Sanji's frustration grew, and he was about to protest further when he heard the baby let out a soft whimper. He glanced down at the infant in his arms, who seemed to be getting hungry and impatient.
"Fine," Sanji conceded reluctantly, "but you better make sure you feed him well."
Zoro smirked in response, finally stepping aside. "I've got this."
He walked into the kitchen. His target was clear: a small bowl of baby food placed at the far end of the table. He approached it silently, and with a quick and deft motion, he snatched the bowl and a spoon, making sure not to disturb the rest of the table settings.
He slipped out of the kitchen and made his way back to the men's quarters.
Sanji reluctantly handed the precious bundle to Zoro, then left to join the rest of the crew.
With the baby now nestled in Zoro's strong arms, the swordsman took a seat and positioned the bowl of baby food within easy reach. He looked down at the infant, who was gazing up at him with those same curious eyes, as if assessing his new caregiver.
As he attempted to feed the baby with the oversized spoon he had brought, things quickly took a messy turn. The spoon was large compared to the baby's tiny mouth, and Zoro found himself struggling to get any food into the infant's mouth.
"Say Aah~" As he tried to navigate the spoon and guide it toward the baby's lips, the baby's chubby cheeks were smeared with food, and it seemed like more of it ended up on the baby's face and clothes than in its mouth. The baby, however, seemed more interested in batting at the spoon with its little hands than in actually eating.
After a few more futile attempts with the spoon, Zoro finally let out an exasperated sigh. He glanced at the spoon in his hand and then down at the giggling baby, who was now trying to grab at the food himself.
With a resigned smile, Zoro gave up on the spoon and carefully wiped the baby's face clean with a cloth. Then he dipped his pinky finger into the baby food and offered it to the infant. This time, the baby eagerly latched onto Zoro's finger, happily sucking and smacking its lips.
・・﹒﹒・﹒・﹒・﹒・﹒﹒・・
With each clink of a plate and splash of water, Sanji couldn't help but wonder for how long Zoro wanted to keep this baby a secret.
After he finished washing the dishes, Sanji decided it was time to check on Zoro and the baby once more. He returned to the men's quarters and was met with a heartwarming sight.
Zoro was still seated, the empty bowl of baby food set aside, and the baby was now peacefully nestled in his arms, tiny fists clutching onto the fabric of Zoro's shirt.
Zoro looked up at Sanji with a satisfied grin. "See, Cook? Told you I've got this."
Sanji couldn't help but smile back. "I stand corrected, Mossy. You make a surprisingly good nanny"
Zoro shot Sanji a mock glare but didn't reply. As Sanji settled down beside them, he leaned in closer to take a good look at the baby. "You know, Mossy, I never thought I'd see the day when you'd have baby food smeared all over you."
Zoro rolled his eyes in response but didn't seem to mind the mess he had become. The cook couldn't deny that there was something unexpectedly endearing about the sight of the stern swordsman tenderly cradling the baby.
"Goo-goo, Aaah... Eeee~" The baby cooed, his tiny hands reaching out toward Sanji, and Zoro carefully transferred the infant into the cook's arms. The baby seemed to recognize Sanji's presence and gurgled happily.
"Well, hewwo there, lil cuthie-pathoothie! Are you having a grand ol' time with our Mosshead babysitter?" He cooed, using exaggerated baby talk that seemed hilariously out of character for the usually suave cook.
"Don't talk to him like that. He's a man." Zoro stood up and carefully removed his baby food-stained shirt. Sanji couldn't help but steal a quick glance, his cheeks flushing ever so slightly. He immediately averted his gaze, pretending to be engrossed in entertaining the baby.
Zoro, unaware of Sanji's momentary distraction, tossed the soiled shirt aside and settled back, shirtless. The dim light in the men's quarters cast a soft glow on his muscular frame.
"Y...Yesh, you are! yesh, you are! You're the tiniest pirate on this ship, an⏤and you're stealing all our hearts, aren't ya?" Sanji's heart skipped a beat as he continued to interact with the baby, desperately trying to maintain his composure.
"Ehmm... did you like the food that daddy made?" He cleared his throat and spoke to the infant in a tender tone, all the while hoping that his rosy cheeks would go unnoticed. The baby giggled and cooed in response to Sanji's attempts to amuse it.
As Zoro leaned closer to entertain the baby on Sanji's lap, the baby giggled in delight, thoroughly enjoying the attention from both of them. The blond nose picked up the subtle, musky fragrance of Zoro's shirtless form, and it sent his heart racing faster than he could have anticipated.
"...T-t-take him!!" Without warning, Sanji removed the baby from his lap and handed it back to Zoro. His actions were abrupt and unexpected, leaving Zoro and the baby dumbfounded.
Sanji stormed off in a whirlwind of emotions, his heart pounding. He found a secluded spot on the ship, far away from the men's quarters, and leaned against the railing. He tried to light a cigarette with trembling hands.
In the meantime, Zoro and the baby exchanged bewildered glances. They were both taken aback by Sanji's sudden departure.
The little baby uttered a heart-melting, "Da-da?"
"Right?! What's wrong with 'da-da'? Did you make a stinky?" He teased, lifting the baby playfully to his shoulder to check the makeshift diaper. To his surprise, it was clean and dry.
"Your 'da-da' is weird. Oi, feeling up for a workout?" The baby responded with a gurgle of curiosity, seemingly intrigued by the idea.
With the baby securely in his arms, Zoro made his way to the crow's nest. As he reached the nest, he placed the baby on his back, securing the tiny arms around his neck and shoulders.
"Alright, little one, let's work those muscles!" Zoro declared, positioning himself in front of a barbell. He began to perform his usual weightlifting routine, but this time, there was an added baby.
As Zoro lifted the barbell, the baby giggled and cooed with each repetition. It seemed to enjoy the up-and-down motion and the view of the gym equipment.
The swordsman's balance wavered for a moment, and in that split second, the baby slipped from his back. As the baby plummeted towards the hard floor, Zoro's heart leaped into his throat. But with his quick reflexes, Zoro was able to catch the baby just inches away from a disaster.
"That was a close one, hehe," he said. He panicked when he saw the baby's trembling bottom lip.
"Oi, don't cry-don't cry-don't cry-don't cry-don't-cry-please-" Zoro pleaded. But the tiny infant was no longer amused. It let out a piercing cry, echoing across the ship.
"WAAAAAAHHHH!!!"
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[AN]:
That's enough; go to bed.
