The Words I Love You

Dinner

Sanji and Zoro groan as they lay back on the couch, in the living room of the apartment above the Baratie, where Sanji and Zeff live. Both have been on their feet since they got to the Baratie after school. Helping during the busy afternoon on a Friday. As much as they tried to stick to each other it was kind of impossible as they were both dragged away to help somewhere else, far from each other.

Now that they are relieved of their duties, they sat on the couch finally off their feet. Zoro can't believe Sanji does this all the time. And he's been doing this since he was young? Zoro wanted to go home and take a bath for his aching feet, but they haven't even had dinner which was the whole point of him being here in the first place. One thing he did not expect to do when he got here is to help at the Baratie but now that it's over what do they do?

Sanji sank further into the cushions of the couch, it's been a while since he's helped the Baratie on such a busy time. It did make him almost forget that Zoro is here but he can't fully forget when he couldn't stop himself from staring at Zoro as he cooked, or helped. It was fun having Zoro here helping, they did fight a couple times, Zoro muttering something in a different language a couple times but it was all good, nothing too serious. Even Zeff seemed like he was having fun, which didn't make sense, he doesn't know what fun is, the smile he gave them though is something Sanji will never forget. Sanji looks to the side to see Zoro having laid on couch, tired. Sanji smiles, patting him on the hip, trying to make sure he doesn't fall asleep. They still haven't had dinner yet. 

"Don't take a nap." Sanji warns him.

Zoro hums, "I'm tired." Zoro grumbles, but he sits up looking at Sanji. Both just realizing they are in their uniforms still. 

"We still got to make dinner. Are you hungry?" Sanji asks. Zoro opens his mouth to answer but his stomach beats him to it with a growl so loud they are both sure everyone in the kitchen heard it. Sanji smiles with a slight laugh.

"Starving." Zoro says rubbing his stomach. 

"Come on." Sanji says tapping Zoro's leg, then standing up. Zoro follows Sanji to the kitchen, it's moderately large but compared to that of a restaurant kitchen small. It's a very good size for a family of two. As Sanji got the pots and pans out, opening the fridge to get things out Zoro took the time to look at some pictures on the wall. Most of them are what he expected, Sanji as a child standing next to Zeff. One is of them on the grand opening. Another one is of them in a newspaper clip, with two chefs standing with them. The more pictures he looks at the more chefs are added. Zoro smiled at a particular picture of Sanji standing on a child stepping ladder to be able to reach over the counter, Sanji is very focus on cooking that he didn't notice his picture being taken apparently. It's very cute, especially Sanji in his own chef outfit. Zoro stops at a picture of Sanji, older now, in an apron smiling with his hands in his pockets, Zeff and the other chefs behind him. That must have been when he just meet Luffy, remember the cook and Luffy talking about some drama that happened. Nami, Usopp and him weren't there to see it.

Zoro did a double take at one photo, almost ignoring it completely. He stood frozen in front of it. It wasn't of Sanji at all but Zeff. He was shocked to see it. "Mom!" Zoro shouts as he look at the picture. His mom was younger in the photo like she was just in high school, of course the fact that she is wearing a uniform helped, she stood next to Zeff, who also looked younger. They stood next to each other, both smiling, they looked like they were friends. 

"What?" Sanji asks, hearing the shout.

"It's my mom." Zoro says again looking at the photo. Sanji gets closer to see the picture himself. He always did wonder who that random woman was. 

"That's your mom?" Sanji asks. She kind of did look like Zoro, from the green hair and sharp jaw line but her eyes were so soft. Her hair in the picture is short, tied in pigtails, she seemed short compared to Zeff but he's rather tall. She smiled kindly at the camera with her hand up in a peace sign. She seemed very happy. "Wonder what the old man was doing taking a picture with her?" Sanji wonder. They look like friends but were they? They both had different uniforms on.