"Idiot."
"Witch."
They sat on the Sunny's deck, admiring the sunset and sipping at the cold booze to their heart's content. It was an abnormally hot day. Their faces were flushed a light pink, enhanced by the bright orange of the sun as they smiled and savored the jubilant effects of the alcohol. Sounds of waves crashing onto the ship and seagulls calling surrounded them. Today was a relaxing day for the Straw Hats—the most relaxing it's ever been since they all reunited after being apart for two years. The Sunny was anchored and everyone made their way into town except for the pair. The two crewmates decided to cool down with a drink-off with one another, since no one else in the crew could hold their liquor anyway.
"At least I'm not directionally challenged."
"At least I'm not greedy all the damn time."
"At least I don't sleep like a damn sloth!"
"At least I don't go around flirting with that stupid Ero-cook just to get what I want!"
Nami burst out in laughter.
"Wait… Are you implying that you would flirt with Sanji if your pride wasn't in the way?" she winked.
"W-WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"
Thinking about it, Zoro had never shown interest in women before. I mean, neither did she express serious interest in any man before, but at least—like Zoro stated—she flirted.
"Zoro, are you gay?" Nami blurted without hesitation—possibly an effect of the alcohol.
Zoro spat out his drink, wide-eyed and shocked.
"WHY… THE HELL… WOULD YOU THINK THAT?"
Nami laughed even harder.
"I mean, I dunno. You've never blatantly showed interest in women before. It's not wrong to be gay."
"So just because I don't gawk over any woman I see like that idiot Cook; it means that I'm gay? Do you see me show interest in men then?!"
They were both talking unnecessarily loud, really affected by the alcohol now, considering this was their third barrel.
He started to remove his green coat, hot from the heat rising on his face caused by both the alcohol and the navigator's absurd speculations, in addition to the already hot weather.
"Well, not exactly. But like I said, you haven't shown interest in women."
"SO HOW CAN YOU CONCLUDE SOMETHING LIKE THAT WHEN THERE'S NO PROOF?"
The red-head laughed uncharacteristically louder while unbuttoning her sheer white long sleeve by two buttons to reveal her usual bikini top for more ventilation, and tied her long orange locks into a high pony-tail.
"Why else would you bring up Sanji then?"
Zoro chugged down the last of his booze in anger.
"Listen, you witch," he slammed the mug down onto the deck and got in her face, "You better watch what you're saying."
"Your breath reeks of alcohol, you moron!" she retorted, then smirked with half-lidded eyes, "But why should I be careful of what I'm saying?"
"Because you're gonna regret that you ever asked." He threatened, "I swear I will wipe that damn smile off your face."
"What's wrong, Zoro? I promise I can keep a secret." She teased, placing one hand to rest on her cheek to look directly at him.
"Fine." he said after a bit of hesitation, leaning in closer to her, "I'll tell you."
Her eyes shot open in surprise. She knew it. Her speculations that the first mate was gay was true after all. Oh god, this would be too good to be kept a secret.
"You really wanna know why I mentioned Sanji?"
Nami nodded quickly, her face still close to his in curiosity. Within seconds, Zoro inched his face even closer, just to tilt it and position his mouth in front of her ear to whisper. Their proximity made her blush. She would never admit it, but she was always attracted to him—since day one. But it was nothing more than an attraction.
"I get jealous..."
Wow. She really had no idea. If she had known, she would have been more considerate of the green-haired swordsman's feelings towards Sanji and flirted less. Okay, not really. But still.
Pursing her lips together and trying not to laugh, she spoke gently to be sensitive of her tough crewmate's current vulnerability, "Hey… It's okay, you know I don't actually like Sa—"
"Of Sanji."
Silence. Her smile disappeared.
"What?"
"Yeah. I get jealous of Sanji." He whispered. "I like you, Nami."
She froze. What did this brute just say? Did he just confess to her? If this mosshead has feelings for her, then Luffy must hate meat. Two very impossible things. Frustrated and trying to make sense of the situation better, she laid down on her back and looked up at the orange-pink gradient sky that was now slowly blending in with hints of blue as dusk was falling upon them.
"I. Like. You. Na-mi." He repeated every syllable slower and louder with his gruff voice, looking at her with a confident smirk.
"I heard you the first time!" She refused to meet his gaze. What a dumbass, letting alcohol take over him like that.
"Then reply to me."
"You're drunk, stop it." She replied coolly, hoping that the pink flush on her face from alcohol would mask her deepening blush.
It was his turn to lay down onto the deck next to her and observe the sky. The sun was almost completely gone now. Dusk had entirely consumed the sky above them. Then he turned to his side, facing her.
"You're annoying as hell but I oddly find myself attracted to you," his voice was low but his words were firm, "I thought it was because you were the only woman I was constantly around at first. But then Robin joined, and I met many other women—even that dumb Marine woman that resembles an old friend and… Nope. Nothing. I feel nothing for them."
"ZO-RO! TOLD YOU TO STOP SPILLING THIS NONSENSE, IDIOT! You're not even acting like yourself!" She scoffed.
"It's not nonsense, you witch!" he retorted, offended, "I'm a little more confident because of the alcohol but I know damn well my thoughts are still my own." His smirk was still plastered on his tan face, dimly lit by the moonlight that replaced the orange sun from mere minutes ago.
"Nope. I'm not listening." And with that, she closed her eyes.
Taking advantage of her position, Zoro propped himself up with his forearm and placed his hands on each side of her head on the deck, body hovering over her as his earrings succumbed to gravity. "Why do you think I always jump in to save your ass before anyone else?"
"Huh?" she opened her eyes, chocolate brown orbs meeting his sharp, dark gaze.
"Worrying about you all the damn time. Carrying you when I knew you could stand on your own. Instinctively grabbing your hand to catch you when the stupid Cook was in your body." He was leaning in closer.
"W-well—"
"And what about you? Always 'Zoro'-this, 'Zoro'-that, picking fights with me when you can go bother someone else. And don't think I didn't know that you stayed by my bedside instead of partying with everyone in Thriller Bark."
His lips were a mere centimeter from hers now. He will probably regret this the next day, but he didn't care at this point.
"Winner of the drinking contest at Whiskey Peak not wanting to drink?" he taunted.
"I-It's only because you weren't conscious to compete with me. There was no point of drinking!" she replied angrily, brows furrowed in frustration that her heart was starting to race. "Now get off of me!" she placed her hands onto Zoro's bare shoulders, trying her hardest to push him off.
"Ohoho, look at the feisty little navigator blushing and denying her own feelings." He was breathing down her neck now, lips brushing over her skin like a feather's touch, stopping just under her collar bone and on top of her flesh.
Nami whimpered at the contact. She struggled to process what exactly was happening. Roronoa Zoro just confessed to her, is apparently attracted to her, and is now getting physically intimate with her. It was all too much—too fast.
His mouth moved over to her ear again.
"This is all too much for you?" he teased, as if he read her mind.
Nami nodded slowly.
He moved his face to look at hers, and his flirtatious tone and smirk disappeared.
"Then don't call me gay ever again."
And with that, he returned to his sitting position and let the navigator breathe. It was hard for him not to laugh at the disappointment and shock in Nami's face as she sat up too, but he maintained a straight expression.
"Oh, and don't ever put your hair up like that again either." He wasn't looking at her. "It makes you look so damn irresistible."
Small fists met with his skull with a hmph on the side, and despite the throbbing pain swelling on top of his head, he laid back down and pulled the navigator down with him onto the deck and hugged her close against his chest as he quickly drifted to sleep.
A/N: If they end up together at the end of the series, this is one of the ways I imagine their feelings to be confessed, hehe.