phosphenes (n.) zoro x sanji [roommates au]

chapter 2 - kairos

"SOME DAYS, I FEEL EVERYTHING AT ONCE.

OTHER DAYS, I FEEL NOTHING AT ALL.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S WORST:

DROWNING IN WAVES-

OR DYING FROM THIRST."

☞ ☞☞ 

[zoro]

THERE WASN'T MUCH TO GET ALONG WITH.

Classes passed by quickly, and I would find myself all-too-frequently heading back to my room tired and worn out after cramp-studying at the library, late at night. Sanji, my new roommate, has a presence which stays, like he's there but not, even when his true presence was only fleeting. Today was one of those days of sitting alone in the cold library, trying to get myself to memorise all those crap written in smallish, printed words. I could barely keep myself awake back to the dorm, and it was only 11.

"You're finally back, roommate!" Sanji called from the kitchen. He spent a lot of time there, strangely. Well, it wasn't any of my business.

I grunted a reply as I locked the door, keys clanking. There was a buttery smell wafting from the kitchen and it smelt delicious. My stomach growled in agreement.

"I can hear your hunger from here." Sanji chuckled, as the angry sputtering oil started jumping, and he turned back to the pan. "Wait a sec, I'll dish out a serving for you."

I took a seat at the dining table and watched him cook. More like making magic with oil, mushrooms, and rice. It smelled absolutely heavenly, and from the way, he was looking at his creation, no doubt he knows that too, and it was his pride and joy. It was all over his face and sparkling eyes.

I was here only for the food, I told myself. Not for those flowing, lean limbs, and those tantalizing sparkle of his eyes, the small curve of his lips, and the way he looked---as if he was in a ballroom with the pan, interlocked in a romantic dance.

"Are you done kissing up with your food?" I grumbled, my eyes still on his pinstriped back all the same. "I'm starving here."

"Be patient," He chided, with a passionate glint in his eyes. "You can't rush masterpieces."

I groaned and pulled out my phone. It was old, outdated, but still working perfectly fine. Kinda like me, but whatever.

I scrolled through my empty inbox, bored until a steaming plate was set down in front of me. God, it looked like a meal fit for royalty, with shiny, plump mushrooms, slightly moist and chewy rice, fresh spring onions laden with truffle oil.

"I bet it was worth the wait, wasn't it?" The blonde sitting across me grinned---a radiant smile, jubilant and beautiful.

I muttered out a 'thanks', and impossibly so, his smile widened and its warmth intensified.

I closed my eyes and murmured a Japanese word of thanks, a tradition that I grew up with. "Itadakimasu."

"You, Marimo, are a Japanese?" Sanji choked, aloud.

"Who are you calling moss hair?" I glared back at the coughing blonde, and I frowned suddenly, in realisation. "You're Japanese too?"

"Not...exactly," he winced. "I'm actually from France, but I studied in Japan for a few years."

"Huh."

The conversation fell back into silence as we both devoured our food, appreciating the temporal companionship we shared.

I was done with dinner first, so I stood up and walked to the sink and started washing the dishes.

"Hey, hey, you don't have to do that. It's my mess, I'll wash."

I turned back to frown at the blonde.

"Plus, you look nasty. You're tired." He said, even though his own eyes are rimmed with eye bags.

"Whatever," I grunted and turned back to the sink, rubbing soap over the pots and pans and plates.

"We can make some boyfriend material out of you just yet." I could hear the blonde's melodious chuckle behind me.

He was suddenly by my side, reaching for the sponge.

"Say," His eyes looked into mine, as my heart climbed up my throat. "You wanna meet girls? I can introduce you to some." He winked.

What was I thinking?

I laughed, turning away, coldly.

"No thanks, ero-cook. You can keep them for yourself."

"You sure?" His shoulder bumped into mine. "There's some pretty hot babes in the campus. Plus, with your looks, you can probably score some by yourself."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure." I kept my tone even, sending him hints to shut the fuck up. After I was done rinsing the plates, I turned away from him and walked back to my bedroom.

"Goodnight, Marimo." I heard him say.

"Night," I murmured, not even sure if he could hear me. "Sanji."

Of course, I can't get girls if
I'm not even interested in them in the first place.

I'm gay, Sanji Vinsmoke.