This is for turtelfriedrice's ZoSan Secret Valentine on tumblr. I have written this for Whitecourtain (tumblr) who was my Valentine.
I hope you like it :)
(and that my first attempt at ZoSan was ok)
Thanks to Aerle for betaing :)
Please enjoy & review.
Disclaimer: One Piece belongs to Oda-sensei.
ZoSan-Secret Valentine – Our pink love story
Sanji rubbed his eyes, but the green was still there.
HE was there. Sitting at a table in his restaurant, staring at the table in front of him. He couldn't believe it. The two years of waiting were finally over. Zoro was back from Japan! And on top of that, it was Saint Valentine's Day!
The blonde took a deep breath, ran his hand through his hair and took a step forward. He walked over, placing a heart-shaped pink lollipop on the table before the man who was still sitting there with his back turned to him.
It was better, easier, than starting a forced, awkward conversation. And they both knew the secret, hidden meaning of the little gesture.
It felt so symbolic, especially today.
After all, the small candy started they story exactly five years ago, on the Valentine's day of their freshmen year.
5 years ago – Oro Jackson Senior High School, classroom 205
Sanji looked at the door in anticipation. It was about time for the Secret Valentine-service to come to their room.
The service was an old tradition on their school, allowing the students to send a heart shaped lollipop together with a cute message to their friends, crushes and even teachers, anonymously.
Nobody knew how it became a tradition at all, but some of the students believed that Gol D. Roger, the school's principal was responsible for it, as he and his wife Rouge, the school nurse, fell in love thanks to such an event in the past. At least the rumors said so.
But Sanji didn't care about that now. The excited faces of his beloved ladies in the moment they received they Valentines and read the messages were more important to him right now. After all, he took the time to write something special for every of his wonderful female friends, doing his best to find a compliment suiting them perfectly.
Finally, the door opened and the junior duo responsible for the Valentines this year, the beautiful and intelligent Robin and a weird guy called Franky, entered, the later carrying a huge basket full of lollipops with little messages on them.
They called out the students name by name, giving them their candy, making the others chat loudly with their friends, comparing, laughing. As the period was reserved for this anyway, their teacher, Mister Beckmann just watched silently, enjoying the atmosphere, smirking occasionally as he read his own messages from the Valentines.
Everybody in the room got at least one, the more popular people even more. Well, everybody except one.
Sanji noticed the green-haired punk sitting at the back of the corner all by himself without a note or candy in sight, as he had to turn in different directions to see the reactions of his friends.
The boy, whose name Sanji recalled to be Zoro, had a neutral, rather bored expression on his face as he stared holes into his desk. Was it an attempt to ignore his surroundings? To get over the fact that he was the only one who didn't get anything?
Sanji didn't know the answers. Hell, he never talked to the guy before though they were together in most classes. He didn't even remember seeing anybody except Ace, the director's son, talk to him.
As he was watching the punk, something snapped in Sanji's head and made him to take a decision.
Before the next class started, the boy wrote a new message on a piece of paper and attached it on one of his lollypops, placing it on Zoro's desk before anybody arrived. He had too many of them anyway.
The reaction he got from the green-haired boy as he discovered his Valentine was more than surprising for Sanji.
The first suspicion turned to a look of amazement and finally to a slight smile while Zoro's ears got several shades darker. Was he blushing?
Sanji couldn't help himself from thinking it was rather cute. Odd, sure, but rather cute. He was surprised himself at the use of the word, usually reserved for his ladies, in connection with the green-haired boy. Why did he even dye his hair such a colour?
The blonde boy shrugged all this thoughts away as the lesson started, not knowing how to act towards Zoro at all. The punk didn't know that the Valentine was from him anyway, so what?
This kind of ideas, inner conflicts and thoughts towards his green-haired classmate accompanied Sanji till the end of the school year. He had tried to talk to him sometimes during their breaks, but didn't succeed at all since Zoro was sleeping all the time.
Everything changed in their sophomore year and the introduction of the kid called Monkey D. Luffy.
Luffy, Ace's younger brother, was an energetic kid, a year their junior, with the extraordinary talent to make friends everywhere he went. Through, he cherished a small group of people more than the others and called them his nakama, making them promise to accompany him on his journey to become the Pirate King. Sanji was a part of this group together with Zoro, the juniors Vivi and Nami , the two seniors Robin and Franky and Luffy's classmate Usopp.
Somehow they ended up spending all of their breaks together, making him interact with the green-haired boy more.
Sanji didn't know what to make out of it. Sure, he wanted to talk to him for some reason that went beyond him, but Zoro kept sleeping in the breaks. And when he didn't sleep, they argued over the smallest things, calling each other stupid nicknames.
Sanji wouldn't dare to call them friends at that point, but they weren't strangers anymore. He wasn't sure what they were through.
Never the less, the blonde decided to send a Valentine to the green-haired boy as the time of the year came again. Though finding a fitting message proved itself to be a real challenge, as he has written only to his beloved ladies before. Not counting the one for Zoro the previous year.
Zoro's reaction was very similar to the last one, especially since this time his name was actually called out as the Valentines were distributed among the students.
Sanji could see that Robin, who was responsible for the service together with Franky again this year, gave the green-haired boy three of the candies.
During lunch, the girls chatted eagerly about the Valentines, already knowing exactly how many each of their friends got. They came up with the craziest theories, but still agreeing on the most realistic in the end.
Though, there was something they didn't have a theory for.
"Zoro, do you have any idea from whom your third Valentine could be?" Nami asked at the end of the lunch break.
The only response was a disinterested grunt from the green-haired boy. Of course, somebody like Nami wouldn't be satisfied with an answer like that.
"Hm, so who is it? Is it so embarrassing? Does somebody have a crush on you and you don't want to share the news?" the ginger girl continued.
"Hell, shut up, witch! I don't know, I don't care."
"You can't talk to a lady like that, shit-head!" the blonde blurred out of a reflex.
"Get out of the way, bastard!" Zoro stood up and left.
The next day, everything returned to normal. Well, except there were some new couples running around the school as some students have used the Secret Valentine to confess their feelings.
Sanji, who had't date anybody before, felt a slight pain in his chest at the picture. Sure, he had gotten many wonderful messages from his friends, but that was it. The girls saw him just as a friend, nothing more, nothing less.
He was their gentleman, the reliable knight, but not their prince charming.
And hell, did he wish to be exactly that.
Zoro on the other hand, didn't seem to be affected by the couples around him. Thinking about it, the blonde realized that he didn't see Zoro show any affection towards a girl at all.
At that point, he had brushed it off as the result of talking just to their group of friends, where all girls were older than him and either taken or he couldn't stand them at all.
The time after Valentine's Day passed rather quickly and it was the beginning of a new school year sooner than anybody would have liked. Robin and Franky left the school for college, while a small boy called Tony Chopper became a part of their group.
Sanji really missed his gracious Robin and even Franky, but seeing Zoro actually talking to Chopper almost made up for it. The green-haired bastard acted kind of like an older brother towards the boy.
As for their relationship, the biggest change came with sharing the physical education-class. The previous two years, they have chosen different curses but now, Sanji found Zoro in his wrestling course.
Soon, both youths discovered, that only the other one was a serious sparring partner, as nobody else could compete with them. After that, it didn't take long to learn about their shared interest in material-arts, making their little training sessions to real competitions, neither wanted to loose.
Somehow, they changed their way of insulting each other at that point as well, Zoro referring to Sanji as Curly-brow while he got called Marimo, thanks to his green hair and Japanese ancestors. They spend more and more time together, talking, fighting, watching material-arts championships on TV and slowly becoming best friends and rivals at the same time.
It went so far, that Sanji couldn't imagine his life without Zoro anymore. He even started questioning if it was only friendship and nothing more shortly before Christmas.
He didn't know how the Marimo thought about it and didn't dare to ask. But as the mere thought of the green-haired bastard kept him awake every night and made concentrating impossible, except when said man was standing right next to him, he decided to put everything on one card.
As Valentine's Day came closer, Sanji got more and more high-strung with every day. Everyone who looked at him could tell he was just a bundles of nerves, but not even Nami managed to get behind the cause.
The blonde was shaking as he filled out the Valentine for Zoro. He couldn't believe he was doing this. But he was! There was no way back!
Luckily, Sanji had to give his Valentine-messages to Vivi, as Nami and Ace were occupied with other students. These two were the biggest gossipers at school and would have tortured him to death if they knew that he was sending Zoro a Valentine. Especially if they found out that it wasn't the first time. Vivi on the other hand was a nice, gentle girl who didn't meddle to others personal business at all.
Sanji was about to cry as the Secret Valentine-service finally entered the room. He wasn't able to wait any longer. He just had to know how Zoro would react. He just had to!
The blonde almost missed his own name and remembered getting up and walking to the front of the classroom to get his Valentines from Vivi and Ace only as the girl sitting next to him, a goth lolita called Perona, actually reminded him to do so.
In all the mess, he even missed how many lollipops Zoro received.
Sanji was thorn from his almost-comatose state by a strong tanned hand on his arm. He looked up, just to be dragged out of the classroom more than ungentle by Zoro. He was pushed against a wall, with Zoro, who obviously didn't care what other thought as always, in front him.
"Are you serious?" the Marimo asked as he held the little piece of paper in front of Sanji's face, who didn't even bother looking at the paper as he knew what was written on it anyway.
The blonde only gulped, unable to answer. Was Zoro about to end their friendship?
"H-How can you even be so sure it was from me, bastard?" he finally managed to get out, making the green-haired man in front of him snort.
"You wrote Marimo on it. You are the only one who calls me Marimo, Curly-brow!"
Sanji felt his face redden. "It could be a prank or something! Never thought about that, shithead?!"
"Oh really? Then why do you know what was written in the Valentine without looking at it?!" Zoro fumed already, his question making Sanji speechless.
He got him. He lost. But he wouldn't go under without a freaking fight.
"FUCK, I LIKE YOU! SO WHAT? HAPPY NOW, SHITTY MARIMO?!" the blonde yelled. He wanted to just turn around and leave. He was done with this shit. Just so done.
But once again, strong tanned hands stopped him, pushing him back against the wall. But this time, lips pressed against his own. Sanji was caught off guard, but did his best to overcome the shock and respond to the kiss.
Somehow, it ended in a battle of dominance, full of touching each other. It felt so… awkward but amazing at the same time. The blonde just hoped that he would get more chances to kiss Zoro.
They parted as the bell rang through the corridors, both realizing that they would probably get caught. Well, they did. As Zoro turned around, Ace and Nami were standing behind him, grinning as they collected some money from other students who were passing them.
"You… You were betting on us?!" Zoro couldn't believe his eyes.
"No, of course not! Who do you think I am?" the ginger answered innocently, while Ace just snickered.
"Witch!"
"Don't insult a lady, stupid Marimo!"
"Idiots!"
Insults flew through the school and were carried on by all the pupils, until the point where Mister Silvers, the vice principal, shouted into the school's address system to calm down and go to the next class. Fortunately all the pupils had enough respect to obey without further problems. Nobody wanted to see the man angry, as he was famous for being able to kick ass if somebody really pissed him off.
It was probably better for the two boys that they had different classes next, as they both needed to calm down and perceive what the hell actually happened and what it meant. But they managed to promise each other to talk on the phone later. And they indeed did. They spoke for five hours, until Sanji's adoptive-father Zeff yelled at him to hang up and get to sleep.
The next day they disappeared during the lunch break, coming back too late for class, both grinning like mad.
Though Nami tried to force them to spill out what happened, the next day, she didn't manage it, but she wasn't mad at them or anything. In contrary. "As long as you two are happy…." was her reaction to the news that Sanji and Zoro were officially dating.
The others reactions were as expected with Ace just grinning proudly for whatever reason, Vivi congratulating them and Usopp and Chopper being totally stunned but happy.
Only Luffy's reaction was somewhat odd, as he stared at the pair seriously for several seconds, before smiling in his very own Luffy-way and hugging them both tightly.
All in all, their relationship was accepted or ignored by basically everyone as not many dared to start a fight with the two of them or anybody from their group of friends. Some people were mildly surprised, but that was all.
Like this, the life went on in a peaceful way, the saddest part being the farewell of Nami, Vivi and Ace, as they graduated high school in summer.
Zoro felt a little jealous of the girls because of Sanji's flirting, but his blond boyfriend made sure to show him his eternal love later without people around.
The following summer was the best of their lives, filled with dates, parties and barbecues, long days spend on nearby beaches and "adventures" as Luffy loved to call many of their activities. In the evenings or on days they didn't spend with their friends, Zoro and Sanji loved to explore a completely different kind of things.
At first, they wrestled, Zoro showing Sanji his swordsmanship and the blonde kicking his boyfriend just because he could. Slowly, it turned into more, something amazing, hot and steamy, something they would get called naughty for.
They explored and explored, burning the other completely in the own memories, not wanting to miss even a heartbeat. They kissed, they touched, they experienced. They went to heaven and hell together, living for the moment, making the time their own.
The new school year brought the awakening with all the duties and tasks of a senior. In Sanji's eyes it was pure hell, as the time he got with Zoro was limited.
It was crazy! During the summer, the Marimo had been with him all the time, hardly out of the sight. And now, sharing even less classes than in the first year, the blonde was driven crazy by the mere thought of his boyfriend.
But he obviously wasn't the only one who felt like this. Zoro wasn't the best at using words, but his actions spoke volumes, especially when he dragged Sanji along to the roof like on the faithful day more than half a year ago, when they started their relationship.
Hardly arriving at the roof, Sanji found himself against the wall, Zoro kissing him passionately. The blonde couldn't help but grin. He should have thought about this.
They ended up meeting on the roof regularly, sometimes eating with their friends and getting up together, enjoying the time they had for themselves, before reality decided to catch them.
For Sanji, this was the happiest time he remembered. Finally, he didn't feel alone anymore. There was someone who loved and understood him. Sure, the old geezer loved him as well, but it was different. The same way as it was different from the love he got from his female friends. It was an one-in-a-lifetime kind of love.
The harder it hit Sanji that Zoro acted more and more distant after the Christmas holiday. Everything has been just perfect between them, but the green-haired youth started to avoid his boyfriend. He didn't meet him at the roof as often anymore and even if he did, he looked deep in thought.
The blonde didn't know what to do. Did he do something wrong? Did Zoro have enough of him?
Such thoughts troubled Sanji especially as the Secret Valentine service, this year organized by his classmates Perona and Kaku, started taking messages again.
He knew he would send Zoro one, but he didn't know what to write.
The day before Valentine's Day, Zoro asked Sanji to do him a favour the next day and not open any of the messages he got till they met in the lunch break at the usual place, which has been not accessible due to heavy snow fall for over a week.
The blonde didn't sleep that night, as he was panicking inside. Was Zoro going to break up with him? Exactly a year after they started dating? On Valentine's Day? And what was up with the Secret Valentines?
Hell, why wasn't Nami around now when he needed her help? Why did she have to move for her studies to another city?
Sanji didn't bring it over himself to bother the ginger woman with his problems without her meddling into his life herself. As much as he hated it, her advice has always helped him when he didn't know what to do. He missed her. He missed all his older friends.
But there were more important issues to handle next.
Sanji felt a sort of a déja-vu during the lesson reserved for the Valentines. Last year, it had felt the same. He had feared rejection from Zoro. And now, a year later, he feared it again. But the pain if it truly came would be stronger and harder to endure than before. Sanji clenched his fists. After the lesson, he would know what was the matter. He would be a man and accept whatever came. He had to.
As Sanji got his Valentines, he hardly hid his surprise. One of them was written on green paper! Usually the paper was white and people used different pen colours, but this one was green! How?
Did Zoro manage to talk Perona into taking his green paper? Was the whole mess about a weird message? Was that it?
The blonde decided to do as Zoro asked him to and wait till their meeting during lunch.
Sanji arrived on the roof before Zoro, but that was hardly a surprise as the green-haired youth still get lost in the school's building. Even after almost four years there. What an idiot.
At least, the school wasn't that big, so it took Zoro just about five minutes to finally arrive at the roof, where he found a mildly freezing Sanji.
"Hey," he said awkwardly, looking at the blonde before him, who's nose and cheeks have turned red, as he walked to him and kissed Sanji on the lips.
"What's up?" the blonde asked, smiling. Hell, these kisses always lifted his mood, even if he had doubts or was scared as they provided the security in a very weird sense.
"Well… We need to talk about something…" Zoro answered hesitating, looking away from his boyfriend.
That was more than untypical for the blunt boy.
"Do you want to break up with me?" Sanji asked in return, voice quiet, all the confidence disappearing with the colour from his face.
"Hell no! I would never think about that!" Zoro shouted back. "But you may want to…" he added quietly.
"W-Why? Why should I, shitty Marimo?" This time it was Sanji's turn to get louder, confusion mixing with anger and uncertainty.
"I am leaving for Japan tomorrow to train," Zoro answered calmly, looking Sanji straight in his blue eyes. "I will be gone for two years."
"WHAT?" The blonde couldn't believe his ears. "Since when do you know about it? Why didn't you tell me earlier?!" He had just so many questions.
"Sanji, please listen…" Zoro's voice trembled. "I can explain-"
"NO!" the blonde had tears in his eyes, not even bothering to hide them. "No… Just let it be…"
"But-" the green-haired male gave it a last try, but was interrupted again.
"NO. I don't want to hear it, Zoro!" Tears rolled down Sanji's cheeks as he turned around and left, leaving the stunned Zoro alone at the roof.
Sanji felt like shit. He really did. Hell, Zoro wasn't gone for more than two days and he already missed him more than he ever thought possible. Shit… Why did that moss head had to do this to him? It was worse than break up!
The blonde was fully aware, that his bad mood and the pain he was going through was partially his own fault as he ran off before Zoro could explain anything. He hated himself for that, but couldn't change the past.
Shitty physics and it's stupid rules of not being able to go back in time.
Sanji's eyes wandered around his room as he remembered every single failure in his life, until they stopped at the Valentine's lollipops that must have fallen out of his bag when he tossed it on the floor. His eyes dwelled on the one sticking out. The one with the green paper. The one from Zoro.
Should he read it? Did it even matter anymore? Should he just simply throw it away?
Somehow, the part of Sanji that still loved Zoro more than was angry with him won the battle and made the blonde open the paper.
"I am terribly sorry if I have hurt you, Sanji. You are the best what has ever happened to me. I love you. Zoro."
Sanji just starred at the piece of paper in his hands, the words written in the moss head's crabbed handwriting staring back at him.
He felt miserable, his feelings a huge mess. The throbbing in his head was not helping at all. Shit, shit, shit. What should he do now? Hell, what should he feel?
What was Zoro's reason for leaving? Did he really think about what all that would do to him? Why didn't he listen to the stupid Marimo?
The blonde wanted to hit his head against a wall or kick something or both. He was just so angry with himself. So angry at Zoro. So fucking angry. And hurt.
In all the mess, one thing stood out. One single thought, one realization. Sanji still loved Zoro. He simply loved him. And that wouldn't change anytime soon.
But what was he supposed to do? Zoro was in Japan for two years! And he was stuck here, in Seattle of all things, without the possibility to go and find him. Or…
Sanji didn't know he was able to dial a number that fast as he typed Ace's number into his phone. He was sure the freckled boy would have Zoro's address and new number and if he didn't, he would have it soon. After all, Zoro and Ace were friends long before the group around Luffy formed.
The blonde was partially right in his assumption, Ace had some information about Zoro's concrete whereabouts in Japan, but didn't have the address and number yet as the moss head had to send them to him after everything was settled in Japan. Sanji hung up a bit disappointed, but Ace promised to call him when he got Zoro' contact information.
The following days were probably the most restless ones in Sanji's whole life. He couldn't wait to speak to Zoro!
Sanji's feelings of seeing Ace's number as his phone started ringing were more than overwhelming. After all, there were just two possibilities: his friend was calling either to give him Zoro's phone number or to tell him that the green-haired man didn't want to hear from him ever again.
Considering how he had acted the last time they saw each other, the second option would make more sense, but Sanji felt confident.
And he was right. Ace called to give him what he had waited for the past days. Well, not exactly everything, as Zoro gas moved somewhere to the mountains and didn't have there any possibility to use a phone or internet.
But Sanji got his address, though the idea of visiting was dismissed immediately after popping up in his head. He didn't have the money and finals were coming up.
So what was left? The only option Sanji came up with was writing a letter. Something he hadn't done since the one time in his freshmen year as they had to introduce themselves in a letter to their teacher.
It was hard and he had to rewrite it what felt like a thousand times until he was satisfied with what he had written. Sanji would have never thought that formulating his true feelings would be such a challenge. But he managed.
The blonde was about to go and send the letter right at the spot, but a short glance at the clock told him that it wouldn't be possible as no post office was open at 3:27 am.
Sanji let out a frustrated growl.
He wanted to tell Zoro how sorry he was for acting like a coward as soon as possible. He wanted to tell him that he missed him, wanted to kiss him, hold him, spar with him…
The blonde fell asleep, the letter still in his hand.
The next day, Sanji sent the letter the first thing in the morning, even through it made him be late for school. But he didn't care. At least not too much. Zoro was more important and the teacher he had his first lesson with, Mister Shanks, came in late on a regular basis.
Again, days of desperate waiting followed, turning him into a bundle of nerves. Why did Zoro do this to him? Why?
Sanji's heart jumped as he saw a letter in his mailbox. He recognized the writing immediately, the post stamp with some weird Japanese characters just confirming who it was from. The blonde ripped the envelope open at once, not bothering with it at all and folded out the letter.
A soft smile tugged at his lips as a wave of relief washed over him. Sanji started laughing. He was so happy! Zoro forgave him! He ran into his room, to write the reply. This way it would be okay to not see each other for two years! They would just write letters! It was okay. It was. Right?
The waiting would be fine if it meant that Zoro would be able to train with Mihawk and accomplish his dream of being the strongest swordsman! He had to fulfil his promise to Kuina after all.
And then, then he could hold on to the one he gave Sanji. He would never leave him alone after that without a word. The waiting was definitely worth it!
The two years passed in a rush: Graduating high school, starting to officially work at the Baratie, his father's restaurant and starting to slowly take it over as the old geezer decided it would be for the best.
Sanji described everything in his letters, letting Zoro take part on his life, and enjoying every bit of information he got from his boyfriend. It was weird. They were so far away, but somehow it seemed as if they were even closer than before.
Thus, the blonde couldn't believe his eyes as Zoro announced to come back. He didn't say an exact date, just informing Sanji that this would be his last letter from Japan.
And here they were, standing face to face, staring at each other, neither saying a word, taking in all the small changes on the others appearance.
"Hey…" Zoro whispered, grinning.
"Hey…" Sanji answered, cursing himself for his lack of words.
But they weren't needed at all, as Zoro leaned forward and pressed his lips against Sanji's. They stood there kissing a long time, getting drunk at each other's company.
Finally, finally they were together again.
The End~