Chapter 12 - Looking Towards The Future

After getting home from school with his results, Sanji had talked to Zeff about his university offer and they had discussed it together. He knows what he is going to do now and he is happy with his decision. He just needs to tell his friends.

Straightening out his suit jacket, Sanji then knocks on the door to Luffy's house. Seconds later he's attacked by one of Luffy's hugs and it's not long until he's sitting on the sofa in the living with a bottle of beer in his hand, listening to his friends talk while music plays quietly in the background from the CD player. Unlike their last party at the D brother's house, certain people aren't there but it is still just as lively. Those who are at the party this time are: Zoro, Sanji, Nami, Vivi, Robin, Franky, Brook, Usopp, Chopper, and of course, Luffy.

"So Vivi, what will you be doing next?" Nami asks as she gently leans on the other.

"I've got my second year of GCSE's to do, remember? How much have you drunk already?"

Nami giggles and smiles as she looks up at her friend, "Oh yeah~ I forgot~. And I've not drunk much, yet~."

"Vivi, my dear~, how did your results go~?" Sanji asks, swooning over the two girls from across the room.

"I got mostly B's and a few A's."

"Ah, it's the same for me~."

"I'm guessing one of the A's is for food tech?"

"Actually I had an A* for that," the blond replies proudly.

"That's great Sanji. I had an A* too, for geography. Zoro probably would have failed that A Level if he took it."

"Oi, shut up, you witch!"

"Don't call Nami a witch, you marimo head!"

As usual, Zoro and Sanji end up fighting, and the others have to step in before it gets too out of hand. After they've settled down, they all discuss their results with each other and what they are going to do next, besides Chopper who didn't take any as he's only in year 8, and Robin, Brook, and Franky who are teachers at the school so they didn't have any exams. Nami had one A, one A*, and two B's. She will be continuing with school and will be taking her second set of A levels for the same four subjects she took in the first year; Geography, Maths, English, and Physics. Usopp had mainly B's with his GCSE exams, with a few A's, including one in Art. He told the others that he had been talking with Nojiko and with her help he has decided to take the same college courses as her, instead of going on to do A Levels, and that he will be starting on his level 2 diploma for Art and Design in September before going on to do Level 3 the following year. Luffy won't be taking any A Levels either, but he also won't be going to college. He has decided to go straight to getting a job and has managed to convince Zeff to give him a job washing up the dishes at the Baratie. He thinks that this way he'll be able to eat there for free. In his GCSE's Luffy got mainly D's and a few C's.

Sanji had been one of the few sixth form students who took 5 subjects, and in his results he got B's for Maths, Physical Education (P.E), and English, an A in Business Studies, and an A* in Food Technology. He had told the others that he had been accepted into the local universities, and with hesitation he told them about the offer for a place in one of the top universities in the country and that he is going to take it. Once he'd told them that the uni is 8 hours away they were still happy for him, even if they did say it with tears in their eyes, including Chopper, Usopp, and Luffy who were wailing as they hugged him tightly and made him promise to stay in touch with them all. The only one who hasn't said anything about him moving away for uni is Zoro. Not only that, but the swordsman also hasn't talked about his exam results, and though he won't admit it, Sanji is slightly worried.

"So marimo, what did you get?"

"For what?"

"Your results, of course."

"I don't want to discuss it."

"Oi, you can't just not tell us! We've all shared ours! I'll charge you if you don't!" Nami slurs as she sips on another drink, struggling to stay sitting up and leaning more against Vivi who is still sitting next to her.

"I don't care. I'm not telling you, so shut the fuck up."

Zoro gets up from sitting on the floor then goes out into the kitchen, Nami shouting after him, "Yeah?! Just run away then! I don't care!"

"Nami," Vivi frowns, "that's a bit harsh."

"Eh, its fine, he can handle it~."

Nami moves to lie down and rest her head on Vivi's lap as Sanji gets up from his seat and follows after Zoro. He makes his way into the kitchen but the swordsman isn't there. Sanji notices that the back door is slightly open, so he grabs another beer, and then joins Zoro outside in the back garden, sitting next to him on the wooden bench which is just in front of the kitchen window.

"Come on, what's the damage? If you're not telling us then you must think it's bad."

"Just leave it cook, I don't want to talk about it."

Sanji sighs as he takes out a pack of cigarettes out of his jacket pocket, "fine, do what you like," he then takes out a single stick, putting the packet back before lighting up his cigarette and taking a few long drags, blowing out the smoke and watching it swirl, mingling with the cold air.

In contrast to how it was when he turned up at Luffy's, it is now much darker outside, and a lot colder.

"I failed my exams…."

"Shit, really? What did you get?"

Zoro sighs and takes a sip of his beer before replying to the blond, "I got a D in English, and P.E, and a U in Business."

"That's not too bad, aside from the fail in Business, but the other two are still passes, just low ones… You can still retake them if you need to. What did you get for Maths?"

"I got a C…."

"Eh?! But you're better at maths than me! I only managed to get a B because you helped me revise for it…. Sorry, I'm probably not helping…"

"It's fine, I just don't do well in written exams, remember? I aced the physical exam in PE, it's just the written exam was so low that I ended up getting a D overall."

"I wouldn't have minded getting a D," Sanji replies with a smirk and a playful wink.

The swordsman chuckles and finishes off his beer, "shut up, shit-cook."

"...Oi, don't get too down about those results. You still passed three A Levels, and these things are a lot harder than GCSE's. What uni did you want to get into? I'm sure they'll still take you on if you need to re-sit your exams, if you wanted to. What are you even doing next anyway? You haven't said."

"I haven't applied for uni, or college."

"What?! But you told be at the beginning of the year that you did!"

"Yeah…. I lied…."

Sanji harshly kicks Zoro's knee, causing the swordsman to grunt and glare at him, "what the hell was that for?!"

"That was for lying to me, of course. What are you going to do? It's way too late to apply to a college or university now."

"I don't want to go to any of them. That was the whole point of me not applying in the first place."

"Then why the hell didn't you say anything before?"

"Because if the teachers found out then they'd be nagging me the whole time about what I'm going to do when I finish school, and I didn't have a clue then."

"And now?"

"I'm going to train."

Sanji watches in a mixture of confusing and mild interest as Zoro takes off his shirt. He gets an eyeful of not just Zoro's chest, but of the scar that goes from his hip, across the swordsman's torso, and up to his shoulder. The scar is still healing and is pink in places, but in others it's red and looks as if it still hurts.

"Shouldn't you put some cream on that or something?" the blond asks as he looks over the scar.

"It's fine."

"But it looks painful. And what are you on about training for anyway?"

"Getting this scar when I did was the best thing that has happened to me."

"…What the fuck have you been drinking?"

"Shut up, you idiot, I'm being serious. If it wasn't for that duel with Mihawk, I would never have realised how far behind I really was. I need to up my game if I want to become the world's greatest swordsman. So as soon as I can, I'm going to start training full time, now that school and exams are out of the way."

"... I suppose that's good an all, but what about a job? You still need one, after all. What about at the dojo? If you really want to focus more on your training, I'm sure Koshiro would let you work there. You could work on your own times then."

"No. I don't to want to work there."

"Why not?"

"If I do, that'll probably be it for my whole life, as he wants me to take it over once he can't run it anymore, and I don't want that, I don't want to do that one thing for the rest of the life. I'm not ready to decide what kind of job I want. Before any of that I need to focus on my training. That's more important to me right now."

"Okay, I get it… but…. what about when you do know what you want? And you'll need a higher grade in your A Levels? It'll be too late to take them then. You should at least think about retaking them first. I know I said they were okay as they are passes, but you're likely to have a better chance if you higher your grades."

Sanji puts out his cigarette, then sips on his beer some more. They're silent after this, but it's comfortable, even after the frustrating talk about exams and jobs. Zoro ends up putting his shirt back on, and Sanji scoots closer to him, leaning on him and resting his head on Zoro's shoulder.

"...So that uni….you're really going then?"

"Yeah... I'd be an idiot not to take the offer."

"You're already an idiot, dartboard brow."

"Says the man with moss growing on his head."

"Yeah yeah, very funny. Are you going to finish that?"

"Nah, you have it."

Sanji links arms with Zoro's as he hands over his unfinished beer, then hugs Zoro's arm as he presses up against him more for warmth.

"Hug my arm any tighter and it'll go numb."

"Shut up, I'm cold."

"Go inside then if you're cold."

"Are you going back in?"

"No, I'm going to stay out here for a bit."

"Then I'm staying right here."

"Tch, whatever…."

Zoro hides his smile by drinking the rest of Sanji's beer. It's the rare moments like these that he loves the most, and he's going to spend as much time as he can creating more of these memories, before Sanji moves away for university.

"Right eggplant, that's the last box, hurry up and get in the car, we're leaving."

"Yeah I will now, you shitty old man, just give me a minute."

Sanji smiles when he turns back around from the car to face his best friend who helped them carry his things down. Zoro looks as calm as usual, standing there with his arms crossed across his chest, with his posture unwavering.

"Well, that's everything," the blond speaks as his father gets into the driver's seat of his car, "I better get in before my old man loses it. I suppose it's fair, he does have to drive straight back home once he's dropped me off, after all."

A nod is all his gets in reply as the swordsman doesn't meet his gaze, and he sighs as he takes the first step, doing what neither of them wants to do and cave in, and he hugs Zoro around his neck as the man's arms are still firmly pressed against his own chest, "I suppose I'll miss you and all that…"

"Yeah, I'll miss you too, shit cook….."

Sanji smiles when Zoro finally moves his arms and returns the hug, wrapping them around the blond's waist.

"Oi eggplant, finish it up with the sappy goodbyes and get in the fucking the car already! At this rate we'll end up being stuck in traffic!"

He chuckles as he finally pulls away from Zoro and quickly gives the swordsman a light kiss to his cheek, "See ya, marimo. I'll text you when I get there."

All Zoro can do it is grunt in reply as he's left speechless from that one simple action, and he waves to Sanji as the blond is driven off in Zeff's car. It just won't be the same for the swordsman without his cook around.