And here's an out of season Halloween story! Enjoy!

The air held a chill and as she hurried across the lot, brown leaves crunched underfoot. In the distance she could hear laughter and excited shrieks. With the sun freshly set, the local Fall Carnival was well underway.

Glowing jack-o-lanterns lined the entrance, and it was right in the middle of the glowing gourds that he stood. Hands in his pockets, he looked over his shoulder, observing the bright carnival beyond.

"Zoro!"

He turned. "Bout time you got here." Despite his rough tone, his lips quirked in a lopsided smile.

Forcibly inserting her hands beneath his arms, she embraced him. "Shut up and kiss your girlfriend."

Dipping his head, he dutifully obeyed.

His lips, though slightly chapped, were warm. And when they parted, she could taste a hint of spice and…Nami pulled back, frowning. "Your breath smells like pumpkin."

He hesitated. "I…may have had one of those pumpkin coffee drink-things that you like so much on my way here."

Disentangling from their hug, she smacked him on the arm. "And you didn't get me one? What the hell, Zoro."

He crossed his arms. "Hell, I didn't want you to make fun of me for liking your girl-drink."

She rolled her eyes. "Really? We're gendering beverages now?"

Hands on her hips, she stared him down.

Blowing a breath, he rolled his eyes towards the sky."…fine. Next time I'll get you one."

She grinned, grabbing his hand. "That's all I needed to hear." With a tug, she dragged him into the carnival.

Spooky, lilting music wafted through the air. Attractions were spread out, illuminated beneath tiny, jack-o-lantern stringed lights. They passed a vat of water filled with floating apples, a tent filled to the brim with facepaint and children, and a line for a horse drawn carriage before she saw it.

Tugging on Zoro's hand, she drew him to a stop.

He frowned, looking at the tarp-covered entrance. It was illuminated beneath flickering strobe lights.

"The Haunted House. Really? You want to go in there?"

"Yes, I want to go in there!" Squeezing his hand, she bounced up and down on her toes. "It's Halloween!"

Besides, Usopp had spent the better part of the last week teasing her because she'd freaked out during the horror movie they'd watched the weekend before. Never mind that she was sure he was just as scared, but only she'd had the guts to scurry up from the couch and shut it off. He'd still given her hell.

Well this was her chance to prove him wrong. Because he was wrong. She was totally brave and she could most definitely handle some small town haunted house. Yanking Zoro forward with a double-handed grip, she marched towards the entrance.

They'd barely crossed the threshold when a gust of cool air whistled between them. Thick grey fog twisted, making the air taste sweet and obscuring the dimly lit path that stretched ahead.

Squaring her shoulders, Nami pushed forward. Holding tight to Zoro's hand, she interlaced their fingers. She'd be damned if she lost him in here. She'd probably have to wait until they packed everything up to find him again.

They were only a couple feet inside the haunted house when a blood curdling shriek sounded nearby. Jumping half a foot in the air, she clutched at Zoro's arm. Breathing short, quick breaths though her nose, her fingers trembled as her heart pounded a furious beat.

Zoro looked down at her, his gaze dubious. "The door is literally right there. We can go back."

Pressing her lips together, she shook her head. She could do this.

Her fingers were squeezing his hand like a vice and he could feel prickles of pain where the nails from her other hand had begun to dig into his arm. This was not going to end well. He could already tell. Because for some inexplicable reason, she thought it would be an excellent idea to drag him into a haunted house, conveniently forgetting the fact that she was a total, unabashed chicken shit.

From where they stood, the dim light from the carnival still reached them, seeping in through the entrance. Zoro squeezed her hand, drawing her attention. "The door is literally right there. We can go back."

Her head gave a quick shake. Wrinkling her nose, her lips pinched together.

Zoro sighed. He knew that look. She'd more than made up her mind. Tugging her closer, he took a loping step into the fog. This was not going to end well.

Together, they shuffled through the dim hall. The rampant fog made it difficult to see where the path curved, sandwiched between black, flapping tarp walls. Whenever they wandered too close to a wall and she brushed up against cool plastic, Nami jumped.

Ahead, flickering strobe lights illuminated what looked to be a cardboard constructed jail cell. Beyond the bars a heap of rags, vaguely resembling a body, was slumped.

As they approached the flickering scene, Nami's grip on his hand gradually tightened. As they passed the still, silent cell, Zoro's fingers had begun to throb under her relentless grip.

Both of their gazes were riveted on the heap of rags, waiting for the figure to inevitably move. Zoro could hear Nami sucking in short breaths through her mouth.

There was a brush of fabric at his back, and then – something wailed.

A masked figure, oozing what looked like blood, arched its arms towards them.

Nami leapt into the air, matching the wail with an equally powerful shriek of her own.

Zoro couldn't deny that the surprise had made his heart pick up pace. Chuckling, he held a hand to his chest. It had been a while since he'd been scared like that.

Nami, on the other hand, was ghost-white. Gripping the front of his shirt, she backpedaled away from the wailing masked-man.

They turned a corner and she released his shirt, opting to snatch back up his hand. Her fingers were clammy.

"Hey – you okay?" He rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand.

Nami nodded in several quick jerks. "Y-yeah, I'm fine. Totally fine."

He snorted. Fine his ass. But she was the one who'd wanted to go through the haunted house in the first place.

As Nami turned, a figure materialized behind her. The flickering light above them revealed a grotesquely made-up clown. From smeared red lips, dark lines of blood dribbled down a white, patchy chin.

Before Zoro could say anything, its stretched out its hand. Long nails brushed over her shoulder.

She stiffened, instantly going still. Ever so slowly, her head turned. As she looked to the side, the grotesque clown leaned in. Face-to-face with the clown, she stared, blinking once then twice.

Her eyes went wide and her shoulders lifted as a shiver wracked its way up and down her frame. Her nails dug into the back of Zoro's hand and her mouth dropped open. At first nothing came out – and then it was like someone slowly cranked up her volume.

"…..n-n-n-nnnnnn-noooooooOOOOOOOOO!"

Her fist swung out. It struck the clown's face with a dull smack.

As the clown cursed, stumbling into a fluttering tarp, Zoro tugged her back.

"Jesus Christ Nami! You can't fucking punch the actors!"

As he spoke, another hapless actor creeped up behind her. This one – a goggled man in a bloodied surgeon's uniform, cackled as he hefted two gleaming scalpels in the air.

Zoro could only thank god that she didn't round-house kick the good doctor. Instead she screamed bloody murder. Fingers scraping over the back of his neck, scrambled up into Zoro's arms.

Cold, clammy hands slapped against his cheeks, dragging his face down until he was staring directly into her wide, wild eyes. "Zoro, get me the hell out of here right now!"

He couldn't very well argue with that.

Hugging her against his chest, he pushed past the madly laughing doctor. Fog twisted in the air, obscuring the path. Tightening his arms around his trembling girlfriend, he turned in a quick circle. Which direction was out?

Nearby, a bone-chilling shriek pierced the air. Face pressed against his shoulder, Nami moaned.

Fuck it.

If he went in one direction, they'd eventually make it out. Ducking his head forward, he charged through one tarp after another. As he ran, he was pretty sure he felt a couple tarps tear loose. And as he hauled ass through the haunted house, several masked actors jumped, startled by the man running amok through the chaos.

Just when he felt like his lungs were going to explode from inhaling mouthfuls of the sickly sweet fog, he breached the last tarp and stumbled into the night. Tipping his head back, he sucked in a deep breath of cool, fresh air. Above them, the stars flickered in the sky.

Nami shifted in his arms. Ever so slowly, she lifted her head, peeking carefully over his shoulder. When she saw that they were out, her body went limp and she sagged in his arms. "Oh thank god."

He shook his head. In his arms, she was still pasty white and the faint sheen of sweat had yet to fade from her brow. "What the hell were you thinking?"

Closing her eyes, she groaned. "I was trying to prove a point."

"To me?"

"No, not to you. I wanted to be able to brag to Usopp that I was brave."

At that, he couldn't help it – he laughed. It bubbled up from his chest and escaped his lips a loud guffaw. "You…wanted to prove…to Usopp that you were brave?"

She slapped his chest. "Shut up! He was making fun of me this whole week."

Still chuckling, he carefully deposited her on her feet. "To be fair, before you broke down and begged me to save your ass, you did clock that clown in the face."

The corner of her lips tugged up. "I did get him pretty good."

"Yeah. I wouldn't be surprised if we're banned next year."

"Who'd want to do that again anyway?" She shuddered, reaching for his hand. "I'm mildly traumatized after that, so what do you say we go grab a couple of pumpkin spiced lattes and head back to your place?"

He hated to admit it, but he wouldn't mind another one of the pumpkin drinks. They were really damn good. He shrugged. "Sure, sounds good to me."

Hand-in-hand they walked beneath the orange, glowing lights of the carnival. As they passed line of pumpkins at the entranced, she bumped against him. "Also – I'll be sleeping over for like the next month. I can already tell, that clown-asshole is going to give me nightmares."

Disentangling their hands, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, tugging her against his side. He was more than fine with that arrangement.

And he was…until 3am the following morning when he woke to Nami thrashing in bed, muttering about a clown. As he leaned over her, trying to calm her down, he was unprepared for the flying fist that struck him squarely in the eye.

Twenty minutes later, Nami was sleeping soundly and Zoro lay beside her, holding a hand to now his throbbing face. They were never going in a haunted house, ever again.