RATING: T
UPDATES MADE 11/07/18 - changed "love" to "really like" since there is a prompt for this specific thing and I wanted it so badly so ;P
He buried his face deeper into his jacket and he watched her laugh with the rest of them. Little pearl earrings peeking out between orange locks that she pinned up for such an occasion.
Who is she trying to impress? He continued to watch from afar, frosty breath clouding out in front of him. His boots hit the pavement and the crunch of leaves echoed even though the streets were busy with traffic.
Nami turned around for a moment and caught him staring and he quickly jutted his lower lip out in a snarl, telling her to look elsewhere. She didn't. She wouldn't.
Instead, she placed a gentle hand on the blonde boy's arm and told him to go ahead of her. He was quick to question it but Luffy ran forward to the eatery and had the rest of the crew chasing him. Nami paid them no mind as her deep brown eyes set on his face.
Her eyelashes fluttered. Were they always that long? His staring did not cease and suddenly he found himself in front of her. She had stopped moving but he sometimes felt that when he looked at her long enough, she was the center of everything...and the world moved around her. As if she directed the clouds and winds to do her bidding.
Tonight, in the setting sun of a crisp Thursday in November, their friend group wanted to go out for dinner. School was nearly over. They were applying for colleges soon. Life was going to get real and Zoro found himself...afloat. He had plenty of options to explore but for some reason, he found himself wondering what her thoughts were.
Which is why he had asked her about where he should apply, and she had chewed her lip, deep in thought. He could not stop staring since. She had never responded, school took over and until now, they didn't have a moment alone.
"Zoro?" She called out to him. He drifted back down to her, an anchor in his sea of thoughts.
"Hm?" He grunted, his eyes drifting back to her lips. Pink. Smooth. She began chewing her bottom lip again and Zoro watched the pearly whites of her front teeth tease the flesh. Her canine so close and sharp that he wondered what it would feel like against him.
Wait. No. He shook his head and her light brown eyebrows furrowed.
"Why do you keep doing that?" She inquired as she pulled her coat tighter.
He frowned, trying to keep cool and collected. He could not possibly admit that he was looking at her. Again. He thought he squashed that crush in middle school but then in their junior year, it came back in full force. But Zoro was not the jealous type. Nor was he the confession type. What he was was the sullen and sometimes berating type.
When she would date someone, Zoro made a point to disregard them. When they inevitably broke up and Nami would come to him with a sad smile and wet eyes, he would bluntly tell her that whoever he was, he didn't deserve a single tear from her. That she was better off. That she was too good. That she was much better than whatever trash she allowed herself to date.
And then she dated him. The stupid blonde. If Zoro could, he would have told her to stop. But he didn't. No. He just waited for them to break up, and then he allowed himself to hate Sanji even more than before. It was confusing. Half of him wanted to knock him out for hurting Nami as he did. The other half wanted to thank him for letting her go. Sanji was annoying but he would have taken care of Nami. However, Nami, as Zoro fully knew, did not need anyone to take care of her.
"Zoro!" She shouted, and he came back once more. Seconds felt like hours with her. And he would not trade a moment of it. So, when he had asked her where he should go, and she responded with a face that looked pained and confused, Zoro wondered if he should have reached out at that moment and told her exactly what he wanted to hear. Stay with me.
That was all. Whatever it would have been as. A friend or a workout buddy or a confidant or "the best hugger". If she was next to him, Zoro did not care where in the world they went.
He dreamt that she would say something mean or backhanded and then smirk. Take his face into her soft palms and lean up to him. Press herself against him and then...then Zoro would tell her that he loved her. That he always did. That it hurt when she looked at him like he could ever cause her pain. It was possible. His luck could run out. He could say the wrong thing. He could not say enough. But at least he could promise that he'd follow her.
Such soft lips. Skin so warm. Hands trembling. Lashes against my... Wait.
Her lashes were fluttering against him. And her hands, fingertips cool but palms somewhat clammy and warm were pressed into his cheeks. Her body heat was coming off in waves even in the cold. And her lips. Oh, God. Her lips... They were melting into his own as he blinked so much that he thought his reality was just another illusion.
She opened her eyes and looked at him. Lips still against his slightly agape mouth. She pulled away only a centimeter, but Zoro was quick to stop her from moving back any further. His arms left his pockets so quickly and gripped her sides that Nami squeaked at the firmness. The lack of indecision. The instant need he had in his eyes.
Her hands were still pressed against his cheeks and she mumbled lowly, "You...weren't paying attention."
"I am now," he said so clearly that Nami turned even pinker under the dusky lights of a nearly dark sky.
"You..." She brought her heels back to the ground, having to stand on her toes to reach him as she did. His arms still held her firm, encircling her now and brought her hips flush against his own. She nearly stumbled into it, and Zoro's gaze was penetrating.
"Why..." She was suddenly shy as if she didn't always flirt with him before. As if she didn't tease him endlessly for his lack of a love life. As if she did not watch as he took his place beside her, a best friend...she kept safely at her fingertips because if she reached too far forward, she'd lose him. That was what she thought every time she dated "another loser". He doesn't see me that way...and I can't ruin what I have just to figure it out.
And then Sanji happened. She relented. He was always so kind and flirtatious. He dated her so well. Treated her like a princess, showered her with adoration. Showy and loud and endearing but her eyes always went back to the boy with the hunched shoulders. The one who fell asleep no matter where he was. The cocky smirk on a tan face.
"I can date you, my princess. But you love someone else," Sanji said as he "broke up with her." It was like he was martyring himself "for the greater good."
So, when Zoro asked her where he should go as if she would send him off with a bow to someplace far away...to do whatever he wanted with whoever took her place. She was scared and worried and frightened at herself for being so...stupid.
"Nami." His voice shook her bones as his chest was against her own. Her arms pinned between them, fingertips still at his jaw.
"Hm?" she said almost out of breath. God, you are cute, he thought. She tilted her head as she responded and Zoro tightened his hold.
"Why did you do that?" It was a fair question but Nami felt insulted. Why else would I kiss you, you stupid idiot?
Zoro watched the emotions play on her face. Shit. Shit. Said the wrong thing. I mean. I am just making sure. She...I mean. That she was...to me. I was just...checking.
Nami wondered for a second if she had just made the stupidest mistake of her life. If she just admitted to something she buried deep inside her and now he had fuel to tease her. But. He's not letting me go. He's still holding me so close...
"I l-li-" she stammered but she didn't get far.
"I like you!" He shouted as he brought his puckered lips down to her and crashed them together.
It was bad. Very bad. Zoro was frozen like a stone when he understood that she did not say the other L word. And Nami's fingers twitched as she wondered what he was attempting to do with his mouth so hard and pressed so abruptly. They stared at each other and Zoro cursed every film he had ever seen that showed him his current kissing technique was nothing but Hollywood bullshit. Note to fucking self. Wear Chapstick. Don't eat fish before kissing. And for the love of whatever God is out there...close your damn eyes!
And then she giggled. Nami watched the worry and the fear dance along his face. Oh God, he's precious. But... At least he's trying. And then she remembered what he said, and the giggle died as the heat rose in her stomach. Damn it. He's always stronger than me...
She closed her eyes and leaned forward, encouraging him with light pecks to relax his lips. He did so and soon he let her suck off his bottom lip as his confidence began to build and then...then it was war.
Zoro pulled her closer and tilted his head as he sucked on her own lips. Some sugary taste filled his mouth and as she tried to tease her way in, he pulled back.
Letting out a heavy exhale he whispered, "I...I don't know what I'm doing." Truthfully, he didn't want her to taste his lunch, but he was man enough to admit that she was stronger than him in this instant.
Nami looked up at him, brown eyes wide and then they creased as she grinned. "Don't worry... I'll show you where to go."
Zoro was red, redder than she had ever seen him before. He huffed and exhaled as she continued to laugh. So cute. She motioned him with a finger and he leaned forward. She took her pointer to her lips and smiled. "Try again."
He did not move with as much haste and instead followed her lead as she tilted her head one way and he went the other. It was softer and wetter. His hand traveled to her hair where he began to maneuver her on his own and Nami nearly moaned at the sensation. Oh no. He's a fast learner.
And just like that, they did not stop for what felt like hours until a shout shocked them.
"Get a room!" Usopp teased as Sanji bite into a cloth napkin and held back tears. Luffy with a mouthful of food just smirked.
"Well, that only took you guys long enough!" He shouted through the meat.
Nami and Zoro grew embarrassed as they realized they had given out quite a show. What was only a second in their minds was actually 20 minutes of mind games on a sidewalk during the dinner rush. The crowd of gawkers nearly cheered as Zoro frowned and released her. Nami felt lost now without his arms around her, but before she could frown...his hand found hers and clasped it tightly. Very sweaty but Nami didn't mind.
"What are you idiots doing out here?" Zoro shouted as he gently pulled Nami towards the rest of them.
Usopp rolled his eyes and smirked, "While you two were eating each other, we were-"
Sanji smacked him. "Don't be so vulgar!"
The three boys turned and headed back in and Zoro was going to follow until a small tug at his arm made him turn around.
Nami was busy staring at her shoes though she gripped his hand back and ran her thumb along his skin. "I...um...I really like you, too."
He was taken aback, thinking he had imagined his own confession before he could ever fathom hers. He smiled. Warm and full. Zoro leaned in and placed a kiss on her cheek. The action made her gasp but before he pulled back up, he whispered into her ear, "That's the first of many, witch."
Nami nearly had steam coming out of her ears as she hid in the collar of her jacket and pulled him forward, mumbling to herself but loud enough for him to hear how much of an idiot he was.
She felt so much then, and that was typical Zoro...flooding her senses even when he clumsily gave her his first kiss. Their interlocked fingers proved to her that he was willing to learn and Nami was so ready to teach.
A/N: I literally wrote this in a dazed awareness in the very early morning (midnight/1 AM) because I couldn't get the idea out of my head. I also got some choice ideas that I want to throw in here. Cross my fingers as I keep all these things as one-shot stories, cause ya'll know I can't even. Also, I wanted to keep any original plans I have for TF and MM still there...so this has been a fun challenge.
P.S. Anyone following TF, I WILL be updating it...and I will be changing some chapters I've already made. I know, I know - editing after posting, such a taboo...but yo gurl got you and she wants to do right by ya.
However, for this set of stories, enjoy the little bits of fluff:)
XoXo shipfiend