Chapter Text
It really was a beautiful day today.
The store got unexpectedly busy before lunch when that was normally their quiet period, and one customer didn't seem to understand that tailoring couldn't be completed in the same day, but despite those headaches his coworker bought him a coffee, and there was a pleasant light patter of rain sweeping through the town that staved off the uncomfortable heat that usually came at this time of day, so he was in a grand mood.
He was halfway through replacing boxes of stock on their respective shelves in the back room when he heard voices drift in from the floor. Normally he’d have time to finish, but Moni was off sick and Hu Li was on her lunch break, leaving him alone in the store. He hurriedly put them all back, save for the problem child, a box of slips he could never remember where they lived, setting it on the junk shelf to sort out later.
He swept through the door in time to catch one of the customers ask their companions if the green jacket they were holding would fit.
"I can tailor it if it doesn't fit!" he quickly assured them. "Good afternoon, sorry, I was in the back." He placed his hands on his hips, grinning at them with all his teeth. "Welcome to my... shop..."
His voice peetered out as his eyes landed on who had spoken. He felt his jaw drop and eyebrows fly into his hairline, the breath stolen from his lungs.
"Sanji!?" he gasped.
"Yonji...?" his brother all but whispered, staring back, older than Yonji has ever seen him. He had - Yonji noticed with a sort of distant wonder - facial hair.
Time seemed to freeze around him, zeroed in on his brother’s face. After a moment, Yonji became painfully aware of the silent store and his brother's two companions watching the both of them.
"Bro," he tittered out with a nervous laugh. "Long time no see, haha..." He glanced away, fingers fiddling with each other. "The weather sure is nice, huh?"
Sanji's face screwed up and his eyes narrowed at him like he'd said something incredibly stupid. "No?" His voice was rough and deep, nothing like Yonji remembered. "It's fucking storming?"
The sky chose that moment to rumble a booming roll of thunder as the heavy weight of the rain, no longer light and pleasant, registered in Yonji's brain.
He felt his face heat up, and he let out another nervous laugh, his voice sounding too loud to his own ears. "Right. Yes. Of course." He looked back at Sanji, meeting his eyes. He felt his face soften and his voice was something more quiet and gentle. "It's, uh, nice seeing you, Sanji?"
Sanji’s face screwed up, and Yonji could feel the mess of emotion coming off him in waves.
"What the fuck!?" Sanji spat. His eyebrows carved a deep furrow into his brow as he scrubbed a hand down his face. "Why are you here? We had a deal didn't we? Suddenly you show up after twelve years pretending to be happy to see me?"
Yonji bit his lip. He has no idea what deal Sanji’s talking about but-
He’s right. Until right now, he and their brothers had spent every moment with Sanji making him miserable and taking advantage of his kind nature. There’s no reason he wouldn’t think he’s trying to do more of the same now.
"Sanji-kun," said one of his companions, a pretty woman with bright red hair as she lay a hand on his shoulder. "Calm down? He looks like he's about to start crying." She probably wasn't far off.
He tried to send her a reassuring smile. "Thanks, but it's okay, Miss. Nothing he's saying is wrong. It needs to be said." He resolutely turned to his brother and bent into a deep bow. "I know it can't make up for anything, but I wanted to say... I'm sorry."
He could hear Sanji spluttering from where he was looking at the floor. "You- You can't just bow and expect me to forgive you-"
"I'm not." he said, voice solid and sure. "I don't expect anything. I wanted- no, needed you know that I'm sorry for our childhood. For what I did." He looked up, looking Sanji straight in the eye. "And I'm not apologising on behalf of anyone else, either. I can't, and I won't. I..." He took a deep breath. "I left." It had been years since the fact, but his fingers still shook minutely at the admission.
Sanji's mouth had gone slack, his eyebrows up in his hairline. "You what?" The words were quiet, like they escaped his mouth without permission. He distantly noted Sanji's companions moving somewhere else to give them privacy.
"I left." He straightened and absent mindedly started fiddling with the tape measure that hung around his neck. "I uh, started... feeling pain. Reiju said it was guilt. I finally understood why we were monsters.” He tried to smile, but he wasn’t sure it worked. “I couldn’t fight anymore. It hurt too much. Judge… didn’t like that.”
He could feel that smile stretch into a self deprecating smirk as he rolled up his right sleeve. With each roll, came another stretch of silver shining under the floor room’s lights. Metal plates spanning from his gloved wrist to just under his elbow where his arm should be. Should’ve been, if it weren’t for-
“Turns out Germa’s pretty good at prosthetics,” he explained to Sanji’s horror-struck face, before rolling his sleeve back down. Even to his own ears, his voice had a strange quality to it, saying things he never thought he’d say aloud so casually. “And Judge was looking into cloning. I think they planned to kill me if the cloning worked. So I thought, “hell, Sanji escaped, and he was eight and human. I’m fifteen and a monster, I should be able to do it too.””
“So I left.” He felt his shoulders lose the tension he didn’t know they had, and his face and voice softening into something more genuine. “Learnt how to make a living making clothes. Enjoyed it too.” He hesitantly met Sanji’s eyes again. “Are you… are you still cooking?”
Sanji audibly swallowed before he spoke. “Uh, yeah.”
Before he lost his nerve, Yonji made himself speak. “It’s um, it’s a bit wishful. A bit childish. But I thought…” He took a deep breath. “If by chance, the seas were kind, and I were to run into Sanji again, I’d tell him I’m sorry for everything. You shouldn’t forgive me but,” he hesitantly smiled, feeling like maybe he will cry this time. “Would you like to try being brothers again?”
There was a moment before Sanji took a deep breath and muttered “God fucking damnit Yonji,” as he ran his hands through his hair, discomposure thick in the air.
Yonji felt his face heat as he raised his hands placatingly. “Of course that’s just wishful thinking! And selfish too. And unfair to you. Sorry, ignore me.”
Sanji took another deep breath as he reached inside his pockets and pulled out a cigarette and lighter, placing the cig in his mouth before flicking the flame to life. He took a drag before speaking, the smoke escaping his mouth, almost proving Yonji right with how he looked a complete stranger compared to the tiny boy Yonji remembered.
“You’re right,” he agreed. “It is pretty unfair.”
Fuck, Yonji cursed internally.
“You come out of nowhere, changed, different. I know I shouldn’t trust you, and I don’t. And yet-” He exhaled again, a haze of smoke framing his face, which flashed an expression so endlessly tired and wanting Yonji might’ve wondered if he imagined it if he couldn’t feel that spark himself. “I hate how much I want this.”
Yonji couldn’t help the grin that broke on his face.
“I don’t trust you. Not really,” he said, pointing his cig at him for emphasis. “But I can admit not everything was your fault, not by a long shot. So, everyone deserves a second chance. I got mine, so I’m willing to give you one as well. However!” his voice dropped to a rough growl. “You get one chance. Fuck up and no one will be able to find your body.”
Yonji grinned at him, all teeth and rosy cheeks. “That’s completely fair!”
Sanji had a perturbed look on his face that said he had something to say about that reaction, but instead turned to look across to the other side of the shop, where his two companions had wandered. “Nami-san! Robin-chan! Sorry for making you wait my dears, we’re all done now.”
Yonji coloured remembering that they were in his shop, it was currently open hours, and two customers were ignored in favour of bearing witness to a very intimate domestic situation. He hurried over.
“I’m so sorry about that!” he said, with a nervous laugh. “Didn’t mean to cause a scene in my own store.”
“It’s quite alright,” said the dark haired woman, who was even taller than he was. “We don’t mind waiting, especially when it concerns our dear cook.”
His brother came up beside him. “Yonji, this is Robin,” The dark haired woman nodded in greeting, “and Nami,” The redhead gave him a wave. “Nami-san, Robin-chan, this is Yonji. My brother.” That last part sounded like it took genuine effort to leave his throat, and Yonji couldn’t blame him.
The pretty redhead - Nami’s - eyebrows flew into her hairline and her mouth gaped like a fish. Robin, however, looked like she just learnt a particularly interesting fact about sea cows.
“Is that so? Pleased to meet you, Yonji.”
*
Sanji stood with Robin as she looked at each coat hanger on the rack, steadily making his way through his third cigarette. He was trying to keep his focus on which of these pants would suit Robin best and not where Yonji was just a few racks away, being very helpful telling Nami all about the benefits of a cotton knit.
Robin leaned closer, speaking quietly as she watched them. “I didn’t know you had a brother.”
“We’re uh, working on it,” Sanji replied. He gave up pretending his focus was captured by the rack and took a drag as he let his eyes roam over to where they stood. “I feel like I should hate him,” he said.
“Do you?”
“No,” he said. “I don’t know how I feel about him, honestly.”
Robin blessed him with one of her reassuring smiles. “You don’t have to know. It’s fine not to know sometimes.”
“Thanks.”
Nami and Yonji’s conversation grew in volume, and she laughed at something he said.
“I think I’m scared,” he admitted. “I told him I’d give him a chance. I’ll try.”
“That’s all you need to do. You don’t owe him anything,” she assured him. Sanji doubted her and Nami were far away enough to give them true privacy, but knowing Robin, she listened in anyway. It made his heart all warm and fluttery to know that even not knowing any of their history, she’ll support him no matter what he chooses.
“He’s so different,” he grumbled. “I can see myself liking him. I don’t know how I feel about that, I want to stay angry.”
She hummed, and turned her head to watch them again. “He’s changed? Get to know the current him first then. Also,” She turned back to him, giving him a rare, dazzling smile, making his heart beat faster despite how wrung out he currently felt. “You have us.”
He smiled back. “I do.”
*
Having apparently decided to get this “trying to be brothers again” thing started straight away, Yonji was joining them for dinner on The Sunny. He’d locked the door behind him despite it still being the middle of the afternoon, and chucked the keys at a bemused looking young woman with dark hair he’d found in a nearby cafe.
His eyes had lit up in wonder when Robin conjured a small army of arms to shield them all from the rain as they walked to the docks. He seemed content to talk animatedly with the ladies, and Sanji was content to let him.
When they finally came upon The Sunny, Yonji had stood staring up at her with a wondrous grin, eyes twinkling at her lion figurehead. Sanji told himself it did not make something warm in his chest.
They piled into the kitchen by habit, even though it was too early to start work on dinner. Oh well, a snack couldn’t hurt. Neither could having his mise en place ready and waiting for later. As the others drifted to the table as they talked, Sanji made a beeline for the sink, filling and turning on the electric kettle before reaching for Nami and Robin’s favourite orange blossom and earl grey tea caddies, setting them on the bench. Setting three teacups next to the caddies, he spooned orange blossom into one, and earl grey into the other, before pausing. He mused for a moment, before spooning orange blossom into the last cup. He put the tea caddies away and shut the cabinet just in time for the kettle to beep at him. He poured the water into each cup, which were quickly whisked away by three hands which sprung on the bench in a shower of petals. Sanji smiled at them in thanks before turning to the fridge.
He had leftover pastry and sausage, should he do sausage rolls? No, best save that for when Luffy’s around. His eyes drifted to a fruit bowl on the bench where a few bananas starting to go overripe sat. Perfect. He gathered butter, eggs, and milk in his arms before closing the fridge. He got to work mashing the bananas in a bowl, freezing when he glanced up to see Yonji staring at him from his place at the table.
Realising he’d been caught, Yonji startled and gave a sheepish smile. “Just watching you. You’re really in your element, huh?”
He was saved from having to think of a reply by the sound of Franky thundering up from his workshop below deck. He’d been watching the ship while everyone was in town, and seemed to have finally heard them.
The door burst open and Franky shouldered his way into the galley. “Hey bros! You’re back early! Did I miss out on the tea party Sa-” He paused in his greeting the group at the table, staring down Yonji for a moment, before turning to Sanji at the kitchen island, and then back to Yonji.
“In fact, you’re just in time,” said Sanji, holding out a newly steaming teacup for Franky’s miniature hand to take, robotic pinky raised.
“I’m Yonji.” He lifted his own pinky raised teacup in greeting. “Sanji’s brother.”
“YEEOW! You don’t say!” Franky cried, sitting down next to him. “You two look crazy alike.”
Yonji laughed. “I should hope so!”
“We're twins,” Sanji answered at Franky’s quizzical look, pulling a tray out of the oven.
“Quadruplets actually.”
Nami slammed her hands on the table. “For real!?” Yonji nodded. “Who's older?”
He pointed at Sanji. “He is. But we're both the babies of the litter. Ichiji and Niji are older.”
“What are they like?”
A plate piled high with banana muffins slammed down on the table, startling them out of their conversation.
“Nevermind about them my dear, dig in!” Sanji smiled down at them.
He watched as they all reached for a muffin without preamble. He eyed Yonji as he took a bite, and watched as his face changed in wonder and quickly scarfed the rest down. If Sanji turned back to the kitchen to make his own cup of tea to hide the smile threatening to break on his face, no one had to know.
"Yo! That's some sick metal!"
Sanji's head whipped back around. Franky was grinning down at Yonji's arm. It was outstretched towards the quickly diminishing plate of muffins, the cuff of his sleeve falling back to reveal the shining plates he'd shown Sanji earlier. Yonji looked akin to a deer in the headlights, and Sanji wasn't sure if he should be amused or step in.
“I guess that makes us twins too!” Franky winked at him, one of his miniature arms waving. The tightness around Yonji's eyes eased somewhat and he gave a small chuckle.
“Oh right, I meant to ask,” Nami said. “Is that your shop?”
“Sort of!” he grinned back. “When I came here, I needed work, and the previous lady who ran the shop needed extra hands. I ended up falling in love with it. She taught me what she knew, and she still owns it, but now me and the others mostly run the place now she’s retired.” He smiled into his cup. “I owe her a lot, and I love being able to make clothes for people.”
“I guess passion like that runs in the family.”
Sanji and Yonji both blinked at her, before meeting each other’s eyes.
“Hm, maybe,” said Yonji, an odd tone to his voice.
Nami asks Yonji another question about tailoring, but Sanji's eyes are glued to the tiny flecks of tea leaves in his cup that escaped the strainer.
Did it run in the family? Neither he nor Yonji would know. Judge made every attempt to stamp out whatever personality they had been born with, and until today, Sanji thought he had mostly succeeded.
His brothers had frequent flashes where they seemed to emote, largely when tormenting something weaker than them. A mean sadistic streak they all shared would prompt grins with too many teeth to split their face. But it was shallow, never going beneath surface level. They had a particular fascination with him, but they tired of even that eventually, moving on to the next thing. What defined his brothers, just as much as their cruelty, was their apathy. An indifference to everything that always caught up with them eventually.
The Yonji in front of him was anything but. Reiju, when she let herself, was anything but. He struggled to remember his mother outside of strong flashes of memory, but he knew she too, was passionate, emotional, and full of life. Were all of them really cut from that same cloth? Were they all born with boiling blood, just for Judge to drain it from their bodies?
He felt cold.
“How long will you be here?” Yonji's voice cut through the icy storm in his head.
“About four days was the plan,” said Nami. “That's how long the log pose takes to set. This is the third day.”
“Could… could I come back tomorrow?” Yonji's voice was hesitant, eyes darting around before settling on Sanji.
Franky began to open his mouth before being wrenched shut by the tan hands that sprouted on his shoulders.
Sanji leant back in his chair, and took a deep breath. “I don't see why not.”
Yonji's smile was blinding. Sanji pretended not to notice.
*
After a while, Sanji found himself waving an awkward goodbye to Yonji from the railing of The Sunny, watching him till he disappeared from the docks into the town before making his way back to the galley.
Robin, Nami, and Franky were exactly where he left them sitting around the table, muffins long demolished and third cups of tea poured. He didn’t look at any of them as he walked into the kitchen and leant his head against the fridge.
“Sanji?” said Nami.
Franky lifted his sunglasses so they sat on his head. “Didn’t know you had a bro Sanji-bro! Let alone on the Grand Line. He must’ve set out from your old man before you, eh?”
Sanji’s mouth twisted up. “That’s not- that’s not what happened.”
“Sanji’s adopted,” said Nami. “Like you and me.”
“Ah.” Franky’s expression smoothed over into something Sanji didn’t want to look at for too long.
He pushed himself off of the fridge and faced them. “He’s coming back tomorrow, so whoever’s here’s gonna find out anyway, but just for tonight, could this stay on the downlow? I’m really not in the mood for questions from the peanut gallery.”
Franky shot him a reassuring smile. “Hey bro, it’s cool. Me and Nami know a thing or too about complicated siblings.” Nami nodded, her knowing smile all but challenging him to remember meeting Nojiko in Cocoyashi Village.
“Of course Sanji, thank you for trusting us,” said Robin.
He ducked to hide his warm face. “Like I ever don’t, my dear.”
Eventually, some of their nakama returned, Chopper carrying a bursting bag he immediately toted into the infirmary, Brook trailing after him chattering away about something or other. Even Zoro appeared, covered in mud and looking for all intents and purposes like he’d been crawling through the woods for the past three days.
He’s not sure if Robin mentioned something to Nami and Franky or if they just picked up on his mood, but all three of them were sending him patient, reassuring smiles whenever he caught their eye. Usually so much attention from Nami and Robin would send him swooning, but right now it just made breathing easier.
True to word, none of them mentioned meeting Sanji’s brother to those that returned to the ship that night. He breathed a small sigh of relief that Luffy wasn’t among them, who’d certainly be one of the most annoying with his questions, but he almost wished his captain was there to soothe the jackrabbitting of his heart.
He wanted this olive branch offered by Yonji, wanted to grasp it with both hands. He wanted it so badly it scared him.
He slapped his cheeks with both hands, reminding himself of what Robin told him in the shop. One day at a time. And promptly pushed everything down to think about tomorrow.