North Star
For the ZoroxNami Event at Tumblr
"Why are we doing this Nami?" Zoro grumbled, staring into the night's sky, full of stars. It was late into the evening, and most of the crew had already gone to sleep hours ago. Zoro had taken watch that night, intending to get some late night weight lifting done, when Nami had surprised him, calling him down to her mikan grove. He had obliged her, only out of sheer curiosity, but quickly wished he hadn't bothered when Nami informed him that she was going to teach him how to read the stars.
"We're doing this because you're a hopeless idiot when it comes to directions," Nami countered, her eyes narrowing at the swordsman as she smoothed a large map open on the plush grass beneath them.
"Tch, I know my directions dammit," Zoro scoffed, jerking his head in the opposite direction as Nami, "North is up!" Almost immediately, a sharp chop at the back of his head sent him reeling, and he could feel a welt begin to form.
"That's not how it works, now shut up and pay attention! I'm going out of my way to teach you how not to get lost for once in your life!" Nami shouted angrily, her fist raised, and eyes ablaze.
"Dammit Nami," Zoro growled, rubbing the back of his head, glaring back at the orange haired woman. Why the hell did her punches hurt so badly?! He acquiesced, and moved closer to Nami's side, glaring down at the offending chart in her hands.
Nami huffed, calming herself, and directed her attention back toward the map beneath her. "Now look at this here Zoro, this is a map of the constellations," Nami explained, one slender finger running over various pictures inked into the parchment.
"Yeah, so?" Zoro said, leaning over Nami's shoulder to get a closer look.
"So, you need to know what two particular constellations look like so that you can find what is known as the 'North Star'," Nami explained as calmly as she could. "I'm sure it's asking too much of you, but do you know what the 'Big Dipper' and the 'Little Dipper' are?"
Zoro frowned, his good eye turning sharp, "I'm not an idiot Nami, of course I've heard of those things before."
"Well that's a relief, but do you actually know what they look like?" Nami asked
Zoro looked away from her, crossing his arms over his broad chest, and didn't answer. Nami smiled smugly, reaching over to pat him gently on his knee closest to her, teasing him with a familiar "there, there". Zoro growled in annoyance in return, a vein bulging against his temple.
"Let's get on with this already Nami," Zoro demanded, growing agitated, "What does knowing what these constellations are, have anything to do with how to tell directions?"
"Well that's simple, Zoro; as long as you know how to find the North Star, you can always find your way north, and from that, you'll be able to read the other directions as well," Nami explained thoroughly, "And the easiest way to find the North Star, besides that it's painfully obvious which star it is, you can find it through the dipper constellations."
Nami traced a fingertip over a particular drawing on the map, "This one here is the Little Dipper, Zoro," she said and Zoro gave a hum of acknowledgment that he understood. "This constellation is made up of seven different stars, one of which is actually the North Star!"
"I don't need to know the names of all of them do I?"
"No, and I'm sure you wouldn't remember them anyway. That's not the point, just listen."
"Tch, fine. Hurry it up."
Nami narrowed her eyes at the swordsman once again, but continued with her explanation, pointing to the tail end of the dipper's design, "This star here, the last one on the handle of the dipper, that is the North Star." Nami lifted her head to the sky, chocolate eyes searching the stars for a moment, before pointing to her desired target. "There, that bright star right there, that's the star we're looking for."
Zoro followed her direction, focusing in on the star just over the tip of Nami's pointed finger. It did look as though that star was brighter than those surrounding it. "I see it. So all I have to do is follow the brightest star in the sky. That's simple enough, thanks." Zoro made to stand, but a sharp tug on his sleeve dragged him back down to the ground.
"No stupid, that is not at all what you should do!" Nami countered angrily, teeth bared. "The North Star isn't the brightest star in the sky, so you'd end up following the wrong one completely and get more lost than ever!"
"Why didn't you just say that in the first place?"
"Stop jumping to conclusions and wait until I'm finished!"
Nami ran a hand through her hair in exasperation, feeling a headache already begin to form. She knew that teaching Zoro was going to be frustrating, but she hadn't expected it to turn badly so quickly. He really was a hopeless idiot. Nami took another calming breath, trying to quell the building rage, and returned to the task at hand, finding Zoro staring at her stoically.
"Okay...let me explain this carefully Zoro. The North Star is not the brightest star in the sky, but it is still easily identifiable. If for some reason, you can't readily find it, that's why you look for the constellations in the sky. The North Star is the last star on the handle of the Little Dipper, like I said before. Look, you can clearly see it right now," Nami explained once more, pointing back up at the sky.
Again, Zoro looked up to where Nami was pointing, but frowned, squinting to try and make out the design she was describing. "I don't see it."
Nami sighed in frustration, before a bright idea stuck her. Zoro generally needed to be shown things directly. "Okay, let's try it like this." Nami shuffled behind Zoro, lifting herself to her knees, and leaned against his back. Placing her arm over his shoulder, Nami again, pointed up at the sky. "Follow my finger and I'll trace the constellation for you."
Zoro's eye widened momentarily, feeling the soft squish of Nami's body against his back, but tried to remain focused as she began to trace a line in the sky. With her finger just over the North Star, Nami traced a straight line up to another smaller star, then another, and then another. From there, she traced a small rectangle of stars, before moving her finger back down to the starting point.
"Can you see it now?" Nami questioned, pulling away.
"Yeah, I got it now," Zoro answered simply, still staring up in the sky, "And what about the Big Dipper then? If the North Star is apart of the Little Dipper, why do I need to know the other one?"
"In case you can't find the Little Dipper due to cloud coverage or some other obstruction, you can still pin point the North Star's location using the Big Dipper's...well dipper, so to speak," Nami answered. When Zoro gave her a questioning look, an eyebrow raised in confusion, Nami pointed down at the map.
"Look here Zoro," Nami ordered, pointing once again to the North Star, "See these two stars in the Big Dipper? They are both in a direct line to the North Star. If you can't see this, look for this Big Dipper to direct you in the right direction."
Zoro stared down at the map for a moment, then back up to the sky, again staring in silence. "Hmm...I get it, but this is all too much to remember," Zoro said, beginning to stand.
"Hey, don't just dismiss this Zoro," Nami shouted, jumping to her feet as well, "This could very well save your life one day!"
"Look Nami, I don't know about stars and constellations, and I can't say I really care either," Zoro declared, staring down at her. Nami's cheeks puffed up in anger, her face turning red, and she balled her fists
"I don't need to know about the North Star or all these dippers," Zoro continued, despite Nami's obvious growing ire, "I may not have the best sense of direction, I'll give you that, but so long as you're here with me, I don't need to worry about that, do I?"
The retort on Nami's lips died away almost immediately as her mind processed Zoro's words. Her eyes widened, slightly, and her arms fell limp at at her sides.
"W-what?"
"I said, I don't need to know this stuff so long as you're here with me," Zoro repeated firmly. "You're like our North Star or whatever, Nami, so as long as I can find you, I won't be lost."
A blossoming warmth spread in Nami's chest, a feeling that she did not readily understand, and she could feel her cheeks heating up in embarrassment. What was this idiot saying to her, and with such a straight face at that? Shaking those odd thoughts away, Nami stamped her foot against the grassy deck beneath her. No! He had to learn...for his sake and her own.
"That...that's nice and all Zoro, but as much as we've been split up during our adventures, you should know that I won't always be there to save your sorry butt!"
"Tch," Zoro scoffed, rolling his eyes at Nami, before turning away, "Fine fine...I'll remember them now that you've taught me. Use the Little Dipper to find the Big Dipper and use that to follow the North Star so that I can find you."
"Eh!? Have you been listening to me at all!?" Nami screeched, jumping at the swordsman and clutching onto his green jacket. "Sit down, we're going to go over it again and again until you've gotten it right!"
Zoro sighed and plopped back down in his previous spot, Nami following suit. Snatching up the chart of the stars, Nami turned back to Zoro, and found him smirking, staring up the the stars, and pointing directly above her head.
"That one there is the North Star, right? The bright one at the tail end of the handle of the so called Little Dipper," Zoro recited diligently.
Nami turned her head back toward the sky, and after following Zoro's line of sight, nodded her head, her eyebrows raised in shock. "Yes, that's right Zoro! You actually did listen to me!"
Zoro slowly drew a line through the sky, leading from the North Star through the skyline before dropping his hand to point directly at Nami. "Well look at that. It lead me right to you," he continued confidently, grinning at her, "Guess I was right after all."
Nami froze, her heart skipping a beat and for a moment she forgot how to breathe. What was that? Had Zoro always been this smooth? She could feel her inflamed cheeks grow even hotter, and she tried to hide her face from his view, completely embarrassed that Zoro had gotten one up on her so easily.
"You idiot...that's not how that works," Nami muttered shyly, still turned away from Zoro. A small smile crept across her lips, "But I guess it'll have to do for now."
A/N: My first time actually writing something and submitting it onto this site after like fifteen years of using the place. Tell me what you think!