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A yellow sedan pulled up in front of an old-fashioned two-story house. Against the background of inhospitable black walls and a short-cropped lawn without a hint of at least one flower bed, such a bright car seemed out of place. Even perhaps more out of place than Perona's little pink car occupying the driveway.
“Y’know, I think I now understand why you’re frowning all the time,” Sanji said thoughtfully, looking at the house and the empty lawn.
Zoro, who had been sitting dissatisfied the whole way here, turned his head towards Sanji and frowned even more.
“Yeah, like that,” Sanji pointed his finger exactly between Zoro’s eyebrows.
Zoro rolled his eyes and pushed Sanji's hand away.
“You haven't seen Mihawk yet.”
Sanji snorted at that, then turned off the car and opened the door.
“Okay, let's go. I’m sure it can’t be worse than you meeting Zeff,” Sanji said and got out of the car.
Zoro winced and slowly climbed out of the car after his boyfriend. Sanji had already pulled out two bottles of wine from the back seat. Zoro took one of the bottles from him to hold his hand. Sanji looked at Zoro in surprise at first with his mouth slightly open as if he was about to say something, but eventually changed his mind and smiled widely. Zoro smiled back at him and subtly squeezed the fingers that held Sanji's palm, and then led him to the front door of the house.
Zoro pressed the doorbell with the hand in which he held the bottle of wine, so as not to let go of Sanji's hand, which was clenching nervously in anticipation. They didn't have to wait long. Just a few seconds later, the door suddenly swung open, and Perona appeared in front of them in all her glory. Her pink hair was pulled up into two high ponytails as usual. Today she was wearing a short black dress with a fluffy skirt and long pink stockings that matched her hair color.
“Hmm, you’re handsome,” Perona squinted and leaned closer to look at Sanji. “Better than the last one.”
Sanji smiled widely and greeted Perona with a small bow while still holding Zoro's hand. Noticing their clasped hands, the corner of Perona's mouth lifted in a smirk and she looked slyly at Zoro, who rolled his eyes and clicked his tongue in response.
“Curlybrow, this is Perona. Perona, this is Curlybrow,” Zoro quickly muttered under his breath. Sanji immediately let go of his hand and slapped him upside the head.
“Actually, my name is Sanji. It’s very nice to meet you, Miss Perona,” Sanji said with the most charming and innocent smile, while Zoro rubbed his injured head with his newly freed hand.
Perona laughed at her brother's suffering and accepted Sanji's outstretched hand, which she shook firmly.
“I think you and I will become good friends,” Perona said joyfully and turned around, gesturing for the young men to follow her.
“If we weren’t holding wine right now, I would beat your ass,” Zoro hissed in Sanji’s ear.
“Oh, how scary,” Sanji chuckled in a low voice and followed Perona.
Perona led them to the kitchen, where a table for four had already been set. Mihawk stood behind the stove in his usual black suit and a bright pink apron titled “Best Dad” that Perona gave him for his birthday 15 years ago. Mihawk turned to greet the guests. His serious face contrasted strongly with his obnoxious apron, which gave him a rather ridiculous appearance. However, no one dared to laugh. Perona sat down at the table and started browsing her phone.
“You must be Sanji,” Mihawk wiped his hands on a towel lying on the kitchen counter and extended his hand to Sanji for a handshake. “Mihawk.”
“Yes, sir. It’s very nice to meet you,” Sanji shook the hand extended to him. He looked at the stove with a covered pan on it. “May I ask what you are cooking?”
Mihawk put both hands behind his back.
“That's right, Zoro said that you work as a sous chef at Baratie. If the enthusiasm with which he talks about your dishes is to be believed, my cooking certainly cannot compare.”
Both young men blushed equally, although for different reasons.
"I...I'm sure that's not true," Sanji replied. Zoro covered his face with his free hand and groaned.
Mihawk didn't pay attention to his son's antics and continued:
“For dinner will be having cioppino with shrimp, clams, mussels, and halibut. There is also trout in the oven, it needs to be taken out in 10 minutes.”
“How lucky!” Sanji perked up and extended his hand for the bottle of wine that Zoro was holding. “We just brought Pinot Grigio, it pairs well with seafood.”
Sanji handed Mihawk the wine, which he accepted and began to examine with interest. Sanji then handed over a bottle of red wine that he was holding.
“And this is Cabernet Sauvignon. It pairs well with red meat.”
As Sanji listed the dishes that would pair well with red wine, Zoro watched as Mihawk's expression changed from mildly interested, to surprised, and then completely delighted. Sanji's monologue was interrupted by the sound of the oven timer.
“By the way, I can help with the trout. It's not a bother for me.”
Mihawk took a step to the side and motioned for Sanji to go to the oven. Sanji immediately took off his suit jacket and switched to professional chef mode. Zoro wasn't even surprised by this situation, because Sanji took over every kitchen he saw. That's why they don't go on dates to restaurants. Zoro just wanted to go sit at the table, but Mihawk approached him in complete awe, which was extremely unusual for him, and quietly said:
“If you don't marry him, then I will.”
Perona, who had been following the conversation with half an ear all this time, dropped her phone in surprise. Zoro, with his mouth wide open and his face expressing utter bewilderment, looked at Mihawk and then at Sanji to see if he had heard anything. To his horror, Sanji was drawn to the sound of the phone falling and was now looking straight at Zoro.
“Did something happen?” Sanji asked, arching an eyebrow. Zoro internally breathed a sigh of relief because Sanji didn't hear what Mihawk said.
He shook his head in response and assured Sanji that everything was fine. As Sanji turned his attention back to the trout, Zoro turned his head towards Mihawk so quickly that something in his neck snapped.
“What was that?” Zoro hissed. He wasn't sure if Mihawk was joking because of the serious tone with which he said it. It was most likely a joke, but with Mihawk you can never be sure.
“Is there something wrong?” Mihawk said with the same serious tone and looked at Zoro as if he wasn’t the one who just said that he would marry his son’s boyfriend.
“Are you kidding me?!” Zoro became even more indignant.
“Where do you store your baking sheets?” Sanji called. Mihawk immediately took his attention away from Zoro to help Sanji find the baking sheet.
Zoro watched Mihawk's retreating back with his mouth open in indignation, and then turned to Perona:
“Did you see that?”
Perona silently raised both hands, showing that she was not participating in this conversation. Zoro sat down heavily on the chair next to Perona and crossed his arms over his chest with a pout.
When the trout was finally ready, everyone sat down at the table, and somehow Sanji ended up on Mihawk's left hand and opposite Perona. Zoro didn't think much of it at first, but after almost an hour of very animated conversation between his father and his boyfriend, he started to panic a little. Zoro tried to get at least some support from Perona with his eyes, but she only smirked at him and continued the conversation with Sanji and Mihawk, ignoring Zoro's silent pleas.
When dinner ended and the conversation moved into the living room, Zoro could no longer contain the nervous energy that overwhelmed him and went to the kitchen to get something stronger from the cupboard. Pouring himself a glass of whiskey, Zoro returned to the living room and sat down in an armchair while the others chatted pleasantly on the couch. When the topic of conversation changed to Zoro and Sanji's relationship and their plans for the future, Zoro panicked and blurted out:
“Hey, Curly! Wanna get married?”
The room went completely silent. Sanji then turned red from the tips of his ears to his neck and shouted:
“Are you crazy?!” He then looked from Zoro's face to the glass in his hand. “How much have you had to drink already?!”
Zoro looked with shocked eyes at the whisky glass and swirled the remaining liquid inside.
“So yes or no?” Zoro looked at Sanji again.
“Zoro, we've been dating for six months!”
“This is not an answer.”
“Are you dumb?”
Zoro continued to look at Sanji unflinching, eyes full of hope.
“I don't know!...No!” Sanji looked in panic, first at Perona, and then at Mihawk, who were sitting with the same expression as Zoro. “…Yes?”
Zoro's face immediately lit up and he suddenly got down on one knee in front of Sanji. Perona clapped her hands joyfully.
“I think you have mixed up the order, stupid Marimo.”
Zoro, with a dumb but happy smile, took both of Sanji's hands in his and said:
“I promise you won't regret it.”
“I’m already regretting this,” Sanji groaned and raised his eyes to the heavens.
“I love you,” Zoro kissed the backs of Sanji’s hands.
“What am I gonna do with you?” Sanji sighed and smiled at him.
“So when is the wedding?” Mihawk asked finally.