Chapter Text
The trek to the arts building was a lengthy one from his other classes. It was, thankfully, a lovely day out, but there was always a sense of ennui when he entered that building. He'd needed the credit to round out his schedule, but he'd long since fallen out of love with art.
It was the same with most things in his life. His passion would spark, and he'd pursue it with an almost obsessive zeal, only for the spark to die. He wasn't sure why. Cooking was the only passion that ever stuck, and it was the one thing that his father hated more than anything else. Oh, he hated that he loved art, and music, and poetry, certainly; but he hated that desire to serve more.
You are a Vinsmoke. You are not some low class servant.
Sanji huffed. What was wrong with wanting to care for others? Was there really a difference between creating something beautiful, and something delicious? Why did he have to be just like his father to be worthy? He shook his head softly and picked up the pace. Even though he was no longer in love with art, that didn't mean he could slack off.
When he entered the classroom, he arched an eyebrow at the strange energy within. It was a heavy, electric thing that made him queasy. Immediately, his eyes zeroed in on a new face. There was a man by the professor's desk, and Sanji knew that he was going to be their model for the day.
He eased himself down into his seat, studying the man as he did. It was clear that he was in incredible shape, his rippling shoulders alone told him that, but there was an odd beauty to him. He was all bronze skin and sharp angles. Dark eyes looked around the room with practiced aloofness. He met the eyes of those around him like he was looking at a pesky stain. His hair was green and cropped short. He was…handsome in a devil may care kind of way.
Rather than spend any more time on studying the man, Sanji busied himself preparing his equipment. He removed his charcoal, his kneaded eraser, his ruler. The man shuffled awkwardly to the center of the room. He clearly wasn't a professional model. There was too much nervousness in his posture.
"Good morning class. Please take a moment to welcome our model for the day. This is Roronoa Zoro. Please be respectful, as you always are. Now, Mr. Roronoa? If you would, please remove the robe."
The man hesitated briefly before shrugging his way out of the simple black robe he'd been provided. Sanji nearly swallowed his tongue. Zoro's body was incredible. His tawny skin was smooth, save for a few nasty scars, in particular, the large one bisecting his torso from shoulder to hip. It did little to mar his beauty. His shoulders—God! His shoulders!—were broad, his neck thick. Sanji let his eyes travel downward slowly, admiring the play of light and shadow across his perfect abdomen, his lovely hips, and then…and then there was his cock.
Sanji was not in the habit of falling head over heels for a man, but if Roronoa Zoro asked him for a fuck, he'd give in gladly. He cleared his mind as the professor posed their model, and then instructed him not to lock his knees. When they were given the signal to begin, Sanji threw himself into it with a passion he'd not felt since high school. There was nothing in his mind, save creating something beautiful. He wanted to capture the specific way the soft light from the window landed on Zoro's face, turning those dark eyes the color of chocolate.
Time seemed to fly and crawl all at once. By the time the professor told them to stop, Sanji had managed to sketch something he was proud of. The man's strong jaw was captured correctly, the fierce eyes, the slightly crooked nose. His favorite feature had to be those lips, though. For such a strong, masculine creature, his lips were surprisingly sumptuous. Full, smooth, and rose petal pink. He glanced at the man from under his lashes, cataloging every pretty rise and dip.
He wanted to draw him more leisurely, almost as much as he wanted to taste the column of his throat, to scrape his teeth against his Adam's apple. Zoro met his gaze haughtily before he flashed him a toothy grin, the kind that said 'I'm going to eat you whole.'
He shrugged into his robe and strode over, moving with the kind of grace that came with knowing one's body.
"You look at everyone with that kind of intensity, or am I special?" Zoro asked.
Sanji hummed and began to pack his materials away, but not before Zoro got a good look at his sketch.
"Huh. Everyone else's was focused on my body. Couple that were just my cock. That's…the first of my face."
He seemed almost flattered.
"You have a pretty face. Its proportions are nice."
Sanji shrugged. He was never sure what to say when people looked at these hasty sketches. Zoro didn't seem the kind to appreciate empty flattery, and if he were being honest, he wasn't in the mood to give it.
Zoro grinned again, but this time it was tempered with something that looked a lot like relief. He gave Sanji room to stand, watching pensively as he slung his bag over his shoulder.
"You uh…doing anything after this?"
That caught Sanji by surprise. He couldn't remember a time when a model had hit on him. He cocked his head.
"No, I'm not. Why?"
"Well… I wouldn't mind getting coffee, if you're up for it."
With nothing better to do, and no reason to say no, Sanji nodded. Zoro's expression was the very picture of relief. Sanji waited while Zoro gathered his clothes and stepped into the alcove to dress, keeping his posture relaxed and voice nonchalant.
"There's a nice shop just off of campus. It's not fancy, but it makes a good brew."
"Great. I'll take your word for it…I'm kind of new in town."
That got Sanji's attention. While it was true he'd never seen him around campus, that didn't always mean anything.
"Well. If you're decent, let's get going. We can chat more on our way. I'm sure Dr. Weiss would like us to get out of his classroom."
Zoro snickered at that and indicated that he would follow Sanji's lead.
***
The trip to the coffee shop was a fairly short one. Only a ten minute walk or so. Zoro seemed disinterested in anything but Sanji himself, and the attention was almost unnerving. Almost. If it weren't for how Zoro seemed to be genuinely enjoying the conversation, Sanji would wonder if he had less than wholesome intentions, though he wasn't overly worried. He was more than capable of defending himself.
They found themselves seated outside at one of the little steel tables, leaning towards each other over their coffees. Sanji was working up the courage to ask him something he'd never asked a model before.
"So. I was wondering, if maybe you'd be willing to work with me. We have special projects throughout the semester, as you can probably guess, and it would be a lot easier if I had an actual person to work with, rather than just pulling up reference photos."
"Like…model for you?"
Sanji nodded.
Zoro hummed, clearly thinking it over. He sipped his coffee and looked at Sanji.
"What's in it for me?"
"Well, you can eat my cooking and crash on my couch, if you need to. I'm one hell of a cook."
Zoro grinned.
"That sounds like a pretty good deal…I mostly live off protein bars and beer, so—"
"That's absolutely atrocious. You're coming over for dinner tonight. I can't have you living like that. That would let us talk about potential projects and boundaries in a more comfortable setting, too."
Zoro laughed, the sound easy and warm. He liked it very much.
"Well, you twisted my arm. I guess I'll have to eat some real food."
Sanji smiled softly.
"What would you like? I can make anything."
"Sushi?"
"Easily done. Salmon? Tuna?"
"Either, I like both."
Sanji nodded, downing the rest of his coffee.
"Do you want to just…come with me? I need to go to the store for a few things, but it might be easier that way."
"Yeah. Yeah, I don't have anywhere to be. Let's go."
***
It was strange to have someone in his kitchen, watching him cook. Someone who wasn't Zeff, anyway. He was maybe going a bit overboard. Spicy tuna and salmon rolls, seaweed salad, miso soup, and chilled sake. Zoro leaned against the counter, his sharp eyes watching his hands as he worked.
"You're awfully focused. Is everything alright?" He asked.
Zoro hummed, a cheeky smile spreading across his handsome face.
"Yeah, I'm good. You uh…have a lot of passion for cooking, huh?"
"I've always loved it. I worked at a local restaurant as soon as I was legally able. I've continued to perfect it as I've gotten older."
Zoro's smile softened.
"What are you in school for?"
"I'm actually here for law. Criminal defense, in particular."
Zoro cocked his head, looking mildly surprised.
"Cooking is a passion, and I love feeding people, but it isn't a job to me. It's a calling. I see law as a way to help people who need it," he explained.
"So…you cook because you love it, but it's not what you want to make money doing. Your parents must be proud."
Sanji frowned at the bitterness in Zoro's voice.
"My mother would be, but my father…he thinks I'm wasting my time, and his money. He wants me to change tracks and become a corporate lawyer. I personally have no interest in defending corporations."
Zoro hummed.
"He sounds like a prick."
Sanji laughed and gathered up the plates and bowls, ready to move them to the table.
"That's a good way to describe him. He is a prick. He thinks money and status are all that matter."
"What's he do?"
"He's one of the premier scientists working on cloning. He's…brilliant, but that doesn't translate to being a good person. My brothers are all set to follow in his footsteps. They're all biology or chemistry majors. Our elder sister is finishing up a degree in sociology. He thinks that's a waste, too."
They sat down at the table and Zoro took up his chopsticks.
"Well, I think anything you want to do is worth it. If it makes you happy, then that's all that matters."
Sanji smiled, plucking a piece of spicy tuna from the plate.
"I don't disagree."
Zoro popped some sushi into his mouth and hummed happily.
"God this is delicious. You're damn good."
Sanji smiled.
"I know. It's something I take a lot of pride in."
They ate in silence for a few moments, but Sanji's own curiosity got the better of him.
"What about you?"
Zoro hesitated.
"Well…I actually dropped out of college. I was there on a scholarship for kendo, but…things don't always go the way we want."
"Ah. It's not for everyone. What were you studying?"
"History, with a minor in education."
Sanji smiled. Zoro seemed bashful about this, but he thought it was a good thing. There was a need for more passionate teachers.
"You could always go back one day, if you wanted to."
Zoro sighed and shook his head.
"I'd need a sugar daddy or something. No way I could afford it now. Only reason I could to begin with was the scholarship. I'm…well. I grew up in foster care. Got bounced around from family to family, and no one ever wanted me."
Sanji felt a pang of sadness for the man across the table. He knew what it meant to be unwanted. Sanji reached across the table and touched the back of Zoro's hand.
"That's horrible. I'm sorry you went through that."
Zoro shrugged, but didn't pull away.
"Well…autistic kids aren't really a hot commodity. People think they're okay with them until one comes into their lives. I'd get overwhelmed, have a meltdown, and then they're calling the orphanage to come get me. Only person who could ever put up with me was my kendo instructor. Because he knew how to redirect me into something useful."
Sanji gave his hand a squeeze before pulling away to resume eating. He wanted to say something that would comfort Zoro, but was at a loss. How did one comfort someone who had been treated so cruelly by a system that should have been kind?
"So…does that bother you?"
Sanji paused, a piece of sushi suspended midair on its way to his mouth.
"Does what bother me?"
"Me being autistic. I know some people are put off by it."
Sanji shook his head.
"No. It's just the way you are," he said.
Zoro visibly relaxed.
"Okay. That's…okay. I'm glad."
A thought struck Sanji then and he directed his attention towards the real reason they were together.
"So…that's definitely going to change the way we approach your modeling for me. I want to make sure you're comfortable. So, would you mind telling me what you're okay with?"
Zoro smiled, the expression warm and genuine.
"I'm okay with most stuff. It's really more social situations that I struggle with. One person is fine, but I can get overstimulated in big crowds. And…certain sounds bother me. And textures. But I don't think you'll have much trouble with me."
Sanji nodded.
"What kinds of sounds and textures?"
"High pitched noises. Like…a teapot whistling stresses me out. And I don't like coarse textures against my skin, and certain squishy food bothers me. Like I don't really like raw tomatoes."
"Okay. I'll keep all that in mind."
"So uh…what kind of piece are you thinking of?"
Sanji hummed.
"Well, we have a project coming up. The theme is absurdity. I have an idea, if you're okay with it."
Zoro tilted his head.
"Hit me."
Sanji described the idea in detail. Zoro, nude and trussed like a hog for a feast, an apple clenched between his teeth. A spread of multiple fancy meals around him.
"We'd eat it after I got the sketch done."
Zoro grinned.
"I like it. Absurd is a good way to put it."
Sanji nodded.
"We'll work on it this weekend, if you're free."
"I'll be free. I'm…in between jobs right now."
Sanji nodded in understanding. They turned once more to their meal, and Sanji found himself watching Zoro eat. He ate like he was afraid someone would take it from him. He wondered if he had to deal with hunger growing up. If he dealt with abuse. Just now alike were they?
Zoro called himself an Uber, and Sanji walked him to the gate when it arrived. He felt…sad to see the man go. He would be lonely in his big apartment, by himself. Zoro was good company.
"I'll come pick you up Saturday and we'll go shopping for the things we need. I look forward to working with you, Zoro."
"Yeah. It'll be good. Take care until we see each other again, Curly."
Sanji squawked indignantly as Zoro closed the door, but there was a thrill to having a playful nickname from a man like Zoro. If felt…good. They just met, but it felt like they'd known each other for ages.
He would not name the feeling that he got when Zoro smiled. Not yet.