#zoro being oblivious to his very gay feelings

[bidisastersanji]

Let's twist it around for once and make Zoro the one who gets his gay awakening by meeting Sanji: 1950s america Zoro x Sanji AU where heavily repressed Zoro lives in the suburbs in a marriage of convenience with his best friend Nami- they're both content with this situation and they both think this is the closest thing to love and attraction they can feel for someone of the opposite gender so it makes sense.

But then some new neighbours move into the house right next to theirs-a brother and sister (how odd to live together- but then again they're foreigners, so maybe that's why?) and Nami drags Zoro to the window to watch a lithe, beautiful, blonde man and his elegant blue-haired sister (who's wearing pants- the neighbourhood gossips will have a field day) move their boxes into their new house.

Zoro is transfixed by the man's fluid movements and rippling thigh muscles as he leverages his legs to haul heavy things around. His mouth dries as he unbuttons his shirt and now he can see his sweaty tanktop clinging to his form and how his high-waisted pants accentuate his slim waist. He must do some kind of sport or calesthenics- Zoro has always been a great sports and sportsman admirer- that's why he pays such close attention to the male form. He should ask him what it is, maybe he could join- Nami clears her throat and snaps him out of his thoughts, and he notices a faint flush on her cheeks and how her eyes flit back to the blue-haired woman's form as she reveals what the very little information that' been going around concerning the new owners of the block's most luxurious house.

Sanji and Vivi are bisexual cousins from France/France-occupied Maghreb but claim they are siblings to help smooth over their odd living situation. They moved to the states as young adults looking for emancipation and freedom, and have been enjoying, partying and making lots of friends in queer spaces here, but now that they're in the latter part of their 20s want to have a proper house (with a pool) to be able to host their friends and relax a bit more.

The next day Nami makes a welcome dish (totally not an excuse to see that gorgeous woman again) and drags him along to introduce themselves and welcome the 'siblings' to the neighbourhood. Once again Zoro feels his attention completely captured by the blonde man's...aura- he's never met a man like this before, he has a way of swaying his hips as he walks, an elegance in the way he holds his cigarillo, and his suit is more colorful (maroon) , and better tailoured than any business man's. His laugh makes Zoro's belly feel funny- but it also makes him a bit angry for some reason. He can feel something tight and confused in his chest and Nami ends up apologising for his rude behaviour once he and the man accidentally start not-so-politely bickering. (Zoro's compliment of the maroon suit comes off as a sarcastic insult that Sanji doesn't let slide, and there's just something about him that gets on his nerves).

Vivi invites them to their housewarming party the next weekend.

During the week, Zoro gets the opportunity to exchange a few more words and banter with the blonde- Sanji, he'd learned, while he gardens after work and works on his car. Sanji calls him a mosshead (he has some trimmings stuck in his hair), and he makes fun of the giant Duck-shaped topiary the blonde is trimming.

Nami discloses all the gossip she gathered to Zoro, and it sounds like most of their neighbourhood will be staying clear of this rather..queer pair.

He and Nami attend the party anyways, too curious and eager to interact with them again

The party is full of very colourful, artsy, cool people- many of whom Zoro feels he wouldn't know what pronouns to use for- but the booze is good, and the music is good, and he'd promised Nami he'd be on his best behaviour. He sulks in a corner and at first watches her talk excitedly with some oddly dressed women, some with extremely short hair, but his attention gets snagged by Sanji dancing with his friends by the pool. The reflected light shines on his body and make him glow

a drag queen called Iva (close friend of Sanji's) sits down next to him and teases him and tells him to go for it but Zoro is so deeply repressed and unfamiliar with even the concept of queerness that he doesn't even catch what Iva is hinting at.

It's only later, when he's lost and looking for the bathroom, when he opens a wrong door and stumbles on Sanji kissing another man, that he finally understands that this is a thing. He'd only vaguely heard about people liking the same gender, but it's not something he'd ever thought about at all. He's a confused, swirling mess of emotions, red in the face with embarrassment and anger (and jealousy) as he storms away, telling Nami they need to leave.

additional thoughts:

Sanji was kissing Pedro because he needed to get it out of his system after thirsting over his 'straight and married' hot neighbour all week- why did the mosshead have to work in such a tight white t shirt in his yard

Lots of scenes with Iva where Sanji bemoans his curse of falling for straight married men

Lots of misunderstandings between Sanji and Zoro- definitely lots of bickering when they keep getting forced to hang out because of the girls

Sanjis annoyance about Zoro stems from the impression that Zoro isn't treating Nami 'right', like a lady, and of the love and devotion he feels she should have from her husband- also he'd promised he wouldn't fall for another straight man so he keeps trying to tell himself he's just angry on behalf of Vivi who he can tell is head over heels for the ginger

Zoro is annoyed at Sanji for fawning over women and being prissy and cocky when he knows that he saw him kiss a man so what is up with him (he's actually just really jealous and angry and repressed and doesn't know bisexuality is a thing yet)

There should be a pool scene where Zoro gets insanely distracted and confused and turned on by Sanji in a speedo

Jobs: for Zoro- maybe car dealership owner/mechanic, Sanji is definitely something creative- maybe a fashion designer, a photographer, stylist, or straight up the classic restaurant head chef. Nami is a housewife but she would definitely have something on the side going on. Vivi could be a magazine editor or a big shot writer? a diplomat?

obligatory scene where they both drink too much and reveal things- Zoro reveals he and Nami have never slept together or done more than kiss at their wedding and Sanji is so confused but also so hot for his incredibly built neighbour he's been doing his best to keep his hands off of, so he kind of flirts and asks if he'd like to know what a real kiss is like

Zoro is stunned into silence but his body leans forward despite himself and Sanji kisses him silly

They pretend it never happened and both think the other forgot

Zoro breaks one day and admits all the naughty thoughts he's been having about his neighbour to Nami- she cry laughs and says she's been having the same about Vivi (except they already figured their shit out) and she was waiting for the right time to tell him but this makes it all so much easier if it's the same for Zoro

Zoro understands that he's super duper gay for Sanji and likes him romantically so he immediately runs up to his house to tell him how he feels

Zoro and Nami both live happily ever after as each other's beards, each with their own bisexual foreigner to call their own.

[i-used-to-wear-the-fedora]

An AU where Garp isn't as understanding and they still couldn't find Buggy's body

-Garp is pretty determined to get his grandson back in the show and while I love it, him suddenly coming to terms with Luffy being a pirate mid fight is probably the weakest aspect of the show. So I have an idea for how it could've gone.

-Garp is determined to "save" his grandson from being a pirate and easily beats him in a fight and brings him back to the marine base with him.

-After everything they've been through together, the Strawhats find themselves on a mission to save their captain. With a small hitch.

"Hey morons! You forget I'm still here?"

-Buggy's body wasn't with Arlong. Well, the hands and feet were. Everything else was scattered across the seas with the surviving members of Arlong's crew who managed to escape and he is *not* happy about this.

-Given the fact he's tiny and can actually move on his own, he'd be very helpful on this kind of mission and they promise to help get him the rest of the body back if he helps them save Luffy.

-Zoro feels guilty for not being able to protect his captain and blames himself for allowing himself to get injured. The usually stoic swordsman accidentally reveals this to the literally talking head that is Buggy, who has a few things to add.

"Gay."

"What?"

"You're so obviously gay for rubber band boy and yet still so oblivious about it to a degree it almost hurts."

-Even if the clown was right, Zoro vehemently denies he isn't, that's besides the point as the strawhats + Buggy focus on getting Luffy back and then maybe dealing with their feelings later.

[dissvicious]

Redbomb triplets trivias

Next friday if I manage my time correctly, the nine first pages of Daddy's Treasure, my webcomic about Buggy's offsprings, will be published on this blog. The panels are almost done, they juste need some shading & lettering.

To keep you waiting, have this trivia post about the Redbomb triplets

Blaze

As we stated many times before, he's stupid. Dumby dumbass, 0 braincell. Can't write his own name correctly. But ! He actually beat his siblings when it comes to emotional intelligence. Seing someone they love crying, Rory would sigh in annoyance, Skye would punch their shoulder playfully before trying to change the subject to something more lightly, but if you cry in front of Blaze you'll soon have a little redhair gremlin glued in your arms hugging you warmly (good luck getting rid of it)

Basically a golden retriver with extra ADHD. If he decides that he likes someone he will not go away from them.

Even if this person actually want him to go away, tho.

He's a biiiiiiig mama's boy, he's always glued in his mother arms.

Sometimes he put his hair in ponytail and try to make a resting bitch face to imitate Rory, which makes laugh everyone (except Rory)

Skye

Due to Reddie being a former strawhat, the crew is like extended family to the triplets.

Zoro and Skye get along well, Zoro teaching her a thing or two with swords.

In fact, it's possible, really possible, that Skye had a HUGE childhood crush on him - you know, those innocents crushes kids can have on cool teens around them sometimes.

Zoro was totally oblivious of it, of course.

"Hey look she offered me another drawing" (Nami tries to not giggle seeing her crewmate holding a kid drawing picturing Skye and Zoro in a flower field with swords) "Guess I'm the coolest babysitter huh ?" (It's really hard for Nami to not burst into laugh right now)

During a family dinner, after being babysitted by the strawhats, Skye didn't stop talking about Zoro - how fun he was, how skilled he was with swords etc etc.

Reddie playfully asked her "Hey, you're in love or what ?" and she made this exact face :

"He's gay, and he's an idiot. Don't waste your time." Rory said, not looking up from his dishes, making everyone around the table pretty much incomfortable for a moment.

Reddie had to explain the concept of childhood crush to Buggy because he was already ready to storm the Straw Hats for breaking his little tinkerbell's heart.

Later when this silly crush faded away, she understood she just admired swordmen and wanted to gain skills with blades

Probably understood that Zoro was effectively gay, too.

She started being glued to Mihawk whenever Buggy took her at work - pretty much to Mihawk displeasure, tho.

Rory

So we know that Rory get along well with Crocodile and with Shanks

The fact that it pisses off his father a TON make it even more enjoyable to him.

He actually seems to take great pleasure in sympathizing with people his father despite the most.

His polite tone and the way he talks brutal truth 24/24 with placid glances tends to make adults laugh a lot when he's around.

Rory has a very strict mental hierarchy when it comes to his family / the people he lives with, from the person he respects the most to the person he respects the less it would be : Himself, Reddie, Skye, Alvida, Buggy, the whole crew, Richie, Blaze.

But don't get it wrong, he loves his brother !

... in his very weird kind of way, though

While one of Rory's favorite hobbies is to fight with his brother and make him feel like an idiot, he would never let anyone else doing so.

Rory (rolling eyes) : Blaze you could become the richiest boy on earth if you rented the space between your ears.

Some crewmember : Aha you got it kid, your brother really is an idiot !

Rory (jumping on his feet, a hand on a smokebomb, ready to fight) : WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL MY BROTHER, SHITHEAD ?!

[seventeenlovesthree]

OPLA episode 3 - first impressions

Yeah, the fangirl in me is still screeching. SPOILERS AHEAD.

Again, the Romance Dawn Trio never ceases to amaze me with their mutually bickering attitude. While you can tell that Zoro is generally wary of Nami and they're both not exactly trusting each other - they still are pretty similar in terms of agreeing on plans. And in regards to facepalming over Luffy. Our boy is still rocking the main-character-card of giving encouraging speeches, all smiles, optimistic and oblivious - and the other two are basically just reacting along with the audience. It's pretty great. The cringe is real, it's self-aware and I am enjoying every second of it.

I'm gonna repeat my question from the last episode - why is every single encounter between Zoro and his (potential) opponents so incredibly... homoerotic? Not that I am complaining, I actually enjoy that framing VERY much, but I did not expect it to be so obvious. The subtext very much sounded like he was referring to a gay bar and I found that hilarious (whoever it was that said Luffy represents "aroace", Nami "lesbian", Usopp "straight" and Zoro "gay" was truly onto something. "You're asking the wrong guy", YOU DON'T SAY). Also, the glances he gives Luffy ALL THROUGHOUT the episode speak for themselves too. Boys are getting closer........

Luffy in general reacts like a puppy to literally everyone, Nami, Zoro, Usopp alike.

I still absolutely ADORE the fashion scene, it was so silly and yet so in-character for everyone; Nami being so done with everything (and never picking oversexualized dresses, I mean, yes, we know she is covering up her arm, but STILL, you go, girl!), Luffy just being "Wear whatever you like, you will always be Nami to me", oblivious, Zoro being an edgy b*tch and STILL picking what Nami chose for him, even though it wasn't even black. Amazing.

The little nod towards Nami's backstory was nicely done; she's obviously (and understandably) holding grudges against people who have money, harbouring her prejudices due to her experiences with a lot of bitterness ("Rich people don't think like we do!"), saying that materialistic things don't have meaning beyond making them feel important... And then her face crumbles when she hears that the dress she eventually chose belonged to Kaya's late mother. You can see how everything falls apart - and she IMMEDIATELY gets nicer towards Kaya. I think that was beautifully done. And the bonding between them was overall very sweet, all of it was a direct mirror. And a bit gay too.

The Go scene was unexpected, but very nicely done. The metaphor of playing to succeed vs. playing not to lose is a very important one and it makes me happy that they spend so much time developing the relationship between Garp and Koby while showing his development. And generally, just... Man, I adore that kid. He deserves good things.

Usopp is overall well portrayed, I'd argue that they could have exaggerated him even more, but his overall demeanour is fitting for him. Unfortunately, he did not get too much focus yet, but his motivations and general character beats are coming off nicely and I really felt those tears in the end. :'(

[kenbunshokus]

this is a (super late) update to this fic rec post! i was planning to just keep editing and updating that post, but it’s been so old it no longer appears on tumblr search system and all, so here we are. be ready for some old school zosans in the mix

all complete

absolute favorites will be noted with a ♡

list will be updated as i find more

story count: 30 fics

last update: jan 5th 2020

CANON-VERSE

Goings On by clarify  ♡

Zoro and Sanji understand each other, and sometimes have a very similar sense of humor. Even though they're worlds ahead of most, sometimes they can't help but to act their age.

easily one of my favorites. zoro and sanji are completely in character, being themselves and comfortable in each other’s spaces. for anyone who thinks zoro and sanji can’t get along in canon, this fic can easily prove them wrong.

Part Timer by 8ball ♡♡

Sanji really, really doesn't want to give Zoro a job at his restaurant. Zoro doesn't really even want to work there in the first place, but, well, there’s this thing with Sanji, and this thing with feelings and the whole thing is pretty damn stupid all together.

Zeff just wants grandkids. He’s too old for this bullshit anyways.

a wonderful, heart-wrenching, roller coaster ride of a post-series fic. this fic is not just a mere fic — it’s a zosan magnum opus with guest appearances by so many other characters, lots of crew hijinks and a must-read for everyone who craves for a happy ending for these good boys.

Say It Again by 8ball

Zoro tells Sanji how he feels. And then again. And again. 

since we’re talking about 8ball i just want you to know i’d rec everything they’ve ever written, but special mention to say it again — a classic miscommunication trope fic done well where the miscommunication stems from fundamental misunderstanding of each other’s principles and views instead of just some plot-convenient coincidences. and soft zoro. god, he is soft.

The Wedding Night by cuethe-pulse (lj)

Zoro had never expected any of this.

major character death warning. don’t let the first few scenes fool you. note the warning; the last few lines were like a punch in the gut for me, except, you know, the good kind of punch. also, a quick rec of a drabble by the same author to soothe the pain after this one.

Roronoa Zoro: World’s Greatest Bug Killer by insaneidiot ♡

Sometimes, Zoro's life really sucks. He should've known better than to make fun of Sanji's bug phobia, though...

zoro’s internal monologue is hilarious  — until today, this author is still my go-to expert on zoro’s voice, especially his more sarcastic side.

Quitting’s Easy by insaneidiot

Sanji decides to quit smoking. This is not quite so easy as he thinks it will be. Also, his crewmates (excluding Robin and Nami, of course!) are assholes.

fun, fun strawhat hijinks and oblivious sanji. the crew dynamics and especially sanji’s voice are pitch perfect. there’s a hint of luffy/nami that you can easily scroll past if it’s not your thing.

I can’t stop thinking that i can’t stop thinking by hieiandshino ♡

In which Brook changes tactics and Zoro is not amused. Everyone else is, though.

holy shit is this fic hilarious. i love comedy fics that manage to slip in thoughtful observations and character study in between the hijinks, and this fic pulls that off with flying colors. 

The Walls See All by threesipsmore

Reiju hides a snail cam in her brother's room.

fun short fic from reiju’s pov. there’s never enough zosan set in whole cake island arc and this fic delivers.

Stormbird by Judin ♡

The Straw Hats' first landing in the New World is on Arashi Island, where it looks like they'll be spending a fun week attending the local festival and making new friends. Until they spot a strange pirate ship in the harbour, and Sanji starts behaving oddly. The Straw Hats become entangled with the mysterious Gently Pirates, a crew that harbour many secrets, and whose captain is a man out of Sanji's past who has the power to tear the Straw Hat crew apart. 

it cannot be overstated how wonderful this fic is, and how it could’ve fit into the canon just nicely, like a better-written one piece movie, except with zosan. not only are sanji and zoro in character, every strawhat gets a spotlight and has pitch-perfect voices. brook is especially lovely in this fic.

Unintended Consequence by itsmylifekay

A group of marines charge, Zoro slices through them, and in that instant Sanji feels his own eyes grow wide. Because there, on the arm now outstretched towards him, steel glinting in hand, is the stupid bracelet he’d given Zoro. The bastard is actually wearing it.

there’s a reason this is the most kudo-ed zosan fic on ao3 right now — it’s so soft without being ooc, and there’s a quiet undercurrent of affection laid throughout the fic that will warm you up from the insides.

Somewhere Between Sorrow and Bliss by srididdledeedee

Sanji has never cared for winter.

He can see himself, is the thing. There are bits and pieces that poke through, but it’s not all him. It’s like staring in a fractured mirror. He knows, intellectually, that the person staring back at him is himself, but his face is splintered and his shape is distorted and his body is wrong.

a fantastic character study on trans!sanji and how he comes to terms with his identity with the help of his crewmates. supportive strawhats are always a lovely addition to a zosan fic

Give In To Love by libbylune

Zoro knows better than to think about it too much, but between the rowdy festivals and ancient unexplained temples on this island, it's hard to forget about wanting Sanji.

i love how this fic puts as much focus on the boys after the confession as it does before the confession. a good case fic with its own unique island adventure and i’m always a sucker for soft!zoro

Laundry by libbylune

Dealing with Sanji makes Zoro develop a lot of opinions about clothes.

there’s absolutely nothing hotter than bi!sanji who’s completely comfortable with his gender identity and sexuality. also gay disaster zoro fumbling his words whenever sanji is around is 1) accurate 2) hilarious.

Language of Swords by HaveMyWeedCookies ♡

It took them for a while but finally, Zoro asked if Sanji wanted to hold his sword.

i love fics that explore zoro’s relationship with his craft and his swords, and adding zosan into the mix is something i didn’t know i needed. an interesting outsiders pov zosan in the pov of zoro’s swords.

Ghost of a Chance by sabershadowkat

“I know, for sure, that I didn’t expect to miss everyone so much, including you.” Sanji cut a glance at Zoro and rephrased correctly, “Especially you.”

this fic handles tropes that are usually associated with character death fics, but manages to end it with a happy ending. zoro’s devotion here is heart-wrenching.

Idiot Romance by sabershadowkat

"This has to be a joke," Sanji muttered, poking at the colored petals. Zoro couldn't have just given him flowers.

a classic  — this is literally the first zosan fic i’ve ever read — and a lovely one at that. sanji is oblivious and zoro attempts romance, not that zoro ever needed to.

festival night by thisislegit

“ANOTHER FEAT BY THE WORLD’S STRONGEST MAN, JORIRI.” The woman turned to Mr. Mohawk and with faux sympathy said, “Oh! Sorry, sir. Maybe next time. We can’t always beat the best, but we can do our best and that’s what matters. Do we have any other takers? ANY OTHER TAKERS READY FOR THE STRONG MAN CHALLENGE? HOW ABOUT YOU SIR? MADAM? YOU OVER THERE? ARE YOU INTERESTED?”

“What kind of shit name is Joriri,” said Zoro and Sanji in unison.

i’m an absolute sucker for fics that have zoro and sanji simply hanging out and enjoying each other’s company, comfortable in a way they couldn’t with their other crewmates, and this fic exemplifies that. just them being little shits and having fun with one another.

No Victory in Hesitation & the Past Has Its Lessons by EudaimonErisornae & vageege

Zoro has a lot of things he wants to say to Sanji, but he just needs one more day. || Zoro tries to fix a mistake he made in the past.

major character death warning. i died a little bit inside after reading this tbh. there are some devil fruits-explained time travel hijinks, but mostly it’s this looming, grim inevitability of death that’s written so pervasively throughout the fic that really got me.

Imperatives by dollcewrites

Zoro is confident in saying that Sanji is a man who doesn’t do what he’s told. Which is why, when a command accidentally slips from Zoro’s lips during foreplay, he is expecting to hear the cook’s scoff as he continues to do what he pleases.

i don’t tend to do pwp, but this isn’t just one — it’s a completely in-character piece about their relationship and dynamics.

when you say by bluewalk ♡

It's a long time in coming. Usopp can promise, but.

this fic is as much sanuso as it is zosan, and usopp here is — still very much usopp, but also a very beautiful take on his character as someone who spent a lot of time behind sanji’s back, and realizes that when he watches sanji’s back, he gets to see zoro’s, too.

a complete guide to falling in love by ThousandSunny

Sanji was trained in the Bridal Arts; this does not go unnoticed by the rest of his crew.

while the main ship is still zosan, the fic also focuses a lot on zoro and sanji’s relationship with the rest of the crew, and it’s one of those fics that really makes you realize how much of a family the strawhats is. a lovely read all around.

destructivity is a poison that run through our veins by wasteofmind

Zoro thinks that, someday, they are going to kill each other.

a dysfunctional take of their relationship. it’s fascinating in the same way a car crash is fascinating  — there’s an undercurrent of something violent, something visceral. this is one of the fics that inspired me to write migratory animals.

ALTERNATE UNIVERSE

Ocean’s Child by 8ball  ♡

Here's the truth: Zoro couldn't swim. He fell in the water and sank like a stone because there had never been anyone to teach him how to move his arms. He forgot that if he screamed for help the water would get in his mouth, and he even opening his eyes hurt.

Here’s the other truth, the one that stays a secret: a mermaid saved him.

a fascinating retelling of the one piece canon with mermaid!sanji. it feels a lot like a love letter to the seas, and it’s mesmerizing how sanji’s mermaid backstory is seamlessly weaved into the one piece canon.

with you by Cirro

How to find your life partner in three easy steps: 1. Punch them in the face 2. Insult their cognitive abilities 3. Embarrass them so much they agree to marry you

a wholesome two-part modern au series. my personal favorite is the second part, where sanji brings zoro home to meet zeff — complete with the two of them teasing sanji in their own ways.

The Proper Reaction (or What To Do When Your Son Brings His Boyfriend Home by three_days_late

Holidays at the Baratie were always hectic, but it's nothing Zeff can't handle. Sanji's new boyfriend, on the other hand...

on the topic of meet-the-family: the only thing more fun than zoro meeting zeff is zoro meeting zeff and the entirety of baratie staff. also includes one of my favorite line about bi!sanji: “sanji loves nice girls and bad boys”.

Exclusive by cuethe-pulse

Zoro loves Sanji, Sanji loves Zoro. Zoro wants to be exclusive, so Sanji should, too. Right?

this is a circus/bakery au. yes, you read that right, and yes, it works. i went into this fic with a lot of doubts and came out very satisfied with how fleshed out everyone in this au is, and i’m forever in awe with how the author can set up an entirely separate, vivid universe with so few words.

Delivery by styx_in_the_mud

Sanji is stuck delivering pizzas when Patty is out of commission for a while. Zoro likes to order pizza after training. Both of them are sort of idiots, but Zoro can be smooth as fuck if he puts his mind to it.

a fun, in-character au with good ol’ banter and cute get-together.

The End of It All by xpiester333xx

Humans have been forced underground due to the effects of a chemical weapon that has made surface life impossible. Sanji lives in one of these underground colonies and though he dreams of bigger things his life has been mundane; spent following strict rules and obeying higher commands. Or it was, until a stranger shows up and changes everything.

the author labelled it as sci-fi au, but I personally think it’s more dystopian-like? either way, while this fic is on the long side, it manages to keep everyone in character until the very end, which is something that can’t be said for a lot of fics.

well, there we go! feel free to drop me an ask if you want to rec me fics or ask for a more specific/themed rec list; i’ll also update this post regularly !!

i also have an ao3 donutsandcoffee if you want to see my take on these dorks o/