had left, he reached up to grab Sanji's hips and-

Zoro shot up in bed with a gasp, sweat sticking to his body, fire running through his veins, and a rock-hard dick tenting his dampened boxers.

He groaned as he plopped back onto the bed; it was still dark outside. 

“What the fuck?”

He reached over to grab his phone and look at the time, confirming that it was still the middle of the night. It was too early to get out of bed and start the day, but there was no way he was falling back to sleep like this. 

It had been a while since he'd touched himself; it probably wouldn't take long for him to get off.

He closed his eyes, and he tried to hold onto the feeling from his dream. He slid his hand into his boxers and wrapped it around his dick, biting back a groan at the first slide.

He imagined it was still Sanji's hand as he continued the motion, quickly jacking himself off. The glide wasn't as smooth as it had been in his dream, but it was enough. 

“You're so sensitive, Mossy.”

“Shut up.”

“Why would I do that when you enjoy the sound of my voice so much?”

Zoro twisted his hand on the next stroke, biting back another groan, trying to keep as quiet as possible.

“You close? I know you are.”

Zoro's hand sped up even more, his hips moving in tandem, fucking up into his own hand. He was so close.

“Come on, Zoro. Cum for me.”

Zoro had to slap his free hand over his mouth to cover the noise as he came.

Now that his burning arousal was taken care of, the sleepiness started creeping back in.

It was probably not even 4 yet, and he'd need to wash the sheets tomorrow anyway, so he didn't bother cleaning up, just turned over, and settled back in to fall asleep.

***

Zoro slept through the rest of the night without further incident and woke up with just enough time to shower before he had to leave. He'd worry about the rest of the cleanup later. 

The Nacua shirt was probably still clean enough, so he threw it on with a fresh pair of pants and headed out. Deciding he didn't want to deal with Sanji giving him shit, he pulled up the GPS on his phone and followed the directions to the bar.

He ended up getting to the bar earlier than he had anticipated. Which meant that either Sanji was right and he didn't know the best route to get here or that he was just walking faster because he was looking forward to spending time with the other man. He wasn't sure he wanted to admit to either of those options out loud, though, so he decided not to think about it. 

He was a little surprised to find Ace seated at the bar again instead of behind it. He made his way over and took the open seat next to him. 

“Slacking on the job again?”

Ace laughed.

“Yeah. I bribed Marco into covering for me today so I could drink with you guys since I already have a stake in the game.”

“Bribed him, huh?”

“Yep. You wanna hear all the juicy details?”

Zoro chuckled. 

“Absolutely not.”

Ace shrugged. 

“Your loss. I have some pretty good tips on how to please a blonde in bed.”

Zoro felt his face heat up as he thought back to his earlier dream.

“Ooo. Seems like you already have some ideas, don't you?”

“I don't know what you're talking about.”

“You do realize that the only person who doesn't know how enamored you are with Sanji is Sanji himself, and he's not here yet. So drop the act.”

Zoro dropped his head to the bar with a sigh.

“Is it really that obvious?”

“Do you really want me to answer that?”

Zoro turned his head where it was resting so he could glance at Ace.

“Is it too early for a shot?”

Ace laughed again. 

“Hey, Marco! Can we get two shots of the coffee liquor?”

Marco came over to their end of the bar and pulled out two shot glasses. 

“Ask nicely.”

Ace put on a fake pout and batted his eyes at Marco.

“Please, Sir?”

Zoro made a gagging noise, and the three of them laughed as Marco poured two shots and slid them over the counter before moving over to help someone else as more people started trailing in.

Zoro sat up and grabbed his shot.

“You two are shameless.”

Ace grabbed his as well, and they both swallowed them down. 

"I've been told that before, but I prefer to see it as us being comfortable and confident in who we are.”

"I guess that's one way of seeing it."

"So, you and Sanji.”

"There isn't a me and Sanji."

"But you want there to be?”

Zero was about to deny it, but really, there was no reason to.

"Yeah, I do. I'm just not really sure to what extent I want it. I'm worried that if I let myself give in to just one night, I'm going to want more. Hell, I already want more, and I haven't even had one night.”

"And what's wrong with that?”

"I live in L.A."

"And?"

"It's a 4-hour drive one way.”

"You're already doing that. That's not a valid reason; it's an excuse. Do you have an actual reason, or is your mind just telling you you don't deserve it?"

"I don't…”

Zoro paused as he really thought about what Ace said.

"You've been through a lot, Z. Just don't give up on something before you even give it a chance. I know we haven't known each other for long, but I'm always around to talk to any time you need it. I was in a pretty bad accident myself a long time ago, so I know a little of what you're going through. You're not alone.”

"Mossy! You made it!”

Zoro and Ace looked over to Sanji, who had just walked in and was making his way over to them.

Ace dropped his voice a little so only Zoro would hear him.

"Just think about it."

Zoro nodded.

"I guess none of the street signs moved on your way here?"

Sanji took the open seat on the other side of Zoro.

“I think the problem last night was your eyebrows. Must have got me all turned around."

Zoro tried not to smirk at the cute frown the comment earned him.

"Or maybe it's the mold growing on your head. Brain must be dead, so it's starting to rot.”

How could someone be so infuriating and cute at the same time?

"You two have the weirdest ways of flirting."

Zoro and Sanji both turned to Ace and responded in unison.

“We're not flirting!”

Ace raised his hands and leaned back. 

“Alright, whatever you say.”

— — —

Sanji had been pleasantly surprised when he'd seen Zoro's green hair already at the bar when he got there. Though he'd be lying if he said the thought of picking Zoro up hadn't been appealing. He'd enjoyed their walk last night and had maybe been hopeful for even another few minutes alone with Zoro.

He noticed the hushed exchange between Zoro and Ace as he moved closer and was tempted to ask what they were talking about, but a glance from Ace had him deciding against it, and he fell back into the easiest thing he could think of: teasing Zoro. 

"I guess none of the street signs moved on your way here?"

He sat in the open seat beside Zoro and tried not to comment on the adorable glare that Zoro shot his way.

“I think the problem last night was your eyebrows. Must have got me all turned around."

Scratch that, there was nothing adorable about Zoro.

"Or maybe it's the mold growing on your head. Brain must be dead, so it's starting to rot.”

"You two have the weirdest ways of flirting."

“We're not flirting!”

Ace raised his hands and leaned back. 

“Alright, whatever you say.”

Sanji glanced at the empty shot glasses already in front of them.

“Looks like you guys started without me. Seems a little early for shots, though. Have you even eaten anything today?”

“Not sure about Zoro, but I ate a pretty decent-sized breakfast before I got here.”

Marco came over and placed a drink in front of Ace that Sanji hadn't seen him order. 

“He's not kidding. Ace would eat all day every day if he could, including in his sleep. And yes, he has definitely done that before—multiple times. Never heard of sleep eating before I met this pain in the ass.”

Zoro laughed, the kind of laugh that shook his whole body and made Sanji’s stomach flip. 

“I have a friend like that. We went to one of those all-you-can-eat Brazilian grill places where they bring the meat around on knives. We were there for, like, 15 minutes before he got us kicked out and asked to never come back.”

Sanji stared at Zoro incredulously.

“How the hell did he manage that?”

“He took at least half the meat from every server that came by and cleared his plate every time before the next server came. The kid probably ate 5 times his body weight in meat in those 15 minutes.”

Ace gave Zoro a thoughtful look and seemed as though he wanted to say something but just ended up shaking his head with a smile on his face. 

“I've found out there is a limit to all you can eat on a few occasions myself.”

Sanji found himself chuckling, imagining Ace and Zoro’s faceless friend getting kicked out of a restaurant.

“When I open my restaurant, you 3 are invited, and Zoro’s friend too. We'll see what's stronger, my cooking skills or you guys’ appetites.”

Zoro looked at Sanji with a soft grin on his face. 

“I'm looking forward to it.”

Sanji’s heart skipped a beat. Zoro might actually be the death of him sometime soon. 

“Back to the original topic, you never answered my question. Have you eaten anything?”

Zoro shrugged. 

“I was hoping you forgot.”

“That's a no then. Marco, can we get some food for Zoro? Probably something fatty like avocados or cheese if he's gonna be drinking most of the day. Probably some protein too; with his physique, he probably needs plenty of that. Or maybe—”

“Slow down, cook. I think you're overthinking this.”

“I'm not a cook; I'm a chef.”

“When you open your restaurant, maybe I'll call you a chef. You want something to drink?”

“A mimosa.”

Zoro turned to Marco.

“You think Thatch could make me an omelette with avocado and cheese? And can I get an Irish coffee and a mimosa for Mr. Fancy Pants Cook over here?”

Marco sounded amused when he responded.

“I'm sure we can get something figured out. Let me get you your drinks, and I'll go talk to Thatch.”

Marco mixed both of their drinks and headed to the back after sliding them over. 

Sanji tried to push back the voice in his head telling him that he should be the one feeding Zoro, not some faceless Thatch that apparently made the best omurice Zoro had ever had. Sanji could definitely make it better.

Sanji was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of Zoro's voice.

"Why are you staring at your mimosa like it personally offended you?"

He picked up the drink with more force than needed and took a drink of it.

"No idea what you're talking about."

Maybe next weekend he'd book one of the hotels that had a full kitchen so he could cook something for Zoro and prove that he was obviously the better cook.

"You gonna be grumpy all day, Curly?"

"I'm not grumpy.”

"Zoro's right, Sanji, you seem pretty grumpy."

"Fuck both of you."

"No thanks, I'm married. Zoro might be down, though, if you ask nicely.”

Zoro choked on the drink he'd just taken, and Sanji was glad he hadn't taken one too, or he'd have done the same thing.

“So, what are the announcers saying about the game? Who do they think’s gonna win?”

Ace chuckled but seemed content to let Sanji change the subject, and Zoro seemed grateful for the change as he glanced at the TV.

Zoro was the one who responded.

“I think most are going with the Eagles, but by less than a touchdown, if I remember correctly. Should be a pretty good game though.”

Marco came back around and set a plate in front of Zoro, and even Sanji had to admit that it did at least look and smell pretty good. Sanji grabbed the fork before Zoro could and took a bite. 

“Hey!”

Sanji ignored him as he chewed the bite. It wasn't bad; the eggs could be fluffier. They probably needed a little bit of milk added and to be whipped with a whisk a little longer. He had made exactly what Zoro ordered, an omelette with avocado and cheese. But really, it needed more, maybe a little bit of spinach. Ham would be a good addition too.

Zoro snatched the fork out of Sanji's hand with a glare and kept the glare trained on him as he shoveled a bite into his mouth. The bite was bigger than it should have been and caused Zoro's cheeks to puff out like a chipmunk as he started chewing. It was almost endearing, or it would have been, if Zoro didn't start talking with his mouth still full. 

“I's good right?”

Sanji scrunched his nose. 

“Don't talk with your mouth full! Did no one ever teach you any manners?”

Zoro's response was an eye roll, but he did keep his mouth closed as he finished the bite in his mouth.

“And how is stealing someone's food good manners?”

“Well, you were raving about the cook, so I had to try it.”

“I was not raving about him. I made one comment. Don't act like some je—”

Zoro paused, and a big grin spread across his face. Sanji knew he wasn't going to like whatever Zoro was about to say. 

“Are you seriously jealous because I complimented someone else's cooking?”

“Absolutely not. Why would I even care? It's not like you've even had my food to compare it to.”

“Mhmm…”

“Fu-.... Shut up.”

“You two are adorable. And as much as I am enjoying your displays of affection, I figured you'd want to know the game is starting.”

Sanji had completely forgotten Ace was on this side of the bar with them. 

“They're not displays of affection.”

Sanji grumbled as he turned his attention back to the TV. The Eagles had won the coin toss, so the Rams were lining up to kick off. 

Zoro nudged his shoulder, and Sanji glanced over to see him holding his fork out to him.

“You want another bite, or did you already eat this morning?”

Sanji's stomach fluttered, and he blamed it on the fact that he had not in fact eaten this morning and not because it was extremely sweet of Zoro to offer him some food. He took the fork from Zoro and took another bite.

The two were quiet for the next few minutes as they shared the rest of the omelette and watched the game. It was only for a few minutes, though, before Sanji was cussing as the Eagles made it into the end zone on their first drive. But they did miss their extra point, so that was a plus.

“The Rams need to score on their first drive too. If they let the Eagles get more than one score ahead this early in the game, they won't be able to get back in it.”

Sanji sighed. Zoro was right. The Eagles were usually more of a second-half team, so them getting ahead early on was not ideal.

“We'll score and make our extra point, so we'll be up after our next drive.”

— — —

Zoro smiled as he glanced over at Ace. 

“What do you think, Ace? Ready for the first bet of the day? Or you gonna stay out of it again?”

Ace shrugged.

“Sure, I'll join. May as well. Sanji is going with the Rams scoring 7? What are you gonna go with, Z?”

Zoro glanced back at the TV, then over to Sanji, who was watching them patiently. 

“Honestly, I'm with Curly on this one. But, we can't all choose the same outcome, so I'll go with the drive ending in a punt.”

Ace nodded and looked back to the TV. The Rams were on their own 45, so there was still more than half of the field to go. 

“I'll go with field goal; seems like the safest option. What are we betting for?”

Zoro thought about continuing the question game that he and Sanji had started yesterday, but he was a little scared about what Ace would try and get him to reveal if he got the chance, so maybe that wasn't the best idea. 

“I guess we could go with something simple. Losers have to buy the next two rounds?”

Sanji shrugged.

“Works for me.”

Ace let out a huff. 

“That's boring. But since we're running out of time, and it looks like Sanji is going to win anyway, I'll agree.”

Sure enough, the Rams were already inside the 10-yard line with a fresh set of downs.

It took them less than 5 minutes before they were inside the end zone for six, and the extra point was good, putting the Rams up 7 to 6.

Zoro finished his own drink and watched as Sanji finished his.

“Alright, since I was the furthest from the outcome, the next round’s on me. What are we drinking?”

Ace waved him off. 

“I'm good for now, still sipping on my last one. I'll probably be here all night, so I don't want to drink too much; you can just get one for you and Sanji.”

“What about you, Curly?”

“I'll take another mimosa.”

Zoro waved Marco over and ordered another two mimosas. It was probably a little early to drink anything too hard. 

“So, if buying drinks is boring, what do you think we should bet for, Ace?”

“Truth or dare.”

“What?”

“The losers have to choose truth or dare, and the winner gets to ask a question or assign the dare accordingly.”

Ace grinned at them, and Zoro was sure agreeing to this was going to be a bad idea, but Sanji quickly voiced his agreement to the terms, so Zoro wasn't going to back out now. 

“Alright. But since the terms are a little higher, how about we do something beyond just the next score. How about end-of-quarter scores? We'll bet on who we think will be up and by how much.”

Zoro glanced at the TV and realized that in the time they'd been talking, both teams had exchanged punts, so the score was the same and the Eagles had the ball back with a little over 2 minutes left in the first quarter. 

“Since the first quarter is just about over, we'll start with the score at halftime. That work for everyone?”

Sanji and Ace both agreed, but Sanji was the first one to make a decision.

“Does it have to be an exact number? Or can I do, like, Rams up by more than 3 but less than 7?”

Zoro shrugged.

“I'm fine with that. I'll do the same but with the Eagles on top. Ace?”

“Eagles by 3 or less.”

Sanji glared at both of them. 

“You guys are really underestimating the Rams.”

Zoro grinned at him. 

“Or maybe I'm just trying to get under your skin.”

He sent Sanji a wink, and Sanji just glared harder before finally letting out a huff and turning his attention back to the game, just in time to see Saquon Barkley rush 62 yards down the field and into the end zone.

The extra point was good as well, putting the Eagles up 13-7.

Sanji groaned and hit his head against the bar top.

“Maybe I should have gotten a shot.”

The announcers were gushing about Barkley, touting the stat that they've been pointing out at least once a game since the start of the season. ‘Did you know that Saquon Barkley’s quads are-’

Sanji sat up and glared at the TV.

“They're 29 inches. Yeah! We know! So are mine! But you don't see me telling everyone about it.”

Zoro took in a sharp breath. ‘I'm not going to look. I'm not going to look.’

He tried to subtly glance at them out of the corner of his eye, looking at the way Sanji's black pants stretched around his thighs. And fuck, yeah, they probably were.

God, the things he wanted Sanji to do to him with those thighs. He could probably choke him out without much effort. He could get Zoro between his legs and keep him there as long as he wanted, and Zoro would be powerless to stop him. 

His mind wandered back to his dream that morning, the vision of Sanji hovering above him, the muscles in his thighs straining. 

Zoro bit back his frustrated groan and tried to calm his mind. He grabbed his glass and chugged the rest of his mimosa. It was not the time or place for this. He needed to get his mind out of the gutter. He also probably needed a cold shower; maybe another shot too. 

Luckily for him, Marco had just made his way over with another drink for Ace along with some food. Ace turned to the two of them.

“I believe the next round of drinks is supposed to be on me. What are we drinking, Sanji?”

“How about… fireball?”

“Alright. 3 shots of fireball, please-”

“If you call him Sir again, I swear to God…”

Ace and Marco laughed while Sanji sent him a confused look.

“Don't ask.”

Marco continued laughing as he grabbed the glasses and poured the shots, sliding them across the bar once they were poured.

They all grabbed their glasses and cheersed and shot them down as the first quarter ended and the second quarter started. The Rams had the ball and had just made it to the Eagles 19, putting them just inside the red zone.

The Rams, however, were not able to make it into the end zone, but they did score a field goal, making the score 10-13.

Sanji was grumbling beside him and sipping his mimosa.

“You might need something stronger than a mimosa.”

“Shut up.”

Zoro chuckled. 

“For what it's worth, I did expect them to get into the end zone on that drive. And there's still plenty of time left in the second quarter for the Rams to pull ahead.”

“Awe. You trying to cheer me up, Mossy?”

“Is it working?”

Sanji laughed and reached out to ruffle Zoro's hair playfully. Sanji's hand remained on Zoro's head just a little longer than necessary, and Zoro had to fight his desire to lean into the touch. But Sanji withdrew his hand quickly once he realized what he'd done, and he glanced away from Zoro.

— — —

Zoro's hair had been so soft. With how often Zoro was probably dyeing his hair, he'd expected it to be dry or rough, not that he'd put that much thought into how Zoro's hair would feel or anything. But he found his hand lingering a little longer than necessary, a strong desire to run his fingers through Zoro's hair, maybe give it a gentle tug to see how Zoro reacted. And had he imagined it, or did Zoro just so slightly lean into his touch? He must have imagined it, right? Sure, they were friends now, but that was maybe leaning towards something more.

Sanji could mostly admit to himself that he wanted something more with Zoro, but he still wasn't quite sure what or how much. And it was probably one-sided, so he tried not to think about it too much. But the last 24 hours had him questioning everything he'd thought up until now. Maybe he could push for something or at least ask. But not right now; he wanted to enjoy what they had now for a little bit before risking losing it. The Super Bowl was only a few weeks away; he'd wait until then.

Marco came back around, and he ordered a vodka soda to sip on. He should probably order something to eat soon though. He'd had some of Zoro's omelette, but that hadn't really been enough food for how much they'd been drinking. Maybe he'd order an appetizer platter to share with Zoro.

He sipped on his drink as the three of them watched more of the game. He tried not to yell at the TV as both teams exchanged punts again. Outside of the field goal at the beginning of the second quarter, there had been no points put on the board, and the quarter was quickly running out. 

The Eagles were running Barkley as much as they could, and fortunately the Rams defense was finding ways to somewhat stop him, but the clock was running out. The Eagles were running as much time as they could, probably hoping to put more points on the board but not wanting to leave enough time for the Rams to respond before the half ran out.

“If your defense can hold them this drive, the Rams will be in a pretty decent position since they get the ball at the start of the second half.”

Sanji nodded in response to Zoro's comment. 

“Yeah, they've been doing a good job at keeping Saquon from breaking out the last couple drives. Hoping they can keep it up.”

Ace spoke up a couple minutes later as the game reached the two-minute warning for the first half.

“If the score remains as it is, I win the current bet. You better start deciding if you wanna go with truth or dare.”

Sanji grumbled. 

“Yeah, and I'm honestly hoping you win, cuz that means the Eagles didn't put anything on the board. At this point, even if the Rams do get the ball back, either because the Eagles score or they punt, they’ll just take a knee and let the game go into half.”

Sanji spent the last couple minutes of the first half debating if he was going to choose truth or dare. Based on all his interactions with Ace up until now, the man was a wild card and also very good at reading people. If he wasn't careful, Ace could definitely make Sanji let the cat out of the bag about his interest in Zoro. But he'd have to have a little trust in him. He didn't seem like the type of person that would straight up out someone, but he was definitely mischievous.

The Rams were able to keep the Eagles out of field goal range for the remaining two minutes, and the teams headed into the locker room for halftime. The score was still 10-13, Eagles on top.

“Alright boys, quarters up. Truth or dare?”

Sanji figured he may as well bite the bullet. 

“Truth.”

Ace pouted.

“Boring. But ok. Hmm… Let me think.”

Zoro chuckled.

“Don't pretend that you didn't already have both a question and a dare picked out for both of us. I'm gonna go with truth too, though. Don't think I trust what you would make me do.”

“Rude. I thought we were friends.”

“Am I wrong?”

“No, but still.”

Sanji laughed at the back-and-forth. 

“Come on, Ace. What's the question?”

Ace sighed.

“Alright. But it's the same for both of you. Tell me about your ideal partner. And don't scrimp on the details. None of the whole ‘i like people who are nice and pretty.’ I want a real answer.”

It could have been worse. Sanji would have to think of how to word it, though. He didn't want his description to completely give away who he was interested in. 

“How did you know that nice and pretty was my exact type, Ace?”

“Oh please, that is probably the exact opposite of what you actually like, Sanji.”

Sanji laughed.

“You're right. I don't need someone that's nice, but they do need to be kind. And pretty is a very subjective word; what I find pretty might not be what someone else finds pretty. I'm attracted to someone that can be both strong and soft. I like someone that can throw me around when I'm in the mood for it but isn't too full of themselves that they won't let me throw them around sometimes too. I want someone that's my equal. I don't want a pretty, dainty flower; I want a strong, sturdy, blossoming tree.”

“A tree, eh? With green leaves? Maybe like a nice shade of emerald?”

Sanji sputtered, his face heating up. 

“Not like- I didn't- I wasn't talking literally !”

“Oh, so just someone you can climb like a tree then?”

Sanji buried his face in his hands. 

“Isn’t it Zoro's turn now?”

Sanji glanced over to Zoro, who had a small smile on his face. He probably thought Sanji was an idiot.

Ace chuckled.

“I accept your answer. Your turn, Z.”

— — —

Zoro couldn't help the smile that had spread across his face as Sanji was talking. He could definitely be most of those things; maybe it wasn't completely hopeless. The smile immediately dropped, though, when Ace opened his mouth, reminding Zoro that it was now his turn. And he'd been paying too much attention to what Sanji was saying to even think of how he was going to respond. He'd really never thought about it, never really looking for anything beyond a one-night stand for various reasons. 

Sanji was really the only person Zoro had ever even thought about having anything more serious with. He didn't care that much in high school, always more focused on football, and then after high school he never really let anyone close because of the accident.

“Z?”

Sanji and Ace were both looking at him questioningly, and he saw a hint of concern in Ace’s eyes.

“If I'm being completely honest, I've never really thought about it before. Someone compassionate and understanding? I don't make it easy for people to get close to me, so they'd have to be headstrong and stubborn. Stubborn enough to keep pushing but also smart enough to know when to back off. I'm not really super picky about physical appearance, but they have to be strong.”

“You attracted to overall strength? Or are you more of like a leg guy?”

Zoro could feel his face flushing.

“Halftime is over. What are you guys thinking for third-quarter scores?”

Ace was laughing beside him, and Sanji had his focus on the TV, but there was a light blush coloring his face. Zoro’s brow furrowed a little as he noticed a spattering of freckles across the bridge of his nose. He'd never noticed them before. But then again, he'd usually avoided openly staring at Sanji's face.

As if realizing he was being watched, Sanji's head turned towards him, and their eyes met for a brief moment before Zoro quickly turned away and flagged down Marco so he could order another drink.

Sanji was the first one to respond to Zoro's question. 

“Eagles up by 3 or less.”

“You're rooting against your own team, Curly?”

Sanji sighed.

“There's still a full quarter after that. Just thinking of what's most likely for the third quarter. I mostly just don't trust the next thing Ace would make us say or do.”

Ace laughed loudly from Zoro's other side. 

“That was so much fun, though.”

“Embarrassing is what it was. What are you picking, Mossy? Ace can choose last.”

Zoro nodded in agreement. 

“I'll go with Rams by 3 or less.”

“I'm betting on a tie.”

Marco brought Zoro his beer, and the three seated at the bar turned their attention back to the TV.

The Rams were lining up to punt. They'd gotten the ball at the start of the second half, but the Eagles defense had held them, keeping them from getting a single first down. 

Zoro was expecting the remainder of the game to go similar to the first half. Lots of defensive stops mixed with long drives and probably far more field goals than touchdowns.

The Eagles drive ended the same as the Rams, and soon they too were lining up to punt.

For the first time since he'd arrived, he took the opportunity to glance out over the bar. Unsurprisingly, it was mostly packed with people sporting Rams gear.

Not for the first time, he thought about the possibility of moving out here. Yeah, he had a few clients in LA that he'd have to go out there for, but it wouldn't be too bad to just book a hotel for the few weeks that that happened.

He wondered how far Sanji lived from here. He'd figured out from talking to Wyper that he'd never seen him before the night he met Zoro, so he was most likely new to the area. He didn't live in town, though; the place was small enough that if he did live here, Zoro would have run into him.

He'd mentioned opening a restaurant near the shore, so maybe he lived in one of the coastal towns nearby. Maybe if Zoro ever got the courage to ask Sanji for something more, and things went well, he could move out there instead. 

He was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of Sanji cheering. He glanced up at the TV to see that the Rams had managed to make it into field goal range and made their attempt, bringing the score to a tie with both teams at 13. They'd used a good amount of time too, leaving about half the quarter left.

Sanji had also apparently ordered some food at some point; there was a variety platter in front of him with wings, fries, onion rings, and mozzarella​ sticks. Zoro should probably get something to eat too. The omelette was really only a snack, especially since he'd shared it with Sanji. 

Sanji slid the plate over a little, towards Zoro.

“You want some?”

“You sure?”

Sanji nodded.

“I kinda ordered it with the intention of sharing it with you. Don't think I could finish this whole thing myself even if I wanted to.”

“Thanks.”

Zoro grabbed one of the mozzarella sticks, and his previous train of thought came back to him.

“Hey, Curly?”

“Hmm?”

“Where do you live?”

Sanji choked on whatever he'd just taken a bite of and grabbed his drink, downing the rest of it. 

“You ok?”

“Yeah, sorry, just tried to inhale that fry.”

Sanji's gaze wandered to the TV, and he cursed. Zoro glanced at the TV to see the ball sailing through the uprights. The Eagles had responded to the Rams drive with a field goal of their own. The score was now 13-16, Eagles on top with a little over 2 minutes left in the quarter.

“On the plus side, if the score stays like this, you win the bet.”

Had Sanji intentionally been avoiding his question? Maybe he would give him a little out.

“I remember you saying you wanted to open a restaurant on the shore; I was just curious if you already lived near the coast where you planned on looking for locations.”

“Ugh. Forget that I told you that.”

Sanji didn't sound mad or anything; if anything, he seemed a little embarrassed. 

“Only if you buy me another shot. And not fireball.”

“Deal. Ever had a mind eraser?”

“No?”

“That's what we're having.”

Ace hopped out of his seat and went around to the other side of the bar. 

“I'll pour ‘em for you guys. Marco hates doing layered drinks.”

Zoro watched curiously as Ace poured the shots using a spoon between layers to achieve the desired effect. Then he placed a straw in each one. 

“You gonna tell him how to drink it, Sanji?”

Zoro looked at him confused. 

“There's a special way to drink it?”

Ace nodded and slid the glasses over to them as Sanji spoke up. 

“You have to drink it through the straw, all in one go, but make sure the straw stays at the bottom.”

Sanji leaned forward in his seat to wrap his lips around the straw, careful not to let the straw move before sucking up the liquid. And fuck, why was this turning Zoro on? It was just a freaking straw, but he could swear Sanji was being extra about the way he was drinking it, his lips lingering wrapped around the straw longer than necessary, his cheeks hollowing as he sucked probably harder than needed.

Maybe he should just say fuck it and ask Sanji to go to a hotel with him. But he didn't want to move too fast and fuck everything up and end up feeling like he had to avoid this place the rest of the season. It was only 3 weeks away; he could keep it in his pants at least that long.

“Your turn.”

— — —

Sanji could feel Zoro's eyes on him as he leaned over to drink his shot. And maybe he was playing up his movements a little, but he was feeling a little bold. Plus, anything he could do to avoid answering Zoro's question. He did feel kind of bad about not answering; after all, he knew exactly where Zoro currently lived. He'd tell him eventually; just three more weeks. 

Sanji finished his shot and sat back in his seat, eyes on Zoro.

“Your turn.”

Zoro shifted in his seat and followed Sanji's movements, bending over to take the straw in his mouth. Sanji probably should have thought this through a little more. The movement caused Zoro's chest to press against the counter, causing his already tight-fitting shirt to stretch even further. Sanji had no idea how it was still in one piece. His chest pushed up a little, and Sanji noticed the top of a scar near his left shoulder.

Before he could think too much about it, Zoro was straightening back up in his seat, and Sanji quickly looked at the TV so Zoro didn't notice him staring.

He'd missed the Rams last drive, but based on the score, they hadn't done anything with it. The Eagles were getting ready to snap, but Hurts was practically in his own end zone. Then he was in his own end zone and down on the ground.

“Safety! Hell yeah!”

That was exactly what the Rams needed to get some momentum and turn the game around. The safety gave them 2 points and the ball back. If they could capitalize on this, they could finally get back on top, and if the defense kept playing like they had been, they could totally pull this off. 

The Eagles kicked off, and the Rams special teams advanced the ball to their own 43 before the third quarter ran out. 

Zoro opened his mouth, but Sanji held up his finger.

“Just one second, wait till after this drive.”

Zoro chuckled a little but kept his mouth shut.

The first down resulted in no yards. 

Second down, the ball is snapped… and fumbled.

“Are you fucking kidding me!? Hold onto the ball!”

Zoro started laughing, and Sanji shot him a glare, which just made him laugh harder.

“Will it make you feel better to dare me to do something stupid? Or do you want to ask me about my deepest, darkest secrets?”

Sanji chuckled.

“I guess that's up to you. Truth or dare, Mossy?”

Sanji hadn't even thought of what he was going to ask or make them do if he'd won.

“Well, I did truth last time, so I guess dare?”

Sanji thought about it for a second and glanced around the room as he thought. 

“I dare you to buy a drink for the person in this bar that you think is the hottest.”

“Really?”

“Oh, come on, I haven't played this game since, like, high school.”

Zoro laughed. 

“Alright.”

Zoro flagged Marco down, and Sanji looked around the room, trying to see if he could guess who Zoro was going to choose, trying not to feel too jealous of whoever it was. 

He was a little startled by the sound of a glass being set in front of him. He glanced at Marco, who had an amused look on his face. 

“The idiot to your right ordered this for you.”

Sanji blushed and looked at Zoro, who was taking a drink from his own beer, seeming extra focused on the TV, but Sanji noticed a faint red tinge coloring his cheeks, and he couldn't keep the smile from his face. 

“Thanks, Mossy.”

“Mhmm.”

Sanji turned his attention to Ace.

“How about you? Truth or dare?”

“Hmm. If I choose dare, do I get the same dare as Zoro?”

“No, I'll think of something worse for you.”

Ace laughed. 

“I'll go with truth then.”

“Boring, but ok, I've got a good one. How does Marco deal with you on a daily basis?”

“Rude! I'm a freaking delight!”

Ace was laughing as he replied, thankfully taking the question as the joke it was intended to be. 

“I'll give you a real answer, though. He deals with me because I deal with him. And I'm grateful for him every day. When we met, I was even more of a shit than I am now. It's kind of a long story, but I was young, headstrong, and kind of an asshole to everyone here. But Marco never gave up on me. It wasn't romantic at first, but as I finally started lowering the walls I built, we got closer, and I couldn't tell you when, but at some point it changed. He asked me to marry him before we even really dated, but I still said yes. I haven't regretted it a single day.”

Sanji hadn’t noticed that Marco had remained over by them as Ace responded, and as he finished answering, Marco took his hand and placed a kiss on the back of it. 

“And I wouldn't trade my hardheaded, stubborn firecracker for anything in the world.”

Sanji still felt like such an idiot for not noticing the first time he met Marco because really, it was so obvious.

Marco sent a smile to Zoro and Sanji.

“You guys need another drink or anything?”

Ace responded to the question. 

“They just had a mind eraser; they're probably good for a while.”

“Ugh, thank you for not making me pour those.”

Someone from the other end of the bar called for Marco, and he gave Ace’s hand another squeeze before letting it go and heading over. 

Sanji glanced back at the TV and groaned. In the time they'd been talking, the Eagles had scored two more field goals, putting them up 22-15, and the Rams were getting ready to punt the ball back to them. The punt went out of bounds at the 23-yard line.

It only took the Eagles one play to get into the end zone. Barkley got the ball and ran it the remaining 78 yards. At least they missed the extra point, putting the score at 28-15. 13 points down. If the Rams offense could put a drive together, they weren't out of the game, that was only 2 touchdowns with extra points. They wouldn't even need to try for a 2-point conversion. 

Zoro spoke up from beside him as Sanji's attention remained focused on the TV.

“Wanna just watch the rest of the game without another bet? I mean, technically the two of you still have one set for the end of the game.”

Sanji just hummed in agreement as Ace responded. 

“Works for me. I'm busy trying to decide where to have you guys take me for dinner when I win.”

Sanji scoffed.

“Don't get too far ahead of yourself; there's still four and a half minutes left, and it's only a two-score game.”

Zoro was the one who responded. 

“Yeah, but you guys have been having a rough time putting together any type of offensive drive the whole second half.”

“Just means we're gonna play harder in the last few minutes.”

Sure enough, the Rams were starting to move it down the field as quickly as they could; it only took them 5 plays to make it into the red zone, and they only took about a minute off the clock. Less than a minute later, they were in the end zone. Sanji almost leaped out of his seat in excitement. 

“See, Mossy! We can still do it!”

Zoro laughed.

“Yeah. But the Eagles are going to try and run as much time off the clock as they can.”

“But we still have all three time-outs and the two-minute warning. As long as we can keep them from getting a first down, we can do it. Our defense has been holding pretty well.”

He watched from the edge of his seat as the Eagles did exactly what Zoro anticipated, going with run plays so the clock would keep going. They forced the Rams to burn through all 3 timeouts, but their defense did hold, so after the Eagles third play, they were set up to punt, giving the Rams the ball back. 

They still had the 2-minute warning that would stop the clock, but they would have to do a lot of clock management if they wanted to have a real chance. 

They were only down by 6; if they could get into the end zone, the game was theirs. They'd have to rely on Stafford's arm, though; there wasn't enough time for any run plays.

(Piece of football knowledge. Outside of penalties, reviews, and time-outs, the clock only stops when the ball carrier goes out of bounds or a pass is incomplete. It does not stop at the end of every play. As long as the ball carrier stays in bounds when they are tackled, the clock will keep running.)

Sanji was on the edge of his seat as the Rams quickly made their way down the field. Pass after pass, yard after yard. They had to make it into the end zone; they couldn't settle for a field goal. 7 plays in a little over a minute and they were in the red zone. Victory was so close. 

Then suddenly it wasn't. A break in offensive coverage turned a 3rd and 2 into a 4th and 11. A loss of 9 yards. With less than a minute to play, this could be the last real play of the game. Sanji held his breath as Stafford threw the ball; his target was Nacua… He watched as the ball started coming down, and his heart followed its trajectory as it dropped to the ground.

“Fuck.”

The pass was incomplete, a turnover on downs.

He sighed as he watched the Eagles take their victory formation; the ball was snapped, and Hurts took a knee. With no more time-outs left to take, the clock ticked through the remaining 26 seconds. The game was over. 

He felt a warm hand against his back.

“That was rough.”

Sanji sighed as he allowed himself to lean a little into Zoro's touch. 

“Yeah. At least it was a good game, though. We put up a good fight.”

“Mhmm… Does that mean I can burn this hideous shirt now?”

Sanji smacked Zoro's chest with the back of his hand but still found himself laughing. 

“Asshole, you can't even let me mourn the end of my season for 5 minutes?”

“Nope. I've been wanting to burn this shirt since the first time I touched it; I think I've waited long enough.”

“You are not going to burn it.”

“Why not? I'm never going to wear it again after this.”

“Then give it back to me.”

“Why? It's not even going to fit you.”

“I'll figure something out. Give it to me.”

“I’ll have to give it back later. Because, while I am dying to get out of it, I didn't bring anything else to change into.”

While Sanji silently wished Zoro would just take it off now, Ace did so not as quietly.

“Damn, I was really hoping you'd just rip it off as soon as the game ended and give the rest of us a show.”

— — —

Zoro rolled his eyes and glared at Ace. 

“That is absolutely not happening.”

“What if I said I'd let you guys out of taking me to dinner if you did?”

“Still not happening.”

Ace shrugged. 

“It was worth a try.”

Zoro removed his hand from Sanji’s back and turned his attention to Ace. 

“So, where are we taking you to dinner, and when were you thinking of going?”

“I was thinking maybe this coming Saturday, if that works for you two?”

Zoro nodded. 

“Works for me. How about you, Curly?”

“Yeah, I'm good with that.”

“Cool, give me your numbers, and I’ll text you the details.”

Ace grabbed his phone and handed it to Zoro, who put his number in before passing it to Sanji, who did the same before handing it back to Ace, who slid it back into his pocket. 

“So, you two gonna stick around for the next game too, or are you gonna head out?”

Zoro shrugged. 

“I was planning on sticking around a little bit.”

“Same. I'll probably stick around as long as the game isn't too boring.”

The three of them sat around enjoying each other's company as the Ravens/Bills game kicked off. They all agreed that the Bills were probably going to win. The Ravens did put up a fight, though, so the game had been fairly entertaining to watch, and neither he nor Sanji had ended up leaving early. 

The game came to a close sometime after 6. The Bills won as anticipated, and Zoro decided it was about time for him to head out. He had some work that he'd wanted to finish up this weekend, so he should probably get back to Wyper’s and work on that.

When Zoro asked Marco to close out his tab, Sanji did the same. They said goodbye to Ace and headed out the door. Ace sent him a quick text that he checked as he was heading out.

Ace: I meant what I said earlier; I'm always around. See you Saturday. 

Zoro sent back a thumbs up as he and Sanji walked out into the evening. 

“I'll wash the shirt and give it back to you Saturday.”

“I don't know if I trust you not to burn it if I do that.”

They started walking as Zoro argued back. 

“I won't burn it. I might just shred it a little bit though.”

“You already did that.”

“Yep, so what's the harm in doing it a little bit more?”

“With the condition it's in now I can probably still salvage it.”

“Why? So you can wear it to bed as a nightgown?”

“Maybe. Or maybe I'll find someone else that it will fit that will actually appreciate it.”

Zoro felt a pit in his stomach at the idea of Sanji giving the shirt to someone else. The idea of him finding someone else. He swallowed the growl that was threatening to escape. 

“Now I'm definitely not giving it back.”

He tried to keep his tone light and teasing like it was before, but he must have failed. Sanji bumped their shoulders together, surprising Zoro and pushing him off to the side. 

“I was just kidding; I don't plan on finding someone else to give it to.”

“Not that I would care if you did. It's none of my business.”

“Ok, whatever you say. But still, I have no intention of giving it to anyone else.”

Sanji's response caused the pit to lessen, but he still wasn't able to completely shake it. He said he didn't plan on finding someone else to give the stupid shirt to, but that didn't mean he wouldn't find someone else in general. What happened at the end of the season? Zoro shook his head; he wasn't going to dwell on that. Like Ace said, he couldn't give up before even trying. He just needed to build up the confidence to try.

They walked in silence for a little bit before Zoro realized he was following Sanji again, which meant he was probably going the wrong way. He stopped and glanced around; the place looked familiar, though. Sanji stopped and looked back at him.

“You good?”

“I started following you again. We already determined yesterday that the way you go is not the way I need to go.”

Sanji laughed. 

“Yeah, I thought about that. Which is why I started walking to Wyper’s house when we left the bar. It's just around the corner.”

Sure enough, as soon as they turned the corner, he saw his truck parked on the road outside Wyper's place.

“How the hell did you remember how to get here after only walking here once?”

Sanji shrugged. 

“I've always been pretty good with directions. Plus it's a pretty straightforward walk; there are only like two turns.”

Zoro was pretty sure Sanji was lying about the ‘two turns’ part, but he did get to Wyper's pretty quickly, so he wouldn't argue. They stopped at Wyper's place and stood outside again. 

“Alright, Mossy. Give me the shirt, and I'll leave you alone.”

“You're really not going to let me wash it?”

“I can just throw it in with my stuff at home.”

“I haven't washed it since last weekend.”

“You've worn it twice since then.”

“Yep.”

“Gross. But that's fine.”

“Let me go in and change, and I'll bring it back out.”

Sanji looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

“Why don't you just give it to me and then go in and put on a different shirt?”

Zoro was quiet for a minute.

“I don't take my shirt off in front of people.”

“What about when you're sleeping?”

“If I'm sleeping with someone, my shirt stays on. And yes, I mean the whole time.”

Zoro's chest started itching, and it took a good amount of energy to keep from scratching at it. 

Fortunately, Sanji decided not to push and gave in.

“Ok. Go change.”

“You wanna come in while I do that?”

“Wyper won’t mind?”

“He was still at the bar when we left, but even if he wasn’t, it wouldn't be a big deal since you'll just be here for a minute.”

“Ok.”

Zoro walked into the house and let Sanji in behind him.

“Wait here, I’ll be right back.”

Zoro headed to his room to change. He quickly took off the Nacua shirt and then grabbed one of his shirts with a higher collar and tugged it on before heading back into the front room where Sanji was waiting. Zoro tossed the shirt at Sanji, hitting him in the face.

Sanji pulled it out of his face and scrunched his nose.

“Disgusting. I could have definitely done without your stinky shirt in my face.”

Zoro laughed. 

“You need a ride somewhere? I can grab my truck keys and take you.”

“Nah, I'm good. I appreciate it, though. I’ll see you Saturday?”

“Yeah. See you then.”

He walked Sanji out and headed to his room, throwing himself onto the bed face first.

It had been an interesting day, and he was more worn out than he should be. But he had work to do. He slowly got about grabbing his laptop and placed an order for some food before settling in to finish what he needed to. 

— — —

Sanji must be going crazy. He should have been disgusted when he got a face full of Zoro's dirty shirt. But instead, he was horny. Zoro's scent had been strong on the shirt, and it had gone straight to his dick. He'd barely kept himself from running out the front door. 

It had taken him about 20-30 minutes to get back to the hotel yesterday; this time it took him maybe 15. As soon as he was through the door, he had the shirt pushed to his face again, taking in a deep breath.

There must be something seriously wrong with him, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He tossed the shirt on his bed long enough to remove his own shirt as well as his pants, then grabbed Zoro's shirt and pulled it on, enveloping himself in the scent.

Since Zoro had cut off the collar, it was wide enough to slide off of one shoulder; the bottom hem reached just below the leg of his boxers, making it look like he had nothing else on. He hurriedly took his boxers off as well.

He couldn't stop himself from glancing at his reflection in the mirror that rested on the dresser. His rush to change into the shirt had left his hair slightly disheveled, and there was a light flush on his face. Would Zoro think he looked good like this? Would it turn the other man on seeing Sanji in nothing but his shirt?

Sanji closed his eyes and imagined Zoro behind him, his large warm hands gripping his hips. He grabbed the collar of the shirt and pulled it up over his nose, the feel of the fabric ghosting over his hard dick sending a shiver down his spine.

‘Damn, Curly. You look so fucking good like this. The things I want to do to you.’

Imagining Zoro’s deep voice whispering in his ears as he led Sanji forward had him shivering in anticipation.

He stepped towards the dresser, placing one hand on the top of it as he bent over, imagining Zoro pushing him forward. 

‘Look how desperate you are for me. Gonna fuck you right here so you can see for yourself how needy you are.’

Sanji let the shirt drop again and brought his fingers up to his mouth, pushing them inside, imagining thick fingers pushing past his lips as he swirled his tongue around them.

‘Get ‘em nice and wet for me.’

Sanji groaned as he pulled his fingers out of his mouth, his eyes still closed as he brought them around behind himself, circling them around his rim before pushing the tip of one of them inside with a gasp.

He worked his finger in slowly, getting used to the intrusion before pressing the second one in as well. The stretch burned a little because it had been a while, but he didn't mind. 

‘You're opening up so well for me.’

Sanji bit back a whine as he pushed both fingers as deep as he could. 

“More.”

‘Yeah? You think you're ready for more?’

Sanji nodded. 

‘Look at yourself. Look how needy you are for me.’

Sanji’s eyes opened, and he looked at himself in the mirror. His pupils were blown wide, and there was drool on his chin. He let his eyes fall closed again as he imagined Zoro leaning over him, his broad chest hot and firm against Sanji's back.

He pulled his fingers out of his hole and spit into his hand; adding a little more lubricant, he should probably be using actual lube, but he didn't have the patience for that. 

‘Are you ready?’

Sanji moaned as he brought his hand around behind him, this time pressing in with three fingers as he imagined Zoro pushing inside of him.

‘You feel so good, so nice and tight.’

Sanji started thrusting his fingers in and out, pushing them as deep as he could, trying to find that one spot.

Sanji leaned further against the dresser, pushing his chest to the top of it so he could free up his other hand. He used that hand to trail down his chest and wrapped it around his dick along with the bottom part of the shirt, jacking himself off with it in the same rhythm as his fingers moving inside of him. 

“Close.”

‘Yeah? You gonna cum for me?’

Sanji nodded. With the next push of his fingers he finally found what he was looking for, and pleasure shot through his body. A couple more strokes on his dick, and he was cumming into the fabric of the shirt. Zoro's name on his lips. 

He let his hands fall as he tried to catch his breath, still bent over the dresser. He finally pushed himself shakily back up into a standing position and glanced again at his reflection. He looked thoroughly debauched.

He wasn't sure what possessed him to do it, but he found himself reaching for his phone and snapping a picture of his reflection. 

His phone buzzed in his hand, and he almost dropped it in surprise as Zoro’s name popped onto his screen along with a text message.

Mossy: Did you make it to wherever you needed to in one piece? 

Sanji: I did. Though I probably should have let you wash the shirt first. It's stinking up my whole room. 

Sanji looked down at himself, noticing the wet patch that was soaking into the bottom of the shirt, and cursed himself. He should have thought about that; now he'd really have to wash it. If he'd been careful, he probably could have used it a couple of times. He found himself grabbing the collar and bringing it up to his nose again.

This time the scent relaxed him a little. Maybe he'd just handwash the bottom. His phone buzzed again. 

Mossy: 🖕 Stop being dramatic. It doesn't smell that bad.

Sanji: I will never stop. 

He tossed his phone onto the bed and went into the bathroom. He got a wet rag and washed himself down, then pulled the bottom of the shirt up to the sink to wash the worst of his mess out and tried to dry it with a towel. It would be good enough for now. 

He went back to the bedroom and slipped his boxers back on before climbing into the bed. It was still a little early to sleep, but he'd just watch some TV or something for the night.

He closed out of his chat with Zoro and was brought back to his camera; he opened the gallery and stared at the picture he'd taken. He had to admit, he did look really good. He wondered again what Zoro would think. A new message came in.

Mossy: Good. For some insane reason, that's one of the things I like about you. 

Sanji smiled as he read the message; he clicked on reply and opened the gallery on his phone and added the picture he'd just taken. ‘You're right, it does fit like a nightgown.’ His finger hovered over the send button.

Chapter Text

Zoro: Good. For some insane reason, that's one of the things I like about you. 

🍥Curly🍥: 💬

Zoro stared at the dots blinking in the message thread, indicating that Sanji was typing. He watched for a full minute as they sat there on his screen. 

Was Sanji sending him a novel? Why was he still typing? Had his message been too forward? 

Buying him the drink for the dare at the bar had been one thing; he could totally try to play it off. But the drink, combined with the message he'd just sent, probably shifted things a little more into beyond just friends.

After a couple of minutes, the dots disappeared, and his last message showed ‘read.’ Should Zoro send a follow-up message? Something like ‘too bad it's one of your only redeeming qualities’? Make it a little more teasing?

He was about to type the message when the 3 dots appeared again.

🍥Curly🍥: Tell me more about the things you like about me. 

Zoro smiled at the message, glad he hadn't scared him off. Though he was curious what Sanji's original response had been and why he didn't send it. 

Zoro: No can do. I've reached my niceness limit for the day. Try again tomorrow.

🍥Curly🍥: I’d been planning on ignoring you tomorrow, but if I can get you to say nice stuff about me, I can change my plans. 

Zoro: I can't promise anything, but you're welcome to push your luck.

Zoro locked his phone after he sent his reply and tossed it to the end of the bed out of reach. As much as he wanted to keep messaging Sanji, he really needed to focus and finish this project. 

— — —

Sanji's finger continued to hover over the send button for a few minutes as he tried to gather the courage to send it.

Maybe it was a step too far? Zoro was attracted to him too, right? He'd chosen Sanji as the person to order a drink for, but maybe it has just been him playing around. Also, just because Zoro thought he was the hottest person in the bar didn't mean he was actually attracted to him like that. And the text message—he said it was one of the things he liked about Sanji, not something that attracted him to Sanji. 

If he’d misinterpreted the meaning of their interactions and sent this picture, there was no going back. There was nothing innocent about the image he'd taken; it was obvious he'd been up to something, even without the incriminating wet patch near the hem. And Zoro would know it hadn't been washed and still smelled like him. 

He couldn't do it. He quickly deleted the message and typed up a different reply. Maybe he could push a little bit and see if he could get a better idea of Zoro's intentions.

Sanji: Tell me more about the things you like about me. 

Zoro’s reply came pretty quickly and made Sanji wonder if he'd been watching his phone waiting for Sanji's message, and the thought made Sanji happier than it probably should.

Mossy: No can do. I've reached my niceness limit for the day. Try again tomorrow.

Not that Sanji was any better, seeing as how he himself was doing the same thing.

Sanji: I’d been planning on ignoring you tomorrow, but if I can get you to say nice stuff about me, I can change my plans. 

Mossy: I can't promise anything, but you're welcome to push your luck.

Sanji would definitely be pushing his luck. He took a minute trying to think of a response, not ready to let the conversation end but not sure how to extend it. It was getting a little later in the evening, and he was starting to get a little tired after the eventful day and evening he'd had, so maybe he'd just call it an earlier night and think about what to say tomorrow. 

He still sent a quick ‘good night’ message before locking his phone and plugging it in. He flipped on the TV to some crime drama replay and let the background noise lull him to sleep.

— — — Monday — — —

🍥Curly🍥: Saw this and thought of you. (image of chia pet)

Mossy: Are you a Rams fan because their logo matches your eyebrows? 

🍥Curly🍥: I'm choosing to take that as a compliment. 

***

Mossy: Can you cook this? (image of onigiri)

🍥Curly🍥: Easy. What’s your favorite filling? 

Mossy: Fish?

🍥Curly🍥: What kind of fish? 

Mossy: Idk. Is there really a difference? 

🍥Curly🍥: Please tell me you're kidding. 

Mossy: 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️ Just don't make it with sugar.

🍥Curly🍥: Sugar? Why the hell would I make it with sugar?

Mossy: 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

— — — Tuesday — — —

Mossy: (picture of Wado, Enma, and Kitetsu)

🍥Curly🍥: Why are you sending me a picture of random swords?

Mossy: Those are my swords.

🍥Curly🍥: Do you have a fourth one? 😏

Mossy: Yubashiri broke, so it's not on display. 

🍥Curly🍥: *face palm* Never mind.

Mossy: ???

***

🍥Curly🍥: (picture of spicy seafood pasta)

Mossy: 👍

🍥Curly🍥: I spent hours cooking and plating this, and all you have to say is 👍?

Mossy: I'd rather eat some cake.

🍥Curly🍥: Maybe I'll bake one for you sometime.

Mossy: 👍

🍥Curly🍥: 🖕

— — — Wednesday — — —

🍥Curly🍥: (picture of a fishmonger’s stall) This guy claims that all these fish were freshly caught today. 

Mossy: And?

🍥Curly🍥: A lot of these fish can't even be caught in the Pacific Ocean, and it's way too early to have had someone catch them this morning and ship them here.

Mossy: How do you know that?

🍥Curly🍥: When I was a kid, I read a fairy tale about a place called The All Blue. It was about a legendary sea that had every fish from every ocean in it. I was so determined to find it one day, and I spent hours poring over every book about the sea life in each ocean in hopes of finding some type of connection or idea on where it would be located.

Mossy: Cute.

🍥Curly🍥: 🖕

***

Mossy: Salmon.

🍥Curly🍥: ???

Mossy: That’s the pink one, right? 

🍥Curly🍥: Yeah.

Mossy: (picture of salmon nigiri) That's my favorite fish. 

🍥Curly🍥: Duly noted.

— — — Thursday — — —

Mossy: I miss Thursday Night Football.

🍥Curly🍥: (gif of a Rams player tackling a 49ers player) 

Mossy: (gif of George Kittle catching a touchdown while being covered by Rams players)

🍥Curly🍥: (picture of the score from the most recent Rams/49ers game) Sorry your team sucks.

Mossy: 🖕

***

🍥Curly🍥: What's your favorite flavor of cake? 

Mossy: Not a big fan of cake.

🍥Curly🍥: Then why did you say you wanted to eat some?

Mossy: I don't like chocolate or anything too sweet.

🍥Curly🍥: You're fucking weird. 

Mossy: (picture of a yellow roll cake) This is the cake I wanna eat.

🍥Curly🍥: Is that a joke about my eyebrows? 

Mossy: 🎯🎯🎯

🍥Curly🍥: Fuck you.

Mossy: 👍

🍥Curly🍥: 🖕

— — — Friday — — —

***Ace has added you to a group chat***

Ace: We still good for tomorrow? 

Zoro: Yeah

Sanji: Yep

Ace: Wanna do lunch or dinner? 

Zoro: Doesn't matter to me. 

Sanji: Dinner would work better for me. 

Ace: We'll do dinner then. 

***Ace dropped a pin***

Ace: Here's the place. I'll set a reservation for 5:30. It's a nicer place, so make sure to dress appropriately. 

Sanji: Oh! I've been wanting to go to that place for a while but didn't want to go alone. I'm excited.

Zoro: 👍

***Sanji reacted 🙄 to 👍***

Ace: Sweet! I can't wait!

***

🍥Curly🍥: Is 👍 like your favorite emoji or something? 

Mossy: 👍

🍥Curly🍥: I hate you

Mossy: 👍

***

Zoro: (picture of Yubashiri’s hilt)

Ace: ???

Zoro: Sorry, wrong chat. 

Sanji: 🤣🤣🤣

Ace: ???

***

🍥Curly🍥: 🤣🤣🤣

Mossy: 🖕

***

🍥Curly🍥: Do the street signs only change when you're walking? Or does it happen when you're driving too?

Mossy: The streets are confusing. Even Maps has to reroute sometimes because the roads are mismarked.

🍥Curly🍥: I don't even know how I'm supposed to respond to that.

Mossy: 🖕

🍥Curly🍥: Do you need a ride to the restaurant tomorrow? 

Mossy: 🖕

🍥Curly🍥: I guess that's better than a thumbs up. 

Mossy: 👍

🍥Curly🍥: 🖕

— — — Saturday — — —

Zoro stared at the selection of clothing in front of him. He was so out of his depth. He'd only brought a week's worth of clothes when he'd come out because that was how long he'd planned on staying. Then when he decided to stay longer, he didn't see a point in driving back home just to get clothes when there was a washer and dryer available. On top of that, most of the clothing he'd brought was simple, comfortable clothing, nothing that would be acceptable to wear to the restaurant he was headed to that evening. So the only option was to go to the closest clothing store to buy something appropriate. 

Now that he was faced with so many options, though, he had no idea where to start. Pants would be easy, just a pair of black slacks, and he'd be fine. Shirts were where the real issue lay. T-shirts were easy because they usually had more stretch, and if he sized up and they were a little looser around his torso, it wasn't too big of a deal. Nicer shirts, though; it was almost impossible to get something off the racks that fit his shoulders and chest without either bunching up too much when tucked in or hanging way too low when not.

Zoro must have looked as out of place as he felt, because it didn't take long for one of the associates to approach him and offer assistance. It was a sweet-looking older woman, and Zoro decided he had nothing to lose, so he told her what he was looking for, and she gave him a gentle smile.

“I'm sure we can find you something. Follow me.”

Zoro nodded and followed her as she led him further into the store. 

***

Zoro stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom, taking one last look at himself. The lady at the store had not led him wrong. He wasn't a vain person, but he thought he looked pretty good. He'd refreshed the dye in his hair and taken a shower as soon as he had gotten back from the store, so it was nice and vibrant.

He headed out the door a little earlier than necessary, wanting to make absolutely sure he wasn't late. Not that it was a huge deal; it's not like it was a date or anything. He was just meeting up with a couple friends for dinner.

He got there about 15 minutes early. He didn't see Ace or Sanji yet but decided to go wait near the entrance for them instead of just sitting in his car. 

— — —

Sanji had spent the whole week leading up to Saturday trying to decide what to wear; he'd finally whittled it down to 3 different options, packing them safely in his car along with his other items on Friday as he got ready to head out of town. 

He'd originally planned on driving out Saturday, but after some consideration had decided to head out Friday. That way he could make sure he was rested and had time to get showered and ready instead of rushing to account for the 4-hour drive.

By the time Saturday afternoon came around, he had showered and was standing by the bed staring at the 3 outfits laid out on the bed, still not sure which one to wear. Maybe he should have bought something else. 

With a final sigh, he grabbed one of the outfits and pulled it on. He was running out of time, and he still had to do his hair. He's not sure why he was putting so much effort into it anyway. He wasn't getting ready for a date; it was just dinner with a couple of friends. 

He finally finished getting ready and hurried out to his car. He should arrive with about 5 minutes to spare.

He parked his car and checked to see if the other two were already there, and his gaze immediately fixed on a head of green hair. As soon as he got a good look, he was infinitely grateful that he had a minute to gather his thoughts before having to actually talk to him, because damn, he looked good. He had on a pair of black pants that had to have been painted on, he'd thought the ones he was wearing with the blue tank top were bad enough; these were worse (better). And when Zoro turned around to look out over the parking lot, Sanji had no chance of stopping the nosebleed. 

It should be illegal for anyone to look that good. He had on a black shirt with a mock turtleneck, giving a false sense of modesty; the shirt itself was skin tight and stretched obscenely across his chest. Over the top of it he had a looser-fitting charcoal/navy blue blazer with little white accents. Sanji wanted to go over to him and pull the jacket closed (if he even could), and he wasn't sure if it was for the sake of his own sanity or to keep everyone else from looking at him. The gaze of everyone that passed Zoro lingered on the other man much longer than necessary, and Sanji hated it.

Sanji took a couple minutes to compose himself and clean up his face before finally climbing out of his car and heading over to where Zoro stood. 

“You seen Ace yet?”

Zoro glanced at him and looked him over appraisingly, though he couldn't tell from Zoro's face what he thought of his appearance.

“You applying to be a waiter or something with your cute little vest?”

Sanji glared at him.

“Tch. It's classy, Mosshead. And what about you? What the hell are you even wearing?”

Zoro’s brow furrowed, and he glanced down at himself with a frown.

“What's wrong with it?”

Sanji didn't like the look on Zoro's face.

“Nothing. You clean up nice, Mossy. I was just surprised.”

Zoro flushed a little. 

“You too.”

“Hmmm?”

“You, uh, look good, or whatever. Even if you're wearing a silly waiter's vest.”

Sanji laughed.

“Thanks.”

“I haven't seen Ace yet.”

“I'll text him and see how far out he is.”

Sanji pulled out his phone and opened the group chat. 

Sanji: Mossy and I are outside; you almost here? 

He waited a minute before Ace replied.

Ace: Hey! Go ahead and head in. Just give them my name at the stand. 

Zoro: 👍

Sanji glanced up at Zoro, who was watching him with a grin, his phone in his hands.

“You and that stupid thumbs up.”

Zoro laughed. 

“I don't use it that much.”

“Whatever you say. Let's head inside.”

They made their way inside and approached the host stand. Sanji spoke to the man standing behind it.

“Hi. We should have a reservation under the name Ace.”

The host looked down at his ledger and nodded.

“Right this way.”

Sanji and Zoro followed the host, who led them to a table off in the corner that was set for two.

“Here you are, gentleman.”

Sanji glanced at the table in confusion, a small feeling of dread growing in his stomach.

“It's supposed to be for 3?”

Sanji hadn't meant for it to be a question, but he was starting to suspect that this had been the plan all along.

“I'm sorry, the reservation only said 2. I can bring another chair over.”

Sanji’s phone buzzed in his hand, and he saw a message from Ace; Zoro cursed beside him. 

“That fucker.”

Sanji took a deep breath and, despite having the same feelings, tried to put on his most charming display. 

“Mossy, watch your mouth; this isn't the bar.”

Zoro huffed, and Sanji was sure he was rolling his eyes.

He turned to the host with the best smile he could muster. 

“Two should be fine; I don't think our third will be joining us. Thank you.”

The host nodded and left them to take their seats.

Sanji took a deep breath to calm his nerves; this was a date. A little bit of a blind one, thanks to Ace, but he wasn't going to waste this opportunity to maybe see if there could be more between him and Zoro. And if it turned out awkward, they could blame it on Ace and still continue the friendship they had.

He turned to Zoro.

“I know this isn't what we signed up for, but we may as well make the most of it, right?”

— — —

Zoro had been waiting at the entrance for a little over 10 minutes when he heard someone call out to him.

“You seen Ace yet?”

Zoro turned towards Sanji as he approached him. He tried to keep his expression schooled as he looked him up and down. 

Sanji had on a pair of black slacks that stretched sinfully over his thighs, which Zoro hadn’t been able to stop thinking about since Sunday. He had paired them with an orange and black pinstriped shirt with the first few buttons undone; Zoro could see a hint of curly blonde hair peeking out. But the thing that really had Zoro heating up was the black vest that he had over it, buttoned up and cinching in his waist. Zoro wanted to wrap his hands around it to see if he could fit them all the way around. He stuck his hands in his pockets, trying to fight the urge.

“You applying to be a waiter or something with your cute little vest?”

Sanji glared at him, and the glare really shouldn't be making Zoro burn even hotter, but it did.

“Tch. It's classy, Mosshead. And what about you? What the hell are you even wearing?”

Zoro frowned and glanced at his own outfit again. He'd thought he looked pretty good, but now he was questioning himself. He didn't know anything about this dressing-up shit.

“What's wrong with it?”

He tried to sound more annoyed than self-conscious but wasn't sure if it worked.

“Nothing. You clean up nice, Mossy. I was just surprised.”

Zoro relaxed a little. That had been a compliment, right? 

“You too.”

He was so horrible at this.

“Hmmm?”

“You, uh, look good, or whatever. Even if you're wearing a silly waiter's vest.”

Sanji laughed, and Zoro's chest fluttered at the sound.

“Thanks.”

Zoro changed the subject, answering Sanji's question from earlier.

“I haven't seen Ace yet.”

“I'll text him and see how far out he is.”

Sanji pulled out his phone, and Zoro did the same, opening the chat as Sanji's message came through.

Sanji: Mossy and I are outside; you almost here? 

They waited a little before Ace’s reply came through.

Ace: Hey! Go ahead and head in. Just give them my name at the stand. 

Zoro, knowing it would annoy Sanji, sent a response.

Zoro: 👍

Sanji glanced up at him with an eye roll, but there was a smile on his face. 

“You and that stupid thumbs up.”

Zoro laughed. He didn't feel like he used it that much, but it was entertaining either way.

“I don't use it that much.”

“Whatever you say. Let's head inside.”

Zoro followed Sanji inside, his phone still in his hand. He let Sanji do the talking, not really used to this kind of setting.

“Hi. We should have a reservation under the name Ace.”

The host looked down at his ledger and nodded.

“Right this way.”

The host and Sanji headed off, and Zoro trailed behind them as they made their way towards a table a little out of the way.

“Here you are, gentleman.”

“It's supposed to be for 3?”

At Sanji’s question, Zoro actually looked at the table they'd been led to. It was set up for two.

“I'm sorry, the reservation only said 2. I can bring another chair over.”

Zoro's phone buzzed in his hand, and he looked at the still-open chat. 

Ace: Try to behave yourselves at the restaurant. I won't be there to mediate. Have fun. 😘

“That fucker.”

Zoro hadn't meant to say that out loud.

“Mossy, watch your mouth; this isn't the bar.”

Zoro rolled his eyes at Sanji’s reprimand, but Sanji wasn't looking at him; he was still addressing the host.

“Two should be fine; I don't think our third will be joining us. Thank you.”

The host nodded and left them to take their seats.

Zoro felt his nerves kicking in. This was totally a date, wasn't it? Should he treat it like a date? How were you even supposed to act on a date?

Sanji turned to face him, and Zoro hoped he didn't look as lost as he felt.

“I know this isn't what we signed up for, but we may as well make the most of it, right?”

Zoro nodded dumbly before clearing his throat and answering verbally. 

“May as well. You said you’d been wanting to come here, right? For your blog or whatever?”

Sanji nodded, and they both finally took their seats. 

“Yeah. I've been wanting to spread out a little more. I usually focus on the menu, taste, and ambience as a solo diner, but I think I could get more attention if I also did reviews of places for dates. But obviously, going by yourself somewhere is going to be a different experience than going with someone. And some places cater more to couples rather than individuals, so going to those places alone would be weird and not helpful at all.”

“I doubt you would have that much difficulty finding someone to go on a date with you to any of those places.” 

“Finding someone I’d want to go with is the problem. I'd want someone I'm already comfortable with; otherwise, I might be paying more attention to them than the actual review or vice versa. I'd be paying too much attention to analyzing the experience that the person I'm with would get bored or annoyed.”

“What about me?”

Sanji opened his mouth to reply, but the waitress chose that moment to approach their table. 

“Welcome, gentleman. Can I get you started with something to drink?”

Zoro realized that neither of them had even looked at the menu. Could he just get water? Was that acceptable?

Sanji sent him a small smile before picking up the menu and turning his attention to the waitress. 

“What's your most popular white wine?”

The waitress pointed to something on the menu.

“This one has been a favorite recently. It pairs really well with our special of the day and most of our other seafood options.”

“Wonderful. We'll get a bottle of that and two glasses of water, please.”

The waitress nodded and left, and Sanji turned back to him.

“Sorry. I kind of just took over. Is white wine fine? Is there something else you wanted?”

Zoro shook his head. 

“I honestly had no idea.”

He grabbed his own menu and glanced over it. Outside of the name of the fish, he had no idea what half the stuff on this menu was. 

“You gonna do the same thing with our meal too?”

He glanced at Sanji after he asked, and Sanji was watching him curiously.

“Would you like me to?”

“Yeah. This is more your thing than mine.”

Sanji's eyes sparkled, and he nodded. 

“Ok.”

Zoro laid the menu back on the table and relaxed a little more into his chair. This was nice, right? Sanji seemed fine with ordering for both of them. More than that, he seemed to enjoy it, and Zoro was more than happy to let him take charge.

The waitress came back with the drinks.

“Are you two ready to order, or do you need another minute?”

Zoro listened as Sanji ordered, not paying too much attention to what he was ordering, mostly just watching him. He couldn't deny it anymore, not even to himself; he was down bad for the man across from him. And he had been for a while.

“So, what rating would you give the ambience so far?”

Sanji laughed. 

“I don't normally critique while in the restaurant, but so far I'm enjoying myself. Though I'm not sure yet if it's the location or the company.”

“You saying you enjoy my company, Curly?”

“Maybe. And what if I do?”

“Then I might tell you that maybe I enjoy yours too.”

“Just maybe?”

“Yeah, just maybe.”

— — —

Sanji felt happier than he had in a long time. The idea of Zoro returning even a sliver of his feelings was enough to have him floating. He could just kiss Zoro right now. Wait, could he? Would Zoro let him?

He was getting ahead of himself; he needed to take things a little slower. He didn't want some quick whirlwind thing that got too hot too fast and fizzled out quickly; he wanted this to last. 

The waitress came around and delivered their appetizer. An oyster soup-type dish with bruschetta for dipping. He took a bite, chewing slowly as he paid attention to the flavor, picking out the seasonings.

He felt eyes on him and glanced at Zoro, who was watching him intently.

“You did the same thing with the omelette.”

Sanji swallowed his bite.

“What do you mean?”

“That concentrated look on your face when you took a bite. You did the same thing last week. It's cute.”

Sanji blushed.

“Stop talking and eat.”

Zoro laughed but did as he was told.

They were quiet for a minute as they ate; it wasn't awkward or anything like Sanji had worried it would be, just a pleasant silence as they enjoyed their food and each other's company. 

They were just finishing the appetizer when the waitress came around with their meals. A pan-seared salmon with a lemon cream sauce served with green beans and lemon and herb rice for Zoro. For himself he ordered a blackened cod served on a bed of arugula salad with a tangy vinaigrette and grilled asparagus on the side.

“You'll have to let me know what you think of my choice for you, Mossy.”

“You wanna taste it?”

Sanji smiled. Did Zoro even know how sweet and adorable he was? Probably not; Sanji can't imagine anyone telling him that with how intimidating he seemed before you got to know him. And from what Zoro said, he didn't let many people close.

“How about you just let me know what you think, and I'll take it into consideration?”

Zoro shrugged and dug into his food. Sanji watched as he cut off a big chunk of the salmon and shoved it into his mouth, his cheeks puffing out as he chewed, much like last week, and Sanji found himself just watching. His face was pretty expressive as he chewed; he seemed to be enjoying it.

“What do you think?”

Zoro glanced up at him and swallowed the bite in his mouth.

“It's good.”

That's all he said before shoving another bite in his mouth.

“It's good? That's all you have to say?”

Zoro shrugged. This time he spoke before his bite was finished. 

“What else am I supposed to say?”

Sanji wrinkled his nose and let out a sigh. Looks like he couldn't count on Zoro's opinion to include in his review. Maybe he'd take Zoro up on his previous offer and steal a bite for himself.

In the meantime, Sanji started on his own meal. He tried to think of what they could talk about as they ate. They'd learned quite a few things about each other over the last couple of weeks,, so he couldn't really fall back on the simple getting-to-know-you questions.

He tried to think of all the articles and blogs he'd read about first dates and dating in general when he was younger. He'd been so obsessed with finding someone to settle down with as quickly as possible back when he was in high school. But now that he was faced with someone that really could be something, he had no idea what to say.

“I'm not really good at this.”

Sanji was a little startled as Zoro's voice pulled him from his thoughts. 

“Good at what?”

Zoro stared intently at his food, pushing the rice around with his fork.

“One-on-one things like this. Just talking in general.”

“You don't have issues when it's just at the bar.”

“That's different. There's always something else to focus on when we're at the bar. The next play, the next pointless bet. Things that don't really matter. But situations like this have never been my strong suit, and I don't want to mess this up.”

The anxiousness that had started growing in Sanji's stomach loosened. It was nice to know that he wasn't the only one feeling that way. He chuckled.

“Glad it's not just me. I spent way too much time reading about the best things to say or talk about, and I can't remember or think of a single thing.”

Sanji saw the way the tension seemed to drain from Zoro's shoulders at his admission, and Zoro looked up from his plate to meet Sanji's gaze. Sanji continued talking.

“Why green? For your hair. Is it just cuz it's your favorite color?”

Zoro shrugged.

“Kinda. Also just because it was an unexpected color for me to choose. My high school’s colors were red, black, and white; Niners and USC are both red and gold. I was trying to be not me, so I did green. You ever think about dyeing your hair?”

“In my first year of high school I went through a rebellious emo phase and dyed my hair black. After about two weeks my roots started showing, and it looked horrible. And I realized it would be a pain in the ass to keep up, so I tried to remove it, but nothing I did even made it fade. So I was stuck with the choices of dyeing it black forever, cutting it all off, or just letting it grow out as it was and looking like an idiot for months. But the only real option for me was the last one. Definitely didn't want it black forever, and I don't like showing both my eyes, so I just had to deal with the horrible look of grown-out roots.”

“I noticed that, about your eyes. Why don't you like to show both of them?”

Sanji hesitated for a moment.

“You don't have to tell me if you don't want to.”

Sanji took a steadying breath before reaching up and pushing his hair back to reveal his whole face. Almost immediately, Sanji dropped his hand, his hair covering his eye again.

“I know, it's weird.”

Before he could say anything else or brush it off, Zoro reached over the table and pushed Sanji's hair back to again reveal the brown eye hidden beneath it. 

“It's beautiful.”

Sanji flushed dark red, his heart was racing, but he made no move to push Zoro's hand away. 

— — —

Zoro hadn't even had time to think about it before he'd reacted, but he'd meant what he said. Sanji's mismatched eyes were beautiful. He took a moment to just stare into them before finally taking in his whole face. Both of his eyebrows did curl, and in the same direction. He chose not to comment on it, though, knowing it was definitely not the time. After a minute, he pulled his hand away, allowing Sanji's hair to fall back into place.

He had a feeling Sanji hadn't shown his full face to very many people. The fact that he'd shown it to Zoro made him feel warm inside. 

“I can't picture you with black hair.”

Sanji chuckled a little. 

“Take my word for it, it was not attractive.”

Zoro laughed as well. 

“Well, since it was you, I have a hard time believing it wasn't attractive, but I'll trust you.”

“I thought you were supposed to be bad at talking.”

“Maybe you just make it easier.”

“You're a real flirt today.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“It's bad for my heart.”

Zoro wanted to kiss Sanji so badly right now. Just stand up from his seat and pull him into a kiss, but he had a feeling Sanji wouldn't completely approve of that, so he stayed seated. 

The waitress came over again to check on them, asking if they wanted dessert; Sanji glanced at him, and Zoro shook his head. Sanji declined dessert and asked for the check. 

Once the waitress had stepped away again, Zoro pushed his plate a little closer to Sanji. He'd left a bite of the salmon for Sanji to taste. Sanji had told him he'd just get Zoro's opinion, but Zoro had no idea what he was even looking or tasting for or whatever. It had been good; he'd enjoyed it, but he knew that wasn't a good answer for a critique.

Sanji glanced down at the movement and smiled before scooping up the last bite and putting it in his mouth. He got that same look from earlier on his face as he chewed the bite, and Zoro could see the wheels turning in his head.

Sanji pushed his own plate a little towards Zoro.

“Taste mine and tell me which one you like more.”

Zoro took a forkful of Sanji's fish and shoved it into his mouth. They were both really good, but he tried his best to choose which one he liked better and why. 

“I think… I like the sauce on yours better, but I liked the flavor of the salmon itself more.”

“Ok. I'll keep that in mind.”

Sanji finished off the last few bites on his plate, and the waitress came with the check. Before Sanji could grab it, Zoro snatched it off the table, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his card to give the waitress and thanking her. Sanji glared at him, but it was half-hearted. 

“We could have split it.”

“Yeah, we could have, but I wanted to take care of it. You can pay next time.”

Zoro really hoped there was a next time. 

Sanji's face lit up with a grin. 

“Deal.”

The waitress came back with his card, and it was time to leave. They both stood from the table a little reluctantly, not really wanting to part ways but knowing it was probably time. They made their way outside and stopped by the door. 

Zoro glanced around the lot. 

“Where are you parked? I'll walk you to your car.”

Sanji smiled. 

“Such a gentleman. I'm parked over here.”

Zoro followed Sanji to his car. They stood by it for a second, both looking at each other, neither one in a hurry to separate. Sanji finally moved to pull open his door and break the silence. 

“Thanks, Mossy. I really enjoyed myself today.”

“This was a date. I'm not crazy for thinking that, right?”

Sanji laughed. 

“Yeah, it was definitely a date. And we're definitely doing it again sometime. Hopefully soon.”

Sanji stepped into his space and wrapped his arms around Zoro's shoulders, pulling him into a hug. Zoro didn't hesitate to wrap his own arms around Sanji's waist, pulling him a little closer. They stood like that for a while before Sanji finally pulled away.

“I'll see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah. Text me when you make it to your place.”

“I will. Let me know when you get home too.”

“K.”

Sanji leaned forward and placed a kiss on Zoro’s cheek before hurriedly climbing into his car and starting it up. 

Zoro watched as he pulled away before reaching his hand up to touch where Sanji had kissed him. His heart was pounding in his chest. He was so royally fucked, but he was perfectly fine with that.

***

🍥Curly🍥: I made it safe. Hope you didn't get too lost on your way back.

💚Mossy💚: 🖕 

💚Mossy💚: I just made it back to Wyper's.

***

Sanji: Can I bring my own food into the bar? 

Ace: Only if you bring me some too.

Sanji: Ok.

Ace: Totally kidding, you don't need to bring me anything. But yeah, I don't care if you bring something in. 

Sanji: Thanks

***

🍥Curly🍥: What do you want for breakfast tomorrow? I'll cook you something and bring it to the bar. 

💚Mossy💚: Why? 

🍥Curly🍥: Because I want to.

💚Mossy💚: Idk. Surprise me? 

🍥Curly🍥: Fine, but if you don't like what I make, you have to eat it anyway. 

💚Mossy💚: 👍

🍥Curly🍥: 🙄

💚Mossy💚: What time do you wanna meet at the bar?

🍥Curly🍥: 10? Then we can eat before too many people show up?

💚Mossy💚: Sounds good. I'll see you then. 

🍥Curly🍥: Ok. Good night. 

💚Mossy💚: Night.

Chapter Text

🍥Curly🍥: Can we pretend like Ace bailing on us didn't change anything? He's gonna be insufferable.

💚Zoro💚: I don't think he'll believe us if you're bringing me breakfast.

🍥Curly🍥: I'm bringing him breakfast too.

💚Zoro💚: 👍

— — —

Sanji was awake bright and early Sunday morning. Though maybe "bright" wasn't the right term, considering it was still dark outside at that hour. But he had things to do. 

When he'd booked his hotel for that weekend, he'd upgraded to one with a full kitchen in hopes that he'd get an opportunity to cook something for Zoro. Now that he was given that opportunity, he was going to make it count. So at 5am, he was in the kitchen, starting his, from scratch, mini quiches. 

As he baked, he thought over how crazy the last couple of months had been. Who would have thought that one Thursday night, in some random town, would lead him here? And what did the future hold? 

He'd been dipping pretty far into his savings the last couple months with all the hotel stays, and it wasn't sustainable. After Super Bowl weekend, he'd have to work extra hard pushing his blog and maybe even pick up a part-time job somewhere to try and save back up. 

But how would it affect this thing that he had with Zoro? He was a little hesitant to call it a relationship quite yet, but it was definitely moving that way. At least he hoped it was. But he couldn't keep making this trip. 

Zoro had said he was just staying with Wyper for a little bit. Where did he actually live? Did he live even further north? Closer to San Francisco? That would make sense. If Sanji remembered correctly, the article about Zoro had said he'd gone to a high school just east of there, so it would make sense he'd stayed in that area. But how long was he staying with Wyper?

Maybe Sanji could move up this way. It's not like his blog required him to be in a certain location, and his lease would be up soon. Plus, his old man probably wouldn't be opposed to him moving closer.

He was getting ahead of himself, though. He needed to just focus on now; he could worry about what happened after the Super Bowl when that time came. 

The timer on the oven went off, and he shelved his previous thoughts while he went to pull the first batch out of the oven. He threw the remaining pan in and realized that he'd probably gone a little overboard. In total, he'd made 36 muffin-sized quiches. 

Well, maybe Marco would be there again. Then he could send any leftovers home with Zoro, who could share them with Wyper and also give him breakfast for a couple mornings. Even with that, he'd still definitely made too many. He just hoped none of them went to waste. 

He removed the finished ones carefully from their pan and onto the cooling rack as he waited for the second batch to finish. Once the second batch was out and on the cooling rack as well, he went to get ready.

Once he was showered and dressed, he loaded the food into a few containers, then into an insulated bag, and headed out the door. He'd have to drive today since the hotel with the kitchen was further away than the other, so he climbed into his car and headed to the bar.

He got there at about quarter to ten and made his way inside. Ace was behind the bar. Sanji walked over and sat in their normal area, placing the insulated bag on the counter. 

“Hey, Ace. Is Marco gonna be here today?”

Ace raised an eyebrow at him and responded with a teasing tone.

“Why? You got a crush on my husband now?”

Sanji chuckled. 

“I accidentally cooked a little too much this morning.”

He reached into his bag and pulled out two of the containers to give to Ace. Each container had 6 quiches in it. 

“Oh sweet. You didn't really have to cook me anything, though.”

“I know. I enjoy cooking and feeding people, though. So I was kind of excited to get to do it.”

“Well, I'll never say no to home-cooked food. Thanks. You're a little early today.”

“Yeah, decided to come before too many people got here since I was bringing my own food in.”

“I guess that makes sense. So, how was your date?”

Sanji made a conscious effort not to blush.

“What date?”

“Don't play dumb.”

“It wasn't a date; it was dinner with friends, and one of my so-called friends bailed. The fact that it was just the two of us didn't magically make it a date.”

Ace looked at him critically as if trying to determine how true his words were. Sanji had prepared for this, though. He was not going to give Ace the satisfaction. Ace let out a huff.

“Fine, keep your secrets, but you're not fooling anyone. How’d you like the food?”

“It was really good. There are a few things I’d do differently if I made it, but I enjoyed it.”

“I'm surprised you'd never been there before. It's a local favorite around here.”

“I'm not from around here, so it would have been a bit of a drive.”

Sanji realized what he'd said as soon as it was out of his mouth and held his breath, hoping Ace wouldn't catch it. Luck was not on his side, though. 

“Not from around here? Where are you from?”

Well, he may as well let the cat out of the bag.

“Promise you won't tell anyone?”

Ace made the motion of zipping his mouth shut and crossing his heart. 

“I live in LA.”

Ace's eyes widened, and he could see the spark of laughter in his eyes before Ace started actually laughing. Loud enough that the few customers already in the bar turned to glance at him.

“Oh, God. That is just too good. You live in LA?”

Sanji reached over to cover his mouth and shushed him. 

"Don't say it that loud! I know I'm an idiot; just keep it quiet. I don't want Zoro to find out.”

“I'm curious, though. How did you even end up here in the first place?”

“I have a food review blog, and there was a new place around here that people had been asking about and wanting me to review, so I was staying up here and didn't want to just watch the Rams game by myself in my hotel room.”

“Then you kept coming out for Zoro? You guys HATED each other in the beginning.”

“I didn't hate him. He just annoyed the shit out of me. Hell, he still annoys the shit out of me. But I came back at first because he made it fun.”

“So you drove 8 hours a week cuz it was fun ?”

Sanji shrugged. 

“Yeah. It started being the only thing I looked forward to. Sounds kinda lame now that I'm saying it out loud.”

Ace chuckled.

“Nah. But it doesn't sound very sustainable.”

Sanji sighed. 

“It's not. I've put a huge dent in my savings. Just trying to get through the Super Bowl, and I guess we'll see what happens after that.”

“Well, I think it'll be easier than you think. Maybe you two just need to talk about it.”

“Maybe.”

“Did you guys just not talk at all yesterday?”

“We talked. But I already know he's staying with Wyper, so we didn't talk about where we lived, and I didn't want to bring it up.”

“You guys are hopeless.”

“Go to hell.”

Ace shook his head.

“So what did you guys talk about?”

Sanji went to reply, but an answer came from behind him. 

“None of your damn business.”

Ace glanced over at Zoro as he took the seat next to Sanji, and Sanji followed his gaze. 

“How long have you been there?”

Zoro looked at him with a raised brow. 

“Like five seconds. I got here just before you told him to go to hell. Why? You guys talking about something you didn’t want me to hear?”

“No.”

Zoro rolled his eyes. 

“Whatever.”

Zoro wasn't even looking at him, just glaring forward at the containers of food sitting by Ace. Sanji reached into his bag and pulled out a couple more containers and set them in front of Zoro, who just turned his glare from the containers by Ace to the ones Sanji had just set down. Sanji then pulled a container out for himself.

“I figured these were a good option cuz they're easy to make in bulk and don't need utensils to eat.”

Sanji opened his container and pulled one out and took a bite. He thought they turned out pretty good. Ace decided to open his container as well, pulling one out and taking a bite.

“Damn. These are really good, Sanji. I definitely feel spoiled now.”

Sanji glanced over at Zoro, who seemed to be glaring even harder at the containers of food.

“Is something wrong?”

Zoro didn't respond, but he finally opened one of the containers and grabbed one of the quiches, shoving the whole thing into his mouth in one bite. The glare cleared into surprise as he chewed, and Sanji felt a swell of pride.

Zoro didn't even swallow his bite before responding. 

“They're ok.”

“OK!?! They're perfect!”

Sanji was about to go on a tirade, half tempted to take Zoro's food back and just give it to Ace if Zoro wasn't going to appreciate it, but a question from Ace stopped him.

“Are Zoro’s different?”

Sanji flushed. 

“No. I made them all the same.”

That was a lie, but he'd really hoped no one would notice. They weren't THAT different; he'd just added a little extra chopped bacon to the top of Zoro's. And if it just happened to be sprinkled on in a shape resembling a heart, it was purely coincidental. Zoro just needed a little more protein for his body type.

— — — 

Zoro hadn't been pouting when he got to the bar. Sanji's reasoning made sense; Ace would absolutely be insufferable, but was it wrong for Zoro to want Sanji to make something just for him? God, he sounded like a child. 

He'd tried to be in a better mood. But when he'd arrived at the bar, Sanji and Ace had been talking about something, and then Sanji had looked worried that Zoro might have heard what they were talking about. And he couldn't help thinking of what they could have been talking about that Sanji didn't want him to know.

Maybe Sanji was having second thoughts about them? Was there a them? There was, right? He wasn't sure exactly what it entailed, but he was sure there was something . 

The food containers that Ace had in front of him just added to Zoro's sour mood. When Sanji handed him two containers exactly like the ones Ace had, it hadn't helped.

He'd been being intentionally obstinate when he'd said they were ok. They were beyond ok; they were fucking amazing. But he'd managed to get Sanji’s full attention on him with that comment, so he'd count that as a win. 

He heard Ace’s comment and glanced at the ones that he could see of Ace’s, then back at the ones in his own container. Now that Ace mentioned it, they did look different. Zoro stared at his own for a minute before he noticed it. Were those supposed to be hearts?

Zoro glanced over at Sanji, who had a light blush on his cheeks as he avoided looking at Zoro or Ace.

Zoro swallowed the last of the bite he'd had in his mouth and grabbed another one, once again shoving it into his mouth in one bite. He kept his focus on Sanji.

“Look the same to me.”

Sanji's eyes finally met his, and he gave him a little smile, which Sanji returned. 

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Mossy. It's disgusting.”

The comment didn't sound nearly as admonishing as he was sure Sanji had meant it to.

“How do you even chew with that much in your mouth? You look like a cute little green chipmunk.”

Zoro swallowed his bite.

“Aw, you think I'm cute, Curly?”

“Unfortunately. Though I can't, for the life of me, figure out why.”

Ace chuckled, and both Zoro and Sanji turned to look at him. 

“So, it wasn't a date, but something happened.”

Zoro looked at him questioningly. 

“What are you talking about?”

Ace let out a sigh.

“Fine, I'll drop it. But only because I have other customers to attend to.”

Ace walked away to help some other patrons that had sat at the other end of the bar, and Zoro turned his attention back to Sanji.

“I think our plan failed.”

“Yeah. I think Ace might be too observant for his own good, or our own good technically.”

“I'm blaming it on you.”

“Me? How is it my fault?”

Zoro pointed at the food. Taking the opportunity to pop another one in his mouth. 

“What are these?”

Sanji glared at him.

“Can you even taste them like that? And I told you, I cooked some for him too, so that's not it.”

Zoro finished his bite.

“Of course I can taste them. It's not like I'm swallowing them whole. Were Ace’s supposed to have hearts on them too?”

“I- they didn't- they weren't-” Sanji paused, then the next word came out with a sigh. “No.”

“They’re really good.”

“Better than Thatch’s omurice?”

“Are you really still grumpy about that?”

“You’re the grumpy one. Why was that, by the way?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, please. You were basically a rain cloud when you walked in. Your glare was scalding enough that it almost overcooked my perfectly baked quiches.”

“I was hungry.”

“What’re you eatin’, Zoro?”

Zoro glanced over when he heard his name to see Wyper taking a seat next to him.

“I dunno, some egg thing, I think.”

“Are you serious? I literally just told you what they were.”

“That was a made-up word.”

“Quiche is not a made-up word!”

Zoro watched as Sanji reached back into the bag he had sitting on the bar top and pulled out another container and offered it to Wyper.

“Here, you can have some too. I made plenty.”

Zoro glared at the container as Wyper reached out to accept it.

“Oh, thanks. They look delicious.”

“Did you make enough for the whole damn bar or something, Curly?”

“Five people is not the whole bar.”

“Did you make some for your Charger’s friend too?”

Zoro glared down at the remaining 3 quiches in his container, suddenly not feeling as pleased as he had earlier about the bacon hearts on top of them. He moved the top container off and opened the second container as well, peeking to see if those ones were garnished the same; they were.

“What are you doing? You still have three left in the first container.”

“I’m just looking.”

“Give them to me.”

Sanji grabbed the bottom container from him and closed it back up before putting it back in the bag.

Zoro pouted glared at him.

“The hell? You taking them away from me now?”

“No, you idiot. You can have them later. I’m just putting them back in there to keep them insulated and fresher in case you want them later.”

Zoro tried to peek into the bag from where he was sitting.

“There isn’t any more in there. Just the one I took from you. And since you asked earlier, I made 6 containers. One each for Ace, Marco, and me. Then I wasn’t sure if Wyper would show up or not, so I also made one for him. I made two for you. If Wyper hadn’t shown up, I would have sent you home with three.”

“Oh.”

Zoro felt a little abashed at how petulant he was being, but he just wanted assurance that there really was something meaningful going on between Sanji and him. He had a feeling that cooking for people was important to Sanji, and he selfishly wanted that attention for himself.

He grabbed another one of the quiches and shoved it in his mouth, ignoring Wyper, who was chuckling beside him.

“Wow, these are amazing, Sanji.”

“Thank you, I'm glad you like them.”

Wyper and Sanji made small talk for a little bit as they ate. Zoro ate one more of the quiches before deciding he was done for now, placing the lid of the container on top of it. 

He glanced at the door to the bar as another few people walked in, noticing Marco among them. Marco made his way to the bar to talk to Ace for a minute, and Ace handed him one of the containers Sanji had given him.

Marco glanced towards them and waved; Zoro nodded in response and Sanji waved back before he and the couple of people with him headed to a booth in the corner. Wyper stood up from his seat, pushing the container with the remaining couple of quiches towards Sanji. 

“Thanks for breakfast. I'm going to join my friends over there. You guys are welcome to join us if you'd like.”

Sanji was the one who responded.

“You're welcome. We appreciate the invite, but we'll stay here for now.”

Wyper patted Zoro’s shoulder, and Zoro grunted in acknowledgement. 

“See ya later.”

— — —

Sanji turned to face Zoro after Wyper left. 

“Did you know that Wyper was friends with Marco?”

“Yeah, I've seen them sitting together a few times before.”

“And you didn't say anything?”

Zoro looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

“I didn't think it mattered.”

“It doesn't really. Just surprised me, I guess.”

Sanji was about to reach out and grab Wyper’s leftovers to put them away, but he was stopped by Zoro laying his head on his shoulder. Sanji's heart melted. 

“You tired, Mossy?”

“Sorry.”

Sanji thought he was going to pull away, but Zoro remained where he was, and Sanji reached up to gently scratch his head. 

“For what?”

“Will you cook something just for me next time?”

“Is that why you're grumpy?”

“‘M not grumpy.”

“Ok, whatever you say, my sweet little moss.”

Zoro sat up on his chair again, and Sanji immediately missed the weight on his shoulder. He busied himself by grabbing Wyper's container and combining what was left in it with what was left of his own before placing it in the bag. 

“You done with yours for now?”

“Yeah.”

Sanji grabbed Zoro's container, making sure it was shut tight before putting it away as well. He thought about Zoro's previous question. He could invite Zoro back to his hotel tonight and cook them something for dinner. Then maybe he could also convince him to spend the night. He was sure he could keep Zoro distracted enough to not ask why Sanji was staying in a hotel.

"I'm gonna go put this bag in my car so it's not sitting on the bar. I'll be right back.”

“Alright. You want me to order you something to drink?”

“Just a coffee with cream and sugar.”

Zoro nodded and flagged Ace down as Sanji headed outside. It was starting to get closer to game time, and more people were starting to flood into the bar. It was busier than he'd seen it before, but he wasn't really surprised. With the championship games both being played today, it made sense for more people to show up. 

When he made his way back inside, most of the seats on Zoro's left had been filled, leaving only two open directly next to him. Sanji took his seat on Zoro's right and glanced at the TV, where the pregame had started. It was about 15 minutes until game time. The Eagles/Commanders game was on first. It should be a pretty good one since the teams were divisional rivals as well. 

Sanji took a drink of his coffee. He probably didn't need another cup, to be honest; he'd already had two this morning, but he didn't want to run out of energy too early. It was probably still too early in the day to invite Zoro over for the evening, so he shelved that question for later in the afternoon. 

“You think the Commanders have a chance?”

Zoro stared at the TV for a minute before responding. 

“I didn't expect them to be even here . Hell, I wasn't expecting them to make it past the first round. So at this point, who knows? They might take it all.”

Sanji laughed. 

“That's a bit of a stretch.”

Zoro chuckled as well.

“Yeah. I think they'll put up a fight cuz it's against the Eagles, but I doubt they'll come out on top.”

“I think the Eagles are gonna come out thinking they have it easy, so they'll struggle a little in the beginning cuz they won't come out playing hard enough. On the other side, I think the Commanders are gonna come out with more drive, so they might outplay the Eagles for at least the first quarter.”

“I could see that being an issue. But I think the Eagles know the Commanders will play hard because of their rivalry.”

They both fell into silence as the game kicked off. Normally they would fill the silence with bets and additional predictions between plays, anything to keep the other’s attention on them. But after yesterday, they were more on the same page. The filter wasn't needed; they could simply enjoy the game while enjoying the other's company. He was sure there would still be more bets, because it had been fun, but they were no longer needed.

Sanji's initial assumptions about the game had been wrong. By the time the end of the first quarter came around, the Eagles were already up 14-3.

“Did the Commanders forget that this was the championship game? Ugh. I hope the game gets more entertaining, because this is boring.”

Zoro hummed in agreement and leaned back in his seat. He placed his hand on Sanji's thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze, and leaving it there. He made a comment, but Sanji didn't register what he said; his heart pounding in his chest was the only sound he could hear. 

He was such an idiot, getting so flustered over a little physical contact, but he honestly wasn't used to it. He'd never been a physical person, but Zoro seemed so nonchalant in the way he did it. Not that Sanji minded; he could definitely get used to it. If his heart didn't give out first. He just hadn't expected it based on what he'd learned about Zoro the last few months. 

“Curly?”

Sanji startled and stared back at Zoro.

“Huh?”

“Is something wrong?”

“No, I just-”

Sanji glanced down at Zoro's hand that was still resting on his thigh, and Zoro followed his gaze.

“Oh.”

Zoro moved to pull his hand away, but Sanji quickly covered it with his own, keeping it in place. 

“It's fine. I just didn't expect you to be so touchy, I guess.”

Zoro flushed.

“Sorry. I can stop.”

“Don't you dare.”

“Can I get you two lovebirds something to drink?”

Both of them startled and quickly pulled their hands away from each other.

Ace laughed.

“Sorry, didn't mean to ruin your very public private moment.”

Sanji groaned. 

“I hate you.”

“Oh please, I'm the best thing that's ever happened to you dumbasses.”

Sanji chose not to respond to that remark.

“Can I get a Moscow Mule?”

“What about you, Z?”

“I'll just take a draft IPA.”

Ace went to get the drinks, and Sanji wrinkled his nose at Zoro. 

“IPA? Gross.”

Ace slid their drinks to them and headed off to help someone else.

“Well, at least Ace is too busy to give us too much shit today.”

Zoro held up his glass.

“Cheers to that.”

Sanji clinked his cup against Zoro's, and they both took a drink before turning their attention back to the game. The Commanders had somehow managed to put 9 points on the board, making the score 12-14, but the Eagles were already knocking on the door to the end zone, and Sanji didn't doubt they'd make it in. And sure enough, a couple plays later and Hurts was in. 

Zoro leaned into his space again, gently bumping their shoulders together. 

“You think the Eagles will score again before the end of the half?”

Sanji leaned into the contact as he glanced at the time left on the TV.

“Hmmm… With less than two minutes? Probably not; they'll take a knee if they get the ball back and go into the locker rooms to prepare for the second half. Especially since they get the second half kickoff.”

“Good point. Unless they can hold the Commanders to a 3 and out, then I think they'll go for it and get at least a field goal.”

“And what do I get when I win?”

“What do you want?”

“How about…”

Before Sanji was able to respond, their attention was drawn to the door as it swung open and a couple of loud patrons walked through. The two were laughing loudly as they walked in. They were both pretty big, and other people moved as they made their way over to the two seats remaining at the bar, which just happened to be the ones on the other side of Zoro.

They both sported Chiefs jerseys. The one with long blonde hair had a Kelce jersey, and the redhead wore a Mahomes jersey.

Ace came over to serve the men, and Sanji overheard him as he spoke to them. 

“Hey, Kid, Killer. I was wondering when you two would show up. Surprised I haven't seen you yet this postseason.”

The one with the red hair responded.

“Yeah, Killer and I were out of town on a job; just got back last night.”

“Well, what can I get for you?”

Sanji tuned out the rest of their conversation and glanced back at the TV to see the Eagles back in the end zone.

“What the hell just happened?”

“I won.”

“I can see that, but how'd they get the ball back so quickly?”

“Commanders fumbled the kickoff.”

Zoro seemed a little annoyed and tense as he responded, his eyes occasionally drifting to the pair sitting next to them. 

“Of course they did.”

Zoro shifted in his chair, moving it a little closer to Sanji and rotating it so he was faced further away from the newcomers. He looked a little like he was hiding, and Sanji was getting a little concerned.

“You ok?”

“Yeah. ‘M fine.”

— — —

Zoro was absolutely not fine. Of all the people to show up, it had to be “Captain” fucking Kid and his stupid little lackey. If Ace, Wyper, and Sanji had found out who he was, there was no way in hell Kid wouldn't, no matter how much of an idiot he was.

Kid and Killer had been defensive linemen for Zoro’s high school’s biggest rival school. They’d been in the same grade and all made their varsity teams their first year. Their schools played against each other at least twice a season for 4 years. Zoro and Kid had ended up in a physical altercation at least once every game during that time.

Zoro grabbed his mug and downed the rest of his beer. He needed something stronger. Sanji was looking at him like he didn't believe his previous statement and was about to push back.

“I'll tell you later, k?”

Sanji looked at him critically but didn't push the issue. 

“You want a shot?”

“Definitely.”

Sanji got Ace’s attention and ordered them both a shot of whiskey and another beer for Zoro.

Halftime had rolled around for the current game, and the score was about what Zoro had expected. The Eagles were up 27-15, and he highly doubted that the Commanders were going to rally in the second half.

Kid was talking loudly to Killer, and the sound of his voice was grating on Zoro's nerves. He wanted to tell him to shut up, but the less attention he drew to himself, the better. 

Zoro almost jumped out of his skin when Sanji placed his hand on his thigh because he'd been so wound up. He took a deep breath and tried to relax and met Sanji's questioning gaze.

“Do you wanna switch seats?”

For some reason, the thought of Sanji being next to Kid pissed him off even more, so he shook his head.

“Don't worry about it.”

“I have an idea.”

“Yeah?”

“How about we finish this game up here, then go somewhere a little quieter for the second game? I can cook us something really tasty for dinner too.”

“I like the sound of that.”

Zoro really liked the sound of that. Maybe he could convince Sanji to let him stay for more than just dinner and the game.

“Good. Now let's enjoy the rest of this pointless game.”

***

Zoro was about to explode. He'd tried really hard to ignore Kid, like REALLY hard. But it was taking every ounce of his strength to not punch him right in his ugly face. 

He'd spent the whole third quarter yelling at the TV on EVERY play, claiming that the refs were rigging the game on every call and making sure the whole bar knew that he disagreed with every spot or penalty. 

Sanji apparently had had enough as well. The next time Kid opened his mouth, Sanji was on his feet.

“Holy hell, would you shut up already?”

Kid turned to Sanji with a scowl on his face and opened his mouth before pausing and looking Sanji up and down. A grin split across his face when he opened his mouth again, and Zoro already knew he wasn't going to like what came out of it. 

“I will if you give me something better to do with my mouth, Blondie. Or maybe I can give you something to shut yours. Pretty boys like you belong on their knees anyway.”

Before he could even think about it, Zoro was on his feet and in Kid’s face. 

“Don't fucking talk to him like that.”

“What are you, his boyfriend or something? Why don't you mind your own damn bui- Roronoa?”

Shit. Zoro could feel eyes on him now, and his heart was pounding, but there was no way he was backing down. 

“Hey, boys, let's calm down. Z, why don't you and Sanji go sit with Wyper and Marco?”

Before Zoro could respond, Kid was talking again. 

“You know who this is, Ace?”

His voice was loud as it rang out through the bar.

“This is Zoro Roronoa, the best tight end to come out of California since Tony Gonzalez. Except he never made it anywhere, did he? Looks like he didn't even make it that far from his daddy's vineyard.”

Zoro knew that Kid knew what happened to him. He was just being his normal asshole self. He grit his teeth as Kid glanced over his left shoulder to where Sanji was standing. 

“What about you, pretty boy? You know how famous your boyfriend used to be?”

Before Zoro could verbally respond, Kid’s head was hitting the bar. At some point Sanji had moved around behind and kicked Kid, hard enough to drop him and slam him against the bar top.

“I thought I told you to shut the fuck up.”

After a few milliseconds of silence, the bar seemed to burst into sound and motion. Kid was upright again, and Killer was on his feet. 

Before they could move closer, though, Ace was between them, and he looked livid. 

“Enough! Kid, Killer, out!”

“What the fuck!? They started it!”

“You both started it! But I'm ending it. Now let yourselves out before I have Marco come and help you.”

“Playing favorites now?”

“No. Zoro and Sanji will be leaving too, but I'm not sending you out at the same time just so you can continue in the parking lot.”

Kid shot Zoro and Sanji one last glare before he and Killer made their way to the front door. Anyone between them hurried out of the way as fast as they could. 

“And you two, go out back to cool down for a bit, then I want you out of here for the day too.”

Zoro watched as Sanji turned on his heel and headed out the door that Ace had pointed at. Zoro mumbled an apology to Ace before moving to follow him.

He was a little frustrated as he made his way out. What the hell had Sanji been thinking? Sanji turned and glanced at him as he exited. 

“Really wish I hadn't quit smoking a couple of months ago. I could really use a smoke right now.”

“What the hell were you thinking?”

“What?”

“Why did you do that?”

“Do what? Put that jackass in his place? He was being an asshole, and the shit he was saying about you pissed me off. He deserved it.”

“That was nothing compared to the shit he used to spew on the field. I didn't need you to defend me.”

Zoro wasn't sure when he and Sanji had gotten so close, but at this point they were in each other's faces, noses inches apart. 

“And I didn't need you to defend me . He mouthed off at me first.”

“So what are you going to do about it?”

Sanji growled and slammed Zoro against the wall. Then suddenly Sanji's lips were on his, kissing and biting, and Zoro responded in kind. Sanji bit down hard on his lower lip, and when Zoro gasped, Sanji slid his tongue into Zoro's mouth.

Zoro wrapped his hands around Sanji's hips and squeezed, using his arms to flip their positions so he could slam Sanji against the wall instead. He returned the bite to Sanji's lips, and their tongues battled for dominance. The kiss tasted like blood, and Zoro had never been so turned on in his entire life. 

They pulled apart for air, but their foreheads remained pressed together as they caught their breath. 

“Fuck.”

“Mhmm.”

“Is the offer to go somewhere quieter still on the table?”

“Definitely.”

They heard the door to the back swing open and turned to see an irate Ace staring back at them.

“That shit is not happening at my bar ever again. I don't care who says what to or about either of you. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, sir.”

Sanji and Zoro answered simultaneously.

“Good. And I meant what I said inside; you two are done for the day. Kid and Killer cleared out, so it's your turn to do the same.”

Ace turned around and headed back inside, leaving Sanji and Zoro alone again. Zoro stepped away and ran a hand through his hair as he took a deep breath.

“After you.”

“Ok, yeah.”

Sanji stepped away from the wall and headed back inside the bar and out the front door; Zoro followed behind him. Zoro tried hard to ignore the stares that he felt as they passed through. 

— — —

Sanji tried to steady the shake in his hands as he pulled his keys out of his pocket. This was finally happening. He was going to take Zoro back to his hotel and straight to his bed. They could worry about dinner later. He's not sure he ever cared less about what happened with the championship games. 

As soon as they were in the car, Zoro's hand was on his thigh, and Sanji was glad for it. It felt both heady and grounding at the same time as he shifted his car into gear and headed to his hotel.

They were about halfway there when Sanji's phone started buzzing. The screen on his radio displayed the name ‘Carne’ across the screen. What the hell was he calling about? Sanji rejected the call. He'd leave a voicemail if it was important. As soon as the call disconnected, it started ringing again, Carne’s name once again displaying on the screen. 

“Do you need to take that?”

The call disconnected and immediately came in again. Shit, it must really be important. 

“Yeah. Just… hang on a second.”

He pulled over to the side of the road. He wasn't sure what Carne was calling about and didn't want it on the speaker in his car. He grabbed his phone and answered the call. 

“What do you want?”

“You need to come to San Francisco.”

“What?”

Sanji’s heart stopped.

“Where's Zeff?”

“That idiot pushed himself too far and threw his hip out. The doctors say he’s lucky he didn’t break it, but he needs to be off his feet for at least a week, or it could get worse. Technically they want him off it for two.”

Sanji let out a sigh of relief.

“I can head up tomorrow morning.”

“We need you here now. The doctors wanted to keep him until tomorrow, but he absolutely refuses to let them. We convinced him to stay until you get here but he says if you're not here before dinner time he's leaving whether you're there or not. He says the hospital food will kill him faster than a broken hip will.”

“Fuck.”

Sanji knew all too well that that was exactly what the old man would do. He glanced over at Zoro, who was looking at him questioningly. 

“I'm on my way.”

Sanji hung up his phone and smashed his head against the steering wheel. He wanted to scream. Sure, he had a couple of hours that he could waste since he wasn't leaving from LA, but he definitely was not risking this thing that Zoro and he had by taking him to bed and then kicking him out an hour later. 

“Is everything ok?”

“No, but yeah.”

“What does that mean?”

“I have to go to San Francisco​; like now. I'm so sorry. My old man needs me.”

“Is he ok?”

“Yeah, nothing too major, but if I don't head up there immediately, he's going to do something stupid, like ignore the doctor's orders and make it worse.”

“So stubbornness runs in the family?”

Sanji laughed. 

“Yeah, you could say that. I was really looking forward to spending the evening with you, though.”

“I was too, but family is important. We’ll get another chance, right?”

“Absolutely.”

“Good.”

Zoro gave Sanji’s leg a squeeze before removing his hand. 

“I'm pretty sure I can make it back to Wyper's from here if you just wanna let me out.”

“Are you insane?”

“What? You said you had to go right now.”

“Idiot, I can take ten minutes to drive you home. Plus, if I left you here, I would make it to San Francisco before you made it back to Wyper's.”

“I'm not that hopeless.”

“I'm not so sure about that.”

“That's it, I'm getting out.”

Despite his comment, Zoro made no move to open the door. Sanji chose not to comment on it, just put the car back in drive, and flipped around to drop Zoro off. 

This weekend had been so perfect before now; he should have expected something to go wrong. 

Sooner than he would have liked, he was parked in front of Wyper's house, and his time with Zoro was over. He turned to face Zoro, who leaned over the center console and placed a kiss on his lips; there was a light blush on his cheeks when he leaned back. 

“Text me when you get there?”

“Yeah.”

“K. I'll talk to you later.”

“Don't forget your quiche.”

Sanji reached into the back seat to grab the bag and handed it to Zoro, who chuckled as he took it from him. 

“Thanks, Curly. Drive safe.”

He watched as Zoro climbed out of the car and headed to the door. Zoro turned one last time and waved at him from the doorstep, and Sanji finally pulled out of the driveway to get on the road. He had to swing by the hotel too to grab his stuff and check out. He was not looking forward to this drive. 

***

He did in fact make it before dinner, but just barely. He shot Zoro a quick text letting him know he'd made it to San Francisco and would text him once he got settled in at Zeff's before making his way into the hospital. 

He found Patty and Carne pretty quickly when he got inside. 

“You made it. How the hell did you get here so fast? How fast were you driving?”

“I was up near King City for the weekend. Where's the old man?”

He followed them to Zeff's room and found him already out of the bed and ready to walk out the door.

“It's about time you got here! Now take me home. The slop you made at 10 years old was better than whatever it is they call food around here.”

Sanji somehow managed to convince Zeff to let the poor nurse do her job and walk him downstairs in a wheelchair and ushered him into the car. 

They argued as soon as he got them back to Zeff's place, but after a little bit of time things quieted down again, and by 9:00 Zeff had eaten and headed off to bed. 

Sanji placed the packet the doctor had given him on the nightstand in his old room, deciding he would look over it tomorrow, and collapsed back into the bed. It was going to be a long week.

He pulled out his phone and opened his chat with Zoro.

Sanji: Looks like it's gonna be another Eagles/Chiefs Super Bowl.

💚Mossy💚: Yeah. Hopefully with a different outcome this time. 

Sanji: Definitely. 

💚Mossy💚: You gonna make it back out for the game, or are you gonna be staying in SF through then?

Sanji: I should be able to make it back. 

💚Mossy💚: Good.

Sanji: It's been a long day. I'm gonna head to bed. 

💚Mossy💚: Alright. Sleep well.

Sanji: You too. Sweet dreams (image attached)