His Pace, My Pace

His Pace

Sanji poured his vin du jour into the pan and proceeded to carefully tilt it upward until its contents were set aflame. He took a long drag of his cigarette, held by his other hand, and checked the clock. 'He's a little late, but I figured he would be.' It was 10:15pm, 2 hours and 15 minutes past Zoro's end of shift.

Zoro always made it home late on Saturdays. It wasn't really because of work, though he used it as an excuse. The bar had late night staff for the weekends, so Zoro could be home by 9pm, or maybe 9:30pm if he wanted. But he always stayed behind, in the back room, messing around with his brew. Not that it wasn't a fine whiskey, but Sanji hated that he'd ever taught him how to make it. Zoro had become a man obsessed! By the time he made it home, it was always around midnight and Sanji would already be in bed, though not sleeping. Simply waiting.

Sanji continued cooking, humming happily despite his boyfriends tardiness. It was a special occasion, and he planned to have dinner hot and ready for Zoro's arrival. Sitting down for a meal together was a rarity because of their schedules as it was, so he had been looking forward to this for a while.

After transferring the contents of the pan to the plates he had set aside, Sanji lit another cigarette before turning off the stove. He braced his arms against the counter on either side of the stove, enjoying the fresh hit of nicotine before preparing the rest of the meal. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, smiling when his nostrils filled with the intermingling scents of his kitchen, his cigarette, and... whiskey? He sniffed the air a few more times, now sure that he could smell his husband's cologne and the stench of whiskey that often emanated from his pores. His eyes shot open when a pair of soft lips brushed the back of his neck as strong arms wrapped him into a crushing hug.

"Zoro! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" the startled chef sputtered. "Can it, curly-brows. I just want to hold you right now." Zoro sounded agitated but managed to keep his voice low and calm as he nuzzled into the hair resting on Sanji's shoulder. His grip on the smaller man did not loosen and Sanji's ribs started to ache. "Zoro, could you let go a bit, my sides hurt, and I can barely breathe." Sanji ordinarily would have smartly retorted at the earlier comment, but he realized something was bothering Zoro and wouldn't deny him the closeness he apparently needed right now. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

Zoro loosed his bear hug and began speaking, his voice vibrating in Sanji's ear. "I was bottling up the latest batch of whiskey tonight. It came out really great this time. The guys at the bar love it." Not sure where this was going, Sanji interjected, "that doesn't sound like a reason to be upset." Exasperated, Zoro said mockingly "shut up!" then continued, "So, anyway, the guys love it. We decided to do a round of shots for everyone to celebrate and promote it. After that I started getting ready to leave because I had planned to get home on time today." Sanji glanced up at his husband but said nothing. "But when the guys asked why I was leaving so early, I thought one more shot couldn't hurt. And one shot led to three, and before you know it, I drank a whole 5th myself." Sanji glanced at the clock. 10:23. "You're still home pretty early, for you," he noted. Zoro tilted Sanji's head back and brushed his bangs aside, then gently placed a kiss on his forehead.

"That's just it. It's early for me. But it's still late to you isn't it?" Zoro said guiltily. Sanji looked back down at the stove then swept his eyes over to the plates he'd set out. "I was prepared for you to be later. I haven't even finished the sides or garnish."

"That doesn't answer the question."

"You didn't really answer my question either. Having a few drinks and coming home late on the weekend is totally normal. It's your pace, isn't it? Why's it a big deal now?"

"Because it's our anniversary!" Zoro barked. "Is my ill behavior so normal to you that even on this special day, you are unfazed?"

Sanji tensed up, unsure how to respond. Zoro pressed on, "While I was there drinking, I was busy running my mouth about how I have the best husband. He cooks and cleans for me. Makes sure I get to work on time. Never nags me about being late. Sure we argue about nit-picky stuff, but what couple doesn't. But I told them how much I love you, and how great it is to be the man by your side. And then it hit me. That I was there, drinking with them, talking about you on our anniversary, while you were here, alone."