Chapter 9: Normal with Them
He yawned, ignoring the sunlight streaming into the room he fell asleep in. Attempting to move his hand, he found it was occupied with something else. Another hand. Soon noticing that along with that hand, a body would come. And that body was pressing against his bare chest. And, but of course, that body belong to none other Tashigi. She stirred in his lap. He felt his whole body freeze.
Tashigi opened her eyes, meeting Zoro's chest. Her eyes slowly widened in realization that she was with someone presently. Her eyes traveled up their neck, green hair catching her attention immediately.
"Zoro...?" she mumbled, hoping to get a response. Nothing.
"Zoro?" she spoke a bit louder. Still no response from the man could sleep through hurricanes.
"Zoro!" She yelled, Zoro jumping slightly in mock shock. He looked at her, hoping and praying to a non-existent God that she would not over react.
"How in the freaking world did this happen! Did you come in my room last night and kidnap me? What did you do, you didn't do anything to me did you?"
He sighed deeply. He stood up with her in his arms, and placed her on the couch. "It is way too early to be putting up with your hysterics. I'm leaving."
"You are not leaving here! You are going to tell me what happened!" She ordered him, grabbing his arm. She bore holes into the back of his head with her glare. His shoulders slumped in defeat.
"Nothing happen, I was sleeping in the crow's nest because I fell asleep thinking in here. You leaned against me, thinking it was a dream, and I pulled you into my lap after I realized I was a bit cold, that's all that happened."
"Then how did I get here?" She asked, having calmed down from her momentary hysteria. When it came to Zoro, she was starting to realize she had to ask before assuming.
"You probably went up the ladder." He remarked, yawning at the situation.
"You're such a jerk. Kissing me without permission." She changed the subject, knowing that she probably wouldn't learn anything else. "You could have thought up something else to get rid of her."
"I'm not creative, alright. What would you do if you were caught in that situation?"
"I wouldn't be in that situation." She flatly spoke. Zoro almost cringed at the comment, feeling foolish.
"I'm going." He said, stepping through the door and disappearing. Tashigi waited a moment, sitting on the couch.
"He is so aggravating sometimes! Dumb freaking pirate!" She looked down in her lap and blushed. She remembered him pulling her into his lap, and how warm he was. She soon realized that she was only wearing a pair of exercise shorts and a spaghetti strapped shirt.
"How embarrassing!"She quickly made it back to her room and changed.
Zoro sat at the dining table, eating his food in yet another zombie like state. Not 'Thriller Bark' zombie, just normal zombie. Nobody questioned it this morning, everyone wrapped in their own thoughts. 'I have to admit to myself, I slept pretty damn well when she was with me. Nice and dreamless.' Zoro thought. He looked up, seeing that Brook decided to join in their meals now, and would most likely chat with the women of the crew.
Luffy walked in, and the atmosphere changed almost immediately. It was an excited atmosphere.
"Luffy, you spooked us last night leaving your food like that. I thought I was going to have a heart attack! Course, I don't have a heart, I'm a skeleton! Yohoho!" Brook commented, sipping his tea.
"It seems like Luffy is a big boy now, kiss'n Nami like that." Franky grinned, "where did you two disappear off to?"
"Franky that was a degrading comment, and you're nosey." Usopp commented, trying to eat as much as he could before Luffy started eating everything.
"Huh?" Luffy asked, his mouth already full, "Thwat joo-ull tallkling ah'boot?" Luffy continued to wonder.
"Never mind Franky." Usopp apologized, realizing that Luffy was just that oblivious sometimes. Usopp looked over Zoro suddenly, raising his brow in interest. "I think we should be more interested in Zoro's behavior."
"And why is that Long nose-kun?" Robin entered the conversion, a smile on her lips.
"Well, the fact that the poor guy has hardly slept since Tashigi got here, something has got be on his mind." Usopp remarked, grinning mischievously. "You actually got up and left bed."
Zoro's face paled slightly, hoping that Robin hadn't noticed Tashigi's disappearance. She gave him an understanding look, continuing to eat her food. "Well I'm just restless about-…" Zoro trailed, not having an excuse for his lack of sleep. He sighed, just eating again.
"What's got you all bent out of shape for? Why is Tashigi a distraction for you?" Usopp asked. And Zoro noticed his wording particularly. Distracting. That's exactly what she was. She kept from sleeping. She kept him from training. She downright invaded his mind, and he was not going to be rid of her.
"Her face, that's all. Reminds me of a past friend." That's all he had to say. Usopp didn't ask any more questions, nor did anyone else.
Chopper whispered 'So I was right!' referring to their guesses before the first night she had appeared.
The aforementioned woman appeared in the room soon with Nami, chatting and whispering. The girls gave both Luffy and Zoro an odd blush of look, and sat at the table, still gossiping like high school girls. The whole table filled with chatter, momentarily forgetting all of the unusual situations that had occurred.
One by one, everyone left the table, setting out to the deck. The log pose unexpectedly changed within 8 hours of their arrival. They decided since that they had everything that they needed, that they could leave, (despite the argument of an alcohol loving swordsman and a meat loving rubber man). Nami directed everyone in their actions as normal, Luffy already sitting on the lion's head. After their labors they sat the grass together chatting happily. Robin approached Zoro, causing him to stiffen noticing her advance on him. She sat next to him innocently enough, smiling.
"Swordsman-san, I won't tell the others, but I am quite curious as to what is happening." Her voice persuaded him. He hated that the women on their ship were all so impressionable. It made him sigh in defeat. She was hardly a bother to tell though. He knew that the woman keep her word.
He leaned in towards her, and spoke softly, not wanting the others to gain interest. "What do you want me to start with?" He asked, thinking that there way too much to cover.
"Tell me why she left the room last night."
"Well, actually, I don't know why she left. She was probably restless." He responded, not knowing what else to say to answer the question.
"Did you see her while you were out?"
"Yeah, I was in the crow's nest, and she practically slept-walk there. She thought she was dreaming, and started sleeping against me. I was pretty restless too, I went up there to think, though I fell asleep rather quickly." He explained.
"Nothing happened?"
"Absolutely nothing. There isn't anything between us. And don't you think otherwise just because you saw us kissing yesterday. That goes along with a story about a persistent woman and me getting drunk."
"I'll ask nothing else then." Robin assured, leaning back into the grass with a hidden grin. Zoro looked at everyone talking and laughing loudly. Tashigi crawled over to him to talk, smiling brightly.
"Zoro, did you hear what Nami said? The next island is only 4 days away! And then after that the Marine base is only 2 weeks away." Her sentence ended rather joylessly. "The next island is supposed to be rainy, and has a lush forest. People get lost in it easily, so it'll probably only take you a moment to step your foot onto the island to get lost." She giggled, causing Zoro to grunt at her last comment.
"Maybe all we need to do is get you lost their then. We won't have to worry about you otherwise." He remarked back to her, causing her to stick her tongue out with him. "Yeah, real mature Tashigi."
"Like I need to be mature while in your presence," she sat cross legged, leaning on her hands. She stared up into the sky, humming to herself suddenly.
Zoro too leaned back and lay in the grass. The clouds were very individual, making figures in the sky. The crew grew quiet with whispering, everyone having decided to lie down and cloud watched.
"Zoooo-roooo! Will you play with me?" Chopper asked him suddenly, watching the reindeer's eyes get big with anticipation. The swordsman grinned, picking up the reindeer, letting him ride his shoulders. Chopper happily raised his arms in the air riding freely on Zoro's back. They ran around the deck laughing. Robin giggled, sneaking her fleurs, and ticking both of them. They laughed instantly at her assault of ticking. Zoro fell over, the reindeer tumbling from his shoulders. Everyone giggled at them. Robin relieved them of her grasps.
"Robin," Zoro panted, "don't you think that might be an over kill?" He laid in the grass, petting the exhausted reindeer. "Alive?"
"Alive." Chopper breathily replied, not moving in the least bit.
Tashigi watched like everyone else how Zoro took care of the childish creature. It was almost cute Tashigi thought. Chopper hugged Zoro as soon as he was capable of moving, receiving more pets from Zoro. Luffy crawled towards them on his stomach, wanting to poke them both. Angering them both after a short minute, Luffy fled the scene, Zoro and Chopper chasing them. Everyone laughed, Luffy attempting to hide behind crew members, only stalling them for a short time when it came to being a woman.
Tashigi was slowly starting to realize how likable everyone could be. And that was soon going to change everything.
