Hey there! Randomly came up with this idea today and also sequel story taking place five years later. So I just thought I'd put this out there to see if anyone would be interested in reading more.
But for now I should just briefly explain the English schooling system for those that don't know. In England, kids prepare for their GCSEs (exams that basically get you into college/sixth form) from roughly the ages 15 to 16 (in their 4th and 5th year of secondary/high school). Then people can go onto sixth form or college, in this fic it's a sixth form which is still a part of the secondary school they attended, they're just a year above the 5th year and only study four subjects.
In this fic, I've put Zoro, Sanji, Luffy, Nami, Chopper and Usopp at the same age purely for convenience (in Lower Sixth), and Ace and Vivi are a year older (in Upper Sixth).
Sorry if this was a shitty explanation but I believe that's all you need to know.
Enjoy!
Chapter One
Zoro Roronoa probably seemed like the least likely person on the entire planet to ever choose Drama as one of his A-level subjects. Even the head of sixth form had to seek him out to confirm in person whether he had meant to select the subject.
He had, in fact, carefully chosen it along with Sport, French and History.
Sport was simply one of his choices because it was piss easy and during the practical lessons he just got to play basketball, rugby or football with Luffy and Ace. It was a lesson he mildly enjoyed so it was a clear choice he had made long before he needed to.
On the other hand, Zoro fucking hated French. The only reason he chose it was because Sanji was taking it too. And yes, maybe it was pathetic to base his A-level choices on a stupid blonde, but he'd thought about how much fun they'd had during their GCSE years in French class and he just couldn't turn the opportunity down. That time spent with Sanji was what made their rivalry-based relationship flourish into a true companionship; where Zoro's feelings for Sanji painfully intensified as he began to care for the cook on a much more personal level.
It was only due to the pure coincidence that they were the only two people in their friendship group that had been put into that French class two years ago, and it ended up working out pretty well for them.
Zoro remembered finding out this the first day back when the entire group had been passing around each other's timetables to see which classes they had with each other.
When Sanji noted that Zoro was in his class, he'd scoffed and remarked, "Looks like they're not doing ability-based sets then." To which a full-blown fight between them proceeded.
Later on that day, Zoro was running seriously late to French class after losing his way slightly, and was grumbling to himself all the way there that there wouldn't be any seats left. It was the last thing he needed to screw up on his first day starting his A-levels.
He charged into the room ten shitting minutes late, immediately trying to stammer out an explanation and apology, but the teacher had cut him off with his hand and an understanding smile.
"No worries, Zoro. Sanji already explained that you went to go see the nurse and that you'd probably be a little late."
Zoro turned bewildered to look at Sanji who was sat on a double desk at the back of the room and he was flashed a beautiful, 'butter wouldn't melt' smile. Zoro also noted with a creased brow that there was a vacant seat beside Sanji, and all of the other desks in the room were filled. Then he realised that he had just been stood at the front of the class staring gormlessly as he tried to figure out why nobody had sat next to the cook.
"R-right." He stuttered awkwardly to the teacher and shuffled to the back of the class to Sanji's desk.
He swallowed and looked at Sanji who was watching him with what he assumed was amusement.
"Can I sit here?" he grumbled quietly, glancing away from Sanji.
He heard Sanji chuckle softly. "Obviously, moron. I saved the seat for you." He said as if it was blatantly obvious. To emphasise his point the blonde kicked the chair's leg, causing it to slide out from under the desk so Zoro could sit on it.
Zoro's heart started to beat a little faster and he felt a slightly hot flush creeping under his skin. He sat down hurriedly and Sanji snorted beside him again. "Plus, I knew you'd be late." He mocked. It probably should have pissed him off, but the comment only reminded Zoro of the other favour the guy had done for him.
At that point Zoro and Sanji weren't close at all, they would not have recognised each other as friends, and the thought that really resonated with Zoro was that Sanji had absolutely no obligation to do that for him. They saw each other as rivals, so he would never have expected Sanji to do something with the purpose of helping him out.
Zoro appreciated it though. Yet it did give him an unsettling feeling in his stomach that he was not grateful for.
He found it hard to look at Sanji as he took his equipment (a vigorously chewed biro) from the pocket of his rucksack. The idea of starting their first lesson on a positive note appealed to Zoro. Trying to ignore all of his pride he decided it was best to let Sanji know he was grateful for what he did.
"Thanks, cook." He whispered uncomfortably, daring to peek back at the other to gauge his reaction.
The shit-eating smirk dropped off his face and for a moment he blinked at the swordsman.
Zoro was regretting saying something so sentimental and was about to look away and tune into what their teacher was saying, but a small, soft smile graced Sanji's face as his bright blues eyes bore into his.
"You're welcome, you dork." He whispered back.
No regrets were had after those words, and since that day Zoro saw another side to Sanji. The blonde was practically fluent in French, and Zoro didn't give a shit about his grades, so they spent a lot of time during lessons messing about and growing more like friends then the constantly bickering enemies they used to be. He came to see just how considerate and selfless Sanji could be. The cook was incredibly perceptive, and therefore he could pick up on what things made his friends happy and what things pissed them off. And it was that skill that had made it incredibly easy for Sanji to piss Zoro off so much at the beginning.
As time went on, Zoro got to be the cause of many an astoundingly beautiful and dorky laugh that he had never really seen much of before, and as he and Sanji started growing closer, he found himself smiling a lot more than he used to. They shared lots of laughs and several "moments", like the aforementioned one that took place on their first day back.
So after a lot of mulling it over, Zoro chose to take French as an A-level. It was going to be a ball-ache given all of the essays they'd get set that he wouldn't be able to do. However, he knew that Sanji would offer to help him after school if he noticed him struggling, as he had done before. Zoro partially hoped to have another tuition session with the cook, whilst also praying that he wouldn't get into the same situation that occurred when Sanji was helping him out with his pronunciation for a speaking exam.
(Zoro's mind was a bit of a blur after listening to Sanji's impeccably sultry French accent for the last half hour. So when out of frustration the cook had pointed to his lips saying, "LOOK at MY MOUTH, Marimo!" Zoro paled like a ghost because all of the blood from his face went rushing elsewhere after hearing, "Fuck my mouth, Marimo!". He stuttered out a question he couldn't remember articulating and Sanji repeated himself clearly this time, rolling his eyes and complaining that Zoro was a lost cause. Zoro had just managed to get away with the mishap, but it didn't mean he could go repeating those kinds of mistakes any time soon.)
History was a subject he was only somewhat interested in, but he had to do it because he could only do a maximum of two creative subjects.
And going back to Drama, well there were several reasons why he'd chosen it. For a start, not many people cared for acting and so the classes were bound to be small and not too raucous. Another good factor was that not much hard work was involved and that their teacher, Ms Nico (although, his group of friends all called her Robin outside of lessons) was really laid back and cool. She took a certain liking to their group of friends and she let them hang around the drama department under her supervision during the colder months when sitting outside wasn't an option. She also didn't mind too much if Zoro fell asleep during lessons, and only pointed it out occasionally when she felt like embarrassing him.
All of these reasons, teamed with the fact that Zoro and their friends actually had a lot of fun in Drama, led most of them to choose it as an A-level. None of them took it that seriously, despite Nami, Usopp and Sanji's talent in the subject.
Whenever the class was set group projects, their band of friends joined together to create ridiculous and outrages, yet completely hysterical productions. Zoro rarely acted in these miniature plays, but often played the role of a prop, such as a wall. Sanji and Nami always took on the more "serious" roles, playing their parts hilariously over dramatic. Sanji always exaggerated every movement he made and tried to make himself look like some utterly shit but pretentious actor. Nami loved playing parts that mocked the kind of people she disliked and Usopp and Luffy just clowned about completely.
They all just did it purely to have fun and make each other, and themselves, laugh.
Currently they were sat in Drama, where the brooding green-haired teenager sat slouching over his desk with his chin resting on the heel of his palm. The lesson was pretty much over and Robin was wrapping it up before everyone bustled out to lunch.
"Oh, and I'd like to remind you all well in advance," she announced as her students began gathering their books into their bags, "that the drama department is open to, or rather encouraging, your suggestions for the Winter Showcase this year." She said with a calm smile.
"You and the Upper Sixth have the responsibility of putting on a wonderful performance for the rest of the school. So we're really looking for a truly dazzling and unique pupil-led performance." She explained serenely but visibly quite excited.
Zoro's body was jolted out of its slumped, relaxed state as Nami immediately smacked her hand onto her desk and jumped out of her seat with an eager grin.
"Rocky Horror!" she shouted with determination, catching the attention of everyone in the room.
Zoro rolled his eyes, trust Nami to jump in right away with her suggestion. But what the hell else would he expect?
Their friendship group had a bit of a thing for The Rocky Horror Picture Show, meaning that they watched it religiously. Whenever they gathered for movie marathons, it was a film that reoccurred in their list of what to watch over and over. Zoro, personally, could take it or leave but in terms of musicals it was probably his favourite. He just enjoyed the stupidity of it; how the film didn't take itself seriously whatsoever. It reminded him of how his friends played up in Drama classes, and he enjoyed the revelry of everybody (but him) singing along shamelessly to every word.
There were sevral hums of approval throughout the classroom and Luffy piped up next to him too.
"Yes!" he practically roared with elation. "Can we, Nico?" his eyes were wide and bright with enthusiasm.
Robin's smile broadened and she closed her eyes musingly. "Perhaps." She hummed, batting her eyes open again. "That could be very interesting."
Her gaze fell upon Sanji, who was sat on a desk behind him next to Usopp, then to Zoro for a split second before she returned her attention back to the giddy redhead. It prickled Zoro's interest a little and made him slightly suspicious of what was going on in her head.
Nami and Luffy continued to press their teacher, listing all of the reason why it would be great to do Rocky Horror for the Showcase. The rest of the class began to speculate on the idea as well.
Zoro turned around in his chair to look at Sanji. The blonde appeared to be slightly lost in thought. His blue eyes were peering off to the side, gazing out of a window in the classroom. The tip of his fountain pen was poised between his lips as if he was craving a cigarette, and he was grinding his teeth into the dark blue plastic. He could see the faintest hint of a wet, pink tongue gliding along the underside of the pen and Zoro had to forcefully tear his eyes away from his mouth to look the cook back in the eyes.
Fixing a nonchalant look onto his face, he leaned into the Sanji and Usopp's table.
"What do you think of doing Rocky for the Showcase, cook?" he queried, bringing Sanji back from his thoughtful trance.
His perfect fucking eyes greeted Zoro's, and a crooked grin spread across his face as he spoke around the pen. "Sounds pretty fucking brilliant to me."
To be continued very soon…
Sorry that it's short and hurried but there is much more to come.
If anybody has any particular prompts I would love to hear them! Unfortunately though, I already know which OP characters are playing which RHS characters in the production, sorry! ^-^ (But I think you can guess which part the cook will end up playing)