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When the majority of people thought that having a soulmate was a wonderful idea, Zoro was an exception. Why'd they be happy just because some stranger is bound to be your half significant other? They'd share a soul with you. Zoro wanted his soul to be his and his alone, so soulmate was a no. Then, the shared feelings they'd have. It wasn't just a soul, but everything he needed to share with others. That was not acceptable.
"You know, it's just a tale." He said one day. He received whines from Luffy, who–for Zoro's surprise–was very fond of the idea regarding the soulmate thing. Well, Zoro made sure he didn't talk about his disagreement about sharing a soul or whatever. Luffy would scold him for days.
Being an accountant was not his dream, to be honest he didn't have a dream to begin with. But he did good with his job, maybe a little better than the other employees. It gave him a promotion in no time, not that he asked for it but still, he thanked people who gave him a congratulation.
The restaurant they had for dinner party was a new restaurant in his office neighbourhood. Just a few blocks from his office. His colleague suggested it, said his friend owns them and the food was the most delicious food in the world. It wasn't like Zoro minded the food's taste as long as they had a good booze, Vivi's claim was enough to make all his colleagues agree with her.
The restaurant was good, from Zoro's perspective. The food, as Vivi's claimed, was delicious. Zoro might think it was better than any foods he had before. The booze was enough to make him satisfied, but the food made up for it. That was surprising, to be honest.
Overall, Zoro had a good time. The food, the booze, the atmosphere, everything was good. And then, the chef slash owner of this restaurant came to greet them–Vivi, specifically.
"Dear Vivi-chan, how's the food? Do you need anything else, Darling?"
Zoro gave a look, and like destiny was working, the chef looked at him too. Their eyes met. Then what Zoro remembered was just an overwhelming feeling and everything went dark.
...
Everything felt wrong but right, unfamiliar but heart-warming, so damn weird but that was good. Zoro could be annoyed but the feeling of relief oddly made him couldn't hate the way he felt now.
He just met his soulmate. The one that destiny prepared for him, the one who'd share a soul with him, his half of life. What a fucking lucky day, huh?
If only it was lucky enough for Zoro to experience. But again, density seemed to have a playing favourite with him. Because who the fuck decided their soul mark was to swich body with them when other people mostly had matching tattoo or linked of feeling?
"Nobody told me about this special treatment from the deity." That was weird, his voice sounded weird.
"Nobody told me I have a shitty soulmate with green hair and a sarcastic one." Zoro swore his voice would never sound like that.
"Please have a mirror."
One hour after the encounter. The uproar died and they were sitting in the office–the chef's office. The freaking out from their colleagues and the hassle he and his other half had was enough to make his thoughts about soulmate worse.
"Whatever, I don't care. Just tell me how to make it better will you?"
"Oh, if I know I will never ever tell you."
Now, how could this man be his soulmate was beyond him. It was just one hour and he knew they had nothing in common. If only for another hour they were together, bitching to each other in this room, and the staff would find one of them die.
He brushed his hair–the chef's hair, and surprisingly it felt soft. He gave his body a weary look. He needed to go back home and sleep, tomorrow he had a monthly important meeting as the new chief accountant. But looked at him now, had blond hair, a slender body and nothing like him at all. It wasn't like he could just tell the board of directors he just switched bodies with his soulmate.
"Listen–"
"No!" The chef interrupted. "You listen. I have a restaurant to run and I can't do that if I'm not in my own body. Well, I can, actually, but I don't like the idea of roaming around the kitchen with this body."
"Hey! What's wrong with my body? Mine is better than your bony body. I don't think these skinny arms could lift a pan."
"You!" The chef pointed out his face with Zoro's point finger. The silver eyes Zoro owned glared at him. "That perfect body is more than fine to do its job in the kitchen! Don't you dare to doubt its strength."
It seemed he'd spend his precious time here, debating with this shitty cook.
"What's your name?"
"Hah! Know you asked!"
"You want to waste our time with this stupid fighting?"
"We're not fighting, you're fighting me."
Fine! Again, Zoro brushed his-now-blond hair. He inhaled and exhaled to calm himself. Thanked to his job, he had a better way to control his patient.
"Name Zoro, Roronoa Zoro." He ignored the grunt from the chef. "I, also, have a job. How about we discuss the solution to all these problems we have?"
The chef hufted. Zoro just watched and wished to end the not important bickering they have until now. Then the chef sighed. "Fine."
"Good. I have an important meeting at ten tomorrow. A very important meeting, couldn't have another to replace."
"Great!" Zoro winched at the view of his green hair pulled out hard. "How could I help, then?" If he heard the sarcastic tone, Zoro just ignored it.
"I have the file with me now. We can study it together and I'll go with you tomorrow. But you still need to do the presentation. How's that sound?"
"Sounds wonderful."
"Stop with your sarcastic mood, Cook. I tried to help here." As far as Zoro's patience could handle this situation, the chef's attitude just made it run faster.
"Then, how about my work? My restaurant to run? My staff to lead? My food to cook?"
"We'll figure it out. Now, help me with my meeting first and I'll help you with your restaurant."
"Oh my! My happily ever after thoughts about soulmate just ruined now."
"Well, glad to hear that."
…
They decided to compromise. Sanji–the chef's name–agreed to help him with the meeting. After that, Zoro must tell his company about the switch body and take a leave until the future notice. Lucky because Zoro never took his annual leave and the company would gladly give him. Then, Zoro must help with the restaurant.
Actually, Zoro thought it was not fair to him. But this shitty soulmate thing made him feel like giving everything the chef wanted was a must to do for him and it made him happy. Damn shitty soulmate thing!
The meeting ended with a good result, in Zoro's perspective. Surprisingly, Sanji was good at presentation. The talk with company–aka Nami, his boss, his witch boss slash his best friend after Luffy–gave him a week of leave. Excluding the shocking yet disgusting face she gave him after Sanji–in Zoro's form–took Nami's hand and kissed it along with a sweet talk Zoro admitted made him want to vomit. Everything from his side seems to be running smoothly.
"Hey Zoro, you know why you two switched bodies?" Nami asked when he was about to leave her office. Sanji already left because he needed to prepare the restaurant, the threatening look he gave Zoro to soon follow him was nothing to be ignored.
"Fucking hell I know."
"To get to know each other better, they said."
"And ruin their life because they are fucking switching body? Don't give me the bullshit, Nami. You know what I'm thinking about this stupid soulmate thing."
"Yes, yes, sorry not sorry. But if in a week you still think the same, I'll cut out some of your debt."
"Oh, good! Make sure you cut a certain amount of it."
Then Zoro exited the room. He didn't need to change his thoughts about soulmate. And he would make his debt decrease by it.
...
"Mind telling me how you just arrived now?"
It wasn't Zoro's fault. The restaurant seemed to have moved to a different place. So, he replied with those thoughts and received a look from the chef.
"I'll make a note about your shitty sense of direction." Sanji commented.
"I'm not–"
"Yes, you are. Now, if you could wash my hands, wear my apron, tie my silky hair, then it'll be very appreciated."
"What? You want me to wash your hands? You can do that yourself!"
"Moron." That was Sanji's response before pointing out his hands and hair and an apron. Well, Zoro understands, okay. He just wanted to mess with the chef.
"You need to do as per my instructions. Hurry, we have a customer to feed!"
The first day was hell. The yelling, the kicking, the punching. Zoro a little bit regretted the thought of this skinny body couldn't do.
…
The rush hour passed and Zoro finally had time to relax. The chef found that Zoro was so terrible in the kitchen halfway through the first hour he instructed him. And making him follow step by step told to him was impossible. Because of that Zoro had a chance to look at himself–his form–chopping vegetables and stirring some meats while he did the dishes. Cooking looked like a simple thing to do once the chef was doing it, even with his bulk body.
"Eat." A plate offered to him. Zoro tilted up his head. "I don't have a hungry person on my watch."
"Umm thanks?" Zoro received the plate and started to eat. He was indeed hungry. Two onigiri for lunch was not enough. And now it was past dinner time.
"Sorry I forgot to ask if you have eaten lunch."
"I had lunch." He simply replied, didn't want to make Sanji feel bad.
They kept silent for some time. Zoro finished his dinner but they still didn't talk. He thought it was nice. Minding their own business side by side. He almost fell asleep once the smell of cigarettes hit him. He was just about to protest because Sanji used his body to smoke but he stopped when he heard a voice.
"I'm sorry." Wow, that's new. The little time he knew the chef, the s word he voiced either shit or stupid, not ever sorry.
"It's just... so sudden. I just opened my restaurant, not a month ago. Then my body was not mine and mine was yours. But trust me, I'm just shocked, not hating all of these. Well, annoyed is understandable but not hate. And all of these selfish requests I made, I'm sorry and thank you for agreeing."
Zoro knew that expression very well, after all Sanji's face now was Zoro's. His hands trembled as he moved the cigarette out of his mouth. A white smoke hid his frowned face.
"You must think I'm a nuisance, right?"
"Well, I thought soulmate was a nuisance. You know, all of sharing a soul thing and bla bla bla. Plus, now, switch bodies too. You must think it's a nuisance too."
Then Sanji laughed, small and a little bit sad. It suddenly made Zoro feel bad.
"Yeah..."
"The soulmate thing I think is a nuisance. Not you in particular."
"You don't want a soulmate?" Zoro could hear the small shock there.
"No, I don't need it." And Zoro would take it back if he could. Because now Sanji was laughing again, much louder and sadder than before.
"I see."
…
The next day he found himself on the bed that was not his. Then he remembered he was not home. He agreed to stay in Sanji's house, just above his restaurant. Another request from Sanji because he didn't want his body to not be under his supervision. That was fine by Zoro, he didn't mind where he slept anyway.
He locked at the desk and found a plate with breakfast. It must be Sanji.
Last night Sanji said Zoro didn't need to help in the kitchen, because he couldn't. Instead, Sanji just wanted Zoro to present himself sometimes to the customer, asked them about the dish and made sure they received all of their wants. And he asked permission to use Zoro's body to cook, plus some smokes.
"You already did that."
"I assume you gave me consent."
No talk about soulmates after that. Just how to fix their situation now. How to adjust. If Zoro felt something was off because of that, he definitely ignored it.
He made his way to the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face. Sanji had the deal so Zoro must do that every time after he woke up. It was not like Zoro didn't do that every morning, but Zoro just nodded and agreed without protest.
He ate his breakfast silently while checking his phone. He had like fifty or sixty chats in his group with Luffy and Nami. Then some other chat from the work group chat. He ignored all the chats, he knew the content without reading.
The breakfast finished at the same time with a knock on the door. Zoro just shouted 'come in' then Sanji entered the room.
His face looked a mess. It was a face when he had a very hellish workload aka end year workload. "You don't sleep?" He couldn't help but ask.
"I sleep a little, I need to make a preparation."
"You can ask for help, I don't mind slicing some vegetables."
"No, thank you." Somehow the face looked paler than before. "But, if you don't mind, today we have some supplies in. Help me to receive it will you?"
"I assume you already finished with your sarcastic attitude."
"Use the mirror, will you help or not?"
"I said you can ask, means I will help. What time does the supplies arrive? Give me the list and I'll make sure they match."
"Come with me, I will tell you."
"Okay, oh, and thank you for the breakfast."
Sanji just hummed and Zoro wanted to know why his face looked so down.
…
"ZORO!"
He knew this sound. He was walking down the stairs when he saw someone give Sanji a tight hug from behind. He was sure he told that particular person about his condition, but he must know the best. That person would never listen.
He was about to take Luffy from Sanji but Nami did first. She said sorry to Sanji and scolded Luffy.
"But it's Zoro's body, he can handle it!"
"No means no, Moron! Now he's Sanji here."
Zoro could see the disagreement from Luffy's face, but his friend seemed to wash it off. He heard Sanji greet Nami, then introduced himself to Luffy. Luffy, as always, looked vigorous.
"Oii Luffy, you make him scared."
"If you could see I 'am not' scared."
"Zoro!" Again, the shouting and the hugging. Now Zoro had a body in his embrace. Luffy and his clinginess. "Tell me how's your feeling? It's like they said you will feel happy when you meet your soulmate? Do you feel like keeping him by your side forever? Tell me!"
"Luffy, you ask so many questions."
"I want to know!"
"Okay, gentleman, we can talk in my house upstairs if you don't mind. But I need to finish my job first." Sanji gave Zoro a look and he knew it was a command. Dinner time.
Zoro nodded and dragged Luffy upstairs. Nami followed them while scolded Luffy.
"I will bring dinner once I am finished."
"Thanks."
…
"Now, tell me." Nami ordered. Well, he knew it'd happened. Because as far as he knew his friends, Nami was a busybody. Different kinds with Luffy but the curiosity was the same level. "Why are you not replying to our chats?"
"Because I don't feel like it."
"Zoro mean." Luffy whined. "We're friends, we want to know if you are doing okay."
"I'm fine, Luffy." Because surprisingly he was feeling okay beside his problem switching bodies with Sanji.
"Oh." It was Nami. Her knowing look made him groan. "Do you mean your debt will still have the same amount?"
"You will cut out my debt, I assure you."
"What? What are you talking about? Don't leave me behind!" Luffy shouted. Zoro just hoped his voice didn't reach the restaurant.
"I see, we still have four days to go. I can't wait."
"I will not change my mind."
"Oiii I said don't leave me behind!"
"You look happy though."
"I am fine doesn't mean I am happy."
"So, you're unhappy, Zoro? Why? You meet your soulmate. I know you don't like the idea of a soulmate thing but I know you won't feel unhappy. You're just upset, not unhappy."
"He didn't say he was unhappy, Luffy. He's just not used to having a soulmate. We will wait and our Zoro will accept that soulmate is a wonderful thing."
"No, I am not and I will not. Stop saying like you know me!"
"But Nami's right, Zoro. You said you didn't like sweets but you ate the cake Law bought. You just need to familiarize yourself with your soulmate."
"It was because they had matcha flavour and were not too sweet." In Zoro's defence, he really didn't like sweets. But the cake tasted less sweet than the others and it was delicious.
"Nah, you tried a bite before you ate the whole piece then you bought it yourself the other day. It takes time, you know." Nami made herself comfortable on the bean couch.
"I know you'd like it!" Luffy beamed. "By the way, I just realized Sanji has beautiful hair. Wow it's soft, Zoro! And it's long! And you tied it like a pony tail."
Zoro winched. He felt like snap Luffy's hand in the-blond-hair. He didn't like others touching it. Oh, not Nami's knowing look. "Stop whatever you are about to say!"
"What? I don't say anything." She shrugged. But Zoro knew better if she was just mocking him. "Luffy, don't make Zoro mad, will you?"
"Why? Do you dislike me touching your soulmate's hair, Zoro?" Luffy tilted his head with his innocent look. "You are jealous, aren't you?"
If it was Nami, he wouldn't buy it. But this was Luffy. The one that would never say anything to insult him purposely. Mostly because he genuinely cared about Zoro's feelings.
"Why'd I?"
"Zoro, you won't know if you won't try."
If Zoro saw Nami hide his laugh because she knew she won, Zoro wouldn't recognize it.
"Am I interrupting something?" Sanji walked in the house with plates on his hands. Zoro didn't think he had that much balance, but Sanji made it look like an easy job to pick more than five plates in two hands.
"Wow! Cool! Zoro looked like he was doing circus trick."
"It's Sanji, Luffy."
"But that's Zoro's body and I don't know he has that much balance in him."
Sanji just laughed. He placed the plates on the dining table. Luffy didn't need to be told because he ran to Sanji-or food. "I am sorry to keep you waiting. I assume you want dinner. Please help yourself and tell me if you want more."
"You'll regret telling Luffy that." Nami and Zoro commented.
"Oh, I like feeding people."
"Sanji-kun, really, you will regret it."
"Nah, Nami-san. I know what I said." Sanji made a gesture to assure Nami. In Zoro's eyes, it was annoying. "You need to eat too, Nami-san."
"Well, if you insist."
The dinner seemed okay. Zoro could see Sanji really enjoying himself by feeding people. Luffy might be a nightmare for other cooks, but Sanji begged for a difference.
"Your food is good, Sanji!"
"Thank you, Luffy."
"I want you to cook for me every day."
"You can always come here if you want my cooking."
"Then I will come every day!"
"Oii Luffy, stop it. He's not feeding you for free."
"That's okay, he's your friend. That means, my friend too." Sanji smiled and Zoro had an urge to sulk.
"Yeah! Cool! I like you, Sanji!"
"Luffy!"
"Oh, I smell something burning here." Nami said, already gave Zoro her usual see-I-always-win look.
"Really? I will check the kitchen. If you don't mind waiting for me again? I will bring desserts when I am back."
"Yes! Deserts!" Luffy shouted again.
Once Sanji was gone, Zoro growled. Nami laughed, of course. And Luffy just blinked before going back to eat.
…
Time flew faster than Zoro realized. It was the sixth day he was in Sanji's body. He almost forgot his annoyance about the ordeal. Six days together with Sanji gave him a lot of things to know.
The next day after Nami and Luffy visit, Zoro saw a man with a long nose hugging him. Sanji rushed to separate the man from him, then dragged the man to his office. The man-Sanji told him he was a friend-said sorry when they had time to talk. But Zoro knew that kind of look, the same as Nami. So, Zoro assumed the man-Usopp-was a close friend to Sanji.
Zoro had a list about the facts about Sanji as they live together. It was not that he made them on purpose, he just had nothing to do. Here was the list: 1) Sanji loved to cook and feed people. 2) Sanji hated wasting food, nobody dared not to finish their food. 3) Sanji was scared of insects. 4) Sanji had an adoptive father named Zeff who visited after Usopp did and called Sanji as Eggplant. His other families were unknown, but Zoro didn't plan to ask. 5) Sanji was hopeless romantic.
"I don't know if you keep an eye on me."
Suddenly Sanji was sitting beside him. He pointed to the note Zoro held. In reflex, Zoro closed and hid it behind his back. Sanji laughed, enjoyed the red on Zoro's face.
"You need me to tell me another fact?" He asked while trying to stop his laugh. "I have time to tell you a story."
"No, thanks." Zoro managed to say something.
Sanji made himself comfortable before looking at Zoro. His expression was soft and Zoro had to question himself 'is it really his face that makes such expression?'. Because that soft smile that followed the gaze gave him a shiver. Too soft to handle.
"Let me ask you something." Zoro just hummed. "Do you still think it won’t work?"
"What?"
"Us." Sanji whispered.
Zoro knew the answer without thinking. Blamed the bond they had as soulmate or whatever, he thought it just bound to happen.
"No."
The shocking face was understandable.
"So?" The hope was there and Zoro smiled. "Do you want to try?"
"I do."
Because sharing a soul didn't sound as bad as before. If it was with Sanji, Zoro might not mind sharing.
...
The next morning Zoro woke up, he was not in his usual room. Zoro recognized it was Sanji's. He realized they were back to their original body. He walked to find a mirror and yes, they were back. Then his eyes met a note on the desk.
"Things I need to know about my soulmate, Zoro." He said the words on the cover. He was about to open the book before a breaking door sound made him flich. And he smiled wide. " You need me to tell me another fact? I have time to tell you a story."
"Don't you dare to touch it, Mosshead!"