One Piece 1. The Marimo and the Curly Brow

He was running. Always running. Long legs carrying him over even longer distances. Today he ran too. He ran. Then he collided. He fell. Ocean blue orbs gazed up through golden bangs at the wall like figure. A stuttered apology burst out from thin panting lips. "S-sorry sir."

The figure, as the blue eyed boy's eyes adjusted, became a man cloaked in all black with a mop of green hair. Apologetic mouth became ridiculing as a snort sounded into the quiet alley. "It's a m-marimo!"

Said Marimo frowned down at the boy and grumbled irritably, "Shut it, swirly brow." The blue eyed boy clapped his hands over his forehead and shouted in anger. "My name's Sanji and don't insult my eyebrows!"

The man only stared at the boy, seeming to ponder his existence. "Okay then _Sanji, _what were you doing running through my alley?"

"You're alley?! You don't just own alleys! Idiot Marimo!"

"Hmmm, but it's mine. I own all these backstreets. And as you've introduced yourself I may as well too." The man grabbed Sanji's hand and shook it with a smirk. "The name's Zoro, Roronoa Zoro."

Sanji shivered as he heard those words. Zoro. He knew that name. He was the Straw Hat Mob's right hand man. Second only to the infamous Luffy. The boy began to panic and attempted to run away, but Zoro kept a firm hold on his hand. "I didn't mean anything! I swear it! I've got to get back home!" Sanji lied. He had no home, sure there was his 'fathers' house but that wasn't exactly home. More like a prison.

Zoro scanned the boy's face reading his emotions easily. "You have a very expressive face don't you?" He asked in a belittling voice. When he got only a scowl in response he continued to talk. "Do not worry. I'm not going to hurt you. How about you just come with me to somewhere?" Sanji's whole body shuddered in fear. He thought his father was bad enough and now he had to do something for a mobster? At that point Sanji had pretty much concluded that the world loathed his guts. He decided to plead his way out of his most certainly doomed fate.

"I'll do anything, just please not that! I'll do your chores and cook and clean; just please don't make me do that!"

Zoro frowned in confusion. "What is 'that'?" He saw the absolute terror on the boy's face and watched as fat tears started to pour from those beautiful oceanic eyes only furthering his puzzlement. He awkwardly patted Sanji's head with his free hand and murmured in a hopefully soothing tone. "It's alright. I just wanted to take you to meet someone. No one is going to do anything to hurt you." Zoro continued to utter comforting nothings until the boy was completely lax and no longer struggling.

Sanji felt surprisingly safe and calm as the giant man promised that no foul would befall him. He even felt a pull from the man, like he wanted to be closer to him. "Okay then. But where are you taking me?"

Zoro chuckled. "It's a surprise."

**O**

**N**

**E**

**P**

**I**

**E**

**C**

**E**

Sanji peered around the grand room. He had been told to wait and not move a muscle while Zoro went looking for his boss, but that was practically impossible for him due to his impatient nature. He paced around the room, taking in as many details as possible. There was a large chair and a few smaller ones surrounding a table in the right corner, a fireplace was tucked into the wall directly to the right, and straight ahead was a wall of large windows that gave a splendid view of the outside. This was all from the point of view of the doorway and Sanji couldn't help but think that it was very homey.

"You like what you see?"

Sanji startled as the now familiar voice spoke into his ear. With a sneer he replied harshly. "Meh, it could be a lot better."

"Shishi. I like you!" Another voice exclaimed. A young man's face appeared from behind Zoro and laughed amusedly. A straw hat was perched on his head and he wore a simple outfit of black suit pants and a red dress shirt. The peculiarity of his hat sent warning signals off in his brain. There was only one person who still wore a straw hat in this day and age. As if he had read Sanji's mind the man proceeded to say in his loud voice. "I'm Luffy! Zoro said you ran into him in an alley. Shishi, you should watch where you're going!"

Sanji stared at the enthusiastic man for what seemed like minutes before collecting himself. He bowed low and used the most polite manner of speaking he could think of. "I'm very sorry sir. I will try to be more careful from now on. Just please don't make me do _that_." He gestured to his lower body before continuing on. "I know how to cook! And I can clean! So I'll do any of that type of housework for you." Sanji looked dolefully at the two men with puppy eyes and red lips pushed out in a pout.

Zoro and Luffy looked at each other and proceeded to hold a silent conversation. Luffy glanced back to the blonde first and grinned from ear to ear. "It's decided then, you are now my personal chef!"

Sanji sighed in relief and almost fell backwards with the sudden loss of tension in his body. He really did fall on his rear end when he heard the rest of his new Boss's proclamation. "W-wait, what?"

"Shishishi. I said that from now on you will live here with my nakama."

The blonde felt his jaw drop in horror and disbelief. "But I can't do that. I have to go home. Speaking of which, what time is it?"

"Ten o' clock, PM."

Sanji shuddered before standing and waving his hands, highly flustered. "Oh no. No no no no no! He's going to kill me. What do I do? I haven't been this late in a long time." He started to pace the room again, agitation and fear not letting him rest. He turned to face his boss with his mind made up.

"I-I'll do it for you. Just please let me stay here and not tell my father about my whereabouts." Sanji dropped to his knees and shuffled closer to the young man. "Father tells clients that I'm good." He stopped when only a few inches from the man and started to reach for the man's zipper. But then he noticed a dark aura leaking from him and hesitated. The brim of his hat covered Luffy's eyes casting his face into shadows.

"Sanji." The significantly less happy man demanded. "Stay here. There'll be someone stopping by to give you some things later, okay?" He then left the room with Zoro not too far behind. Sanji could only stare after them helplessly and drown in confusion.


	2. A New Member!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own One Piece or its characters. (I know I forgot this last time)

**Author's Note: **I've decided to do some switching back and forth between Zoro's and Sanji's POV, just thought I should add this for if you become confused. Also thank to all those who followed and/or favorite this story.

** MarcoAce: **Thank you for the review. And thank you for the compliments. Here is the second chapter for you!

**ᴥ Chapter II ᴥ**

Zoro had been taken aback at Sanji's antics but had kept his face schooled, not letting an of his motley emotions show. He had followed Luffy silently out of the room and made sure the door was closed before speaking up. "Luffy? I'm sorry. I didn't know he felt like that." Zoro knew that his boss wouldn't like him taking advantage of an obviously maltreated kid. But it had come to a surprise to him as well.

"Don't worry, Zoro. I know you wouldn't purposefully intimidate someone. But we have to do something."

Zoro nodded in agreement. The curly browed boy visibly needed help. "What should we do?"

His boss gripped the brim of his straw hat with one resilient hand and tipped his head forward. Zoro knew that look. He was serious; serious and livid with fury. "We'll need Robin and Nami; we have some planning to do." Luffy then walked briskly towards the other wing of the mansion, most likely in search of the two women he had just mentioned.

With a grunt Zoro headed towards the den where the Straw Hat Mobs impromptu meeting would most likely be held. And if it took him longer than it should have and he passed the same tapestries more than once, he ignored it.

**.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'One Piece.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'**

When two bundles of flying limbs and vigorously working mouths had came hurling into the room, Sanji had nearly jumped out of his skin in astonishment. One bundle turned out to be a young man with wild curly hair wearing what looked like goggles and a cloth hat. He had a long nose and a wide smile. The other was a tiny boy wearing a blue and pink hat with reindeer antlers on it. He had large doe like eyes and looked, simply put, adorable. They were both speaking quickly and over each other in excitement.

"Zoro said you can cook?"

"Wow your hair is so pretty!"

"No, no, his eyes are!"

"So you'll be doing the chores?"

"I want to be your friend!"

"Come to me if you have any injuries, okay?"

"I hope your room is going to be with me!"

Sanji spluttered, unsure of how to answer or how to make the questions stop. His eyes were blown wide and his mouth was surely gaping open like a flytrap. "Uh, could you please slow down?" The two whirlwinds stopped speaking abruptly and looked at each other before sheepishly smiling down at the dumbfounded blonde.

The taller one of the duo bowed down and apologized. "Sorry, but it's been a while since we gained a new member. My name is Usopp and I've killed a thousand men with just one bullet."

"I'm Tony Tony Chopper. I'm the doctor of our group – Usopp is the sniper if you hadn't already deduced that." The smaller boy added in an endearing high pitched voice. They were both staring expectantly at Sanji who was still mimicking a fish out of water. He snapped out of it though and replied quickly.

"I'm Sanji. It's nice to meet you but, uh, why are you here?"

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot." The one called Chopper pulled a bag out of nowhere and handed it to him. "This has some clothes, every day essentials like a toothbrush, a blanket, and a map of the mansion. You can use these until you get your own stuff."

The corners of Sanji's mouth quirked up in a smile and he thanked the boy who cutely denied that his thanks made him happy and insulted Sanji, calling him a "Bastard" and telling him "You thanking me doesn't make my insides warm and fluffy".

**.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'One Piece.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'**

Meanwhile in the mansions den two women and men were discussing amongst themselves, the conversation growing heated at times. Luffy had decided that Sanji's "father" would be brought to their base and interrogated. Zoro had eagerly agreed and volunteered for the mission, his expression murderous as he left the room.

"Hmm, I wonder why Swordsman-san is so agitated by our new friend's situation." Robin wondered aloud.

Luffy answered with a knowing grin and foreshadowing words, "Because of love at first sight. That's why!"


End file.

One Piece, Hurt-Comfort, Romance