In the week that followed the incident at the frozen isle, Titania couldn't help but warm to the group of ragtag pirates. There was something about them that set them apart from every other pirate crew that she'd seen before; they all carried an air of compassion, although admittedly one would have to actively seek it out to find it there.
Titania had taken it upon herself to help out as much as she could around the Sunny. If she noticed someone working on something, she was immediately by their side to offer her assistance. More often than not, the siren could be found helping in the kitchen or Franky's workshop. Although Sanji hated asking anything of her, he often relied on her to bring up the ingredients from storage for a special reason.
He smirked as Zoro walked in with a large crate held aloft in one hand. The smaller woman trailed in behind him.
"There." He placed it down near the base of one of the counters. "Oi, shitty cook. Why are you having Titania do all the heavy lifting? If you need something, go get it yourself."
The chef looked up from the stove that he'd been watching intently to find the swordsman scowling at him.
"I had to watch the food, idiot." Sanji countered with a shrug. "Titania-chan offered her assistance. I figured she could handle it."
At this, the previously silent woman spoke up. "It's no trouble, really! I'm sorry if I inconvenienced you at all, Zoro." She bowed her head. "Next time, I can do it alone."
'Yeah right," Zoro scoffed, "You're going to do heavy-lifting?" He eyed her slender frame and rolled his eyes, trying and failing to hide a pinkish hue on his face.
Sanji smirked to himself as he watched the exchange and pretended to be engrossed in the meal he was preparing.
"Just come get me right away next time this hack of a cook decides he needs something from you." Zoro finished lamely and walked out in a huff. The siren watched him leave, unaware that her lips were parted slightly.
Sanji smiled and cleared his throat. "I think that's enough, Titania-chan. Thank you for all your help."
The white-haired woman looked up at him and flushed, embarrassed that she was caught staring after Zoro. "Right. Let me know if you need anything else, Sanji, I'll go see if anyone else needs any help."
The poor woman excused herself and ducked out of the galley without another moment as the cook chuckled to himself.
Any day now, those two idiots will finally admit their feelings.
Out on the deck, the sun was shining brightly. The grass looked more vibrant than ever, and the waves glittered like a million jewels under the sky. Titania was lounging on the deck, legs stretched out in front of her as she reclined on her arms. Her white hair shone luminously, radiating light. She stared longingly at the water.
"What's with that look?" Zoro asked, noting her silence. He cracked an eye open from where he'd been meditating on the deck. Strangely, he'd taken to working out on the deck more often than not lately. The woman was normally such a distraction, but being alone just seemed less and less appealing.
She shot him a wistful smile and he felt his heart thud painfully. He frowned in response, trying to get his heart to slow down.
"I just miss the ocean sometimes," she said, cocking her head to the side to glance at the sparkling blue waves, "I haven't been for a swim in a while; it would be nice to go stretch my legs for a bit, in a manner of speaking."
"Then go do it. Why spend time pining after something that's right in front of you?"
Her expression fell. "You'll think I'm being silly."
He cocked an eyebrow, inviting her to go on.
Titania sighed and drew her legs up to her chest. "I don't want to be alone again. When I go back into the water, no one can follow me. It's just me." She sighed, laying her forehead on her knees. "I feel like if I go back to the ocean, I'll wake up from whatever pleasant dream this is and I'll be alone again. I don't want to take that chance; you're all too precious to me, and I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."
Zoro wasn't expecting that bout of emotion. He scratched his head, stuttering out words that couldn't even be strung together coherently. He flushed when he realized he wasn't making any sense and rose to his feet. He started towards the woman who'd subconsciously withdrawn back into herself and offered her a hand.
"Look, if it's that important to you, then I'll come with you," he said grudgingly.
She looked up in surprise. "Really?"
"Just hurry up before I change my mind." He grumbled.
"There's another island!" Chopper exclaimed, looking through a small telescope. He leaned over the rails and spotted the pair that still swam next to the ship. "Zoro! Titania! There's an island up ahead!"
The siren raised her head out of the water to shout back, "Alright, Chopper! We'll meet you all there!"
Zoro was treading water next to her, looking around for the island. He'd spent the last half hour or so swimming with her alongside the Sunny. If it was any other person, there's no way they would have been able to keep up in the water, but Zoro was pretty agile; he could keep up with her slower pace to her surprise.
He'd refused to leave his swords, so he still carried them at his waist despite the slight encumberment as he swam.
"Knowing you, you'd end up in trouble the one time I don't have my swords," he grumbled, stripping off his shirt, "I'm not taking the chance, thanks."
She smiled. After as much time as she'd spent with the Straw Hats, she was finally starting to read between the lines in everything they said. Even if he wouldn't admit it aloud, the swordsman worried for her, and that was a good feeling.
She looked beside her and saw a flash of movement as he looked away quickly. Had he been staring at her? By the pink that was creeping across his face, he must have been. She smiled to herself and swam forward a bit.
"Come on, let's go," she said, "I want to go explore the island."
The green-haired swordsman thrust an arm out in front of her to stop her, his other hand going to the hilt of his favored sword. Without hesitation, he drew, slicing through something that lurked right beneath the surface of the waves. A cloud red rose to the surface, and a moment later, it was followed by the pale purple body of a small sea king. The momentary surprise faded and Titania started breathing again.
"Thank you," she breathed with a slight smile. She glanced up at him and bat her eyes flirtatiously. "I don't know what I would've done without you."
She wade closer to him, watching his face redden with the decreased space between them. She leaned over, brushing her chest over his arm lightly, and pressed her lips gently against his cheek.
At his horrified expression, she took off full-speed towards the island in the distance, laughing cheerfully.
"What the…?" He raised a hand to the cheek she'd kissed, feeling his heartbeat thrumming through his veins. Embarrassed, he followed suit and headed for the island.
For once, he didn't lose his way, and ended up onshore beside her as she was squeezing the water out of her hair. She grinned at him and offered him a towel that she'd retrieved from the Sunny. Zoro accepted it without a word, still trying to calm down after what she'd done. She'd also grabbed her clothes and sandals. Surprisingly, she'd also brought down his shirt and boots.
"Everyone else already went into town," she said, dabbing at her face with another towel, "I figure you can get dressed and meet me there."
"Yeah," he said, sounding dazed.
She smiled one more time before turning for the town. Zoro, still in a daze, watched until she disappeared from his sight.