Author's notes: I certainly don't own anything from the One Piece universe. This story is an AU, but links slightly. I was inspired by a song (shocking right?) to write this piece. Some of the lyrics are sprinkled in the story, and if you want to know what song to listen to while reading this, I suggest "Go Now" by the Moody Blues. Enjoy this bitter lemon!
We've Already Said…
Nami and Zoro just stared at one another. All around them bustling people were making their ways either on holiday or going about their daily business. All meant nothing to the two people gazing at one another's faces.
"Neither one of us knew what we were getting into." Nami whispered, trying to fight back tears. Her hand was sweaty inside her glove as she clutched her luggage handle.
"Sure we did. We knew it from the very beginning. It was what it was. And you know…Sometimes things just don't work out how we want them to." Zoro said rubbing his hand up and down his arm, trying not to look at that sad face. His eyes though caught the slightest glimpse. "Oh don't look at me that way. You better get on that train, it's leaving soon."
"And what if I don't, what if I stand right here?" she said spitefully.
"Then I'll just have to walk away from you, since you'll be too stubborn to move." He took a step back. "You know this is for the best. We don't know anything about each other and you realized it and it hurt just as bad as when I found out, but we've got to move on." He took another step back, half turning his body away. He hears a high heeled step from behind him that sounded like it was going in the wrong direction from the train door. Painfully he turned back Nami's way.
"We could have gotten to know each other in the years that we've been together though if you gave it some effort! Don't even try to tell me that you worked at it because a specialty of yours is lying!" she shouted. Zoro turned around and grabbed her by the upper arm, pulling her away from the train.
"Stop it!" he hissed "You're making a scene." She scoffed at him and yanked her arm out of his hand. "I would have loved to have known the Nami that wasn't always scheming new ways to get her hands on money all the time. Night and day! You even did it to me when we first met! Money money money MONEY!" he shouted.
"You know very well why I need that money." She clenched her jaw.
"If you cared so much for your village why don't you go back there now hm? Or are you just too ashamed to show your face around there anymore?" he spat at her.
Tears began to fill Nami's eyes. "Idiot! You didn't even bring me to the right platform. You never listen to me! Oh wait, that's not the first time that's happened now is it?" Nami said shaking her ticket angrily in her hand.
"That's your solution to everything isn't it? To get mad at something else right, rather than at the actual problem? See this is exactly why it didn't work." He said throwing his hands up in the air.
"Oh and I'm sure the solution you had was oh so grand huh? Finding anything with an alcohol content higher than 40 proof and passing out before you could feel anything other than what you wanted to feel? Yeah great job with that one." She wiped her angry tears away.
"Hmph. You better run to the right platform then on your own because as far as I see it, we're done." He turned his back firmly to her and began to walk away sternly.
"I still love you!" The words sounded like they were ripped from her throat, he heard a body hit the platform unexpectedly. "I don't know why…but I do…" she was quaking on the floor, whimpering the last sentence.
Zoro began breathing quickly, his palms were sweaty. "That can't work this time." His voice cracked "We've given each other too many chances. I'm sorry. You'd better get off the floor. The porter may call security." Against his will, he moved closer to the redhead, nearly looming over her.
"Tell me what you intend to do now?" Nami said still sitting on the floor with her palms cradling her face. "I don't want to see you go."
"Close your eyes then, and count to 20. I will simply disappear." He smirked.
"How can you be so cruel about this? You aren't yelling anymore, but this is mean. What you're doing is mean! You think you're keeping it cool, but I can see otherwise. Please…buy yourself a ticket and come with me. We can start over, away from anywhere we've ever been before! Start over!" Nami's face flushed with this sentence.
"Don't you even try…" Zoro began.
"You can't tell me you won't miss it. You'll just sink back into your lonely little life cycle. It'll drive us both mad." She simply said, tears streaming.
"Why is this such an issue? We became part of Luffy's crew all those years ago. Sanji, Usopp, Chopper, Robin, Frankie…" he counted the others on his fingers. "They've all moved on from the Grand Line and our adventures. They're all doing exactly what they want to do. We simply got together out of situation. We happened to spend a loooong time with each other and developed what we felt at the time was a meaningful relationship. But what it ended up being was that we were victims from nothing more than circumstance. Sure, we had wonderful times together and with everyone else a part of that crew…and you want to know something? They've all moved on, except us. We're ruining any chances either of us had for a new life."
"Well, if you think I'm holding you back from something, somehow preventing you from living the life you want…" Nami turned her face away "was there another woman? Is there now?"
"Now you're just clutching at straws for a reason. Let me solve the puzzle for you: We are not right for each other." Zoro said choppily. "We're both too strong willed, stubborn, rough around the edges. We can't mesh our lives together properly. Opposites attract and the only thing opposite about us is our sexes." There was too much truth in this for her to argue back.
Instead, she ran to him and threw her arms around his barrel chest. "I'll never forget you." She whispered. Zoro stood like a statue for a moment, not expecting her to show any signs of affection towards him now. His shoulders relaxed as he embraced her back, squeezing ever so slightly. She still hadn't let go.
"Get to your platform. It'll leave without you." He said, gently breaking apart from her. Nami's face was red with heartache and embarrassment. Snatching the luggage handle, she took off running, not bothering to look over her shoulder. She ran and cried all the way, people staring and pointing at her, but she didn't care anymore. Would she ever care again?
Once at the appointed platform, she caught her breath for a moment, sitting on her luggage. She looked left, then right. Nowhere in her field of vision did she see green moss-like hair. Looking down at her ticket, she noticed that she was actually a half hour early. Stupidly, she thought to herself that she didn't even ask him for his new address, then, realized he'd never want to hear from her again. Before she knew it, the porter called for passengers to come aboard, tickets ready. The man took Nami's luggage and threw it into a storage compartment while stamping her ticket with red ink, not bothering to look at her and quickly started to take care of the next passenger. Grabbing a window seat, hopefully the scenery can distract her, Nami settled herself in. She wanted to be quite alone and prayed that no one sat next to her.
After several minutes, the train jerked into motion, gaining momentum. Seeing every emotion of the rainbow whizzing past her window, she sighed and drifted off along with the train car, head swirling between daydream and reality. Then, she saw it. Everything seemed to be in slow motion. Mouth slightly open, she placed her hand on the glass as she saw him. Zoro was raising a half filled glass as she passed by, a solemn expression hung on the lips she loved so intently and the eyes that bore into her very soul that never wavered. He mouthed one single word to her… "Goodbye."
