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yourbelgianthings · 6 months

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taz november celebration fic four: prompt bakery au

sorry this is a day late but i'm also kind of not because of how long it is it evens out, i went with modern taakitz (feat. some other balance peeps) and may or may not have gotten a bit carried away, but i hope y'all enjoy the fluff! ~3.8k words @taznovembercelebration (in fact it's so long i will have to post in multiple parts oops)

Before the sun had even begun to dawn in the sky, Taako was starting all the different doughs and batters for the day and preheating the large double oven. He loved working in the early morning quiet and solitude, every measurement memorized and every movement second nature. His bakery was called Sweeten It Up with Taako, and it had become a popular fixture in the city. In the beginning, he just made things for his friends, then had a stand at the farmer's market, and finally saved enough to buy a brick and mortar shop. On either side was a dog training school and a combination plant/metaphysical/book store. A big buff guy with reddish hair and a beard named Magnus who was a bit younger than Taako ran the dog store, and a short, older white-haired gentleman with medium brown skin named Merle was the proprietor of…whatever the deal at his store was. Taako himself was tall and slim with long platinum blonde hair and sandy brown skin, he always thought the three of them must look straight out of a goofy buddy comedy on the days they took their lunch breaks together. They were pretty funny, and he didn't mind the company sometimes, but he was there to work and hone his craft, not make friends.

That morning, like every other, Taako made sure the display case was set up perfectly before flipping over the open sign. Croissants, muffins, éclairs, lemon bars, his signature elderflower macarons, and every other enticing treat imaginable were arranged in layers on cake stands and in trays. "Once again, perfect," he said to himself with a smile, now open for a day of business. The first customer to arrive, opening the door with a little jingle of the bell, was Lucretia, the curator of the city's art museum. She had dark skin, and her gray natural hair was cut very short. Even wearing just the museum uniform polo shirt, nametag, and khakis, she exuded a sense of elegance and grace. "Morning, Lucretia!" Taako greeted her cheerily. "Let me go grab your order, one sec," and he was gone before she could reply. She gasped when she saw the box of cutout cookies frosted to look like watercolor paintings. "Taako, these are gorgeous! I don't know if you can make it to the opening we're serving these at, but there's a ticket for the exhibit with your name on it at the front desk whenever you're free." Taako and Lucretia weren't necessarily close personal friends, but they talked a lot about art whenever they got the chance, and that can tell you a lot about someone. They thanked each other and he promised to be over soon. After Lucretia left, the rest of the morning passed normally, with a steady stream of business people, parents and children, and retired folks.

Around noon, though, a customer he had never seen before caught his eye as soon as he entered. He was a little shorter than Taako, dark-skinned with cool undertones, his locs up in a ponytail and wearing a long black coat. Taako was stunned, but he quickly blinked and snapped out of it. "What brings you in today?" he asked. "This is a bakery, yeah? Presumably I'm buying some of your baked goods," the stranger replied, with a twinkle in his eye. "Yes, yep, it definitely is!" Taako was not used to feeling flustered, let alone at work, where he was at charge and could do what he was best at. All of a sudden, it seemed much warmer, and he quickly freed his hair from the braid down his back and swept it up into a bun with a purple scrunchie. The stranger asked which muffin was best, paid in cash (and tipped!), and left, but waved as he turned to go at the door. Taako waved back dumbfoundedly, kicking himself for not having thought of anything witty to say as he watched the door close. What on earth was that, anyway? He saw plenty of hot guys every day, there was no reason to waste time thinking that this might be anything different. Still, his mind kept wandering back to the stranger the rest of the day.

After he locked up, he called Lup, and she picked up right away. "Hey, Taako! Are you off?" "Yep, just heading out. Your place or mine tonight? I will have you know I don't feel like cooking, so don't let that influence you." Lup laughed. "No worries, carryout is fine, but we're redoing the bathroom, so yours is probably better." "Got it, see you at 7." click Taako didn't want to cook?! There's another point for the list of reasons she'd been worrying about him lately. She sighed as she headed to her car from the studio, brushing dust and bits of dried clay from her hands and clothes as she went. Lup looked a lot like Taako, except her hair wasn't as long, and she dyed it starting at the top of her ears red, and then orange halfway down. She often wore it in two Dutch braids so it was neatly out of her face while she was working.

Taako was secretly disappointed he was hosting. He always felt bad that his apartment didn't live up to Barry and Lup's cozy little house that actually felt like a home. His apartment was just where he crashed when he wasn't at work, the only room with any effort actually put into it was the kitchen. Even though it had been a while now, it was still hard to get used to the idea that he wasn't going to have to leave soon. He loved that he and Lup and Barry regularly spent time together though, so it was worth it to have them over.

"Barry?" Lup called as soon as she walked in the front door. "One second, honey, let me just get off the ladder!" A pale chubby man with light brown hair and a beard wearing glasses and paint stained jeans and a tshirt emerged with his arms outstretched for a hug. As they embraced, Lup exclaimed, "You didn't need to work on the bathroom after school, care bear!" "I don't mind. Really anything quiet after the day I had with those middle schoolers is fine by me, and of course, they still don't even understand the weather cycle!" They laughed and headed to their room to get changed for Taako's. Barry pressed the buzzer in the lobby, the speaker crackled and then projected Taako's voice: "Welcome to Chez Taako, darlings, let yourselves in." His apartment was on the third floor so Barry and Lup took the stairs, opening the door to see Taako flopped on an armchair reading a book. He put iit down as soon as he heard the door and ran over to hug them.

"Ooh, whatcha reading?" asked Barry. "Some book Merle gave me, I don't really get what it's about. Most of the stuff at his shop is weird, but all the plants are somehow always in perfect condition." "That reminds me," said Lup, "I was going to ask if you wanted to invite Magnus and Merle to hang out with us sometime. They seem pretty cool, and we have more spots open in our video game tournaments." Taako bristled and glared at her. "Fuck no!" he snapped. "They're two guys that happen to work next to me that I eat lunch with sometimes. Hardly the same category as my sister and my brother in law, don't you think?" "Jesus, Taako, you could just say you don't want to, calm down." He collapsed onto the armchair again. "I'm sorry, Lulu. I guess I'm just a bit on edge."

Lup went to sit criss cross on the floor next to the chair, and Barry sat on the futon. "Why, what's up, bud?" she asked gently. "Why not?" He gave her a tired smile. "Shit, I was supposed to order food for us already, wasn't I? Sorry, guys." Barry stood up and grabbed his phone. "No worries, Taako," he reassured. "We all have those days, I'll do it. How's Chinese?" The twins nodded gratefully, as much as the three of them were a family and Barry and Lup were a couple, Barry was good at reading when they needed their own moments as well. "Hairbrush, Taako?" "Should be on the dresser."

Returning with it, Lup scooted Taako off the chair onto the floor right in front of it, and she sat in the chair, putting her legs around him. She silently began to brush his hair, and when it was perfectly soft and smooth, she braided it too. They had done this a million times, it almost always worked to help Taako relax. When Lup needed the same, her and Taako sat across from each other on the floor and held each other's hands, and he instinctively knew how much pressure he needed to squeeze with. But Lup was helping him right now, so he got up, still without a word, and sat on her lap. They held each other until Barry said the food was good to go and asked if they wanted to play Mario Kart. The rest of the evening passed like it always did: easy, comfortable, and filled with laughter. The next day at the bakery, the stranger returned, and did so for the rest of the week. He and Taako chatted every time; Taako learned that his name was Kravitz and he worked at some kind of therapy place nearby. On Friday, he slipped a business card in the paper bag, but it had his own phone number written on the back.

"Have a good weekend, Kravitz! Hopefully I'll see you again!" he called as his new favorite customer opened the door to leave. Kravitz smiled. "You too, Taako. I'm sure you will." As soon as he left, Taako ran into the freezer and screamed. "I'm sure you will"?! What did that mean? Was it good? He thought so, but he wasn't quite sure, and now he had all weekend to worry about it. Or not, honestly, this was ridiculous. He wasn't a middle schooler with a silly crush, he was just providing good service at his job and a new regular said he would be back, that was all it was. Definitely just that for sure. He took a deep breath, realized he was still in the freezer, and quickly left it to warm up and continue his day. When the bakery closed, Taako texted Lucretia: exhibit tonight? always more fun when you can show me around <3 We already have an event booked tonight :( Tomorrow at noon? sure thing, thx lucretia!

Well, that was something for tomorrow, but he was left with no plans for tonight. He thought back to what Lup said, maybe it would be a good idea to hang out with Magnus and Merle more. It wasn't like he had to tell them his life story, but the amount of time he spent alone probably wasn't great, as much as he liked to try and convince himself otherwise. Did he even have their numbers? That could be a goal for next week Taako, and apparently tonight Taako was going to get drunk alone. A classic Friday night activity. He just needed to get home and make it to tomorrow. You'd be surprised how hard that could be. However, to his surprise, after his first glass of wine, he got a text from an unknown number. It read: Do I have Taako? This is Kravitz "Holy shit, that actually worked," he thought. yep it's me ✨ You know you could have just asked for my number i figured a little surprise would be more fun! Taako couldn't believe this was happening, he pushed the bottle of wine aside and laid down on the futon. He definitely did not want to end up drunk texting right now. His instinct was to tell Lup right away, but he decided to wait and see where things went. You're right, I think you're very interesting, Taako um thanks?? Yes, it's a compliment, I don't get to choose who I talk to all day at my job, so I'm quite selective outside of it huh well that's something in common i don't talk to a lot of people either but idk if we're coming from the same place on that one…anyway what's your job like, what happens at a therapy place? Well, I'm actually specialized in grief counseling, so I help people through a lot of heavy stuff dude how do you deal with that i could never You just have to be able to leave work at work, it was hard at the beginning but I've had a lot of practice impressive that makes sense though you seem like a good listener hey i need to go make dinner ttyl? Yes, I'll be here, this was nice

Success!! Texting wasn't the same as real life interaction, but this was a good start for sure. Taako suddenly felt full of energy, he practically skipped around the kitchen getting everything out for beef stroganoff. In his apartment, several blocks away, Kravitz was in a similarly good mood. His roommate, Lucas, saw him looking down at his phone and smiling and asked, "Talking to someone, are we?" with a knowing smile. "None of your business," he retorted, and jokingly stuck his tongue out at him. Taako's text reminded him that he hadn't eaten yet either, but he honestly hadn't even been thinking of that. All day, as soon as he had seen the card left in his bag, he had just been waiting to be able to get home and send that first message. He was rarely so distracted, especially with his line of work, but there was just something about Taako that stuck in his mind and stayed there. His reverie was interrupted by Lucas's voice from the kitchen: "I made stuff for tacos, but if you don't get in here, there won't be any left!"

The next morning, Taako woke up excited to go see the exhibit with Lucretia. He had actually forgotten what it was even of, but that would just get to be a surprise! Once he had selected his museum outfit (a pastel pink fuzzy sweater with a long swishy pleated skirt in an eggplant color with heeled boots and several gold necklaces) and gotten dressed, he sent a picture to Lup, as they often did with their fashion choices. lulu, fit check! ooh love it 🤩 you're up early for your day off though what's up? museum with lucretia yay that's great! have fun tell her i said hi :3 "Taako, you look gorgeous!" exclaimed Lucretia when he arrived at the front desk. "And perfect timing, things aren't too busy yet. Let's go!" They strolled through the Georgia O'Keeffe exhibition, marveling at bones, flowers, and desert landscapes, all painted in bright colors and blue strokes. "Which one is your favorite, Lucretia?" "I like the bone paintings the best, I know the flowers are her most popular works, but I love how she also found beauty in the morbid and unconventional. Most people would consider an old bone too boring to even give it a chance as their subject. What about you?" Taako paused to think.

"Probably The Sky Above The Clouds. The different perspective is oddly peaceful." Lucretia nodded. "So much of her work has a sense of solitude, but not loneliness," she observed, and he knew what she meant, but not what the feeling was actually like. When they reached the end of the gallery, Lucretia had to go give a talk, but Taako had nothing else planned, so he wandered to the sculpture garden and sat at one of the small tables. He absentmindedly pulled out his phone to check his messages, and then decided to text Kravitz. hey handsome are you free at all today? Ten or fifteen minutes later, a reply came. Oh, handsome? Thank you very much, and I'm going to a concert later tonight if you want to come? yeah i'm down! who is it? My friend Johann's band, they're called Voidfish and he's the violinist oh, i've never heard of them but that sounds cool Kravitz sent him a location and time to meet, and he figured this was probably enough to tell Lup about now.

luuuppp guess whatttt what taako? i think i'm going on a date? i'm not sure if it's a date but this guy i've been talking to invited me to a concert tonight! omg! you didn't even tell me you were interested in someone, rude, but i'm so happy for you 🩷 hey now! i was waiting to see where it went and it still might not be anything that's true, but taako, you deserve to have fun with someone you like, it's been a long time, so try to just stay in the moment and take it as it comes, okay? what are you lulu, our mom? oh wait lmao haha very funny, seriously though i'll try, love you love you Not sure what to do with the rest of his time before meeting for the concert, Taako took the long way back to his apartment, enjoying the feel of the air and taking in his surroundings in a way he never really had before. When he got back, he decided to take a nap so he would be ready for the potential late night out.

At his apartment, Kravitz was also carefully selecting his outfit for the evening. He wore the same thing to work every day: black pants, a white button down, and a red tie, so he never had to worry about it getting ready in the mornings, but this was a weekend and a special occasion at that. He settled on a band shirt Johann had given him at the last concert and his dark blue denim jacket covered in a large collection of raven patches and pins. The dark and eerie birds had always fascinated him. Sitting on his bed, Kravitz took a deep breath. Normally, he wouldn't make plans like this so spontaneously, but there was something about Taako that oddly put him more at ease. It was certainly a new and strange feeling, but not an unwelcome one. He quickly texted Lucas saying that he would probably be out late, and headed for Bumbershoots to meet Taako. Since Kravitz lived closer, he arrived first, but he only had to wait about five minutes for his companion.

"Hey, Kravitz!" Taako called. "You look stunning!" "I could say the same for you," Kravitz replied as he took Taako's hand and they entered the bar together. Voidfish played a great show, and Johann was amazing on the violin, but the baker and the therapist spent most of the evening simply focused on each other. They sat at a table in the back drinking cocktails (old fashioned for Kravitz, blackberry bramble for Taako) and talking for the whole show. Kravitz told Taako the names of the different songs as they were played, and Taako critiqued the band's outfits like he was a famous fashion designer, which made Kravitz laugh more than he had in a while. When the show ended, they paused outside the building, unsure what to say and neither one wanting to leave. Taako looked at Kravitz and asked, "Was this a date?" "I think so," Kravitz smiled as he replied. They both started laughing and pulled each other into a hug. As he continued to visit Taako at the bakery, Kravitz started to find extra items in his bag, usually new recipes being tested out. No matter how wild something sounded, it always ended up being delicious. He recommended Sweeten It Up with Taako to all his clients and Coworkers. One Friday afternoon, he got an unusual text from Taako.

hey krav, do you want to come over? my place is nothing much, so don't get your hopes up, but i'd love to have you It would be my pleasure, Taako, and don't worry about any of it okay? Taako sighed with relief. He still hadn't had anyone but Barry and Lup over to this apartment, but this could be the chance to make what he really wanted of it. Some of the decorations from his last place were still in a box, and he decided to get them back out; stringing the fairy lights up around the living room, hanging the pride flag on the wall, and putting the vase of fake flowers on the coffee table. It almost looked like someone lived here now, and like someone else would want to visit. He smiled and went to the kitchen to start getting dinner ready. When Kravitz arrived, he brought a fancy bottle of champagne with him, which he offered to Taako upon opening the door. "Kravitz! You didn't have to do that! This stuff is really nice too, oh my gosh…but since we have it, I think it'll go perfect with dinner. Since I forgot to ask what you wanted, I hope pizza is good." "That's excellent, yes." They had a delicious meal of Taako's signature homemade pizza, including dough made by hand (of course) and fresh mozzarella cheese, and glasses of sweet, refreshing champagne. Afterwards, they watched some terrible movie that was on TV, cuddling and making fun of it the entire time. As the credits finally rolled and Taako reached for the remote, Kravitz stopped him, taking both of his hands and staring into his warm brown eyes. "Can I kiss you?" he asked in a low voice, serious and sincere. "Yeah," Taako whispered without hesitation, surprising himself. The kiss was perfect, tender yet intense, warm and hungry. It wasn't just one either, they pulled away, smiled at each other and agreed with just their eyes, and then they were making out the best either of them had ever experienced. Being in one another's arms and pressed into each other's bodies was such a comfort that it more than made up for the old futon they were on. For a moment, there were no clients or macarons or roommates or sisters or anything else in the world but Kravitz and Taako and their hearts and bodies. Finally, Taako rested his head on Kravitz's shoulder, lazily looking up in his direction. "So, are you my boyfriend now or what?" Kravitz just smiled and pulled him in for another kiss, and they both understood that meaning perfectly.

#message from mirph #the adventure zone #taz november celebration #mirph's manuscripts #taz fanfic #fanfic #ship fanfic #canon mlm #mlm ship #taakitz #taako taaco #taz kravitz #lup taaco #barry bluejeans #taz lucretia

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skribblezcorner · 3 months

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Zosan haircut time!!!!

had to write this after getting the idea from my last post lmao. I love the idea of Sanji being like "ugh you look fucking terrible" and then forcing Zoro to take care of himself. they're so stupid and gay and in love omg. beginning part is mostly Zoro and Nami but that's ok because they're wlw/mlm solidarity always!!!!

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More than anything, Zoro loves sunbathing on the Sunny's deck. Something about the warm light makes him want to melt into the wood. However, Zoro finds it very hard to enjoy the sun when it is boiling outside, and he swears he can hear his sweat sizzle when it meets the wooden flooring.

"We're going through a summer climate, just wait it out." Nami sips on her martini, laid out on a lounge chair and taking cover under an umbrella.

"Easy for you to say, you witch. You stole all the shade." While Nami's basking in the shadow of her parasol, Zoro's sprawled out on deck, sweating his fucking balls off. His whole body is damp, and he's stripped down into just a pair of loose shorts to cool off.

"Go hang out with your boyfriend in the kitchen," She says.

"He's not my boyfriend. I fucking hate you."

"The feeling's mutual, you sweaty loser."

Zoro groans, peeling himself off of the floor to sit up and comb his fingers through his shaggy hair. It's too long to stay out of the way, and it's uncomfortably wet where it sticks to his forehead. Zoro would tie it back, but it's too short for that. In short, he is suffering.

"I'm gonna die from heatstroke because of you," Zoro shakes the excess moisture from his hands.

Nami scoffs. "Stop whining, hop in the sea or something."

Zoro briefly considers this, but decides that's more effort than it's worth and tries to take a nap instead.

Zoro hears someone stroll out of the galley, and cracks his eye open to see Sanji balancing a tray of smoothies in one hand with a beach towel in the other. He's dressed down, an open Hawaiian shirt and blue shorts replacing his usual suit.

"Hello, my darling, Nami-san! I've just prepared smoothies. Would you like one?"

"Yes, Sanji-- thank you so much," She says smugly, while looking directly at Zoro. "You're a saint, You know that?"

He watches the cook hand Nami a drink from the tray, and Sanji's eyes follow her gaze to the floor where he's lying. "Oh my god, marimo. you look like -excuse my language, Nami-san- a fucking caveman."

"What are you talking about?" Zoro would pick a fight, but it's way too hot to bother.

The blonde cringes. "Your hair looks like someone ate it and then spat it back out onto your head."

"Okay, well, fuck you too then!" God, everyone's out for him today. What has Zoro ever done to deserve this?

"Ugh. Stand up, you dunce." Sanji nudges Zoro's head with a sandaled foot. "You need a haircut."

"I can give myself a haircut." Zoro nods in the direction of his swords, trying to move as little as possible.

"Are you insa- no! I'm cutting your hair, properly. Now get up."

"I don't wanna."

"I swear to god," Sanji sighs. "My dearest Nami, do you mind holding this for a bit?"

Nami peers at the two of them through her oversized sunglasses, a knowing smirk on her face as she takes the tray from Sanji's hands. "No problem."

Zoro doesn't have time to get a word in before Sanji reaches for his ear and bodily drags him all the way to the bathroom.

----- "I don't understand how you let it get this bad," The blonde lectures.

Zoro grumbles as he slouches on a stool in front of the bathroom sink, glaring at his own reflection. Sanji was partially right with his comment earlier - Zoro's hair is a damp, scraggly mess on top of his head right now. From where he is, Zoro can see the cook as he lines up all his fancy hair-cutting stuff, whispering insults under his breath. He looks kind of...domestic, out of his suit. It's the one thing Zoro appreciates whenever the Sunny passes through climates like this. "Okay, I'm going to attempt to fix this mess, and you are going to stay still," Sanji asserts as he slides into place behind Zoro. "as in, do not move."

"I know what 'stay still' means."

"Surprising. I thought you only spoke in grunts."

They both fall silent, Sanji draping a towel over Zoro's shoulders and clicking a button on the clippers in his hand. Gentle fingers push Zoro's head forward to access the strands at the nape of his neck. The whirring of the machinery and Sanji's hums every now and then are the only sounds in the cramped bathroom, and Zoro almost falls asleep to the feeling of the blond's hands in his hair.

"Hey." Sanji delivers two sharp taps to the back of Zoro's head. "Stop slouching, you're making it uneven."

"I'm so hot."

"I'm sure you are, you meathead. sit up."

Zoro begrudgingly straightens his back, getting a better view of the cook's freckled face reflected in the mirror. He always gets freckles when it's sunny out. They look like little constellations, scattered across his cheeks like that. Zoro wants to touch them so badly.

A few minutes pass, and Sanji moves to the front of his hair, taking a black comb from the counter to parse through the mess draping over Zoro's forehead. His face is scrunched in concentration, a crease between his eyebrows visible as he snips away with a pair of silver scissors. Zoro just...watches, staring intently into the other man's eyes. He's not sure if he's delirious from the heat, but is the cook's face turning red?

Sanji pauses his ministrations to frown at him. "Stop fucking looking at me. It's creepy."

"Sorry, sir." That earns him a snort and another smack to the side of his head. Zoro closes his eye (reluctantly. very reluctantly).

It feels like forever before Sanji finishes up his hair, ruffling it slightly before commanding Zoro to open his eyes.

The haircut is cropped close to his neck in the back, his overgrown sideburns shaped to follow his hairline. His hair is still a bit long on top, but it doesn't fall over his face.

Zoro's reflection looks better; neat, almost. He actually really likes it.

"It's okay, I guess." Zoro's lying through his teeth. It's fantastic, anything Sanji ever does is fantastic.

Sanji looks at him through the mirror. "Hm. Handsome little marimo." He nods in self-approval before packing up all his stuff, whisking the towel from around Zoro's shoulders to take to the laundry room.

Zoro sits there, bewildered, watching the other man maneuver around the tiny space unbothered- what?

He turns to look at Sanji as the blonde saunters out of the bathroom, definitely already busying himself with something else.

When Zoro turns back to his reflection, he doesn't fight the tiny smile that crosses his face. Sanji thinks he's Handsome.

The smile's gone just as quick as it came, replaced with a scowl as he hears a female voice giggling through the wall to his right.

"Nami, I'm going to murder you."

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Nami was eavesdropping the entire time lmfao.

Nami, to Zoro: wow so handsome!! such a handsome wittle marimo arent you so wittle?? ooga booga doo!!!

Zoro: i am not above killing lesbians. Anyway BRAND NEW HC that Sanji gets freckles when he's in the sun he's such a cutie patootie i love him.

Pre-slash Zosan domesticity fuels my soul <33333

ALSOO!!! opening up asks cuz im running out of ideas :P if you ask me for something I'll probably write it thanks

#one piece #zosan #stupid gay people #roronoa zoro #vinsmoke sanji #zosan brainrot #cat burglar nami #one piece nami #platonic zonami CANON #wlw/mlm solidarity #does this even count as a ficlet anymore #my posts are getting progressively longer with each one i write #its 4am #i haven't slept in 72 hours

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