A/N: I hope you like my Valentine's Day story for Nami and Zoro :)
It was a sunny day and the Straw Hat pirates were just anchoring on a new island. While almost everyone discussed what they wanted to do in town Zoro and Sanji got into their usual argumentation. Nami had long ago giving up on listening to what these two fought about and just occasionally stopped them when they annoyed her too much, but Sanji's next words let her turn to them.
"Can't you do something useful instead of getting drunk at a bar you idiotic marimo, it's Valentine's Day after all."
"At least I don't chase after girls all day like you do, stupid cook." Zoro countered.
"You wouldn't be able to even talk properly to one."
"Is that a challenge idiot?"
"Sure, it's not like you will find a girl who is willing to spend her Valentine's Day with you." Sanji mocked him. He was confident that he already won, so he got bolder. "I'll set up a table for this evening and if you don't have a date until then you have to admit that I'm better than you are."
Normally Zoro couldn't care less about dates and such, but he never backed down from a challenge and even more so when he could prove that he was better than the cook. However maybe he could get even more out of it.
"And what's in it for me?"
"I'll give you the special bottle of sake I bought on the last island, the really expensive one."
Sake and proving that he was better than the stupid cook? That was a challenge Zoro couldn't refuse so he smirked at Sanji and accepted.
Nami had watched the whole scene with a frown on her face. After joining the crew years ago she still couldn't understand men and their need to be the best at everything, especially Sanji and Zoro seemed to make a contest out of everything. However the thought of Zoro bringing a woman to their ship, especially today, and having a date with her made her stomach turn unpleasantly. Shaking her head the navigator pushed the uneasy feeling away, she was surely only annoyed about the competition between her two crew mates and nothing else. Catching up to Robin, she decided to just focus on shopping for now, it wasn't like Zoro would really find a date, he was after all not a charmer or romantic in any way.
While every crew member was busy stocking up on supplies or browsing the shops around town, Zoro made his way to a bar. It took him a while to get there, because someone had to design this town weirdly. When he finally entered a small bar he sat down and ordered sake. There was still enough time until this evening and he would just ask the next woman he saw to go on a date with him, it couldn't be that hard. Focusing on the mug of sake in front of him Zoro smirked, he would show the cook.
Later that day when the sun began setting the crew met on the Sunny, where Sanji had already prepared a special table on deck. It was clear that he wanted to mock Zoro as much as he could if he would show up without a date. Nami only rolled her eyes at his immature behavior. However the navigator and cook were in for a surprise when Zoro indeed arrived with a woman a few minutes later.
The uneasy feeling Nami already had this morning when she had heard about Sanji and Zoro's bet intensified when she saw this. She looked the woman up and down critically and to her chagrin she had to admit that she was rather good looking. Sanji next to her seemed to agree because immediately his jaw hit the ground. As soon as Zoro had helped the woman on deck Sanji swirled over to her.
"How can a woman as beautiful as you go on a date with such an idiotic marimo?"
"Who is that?" The woman, clearly a little bit confused by Sanji's behavior, asked the swordsman next to her.
"No one important. He is just the cook who will prepare our food." Zoro smirked at the angered expression Sanji was giving him. Describing Sanji as if he was just a servant who would cook for them was just an opportunity that the swordsman couldn't miss, especially now that he had obviously won the bet.
Nami would be mildly amused by their usual bickering at this point, but her eyes were still on the woman who stood next to Zoro. She hadn't thought that the swordsman would really get a date. Sure, he was good looking and strong and loyal, but still. Realizing what she was thinking she shook her head, she wouldn't go there. It was bad enough that she had admitted to herself that there was attraction between her and Zoro, but she didn't want to look further into these feelings. They were both members of the same crew and having feeling for the swordsman surely wouldn't turn out in her favor. Trying to focus on something else she listened to Sanji, who was still questioning the woman.
"You're here on your own free will?" Sanji asked, he still couldn't believe that anyone would agree to a date with his rival.
"Yes, of course."
"Enough of the questions. We want something to eat, so serve the food cook." Zoro smirked triumphal.
Nami saw how Sanji clenched his fists tightly so he wouldn't start fighting with Zoro again. He had clearly lost the bet and if he didn't want to come off as a sore loser he had to keep calm. While Sanji stormed off to the kitchen, Nami could only watch how Zoro and his date sat down on the prepared table. Calling that woman his date left a bitter taste in Nami's mouth and she turned away from the romantic setting. However she couldn't completely leave the scene in front of her, so she decided to keep an eye on them while she tended to her mikan trees.
After Sanji had served them the food and had gone back to the kitchen, the woman, whose name was Miako spoke up again.
"I have to say, your friends are kind of strange."
"The cook isn't my friend." Zoro immediately said.
"Well at least he makes good food." Miako smiled, before her expression turned serious. "I think I didn't thank you yet for saving me back in the village."
"Don't worry about it. These guys were annoying me anyway." Zoro shrugged.
It was partly true, when he had left the bar to search for a date he had seen two men threatening a woman and he had stepped in. The woman he had saved turned out to be Miako and seeing that he was searching for someone to eat with anyway he had asked her to come back with him to the Sunny. He was pulled out of his thoughts when Miako spoke up again.
"Still thanks. I tend to get myself into trouble all the time, but normally I have my sword with me to take care of such guys."
"You are a swordswoman?" Now Zoro was interested. For him it didn't matter if he had a female or male sword fighter in front of him, as long as they were dedicated to their swordsmanship he respected them equally.
"Definitely not as good as you." Misaki admitted, after all she had seen him fight. "But yes I'm. My father is a blacksmith and one day he asked me to test a new sword that he had made. After I used a sword once I fell in love with it and kept practicing."
"Then I have to visit your father tomorrow. My swords could use a good check-up." Zoro smirked.
"Sure. Would you let me see your swords? I know a little bit about blacksmithing. My father wants me to follow in his footsteps one day."
Zoro looked closely at Miako. He rarely trusted people enough to let them anywhere near his swords. However his instincts told him that the woman in front of him was telling him the truth, so as always he trusted his instincts and gave her his swords. He wasn't disappointed when he saw how Miako treated them. She unsheathed them carefully and inspected them closely.
"You took good care of them, especially the white one. Isn't it one of the famous swords?" When Zoro nodded she smiled brightly. "I never thought I would be able to see one of them. It's really a masterpiece and I'm sure my father would be honored to sharpen it for you."
Zoro smiled slightly at that. It seemed like his bet with the cook had turned into a great opportunity to talk with a fellow sword fighter.
Nami, who was watching them from behind her mikan trees, had seen the whole exchange. That Zoro gave this woman his swords just like that and now even smiled at her was worrying her. The swordsman was always picky about letting anyone close to his swords, but this woman was given access to them so easily. Could it be that Zoro was really interested in her? He was spending the day of love with her after all. Seeing him with her had hurt Nami enough when she had still thought that he only wanted to win the bet against Sanji, but the thought that he was taking this date seriously and actually liking this woman made Nami's heart squeeze painfully in her chest. However when she looked at the deck again, it was even worse and she had to keep herself from gasping. They were holding hands.
Little did the navigator know that she was misinterpreting the situation.
While Nami's feelings were getting closer to the surface, Zoro wasn't aware of the navigator's inner conflict. He had been in deep conversation with Miako for a while when she had asked him if she could get a closer look at his hands. Not seeing the harm in it he had let her take his big hands in her small ones.
"You know my father always says that you can see if a sword fits its owner by the structure of his hands." Misaki explained her reasoning a few seconds later. "If there are little callus the swordsman knows how to handle his swords the right way."
"So what's your opinion on my hands." Zoro asked slightly amused.
"Well, it only confirms what I already saw when you saved me. You're a great swordsman."
"And I'll be the world's greatest swordsman one day." Zoro smirked confidently.
Miako's eyes widened for a moment, before she smiled. The man in front of her was surely something else, but she was glad that she had met him.
After all the food was gone Miako said goodbye to Zoro and he told her that he would come over tomorrow.
Nami, who had stayed hidden behind her mikan trees for the whole date, now moved to the railing so she stood next to Zoro.
"So you will see her again?" Nami asked biting her lip.
"Yeah." Zoro shrugged, not seeing the harm in the question. Miako's father sounded like a good blacksmith and his swords could use a good check-up.
Unknowingly to him, Nami interpreted it the wrong way and it made her heart squeeze painfully. Sure, they hadn't planed to stay long on this island, but alone the thought that Zoro wanted to spend even more time with another woman hurt. At this point Nami slowly began to realize that she couldn't deny any more that she was developing stronger feelings for Zoro. She had tried to fight it for so long, but after she had seen him again after two years she had already known that there were more feelings involved on her part. Clearly fighting it hadn't worked out, but realizing it now was the worst moment possible.
Shaking her head Nami smiled sadly, her bad timing was just her luck. She was never someone who feel in love easily, as a matter of fact this was the first time ever she found herself in love with someone. Sure, in her past she had flirted with a lot of men to distract them enough so she could steal their money, but she had never been interested in any of them. Nami didn't know how Zoro had managed that she had fallen for him, but there was no denying now that he had in the end. There was no one she bickered so much with as she did with him, but then again when they sat together during some evenings with a bottle of sake shared between them there was no one better she could talk to about her past. When she got herself into trouble during a battle he was always the one who saved her and if she was honest with herself he was the one she felt safest with. Looking at it like this she had her explanation why it was Roronoa Zoro who had stolen her heart, which was ridiculous considering that she was the thief.
While Nami was deep in thoughts Zoro looked at her from the corner of his eye. Somehow the navigator seemed sad and he had never liked seeing her like this. He didn't know what it was, but when it came to Nami he felt the need to protect her. It was strange for him to feel like this and this feeling had only intensified when he had seen her again after their two years apart. There was no doubt that she was beautiful and even Zoro wasn't immune to that realization, but his instincts told him that there was more to it. He wasn't one to be in touch with his feelings, but even he had slowly come to the realization that friendship wasn't the only thing he felt for her.
"So it seems like Sanji makes a good matchmaker." Nami's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. Seeing his confused expression she continued. "I think it's great that you found someone who you like so much."
Her face almost hurt from the force of her fake smile and every word she said felt like a sword was being stuck into her heart. Why did she have to realize her feelings for him now? It wasn't fair.
"Are you jealous?" He teased her. This was their thing after all, teasing and bickering.
"It doesn't matter." She said and turned around. Her words and that she didn't even look at him made his smirk vanish.
Only now Zoro realized what she had been thinking. She must have thought that this dinner was really a date and he had to admit that his goodbye to Miako could be misinterpreted as them agreeing to go on another date. Could it be that she was indeed jealous of Miako? At that he smiled, maybe he wasn't the only one who was starting to realize his feelings.
"You're silly."
Normally Nami would counter, but right now he was right. It was silly of her to fall in love with him when he clearly didn't feel that way about her. She was about to leave when she felt a hand on her arm gently turning her around so that she was facing Zoro. The look in his eye was unusual soft and somehow Nami didn't think that this was the rejection she had thought it was.
"It wasn't a real date. I asked Miako to eat with me to prove the cook wrong. She is alright and I like her, but not like that. She is a fellow sword fighter and I'll meet her tomorrow because her father is a blacksmith and my swords need a good check-up."
"So you aren't dating her or anything like that?" Nami asked to make sure that she was really understanding him correctly this time. When he confirmed it, she was relieved. However his next words were even better and Nami felt her heart speed up.
"Want to share that bottle of sake I won from the stupid cook?" He smirked at her.
"Just the two of us?" When he nodded Nami bit her lip. Her next words could change everything between them, but after today the navigator was sure that she wanted to be with him. Taking a deep breath she continued. "Like a date?"
"If that is what you want." He smiled gently at her.
"It is." She mirrored his expression.
Later that night when they shared the bottle of sake between them with her head on his shoulder and his arms around her, Nami couldn't help but think that this was probably not how normal people had dates, but then again seeing that it was her and Zoro this was perfect. This time the day of love really deserved its name.
A/N: Happy Valentine's Day :)