So I actually used this to get through my writer's block and take a break from my other WIPs. Before I knew it, it was complete, so I figured I'd share it. It's a bit drabble-ish and incredibly self-indulgent.
I tried to watch the film to get some of the scenes right, but then I kept getting swept away in the film, so there's going to be to be differences. Then again, they weren't a couple in the film, and I've added some scenes, so does it really matter?
Enjoy!
Zoro's ears were ringing, screeching in protest at the loud noise from the blast, and his back hurt from being hurled across the ship. It was dull but it was there. But it reminded him that they weren't in the clear yet and his reflexes were kicking in, grabbing for his swords, or at least trying to. His body was bound in thick green ropes that didn't given an inch no matter how much he protested.
Smoke filled his nose, and he gave up on escaping for the time being to take in the view. It was hard to believe he'd managed to ignore it for this long. The ship was on fire, black smoke billowing from what seemed like every surface. The galley was gone, completely blown open and surrounded by flames licking their way further across the ship.
The scene was horrific. Sunny was in trouble.
It was hard to decide what to focus on first in all the chaos, but he quickly found something that made his stomach drop.
Luffy being crushed in a Z's hand.
He looked weak and defeated, it was an awful look on him. Something that had Zoro wanting to grab for his swords to rectify the scene immediately.
Goddamn it. He needed out.
Like a dirty tissue, Luffy was thrown to the floor, apparently not worthy of being killed in a fight. Something Zoro knew would grate him, but at least there wasn't an immediate threat of a dead Captain.
His gaze flitted quickly around to check everyone else was accounted for and somewhat okay. It stopped on what he presumed was Nami only a few feet in front of him. It looked like her, the orange hair a dead giveaway… but smaller. Much, much smaller. What the hell had been happening out here before? Frowning, he stored that thought away for later.
Shit. He needed to move. Now. He had to do something, they were in trouble and there he was just sitting around. Movement caught his eye and he saw the Cook also bound, struggling to be freed.
Shit, shit, shit.
Now it was really bad, all three of them were down.
Nami caught his struggling and ran over to him before he could call over to her. Her small hands were trying to pry the green vines away from him.
"Do I want to know why you're a child?" His eyebrows were furrowed as he got a proper look at her. It was Nami alright.
"Not the time. Later," she huffed, small hands gripping the vines and yanking on them, but they wouldn't budge. She wasn't strong enough right now.
And it wasn't the time it seemed. Because the ship exploded around them as cannon balls relentlessly fired at them and it didn't help Nami who was still attempting to free him. She was almost knocked off her feet when the ship was hit again and if she went overboard, no one would be there the dive after her. He was getting more and more frustrated by the second.
When he looked to his left, Chopper wasn't getting much further with the cook.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
Usopp, Franky and Brook were just as trapped as him.
And Luffy was furious. It was rare to see his Captain like that. He was back on his feet, quickly recovering, and hanging off the side of the ship, snarling at them to come back. Robin was doing her best to talk him down, but he wasn't listening and Zoro could feel his already thin temper about to snap. At everything. It had all gone so wrong so quickly.
Him and the cook were useless.
Luffy couldn't see past his own anger.
Nami was a child.
They'd lost.
But not everything.
Just as he was about to bark at Luffy to get his head on straight, Robin finally got through to him after another cannonball hit their ship and almost capsized them.
Luffy was in action then, freeing Franky, as Robin worked on securing herself and the others.
"Hold on," Zoro commanded, now looking back down at Nami, who in all the chaos still hadn't given up. Franky was just about to fire up a coupe de burst and the last thing he needed was her falling off the ship. Especially when he couldn't go after her.
It didn't take long for her to understand before she was nodding back and clinging to him as they sailed through the air away from the attack. He was too tied up to properly hold onto her, no matter how much he wanted to.
.
.
.
The mood was off when they landed on the first island available. Luffy's face solemn as he stood with Franky assessing the damage to the ship. The rest of the crew left them, gathering instead across the water from the ship to discuss what had happened and what their next move was going to be.
He hadn't been incredibly involved in the discussion; he'd been too focused on Nami. It was unsettling. She was still exactly the same, bold and bossy, but instead it was all packaged into a miniature body.
There was no way around it, she was cute, and it left him in a strange position. Normally he'd snark her, draw her into an argument, especially when she was somewhat upset, to take her mind off of it, but now he didn't feel like he could. It was almost as bad as picking on Chopper.
Nami said something about being returned to normal, standing up outraged and he should have known that the moment the cook opened his mouth he would be annoyed.
Gritting his teeth, Zoro could feel his patience dangerously thinning. He was used to the idiot cook spouting off nonsense to Nami and that hadn't changed when they had got together. Normally he'd just ignore it, it was hardly like he was a threat, and she could handle herself. But today already hadn't been a good day and when the pervert started talking about her body, he was ready to fight.
Unable to resist, he uttered out an irritated, "Creep," and that seemed to do it. The focus was on him then and Nami started to look comfortable again. As soon as the shoving starting, she was breaking them apart, just before a full-on brawl could start.
Disgruntled, Zoro looked across the waters to see Luffy peeling away from Franky with the old man and when they saw each other, Luffy nodded at him. That was his cue. Zoro stood and motioned with his head for them to start walking.
He slowed for a second, waiting for Nami to catch up before continuing forward. He was only a few strides in when he noticed she was struggling to keep up, stuck in a weird running walk pace. He laughed to himself, she was tiny now, her previously long legs were now replaced with stumps and she was too proud to say anything.
He had the urge to take her hand and the sudden thought surprised him. They'd never held hands before this, unless it was crowded or she was guiding him somewhere, they were fairly low key with their relationship unless alone. Yet the urge to do it was strong, and really, he knew why.
When she stumbled, he was bending down without a second thought to pick her up and her legs sitting around his waist on the side of his body. She weighed almost nothing, and, to his surprise, she didn't resist. Which was fine, great even, because then he didn't have to think about scrapped knees, but the cooing that started from behind them made the back of his neck feel hot. Zoro wasn't sure if it was directed at him or Nami… or both of them. But that didn't stop the red from spreading to his ears.
He had no idea what possessed him to do that, they weren't very big on public displays of affection normally but Nami didn't complain as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and determinedly looked everywhere but at his face.
Cute.
He was loath to admit it, lest he be compared to the pervert, but like this she was. He tried to shrug it off, ignoring the loud whispers from behind and act casual.
The next couple of days were going to be hard.
.
.
.
Zoro didn't like it.
The older man that had been talking to Luffy and Franky had told them all about Z whilst giving them food and drinks. But that wasn't the problem. They needed to gather more information about Z's whereabouts, which again, wasn't a problem but it had led to Nami announcing it would be down to her, Robin, Usopp and Chopper.
Apparently Zoro and the others were too obvious. Liabilities she'd called them. He wasn't sure how that logic worked out, when they were going with a walking, talking reindeer that could changed forms at whim.
"I should go with you," Zoro said, watching as Nami tied her sandal.
The group going out to get information already had their change of clothes and were getting changed in a secluded alleyway away from any nosey passers-by's. She'd already changed into her dress and sandals, all that was left was her hair. They'd be going their separate ways after that.
Nami sighed, eyebrows furrowing as she looked up at him. "We've been over this, you're too obvious."
"And a talking reindeer and long nose isn't?" It was a good point.
"Usopp's great at sneaking and Chopper's barely noticeable with how tiny he is now."
"And if things go wrong?" He didn't want to entertain that thought, but he still did. The island was swarming with marines.
"We have Robin and Usopp, it's fine," Nami assured. "Also, it won't go wrong, I'm great at this." She was trying to tie her hair into a ponytail but with how much hair she had and her little arms, she struggled.
He knew she was right; she was great at this. She did it long before he came around to back her up. Except she wasn't herself right now, she was a miniature version of herself.
Zoro held his hand out, silently asking for the hair tie. "You're not yourself right now." He gathered her hair, his hands smoothed over her hair a few times to ensure no bumps, he didn't need her nagging him, and looped the band around a few times.
She checked his work, hands roaming over her hair, searching for bumps that weren't there before giving the ponytail a tug to tighten it. She didn't praise him for his efforts, instead she dropped two golden bands in hands and turned to face him. That was his praise, he figured as he picked the bands to start working on the front.
Nami stood patiently in the gap between his legs as he worked. "And that's exactly why we don't need you and the others attracting attention."
She had him there. Brook drew attention because, well, skeleton, that didn't need to be explained. Zoro and Luffy were too well known, even without his swords and Luffy's hat, but not so much Sanji…
"Take the cook then." He was an idiot and had especially got on his nerves today, but he was strong and somewhat reliable.
"And at the first sight of a woman? We don't have time to find him or reign him in."
Screw that, he was good for nothing right now.
There was nothing more he could say. He didn't mean to sound like he doubted his own crewmates, they were strong, and time and time again they'd proved that. But they weren't their selves right now, they weren't a whole. They had two much younger members than normal with an island full of marines.
Nami was a magnet for trouble at the best of times and the love cook was the least of his problems. It was common knowledge what could happen to children out in the new world. All it would take was one skilled person, or a moment of distraction and she'd be gone without a word.
The thought of that happening had a knot forming in his stomach and he was about to say that he was going whether they liked it or not, until Nami rested a small hand on his forearm and smiled up at him reassuringly. And like the sap that he was, he melted instantly, all the fight bleeding out of him.
He wasn't sure if she knew of his weakness yet, but something told him she'd realise soon enough.
.
.
.
"Do you know how close we were to leaving you behind?" Nami berated, arms angrily crossed in front of her as she stood before him, not caring that the train was moving. Except her anger didn't have the same effect as it usually did in her childlike form.
"You've said about five times already," Zoro replied tiredly.
Their day had not improved at all. From the information group coming back with a hoard of marines on their tail, to Z shooting Luffy and the four of them almost being engulfed by lava whilst Nami and the others waited anxiously at the train station. Despite her anger now, when she'd seen them running towards the train, lava steadily overtaking the island just behind them, she'd looked relived.
He suspected Luffy still being passed out was to blame for her particularly sour mood, all the crew were worried in the packed train.
"Because you still don't look like you get it."
Naturally an angry child telling off an adult attracted attention, although Zoro didn't really care about that, he just shrugged off the looks and focused on Nami. But when a man opposite from them gave her an appraising look that lingered far longer than acceptable, it put his back up. Zoro sent the man a scathing look that had him shrinking away as he scooped Nami onto his lap.
"I do. We made you worry," he said, matter-of-factly, not taking his eye off the man until he got up to find somewhere else to sit.
The anger dispersed then, her frame relaxing on his lap as she got comfortable. "I'm going to go grey early; I swear." She shook her head, but her tone was fonder than anything else.
They lulled into silence, swaying with the movements of the train, and letting the murmur from other passengers fill the quiet. Nami's gaze slowly took in everyone, from strangers to the crew, one by one until it landed back on Zoro.
"It's a shame you don't dress like this more often," Nami sighed, small hands playing with the collar of his neckline.
"Tch, not worth it. Too many layers." He was already itching to take off the shirt. "Besides, I had a jacket on this morning."
"Which is ruined now, do you know how hard it is to find a nice jacket that you'll wear?"
"Because you insist that I wear a top underneath, pick either a top or a jacket, I'll only wear one," he told her, but the likelihood was he'd end up removing that too.
Whilst she was fussing over his jacket, trying to wipe some dirt off the fabric, her arm caught his attention. There were faint marks starting to bloom on her upper arm. He gently caught her arm and turned it to get a better look.
It was finger marks, four clustered together and a single one opposite.
Someone had grabbed her.
He'd guessed something had gone wrong earlier, based on the hoard of marines that had chased them all the way back to the rest of the crew, but he'd just thought a marine had finally recognised one of them. Not that she'd been grabbed and almost hauled way. It was exactly what he'd been worried about.
He looked at her sharply and she looked back at him warily.
"Are you okay? Does it hurt?" He'd focus on her first, he couldn't exactly do anything with his anger when the person that'd hurt her was long gone.
"Don't worry about it, I made it worse by resisting." And Nami must have sensed it was the wrong thing to say because she quickly added, "I'm here, aren't I?"
That didn't help his anger, but she was right. She told him Robin came after her as soon as she'd seen, and it soothed him at least. Another example of how dependable his crewmates were.
He rubbed gently along her arm, smoothing over the marks and he wasn't sure if it was for her benefit or his.
"You've been very affectionate," she said observationally.
And there it was. His hand stuttered on her arm for a second before he caught himself and continued, trying not to react to what she'd said. It'd taken far longer than he'd thought for someone to say something, but there was nothing he could say in his defence and the last thing he was going to do was agree, so he stayed silent instead. Not that that would help him.
Nami smirked up at him as he refused to make eye contact or speak, but that didn't stop her from continuing, "Who'd have believed the fearsome pirate hunter was soft around all children. I thought it was just Chopper."
"I'm not, we're together, it makes sense." That probably didn't sound appropriate to anyone eavesdropping, but he couldn't bring himself to care.
"You don't normally hold my hand or pick me up… And you've been much more obliging."
"It was convenient. You've got stumpy legs and I've got places to be," he easily lied.
She didn't look convinced. "And now?"
He had nothing to say to that. He was the one that had dragged her onto his lap, his arms still firmly wrapped around her to ensure she didn't fall if there was a sudden movement… and to let people know she wouldn't be an easy grab. He tried not to think about what a sap he'd looked like since she'd been turned into a child, but his mind still unhelpfully played it on a reel. How he'd caved whenever she so much as looked at him, offered to do things for her without her having to nag him, didn't argue with her.
How embarrassing. His ears burned.
"It's cute that you tried to hide it."
It was the glint in her eye that gave her away that made him realise.
"You knew?" He asked, but he already knew the answer.
"I had a hunch, I knew from the moment you first picked me up," she smiled up at him evilly, all innocence gone from her face.
She was the devil. Mislabelled into an adorable, tiny package.
"It's almost worth staying like this, you're as easy as Sanji-kun," she looked downright smug and there was no doubt in his mind that she was imagining having the both of them wrapped around her finger.
That had him gritting his teeth in disgust, to be compared to him. He was about to say something caustic, just to wipe that smug grin off her face, until her eyes turned large, and she looked up at him remorsefully, lip quivering.
She wasn't sorry at all, he knew that, but those glossy eyes stopped the foul words in their tracks. He huffed, annoyed, and looked the other way as Nami laughed at him. But he didn't remove her from his lap.
Robin gave him an amused look.
.
.
.
She found him in the crow's nest late in the day, head popping up through the entrance and pulling herself up when she saw him.
"How's Luffy?" He asked, as she walked towards him.
"Quiet, but he'll be alright."
The mood on board had been weird since they'd left Piriodo, everyone subdued, and it was mainly due to Luffy's lack of cheerful energy. Everyone had pretty much kept to themselves since they set off. It'd be back to normal tomorrow, after everyone had slept it off.
She stood in front of him from where he was sat on the bench and he braced himself when he caught the look on her face. He didn't like it.
"Am I still allowed to sit in your lap? Or was that offer only there when I was a child?" She teased, eyes dancing in amusement.
Yup. He knew it. He rolled his eye; he'd be putting up with those jabs for a while.
She took his silence and sour expression as affirmation to her first question, but instead of sitting on his lap like she had back on the train, she straddled his lap, a leg going either side.
It was a fitting example really, of the difference between her as a child and being back to her usual age. The occasional glimpses of innocence on her face as a child were long gone, along with the soft rounded features of youth that had turned him into a fool. In its place were sharper angles and cunning eyes that displayed a coquettish expression that had a very different effect on him- one that made his blood heat for her.
As adorable as she was as a child, he'd missed her. He'd missed this version. No matter how infuriating she could be.
"Happy to have me back?" She questioned, but her tone suggested she already knew the answer.
His arms settled dangerously low on her hips and his smirk was challenging as he replied, "Now I can argue with you and not feel bad."
"Oh, I don't know about that," she said and laid on her best doe-eyed look. Her eyes shifted in an instant, from seductive to innocent, all glossy and defenceless, something that didn't fit the current position they were currently in.
He'd never let her know that even as an adult, that look still had him. Perhaps in a different way now, but he'd keep it hidden through grimaces and sharp words, otherwise he'd never know peace again.
"You'll have to try harder than that," he snorted, hands pulling her body tighter against his and the time for bickering had come to an end.
Their kiss was easy, almost leisurely, as they basked in the feeling of each other's lips, of being back to normal. Although it wasn't something that stayed that way for long. Gradual pecks started to linger, searching for something more as lips slid against the others and closed mouths parted as hands moved with intent, to places far from innocent.
There was no rush, they had all evening without disruptions, so that was why he pulled away to say:
"Besides, I prefer this angry, nagging version."
What he hadn't missed was how strong her punches were.
I mean, jokes on Zoro, he's always been wrapped around her finger. He just put up less of a fight when she's small.
In case I go quiet again, I'll leave you with this- I've been writing something that I'm very excited about and can't wait for you all to see, but until then, enjoy this ZoNami crumb.
As always, forgive any errors.
Thanks for reading.