A/N: Got the hang of it now… i think..Sorry, it's still Zoro's POV because he's thinking about his past. I also wanted to make Nami's POV but don't think it will happen :/

Disclaimer: Once again, not mine.

Chapter 2: My promise

I looked at the time for the 10th time today. It's already 5 and Nami was still not here. She promised she would play this game with me. My house is just next doors and our rooms are right next to each other. We live in a quite town and our houses are 20 minutes walk from the main town. We both have balconies in our room, making it easy for me to visit her whenever I want. Since I'm usually too lazy to enter her room using the main door. I looked up again…

"shit 11th time" I cursed myself for looking. Just as I was about to pack up the game consoles, there was a rattling noise in the balcony. I quickly ran to the balcony door, tripped along the way on the wires and opened the curtains that covered the balcony door. My patience had long gone. Today I was not letting Nami off the hook just because she's younger.

"Oi Nammiiiii" I made sure my voice sounded extra annoyed today but before I could say anything I froze. Nami somehow seemed different today. Something was not right. As Nami entered my room, I carefully analysed Nami. She still had her ugly orange hair but her nose was red and her eyes were swollen. But my anger overthrew my curiosity.

"Oi Nami you were supposed to be here 2 hours ago, witch." I practically screamed. Nami had already covered her ears as if she knew what I was going to do. Well she was always good at reading people…a quality that I often lacked. She sat on the pink cushion with hearts (which she begged me to buy) that laid on floor in front of the TV and game consoles.

"No matter how many times you want a rematch, I'm still gonna beat your ass" was her reply. Somehow, her voice lacked the enthusiasm that was always present.

"Fine, bring it on miakn-crazy witch"

I didn't understand the reason for her tone.

We played until dusk, the moon was bright and I had lost for the nth time in the rematch. She didn't do her usual victory laugh, her eyes were not smiling and she had a scar on her left arm. I looked at it trying to figure out when was the last time I saw her without that scar. Where did she even play to get a scar like that.

"Rematch is over. I won again"

I didn't understand the reason for her tone.

" Nami… Don't you have to eat supper, it's 8 already. Where is Bell-mere san? she usually comes to get you for dinner" I was honestly concerned for her. She was acting strange and I didn't know why. She shook her head as she hugged her knees.

"She's not going to come"

I didn't understand the reason for her tone.

"Well.. it's late. You should go back"

"I know" I was sure there was hurt hidden in that sentence. Before I even processed what I was doing, I had hugged Nami. I had hugged that witch. I guess… i felt guilty?

"Nami I didn't mean you should leave but I was worried" My hand automatically moved to feel her scar on her left arm. On cue, she pushed me away. She was breathing heavily. Her eyes had widen and her hands were covering her scar. I tried to laugh it off and that's when she screamed.

"Don't touch me" Her hands went to cover her ears, red marks clearly seen on the arm that she had just freed. Her head hidden inside her knees. She began to shout again and again. The same thing.

"I'm sorry" She repeated it again and again like a mantra.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry,I'm sorry,I'm sorry,I'm sorry," First it sounded like she was shouting then slowly nothing could be heard.

Honestly I was afraid to approach her, I've never seen her like that but then she looked at me. Her eyes almost possessed, mouth slightly parted and hands still covering her ears. She didn't just look dead, it was as if she was dead.

"I killed my mother"

Later I heard, her mother was stabbed accidentally by a man who Nami had confronted about stealing their mikans. Nami's mother sells mikans hence why she smells of mikans all the time. Nami's mother had recently remarried with Genzo-san which meant Nami now had someone to call dad and a sister. It seemed like happiness would last forever but it ended as soon as it began.

Nami stopped coming into my room, I could no longer hear her voice from my room. Her smile was gone. Hell, I even missed her mischievous grin. It was really annoying so I jumped over to her balcony. I still remember like it was yesterday. 25th of December, after 6 months I saw her face again. This was the longest time I had been away from her and I'm 16 right now. Her bed looked messy, her dirty clothes were scattered everywhere, her books were not in their respected shelves. A quality that does not describe Nami. She was siting on the floor cross-legged and seemed to be looking at something which lay on the carpet. Her facial expression did not change. Upon seeing her, all my body muscles relaxed. It appears my body still recognised her, my Nami.

"Nami" She looked up.I couldn't take it anymore. I lost all patience I had. My 6 months of emotions swelling inside me exploded at once.

*slap* I smacked her across the face. My hands were stinging and had gone slightly red. Her hair covered her face. Her head hung below and I wondered if I had slapped her too hard but my anger overtook my sympathy for her.

"I gave you fucking 6 months. You haven't done anything but be miserable everyday." She glanced at me through her hair that failed to cover one of her eyes. She was definitely throwing daggers at me from her eyes. But I felt relieved. It was definitely the first humane expression she made after Bell-mare died.

"Do you even know what has happened these 6 months, I stopped kendo, Your sister cries everyday I can fucking hear her from my room, your father begs me everyday to talk to you. Do you think Bell-mare san would be happy to see you all miserable?"

Before I could say anymore, I was flying across the room with 2 bumps that was growing on my head. The woman had nerve to punch me when I merely slapped her (lightly).

"That's it, come here you fucking witch" and she did.

It was the first time I laughed after being hit several times by Nami. Mind you, I let her hit me. She showed me all kinds of emotions that I never saw before. Perhaps I will never get to see them in the future and right now, apparently I am in 300 00 belies in debt for seeing what I saw that day and and extra 100 00 belies because I accidentally slipped my tongue to Nojiko, Nami's step sister.

By the time our fight had ended, I had her pinned on the floor with both my arms and her face exposed, no longer bearing the expressionless face as her hair fail to hide her tiny face. Tears were threatening to fall but she stopped crying the moment I started to laugh. Although I wanted to, my eyes could not stop staring at Nami, I just couldn't look away. It had been 6 months already.

"I missed you"

I noticed I said my thoughts out loud but I couldn't careless at the time. I missed her grin that was always mischievous, I missed her smell - the smell of oranges, I missed her odd orange hair which seemed to always go with my odd green coloured hair (not that it is odd). I just wanted things to go back to normal. I wanted Nami around my life to fill the gap left by Kuina. I missed the whole of Nami.

"I'll never leave you. I promise"

"I know I'm not Bell-mare, but you can come to my room anytime if you feel like talking. I'll listen. I promise"

This very sentence was what the 8 year old Zoro said to make the 7 year old Nami cry like a little baby, just like the picture that lay a few metres away from the duo. A picture of a young Bell-mare holding a very young orange-haired Nami.

"Merry Christmas" I whispered.

I hope you like it. Please do read and review. Let me know if you like anything or dislike anything. :)