Chapter Text
Sanji let out a long breath, watching the cigarette smoke slowly disappear into the cold outside air. Leaning his back against a wall, one hand in his pocket, he took in the guests gathered in the elaborate gardens. Women in beautiful dresses which they’ll probably only wear this once, businessmen not so subtly competing over whose company has the highest net worth, a champagne-drunk couple trying (and failing) to hide behind a tree, all flailing limbs and tangled hair. If Sanji had learned anything from catering for rich people, it was that rich people were usually the messiest at events like these. As if the overload of money compensated for their lack of dignity. He had only been relieved from his duties in the kitchen a few minutes ago and he had already picked up several morsels of nasty gossip in the hallways about the host. So much for being a wealthy old dude inviting your ‘closest friends’ to celebrate your 70th birthday huh.
No, Sanji was perfectly alright where he was. On the sidelines, observing. He could lose himself in the kitchen all day. He loved the structure of prepping the food and the adrenaline coursing through his veins when the first plates had to be served to the guests. Did he love that the guests were usually too privileged to really appreciate the food? No. Did he have to hold himself back when all the food they didn’t end up eating went to waste? Absolutely. But if he ever wanted to accomplish his dream and open his own restaurant, he needed the experience and he needed the money. Zeff had been kind enough to put in a good word for him at an old buddy’s high-profile catering business and now here he was. Serving boring, rich people at boring, rich parties.
He checked his watch, a hand-me-down from the old man, but a treasure nonetheless; half past 1 in the morning. He could leave now, be responsible, get some sleep.
A small group of chattering women walked past him, intent on entering the mansion. One of them met his eyes and an inviting smile appeared on her face. Sanji’s heart skipped a beat and all thoughts of being a responsible adult disappeared. He could have fun for once. He WAS fun. Even if his coworkers called him lame when he stayed late practicing a dish instead of going out drinking with them. He put out his cigarette on the wall and took a deep breath, trying to channel Fun Sanji. Drifting back inside, he followed the music that seeped through the walls, making his way towards the dancing crowd.
Once he’d arrived at his destination, Fun Sanji was fracturing and anxiety was already seeping through the cracks. He didn’t know anyone here and the girls from before were nowhere to be found. The colored lights were making him dizzy, together with the potential courses of actions shooting through his brain. Could he just… hop on the dance floor? What if no one actually wanted to dance with him, the dancers mostly consisting of duos or established groups? Or should he try to talk to someone? The unknowing kept him frozen in place, hands fidgeting with the cuffs of his sleeves.
‘’You alright there, pretty boy?’’
A gentle voice came from behind him and the gods must have decided to smile upon him for once in his damned life, because an angel, no, a goddess was standing there, leaning against a table filled with champagne flutes, big brown eyes on him, smile blinding. She whipped her long, curling ginger hair over her bare shoulder, a tattoo decorating her upper arm. The purple dress she was wearing wasn’t leaving much to the imagination, but Sanji, the gentleman that Zeff raised him to be, tried very VERY hard not to let his gaze drop from her face. Realizing he should probably respond and at least pretend he was a functioning human being, he cleared his throat.
‘’Oh, uhm, yes, you’re fine, NO, I meant… shit. Me! I am fine. Totally fine.’’
Wow. New low.
The woman, however, seemed amused, as she chuckled and offered him a glass.
‘’Seems like you need it,’’ she said, her voice kind, with no intention to mock him or make him feel small.
Sanji took the glass from her and their fingers grazed, sending a shock through his body. A light blush seemed to appear on her face, but her eyes stayed locked onto his, refusing to look away.
‘’So… what’s a woman like you doing here all alone?’’ Sanji asked as he took a sip from his drink, trying very hard to look like he wasn’t trying very hard.
She smiled brightly and he could’ve proposed to her right then and there. ‘’Well, I’m no longer alone now, am I?’’
Sanji’s face heated up, but he forced his smile to remain neutral, charming, as he stuck out his hand.
‘’I’m Sanji.’’
‘’Pleasure to meet you, Sanji.’’ She lifted her manicured hand and placed it in his.
‘’I’m Lola.’’
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Lola, as it turns out, was very good at getting him a little drunk and on the dance floor. Sanji had lost track of how many songs they had danced to, having lost himself in the warmth of her body against his, her soft hands, her lips close enough to his cheek to feel her breath. She had left him to get another drink, having refused his offer to go get it for her, so he took the time to roll his shoulders and loosen his tie. The pianist switched to a slower song, his hands dancing on the keys, and Sanji couldn’t wait to use the opportunity to have Lola close to him again. Stretching his neck to look over the crowd, his eyes scanned the line at the bar, but, strangely, there was no ginger hair to be found. Pushing past some people he managed to escape the crowd, but as he closed in on the bar, he realized his eyes hadn’t fooled him. Lola seemed to have disappeared into thin air. He decided to ask the bar staff, maybe she had lost her way back to him, but they didn’t seem to have a clue who he was talking about Multiple circles around the room later and Sanji hadn’t gotten any closer to finding a trace of her.
He paused in a corner and dragged a hand over his face, frustrated that he had managed to lose the one person who had actually seemed interested in him in a very very long time. His work took up most of his time and energy and he wasn’t the type of person to go out much anyway. He wasn’t the type of person to even have that many friends really. Or at all, if he was being honest. So he threw himself into work, focusing on improving day after day, working towards his dream.
But Sanji would be lying if he said he wasn’t lonely, coming home to a small, empty apartment every day. Even if just for a little bit longer, he would’ve liked to cling onto the feeling of being with someone.
Accepting that his luck had run out, he decided it might be time to head home soon. What time was it anyway?
He rolled up his sleeve.
Fuck.
His empty wrist was staring straight at him, the place where his watch had been now barren.
Fuck fuck fuck.
He must have lost it during dancing. Or maybe even before that, when he was still outside smoking. With a low groan he pushed himself off the wall he was leaning against and began to retrace his steps, starting with the dance floor. It was rather difficult to see anything through the plethora of moving bodies and he quickly gave up, walking out into the long hallway that led towards the gardens.
Sanji was so busy grumbling to himself about losing not just the love of his life, but also an emotionally priceless watch, all in one night, that he almost missed the flash of orange in his periphery. He looked up and saw Lola disappear behind a somewhat hidden sturdy wooden door. He would’ve missed it being there if it wasn’t for her pulling his attention towards it. Watch be damned, he decided to run after her to at least get her number before losing her again.
‘’Lola?’’ he whispered, slowly opening the heavy door to avoid startling her. The light that shone into the room from the hallway revealed a set of stairs that descended into what seemed to be an old wine cellar. He heard Lola’s soft voice from down below. Carefully descending into the darkness, his ears picked up on more voices now, quietly arguing with each other.
‘’We said no extras this time, Nami!’’
‘’Oh please! And you’re gonna tell me you didn’t take that gilded revolver off of a wall somewhere, just because you thought it was neat!’’
Sanji froze and debated sneaking back out. He clearly had no business hearing whatever they were discussing and what if he was interrupting something important. But the thought of his Lola potentially being in danger refused to let him turn back. So he slowly crept closer, still hidden from sight behind some barrels, and he spotted Lola at a table, dimly litted, moving clinking items into a bag.
‘’It’s integral to my learning curve that I inspect new weaponry!’’
‘’And it’s integral to my wallet that I take this stuff!’’
‘’Can you shut up and hurry.’’ A third, lower, voice joined the conversation and Sanji noticed a man with green hair behind the duo, hovering over Lola.
‘’I would if you could just get out of my space,’’ she said, pushing him away.
The big guy moved towards her again and Sanji was on his feet before he could think about what he was doing.
‘’Hey, leave the lady alone!’’
The three figures stopped what they were doing to stare at him. Lola’s eyes were wide with shock and the guy standing opposite her, who Sanji could now see had longish black curly hair and was wearing a tuxedo and a monocle, for whatever reason, had his mouth open. The green-haired man looked him up and down with an unimpressed look that made Sanji’s blood boil.
‘’Uhm, who is this?’’ the big oaf asked.
Sanji scoffed and broke eye contact to look at Lola, who was still staring at him.
‘’Lola, are you alright? Do you know these men?’’
The muscular guy let out a barking laugh, which Sanji considered just plain obnoxious, and he nudged Lola with his elbow.
‘’Lola? Really?’’
She shot him a glare before returning her gaze to Sanji.
‘’I really wish you hadn’t followed me, Sanji,’’ she sighed.
The man with the monocle looked at his watch and yelped.
‘’Not to alarm anyone, but we have exactly 2 minutes left.’’
‘’Two minutes for what?’’ Sanji’s head reeled with confusion.
The green-haired man took a step forward. ‘’Need me to kill him?’’
The words should have sent fear through Sanji’s body, but the other man’s arrogant tone only infuriated him further.
‘’Excuse me? What makes you think you even could, mossball!’’
Said mossball stared at him with a glint of surprise in his eyes.
‘’So the loverboy has claws,’’ he said. His hand reached towards his side, from which he unsheathed an honest-to-God katana. Who even carries a katana? Is that even legal?
The man smiled a nasty smile, baring his teeth like a dog about to bite. ‘’But you’re crazy if you think you can get a scratch on me.’’
‘’Guys, we really need to hurry up,’’ monocle guy squeaked nervously.
Sanji looked back at Lola, who seemed conflicted. He reached for her hands slowly.
‘’Lola, just come with me. I’m sure I can get you out of this mess, I-.’’ His words halted as his eyes fell on her hands, still holding onto something. ‘’Hey that’s my watch!’’
Lola looked down to stare at the watch in her hands as the green-haired man took another step forwards, but before any of them could say another word, a loud thud was heard, accompanied by a sharp pain that was blooming from the back of Sanji’s head.
His legs buckled, his vision hazy, but his ears still managed to catch Lola’s cry.
‘’Usopp, what the actual fuck?!’’
And then everything went black.