I can't believe it, Sanji thought, his heart beating loudly in his ears, I managed to dance with her... but what the hell had happened? He had been floating in his clouds of joy for quite a while, when suddenly, her eyes had been looking into his in great curiousity.
Sanji-kun, what happened to your eyebrow?
His head pounded as he danced absent-mindedly with some random girl.
For one thing, the touch from her to his skin had practically scalded him with shock. It had been so gentle, so unlike the signs she had been passing him.
But the questioning look in her hazel eyes had been so strange. It was nothing like the glares stained with pain or sadness like before... it was simply a stare of curiousity. Purely that.
Another thing that totally blew his mind was her calling him 'Sanji-kun'. How had she known his name?! Everyone - and he meant, everyone - knew him as Sandy White, even the dean. But the moment she had called him that hadn't felt alien at all. As though she had always called him that...
And what did she mean about his eyebrow? She had... traced a spiral. He hadn't understood what she had meant, but he had been so overwhelmed at the time, sentences were unable to form themselves in his head.
The thing that drew a blank from him was the way she had reflected his confusion back to him after asking him that strange question. And she had turned away, the same pain shrouding her gaze again.
Yep; Sanji was confused as hell, but at least... she hadn't flinched too much at his touch as much as he'd expected her to. He was exhillarated just by that, yet...
Sanji-kun.
....What the hell is going on? Sanji wondered.
*CRASH*
"Eh?"
Sanji turned his head to the main doors of the auditorium as many other students did. The double doors were slammed wide open, and as the unwelcome light spilled in, so did several surprise visitors.
Nami let out a small scream as a motorcycle tore past her, the roar of its engine and the maniacal scream of the guy on it streaming past her. She scrambled across the hall, her hazel eyes widening to reflect the chaos.
A quick look around told Nami that at least twenty bikers were zooming around, but more were pouring in through the open doors. The music was abruptly stopped as the side-speakers were smashed by chairs, and many of the students were screaming and attempting to run. However, more motorcycles were entering from the back and front doors now, and blocked all entry and exit of others.
As the students screamed and ran to avoid being hit by a motorcyle, the dean grabbed a microphone from its fallen stand and began to shout into it. The microphone was connected to speakers on the ceiling - way beyond reach of the zooming maniacs, and Mr. Harrison's voice blared out,
"STOP THIS NONSENSE IMMEDIATELY!! THE POLICE HAVE BEEN CONTACTED--"
WHAM.
Vivi, who had found Nami and was now clutching to her arm for dear life, screamed into Nami's ear as the microphone fell to the floor with the dean. A piercing sound of frequency echoed throughout the hall, then stopped as a motorcyclist ran over the contraption. The dean seemed to be suffering from a hard blow to the shoulder from a chair.
"Vivi, calm down!!"
"Sorry, just scared me. But what the heck is going on?!"
"I don't know!!"
Nami yelled back over the roars and screams,
"Just don't scream in my ear!!"
She tried to move forward, towards a gap in the curtains, but failed to do so as motorcycles zoomed past her, the riders leering at her as they drove frighteningly close. She took a step backwards uncertainly, and realised what was going on.
The motorcyclists were rounding the students into the center of the auditorium.
"I don't like this."
Nami muttered as she noticed teachers cowering amidst the students,
"I'm going to find help."
Throwing her handbag to Vivi, who squeaked in surprise, Nami ran full-on towards the side of the hall. Three motorcycles furiously began to speed towards her, but Nami stopped running just before the point they expected to grab her. Like a classic, they crashed together, and Nami smiled and winked before vaulting over a table and running towards the back entrance.
"STOP THAT GIRL!!"
Nami blinked, turning in alarm as another motorcycle sped towards her. Its rider was different from all the others though; he had a ridiculous face of paint, and his head was swathed in blue, like a weirdly long wig. Plus, his nose appeared to be big and red.
'What a weirdo!'
Nami couldn't help thinking as she continued to run towards the entrance.
"COME BACK HERE!!"
The rider bellowed, spurting forward,
"STOP RUNNING!!"
She ignored him, but glanced back. He was grinding his teeth as he pulled out a long metal bar below his seat, and held it up.
"I'M WARNING YOU!!"
He yelled.
Nami was certain she could dodge the bar if he threw it, but unfortunately, she didn't realise he already had. She was still running when she turned and saw, her eyes widening in horror, the metal bar hurtling towards her face.
"We're being trashed!!"
Zoro exclaimed as he watched more crazy cyclists zoom around and crash chairs and tables over. The dean was running around in front of him, trying to avoid chairs and fistfuls of dinner-dance buffet, and before them the students and teachers were screaming and crowding into the center.
Tashigi's head peeked out below his chin, and she gasped.
"Oh my goodness!!"
She cried in alarm, withdrawing from the curtains with Zoro,
"We've got to do something!!"
"Like what?"
Zoro asked with a raised eyebrow, peering at the chaos before them.
"We-- we could call the police!!"
She said inspirationally. Zoro sweatdropped.
"Don't you wonder why anyone else hasn't called the cops already?"
"Err... well..."
He pulled back the curtains slightly, and gestured towards a random scatter of speakers, microphones and wires. As if that wasn't enough, crushed mobile phones decorated the hall floor.
Exactly why was demonstrated before their eyes as a guy near them pulled out a phone, trying to discreetly dial, when a motorcyclist slammed the student down to the floor. The rider snorted, snatching up the cell-phone from the student's hands, and threw it to the floor. Then she ran over it, reducing it to smashed pieces of plastic and metal.
Tashigi bit her lip.
"D-do you have a phone?"
She asked hopefully. She drooped as he shook his head.
"Okay, so they're smarter than I thought. But that doesn't mean we can't do something! We-- we can sneak through the back entrance!!"
Tashigi ran towards the door that connected the backstage to the back area of the auditorium, and grabbed the handle.
"Wait--"
Zoro began, but Tashigi had already thrown the door open.
Her hair, which had been smoothed over and down with gel, immediately bristled and flew out of place as an abrupt wind blew across Tashigi's face. Her eyes widened as she realised the riders were entering from the back doors in a stream of screaming and whooping maniacs, streaking past her dangerously.
She slammed the door shut, and turned to face the green-haired student looking at her with crossed arms and an arched eyebrow. There was a short silence.
"...That was a surprise."
She commented after a moment. Zoro shrugged.
"I tried to warn you."
He replied. Tashigi bit her lip, and began to pace back and forth. Zoro seated himself atop the table again. He noticed she had her fingers curled around her folded glasses so tightly her fist was trembling slightly.
Then Tashigi snapped out of her deep train of her thought as a sharp crack sounded. She had broken the right lens of her glasses from her grip. She blushed slightly as she set down the glasses next to Zoro. He looked at her for a moment before asking,
"What are you thinking about now?"
She furrowed her brow, and peeked through the curtains. The riders were still circling around the students and teachers, and the dean was now no where to be seen. And, although it was a little blurred due to the lack of glasses, Tashigi could just make out MORE motorcyclists driving in at break-neck speed.
"I'm trying to think of a way to save our uni's decency."
Zoro snorted at her answer.
"Why bother?"
Tashigi opened her mouth to say something, then paused. What was up with her? She wondered. She didn't particularly love this university, yet... something kept telling her it would be so wrong to stay backstage while everyone else screamed in fear.
She couldn't find the words she wanted, but ended up saying rather lamely, although she really meant it,
"Because it's... right. We should do it."
Zoro coughed, slipping off the table. He glanced at her, his eyebrow raised again.
"We?"
"Yes,"
Tashigi said, now searching around the backstage for something,
"We should. It's your university too, you know."
Zoro seemed to want to say something, and his face went through a flurry of several frustrated and gob-smacked expressions before he finally settled on covering his face with his hands and groaning. He peeked through his fingers to see the girl wearing a face of deep concentration, digging through a pile of wigs. Seeing that she was fully expecting his co-operation, he sighed and gave in.
"I don't see what we can do, though,"
He complained. She paused through a chest of scarves.
"I was kind of thinking we could go through the back-entrance to get some help."
"I thought we went through this before."
"Well, yeah,"
Tashigi started, when she suddenly stopped and exclaimed,
"This will do!!"
Zoro watched in alarm as Tashigi spun around, beaming.
"Totally different, but it'll do."
Tashigi said, her tone in immense excitement and relief. Zoro stared blankly at the object Tashigi was holding up so happily.
"Uh, listen,"
Zoro said slowly and almost hesitantly,
"The backdoors are wide open because motorcycles are spilling in. Even if we wait for the flow to die and dash, there'll probably be motorcyclers guarding the doors so it's pretty futile. So don't tell me that's the answer to all of these problems--"
He was interrupted as Tashigi nodded excitedly.
"Yeah! It is the answer!"
There was a long silence. Tashigi could've sworn she'd heard the wind blow despite the racket muffled by the curtains.
"...Isn't that a mop?"
Zoro asked finally. Tashigi blinked, then, to the absolute shock of Zoro, she burst out laughing. He stared at her, bewildered at her actions as she clutched at her stomach and the mop for support, trying not to laugh but laughing at the same time.
It's a good thing the noise outside over-rules her laughter, Zoro thought as he stared at the girl. As he watched her laugh, he felt something in him twist. He winced, unseen by Tashigi, and he racked his memory for the girl before him.
She looked so familiar, but he really couldn't place where he had seen her. But her smile looked too familiar to let Zoro discard his attempt to remember. However, his thoughts were interrupted by a hiccup.
She seemed to be over her bout of laughter, but was now suffering from the after effect of hiccups.
"Er... Tashigi?"
He prompted after a little while, a bit nervous even though she had stopped hiccupping.
"Zoro,"
She said, wiping a tear of laughter off her cheek,
"I cannot believe you. What did you think my plan was? Use the mop to clean the floor?!"
She looked at him, obviously trying not to laugh again. He looked dubiously at her, the mop, the curtains, then back at her again.
"Uh... isn't that what it's for?"
This time, Tashigi sat down, laughing her head off as she pounded the table with her fist. The mop clattered to the floor, forgotten, as Zoro shrank slightly back from the hysterical girl. This time, he wasn't so sure that the chaos outside drowned out her laughter. It sure was the only thing he could hear at the moment.
"Uhhh..."
Zoro said sullenly. Tashigi got the hint, and calmed herself down as best as she could. Then she said breathlessly,
"Zoro, do you know kendo?"
He blinked.
"Kendo? You mean that wonky sword stuff?"
Tashigi nodded, ignoring the 'wonky' comment as she stood up and kicked the mop up to her hands. Noticing her knees couldn't move too well, she bent over and searched for the seam.
"I learnt it, so hopefully, I can put my skills to use here. Although I hardly use kendo technique - mostly whacking on self-accord..."
Finding her seam, she held the mop under an arm and grasped the hem of her skirt with both hands, on either side of the seam. With a sharp pull, the threads gave way with a loud rip, and Zoro stared as she ripped up the seam uptil mid-thigh.
"Uh. So you're going to whack 'em riders with a mop?"
He asked.
Tashigi knew that using the mop would be difficult - after all, it was a MOP, not a shinai - but hopefully she could pull off a couple of stunts. She nodded in response to the green-head's dubious question.
"Not just me, though,"
She added, and he looked up in surprise as she tossed him something,
"You're helping me clear the way, too."
He looked with a sweatdrop at the object in his hands.
"A broom."
He stated with such a finality it was as if he was proclaiming the world was going to end.
"Stop whining. It's the best we can do on short notice."
Tashigi said briskly, and picking up the mop, she held it at an angle, and slammed her heel just above the head of the mop. With a snap, the handle broke off the mop, and she held up the long handle to her eyes.
"Usable."
She decided out loud, and she found herself a make-shift grip. Taking a deep breath, she took a couple of practice swings at the air. Each swing gave an impressive sound of whooshing wind.
Tashigi found herself grinning, and to her immense surprise, confidence was brimming in her. She smiled with that confidence at Zoro.
"There we go! Now let's--"
She stopped talking. Zoro was staring at her very intently, his eyes on the mop handle.
"Zoro?"
She asked uncertainly. He snapped his head up and shook it quickly - shaking all recognition out of him - and picked up the broom. He imitated Tashigi and snapped the broom bristles off his new 'weapon', and held it up. His own hands fumbled around at the handle.
"I never tried this kendo stuff before."
He explained as Tashigi looked at his grip,
"So I'm just going to whap 'em to death. Is that okay?"
She smiled at him, and as Zoro watched her smile of confidence, he realised he liked it loads better than the smile of respect she'd given him earlier.
"We have to wait for those bozos to get outta the way."
Tashigi reminded him. He nodded.
"Sure. I'll keep a lookout."
He peeked out of the curtains, and again felt her head brush against his chin as she looked out below him.
He needed to tell her that she didn't have to look out either; that just him looking out was more than enough; that two heads peering out at the edge of the stage curtains was much more conspicuous than one; that her mop handle was sticking into his side uncomfortably;...
But, for a reason Zoro just couldn't place why, he didn't want to tell her to move away from him.
So he didn't.
A/N: Ugh. Ugh. My head is going to explode. I don't know why. But anyways. Thanks for your reviews, you kind, kind, humans. Leave me a note to hint you're still reading and I'll be inspired to write more. But for now, I just came back from Korea, I barely slept 5 hours in the past 24, so I need rest. To prove it, let me tell you something scary. I feel like I'm bobbing and floating at the same time. It's scary. I better go to sleep now before my head blasts off... *passes out, twirly-eyed*
Sanji-kun, what happened to your eyebrow?
His head pounded as he danced absent-mindedly with some random girl.
For one thing, the touch from her to his skin had practically scalded him with shock. It had been so gentle, so unlike the signs she had been passing him.
But the questioning look in her hazel eyes had been so strange. It was nothing like the glares stained with pain or sadness like before... it was simply a stare of curiousity. Purely that.
Another thing that totally blew his mind was her calling him 'Sanji-kun'. How had she known his name?! Everyone - and he meant, everyone - knew him as Sandy White, even the dean. But the moment she had called him that hadn't felt alien at all. As though she had always called him that...
And what did she mean about his eyebrow? She had... traced a spiral. He hadn't understood what she had meant, but he had been so overwhelmed at the time, sentences were unable to form themselves in his head.
The thing that drew a blank from him was the way she had reflected his confusion back to him after asking him that strange question. And she had turned away, the same pain shrouding her gaze again.
Yep; Sanji was confused as hell, but at least... she hadn't flinched too much at his touch as much as he'd expected her to. He was exhillarated just by that, yet...
Sanji-kun.
....What the hell is going on? Sanji wondered.
*CRASH*
"Eh?"
Sanji turned his head to the main doors of the auditorium as many other students did. The double doors were slammed wide open, and as the unwelcome light spilled in, so did several surprise visitors.
Nami let out a small scream as a motorcycle tore past her, the roar of its engine and the maniacal scream of the guy on it streaming past her. She scrambled across the hall, her hazel eyes widening to reflect the chaos.
A quick look around told Nami that at least twenty bikers were zooming around, but more were pouring in through the open doors. The music was abruptly stopped as the side-speakers were smashed by chairs, and many of the students were screaming and attempting to run. However, more motorcycles were entering from the back and front doors now, and blocked all entry and exit of others.
As the students screamed and ran to avoid being hit by a motorcyle, the dean grabbed a microphone from its fallen stand and began to shout into it. The microphone was connected to speakers on the ceiling - way beyond reach of the zooming maniacs, and Mr. Harrison's voice blared out,
"STOP THIS NONSENSE IMMEDIATELY!! THE POLICE HAVE BEEN CONTACTED--"
WHAM.
Vivi, who had found Nami and was now clutching to her arm for dear life, screamed into Nami's ear as the microphone fell to the floor with the dean. A piercing sound of frequency echoed throughout the hall, then stopped as a motorcyclist ran over the contraption. The dean seemed to be suffering from a hard blow to the shoulder from a chair.
"Vivi, calm down!!"
"Sorry, just scared me. But what the heck is going on?!"
"I don't know!!"
Nami yelled back over the roars and screams,
"Just don't scream in my ear!!"
She tried to move forward, towards a gap in the curtains, but failed to do so as motorcycles zoomed past her, the riders leering at her as they drove frighteningly close. She took a step backwards uncertainly, and realised what was going on.
The motorcyclists were rounding the students into the center of the auditorium.
"I don't like this."
Nami muttered as she noticed teachers cowering amidst the students,
"I'm going to find help."
Throwing her handbag to Vivi, who squeaked in surprise, Nami ran full-on towards the side of the hall. Three motorcycles furiously began to speed towards her, but Nami stopped running just before the point they expected to grab her. Like a classic, they crashed together, and Nami smiled and winked before vaulting over a table and running towards the back entrance.
"STOP THAT GIRL!!"
Nami blinked, turning in alarm as another motorcycle sped towards her. Its rider was different from all the others though; he had a ridiculous face of paint, and his head was swathed in blue, like a weirdly long wig. Plus, his nose appeared to be big and red.
'What a weirdo!'
Nami couldn't help thinking as she continued to run towards the entrance.
"COME BACK HERE!!"
The rider bellowed, spurting forward,
"STOP RUNNING!!"
She ignored him, but glanced back. He was grinding his teeth as he pulled out a long metal bar below his seat, and held it up.
"I'M WARNING YOU!!"
He yelled.
Nami was certain she could dodge the bar if he threw it, but unfortunately, she didn't realise he already had. She was still running when she turned and saw, her eyes widening in horror, the metal bar hurtling towards her face.
"We're being trashed!!"
Zoro exclaimed as he watched more crazy cyclists zoom around and crash chairs and tables over. The dean was running around in front of him, trying to avoid chairs and fistfuls of dinner-dance buffet, and before them the students and teachers were screaming and crowding into the center.
Tashigi's head peeked out below his chin, and she gasped.
"Oh my goodness!!"
She cried in alarm, withdrawing from the curtains with Zoro,
"We've got to do something!!"
"Like what?"
Zoro asked with a raised eyebrow, peering at the chaos before them.
"We-- we could call the police!!"
She said inspirationally. Zoro sweatdropped.
"Don't you wonder why anyone else hasn't called the cops already?"
"Err... well..."
He pulled back the curtains slightly, and gestured towards a random scatter of speakers, microphones and wires. As if that wasn't enough, crushed mobile phones decorated the hall floor.
Exactly why was demonstrated before their eyes as a guy near them pulled out a phone, trying to discreetly dial, when a motorcyclist slammed the student down to the floor. The rider snorted, snatching up the cell-phone from the student's hands, and threw it to the floor. Then she ran over it, reducing it to smashed pieces of plastic and metal.
Tashigi bit her lip.
"D-do you have a phone?"
She asked hopefully. She drooped as he shook his head.
"Okay, so they're smarter than I thought. But that doesn't mean we can't do something! We-- we can sneak through the back entrance!!"
Tashigi ran towards the door that connected the backstage to the back area of the auditorium, and grabbed the handle.
"Wait--"
Zoro began, but Tashigi had already thrown the door open.
Her hair, which had been smoothed over and down with gel, immediately bristled and flew out of place as an abrupt wind blew across Tashigi's face. Her eyes widened as she realised the riders were entering from the back doors in a stream of screaming and whooping maniacs, streaking past her dangerously.
She slammed the door shut, and turned to face the green-haired student looking at her with crossed arms and an arched eyebrow. There was a short silence.
"...That was a surprise."
She commented after a moment. Zoro shrugged.
"I tried to warn you."
He replied. Tashigi bit her lip, and began to pace back and forth. Zoro seated himself atop the table again. He noticed she had her fingers curled around her folded glasses so tightly her fist was trembling slightly.
Then Tashigi snapped out of her deep train of her thought as a sharp crack sounded. She had broken the right lens of her glasses from her grip. She blushed slightly as she set down the glasses next to Zoro. He looked at her for a moment before asking,
"What are you thinking about now?"
She furrowed her brow, and peeked through the curtains. The riders were still circling around the students and teachers, and the dean was now no where to be seen. And, although it was a little blurred due to the lack of glasses, Tashigi could just make out MORE motorcyclists driving in at break-neck speed.
"I'm trying to think of a way to save our uni's decency."
Zoro snorted at her answer.
"Why bother?"
Tashigi opened her mouth to say something, then paused. What was up with her? She wondered. She didn't particularly love this university, yet... something kept telling her it would be so wrong to stay backstage while everyone else screamed in fear.
She couldn't find the words she wanted, but ended up saying rather lamely, although she really meant it,
"Because it's... right. We should do it."
Zoro coughed, slipping off the table. He glanced at her, his eyebrow raised again.
"We?"
"Yes,"
Tashigi said, now searching around the backstage for something,
"We should. It's your university too, you know."
Zoro seemed to want to say something, and his face went through a flurry of several frustrated and gob-smacked expressions before he finally settled on covering his face with his hands and groaning. He peeked through his fingers to see the girl wearing a face of deep concentration, digging through a pile of wigs. Seeing that she was fully expecting his co-operation, he sighed and gave in.
"I don't see what we can do, though,"
He complained. She paused through a chest of scarves.
"I was kind of thinking we could go through the back-entrance to get some help."
"I thought we went through this before."
"Well, yeah,"
Tashigi started, when she suddenly stopped and exclaimed,
"This will do!!"
Zoro watched in alarm as Tashigi spun around, beaming.
"Totally different, but it'll do."
Tashigi said, her tone in immense excitement and relief. Zoro stared blankly at the object Tashigi was holding up so happily.
"Uh, listen,"
Zoro said slowly and almost hesitantly,
"The backdoors are wide open because motorcycles are spilling in. Even if we wait for the flow to die and dash, there'll probably be motorcyclers guarding the doors so it's pretty futile. So don't tell me that's the answer to all of these problems--"
He was interrupted as Tashigi nodded excitedly.
"Yeah! It is the answer!"
There was a long silence. Tashigi could've sworn she'd heard the wind blow despite the racket muffled by the curtains.
"...Isn't that a mop?"
Zoro asked finally. Tashigi blinked, then, to the absolute shock of Zoro, she burst out laughing. He stared at her, bewildered at her actions as she clutched at her stomach and the mop for support, trying not to laugh but laughing at the same time.
It's a good thing the noise outside over-rules her laughter, Zoro thought as he stared at the girl. As he watched her laugh, he felt something in him twist. He winced, unseen by Tashigi, and he racked his memory for the girl before him.
She looked so familiar, but he really couldn't place where he had seen her. But her smile looked too familiar to let Zoro discard his attempt to remember. However, his thoughts were interrupted by a hiccup.
She seemed to be over her bout of laughter, but was now suffering from the after effect of hiccups.
"Er... Tashigi?"
He prompted after a little while, a bit nervous even though she had stopped hiccupping.
"Zoro,"
She said, wiping a tear of laughter off her cheek,
"I cannot believe you. What did you think my plan was? Use the mop to clean the floor?!"
She looked at him, obviously trying not to laugh again. He looked dubiously at her, the mop, the curtains, then back at her again.
"Uh... isn't that what it's for?"
This time, Tashigi sat down, laughing her head off as she pounded the table with her fist. The mop clattered to the floor, forgotten, as Zoro shrank slightly back from the hysterical girl. This time, he wasn't so sure that the chaos outside drowned out her laughter. It sure was the only thing he could hear at the moment.
"Uhhh..."
Zoro said sullenly. Tashigi got the hint, and calmed herself down as best as she could. Then she said breathlessly,
"Zoro, do you know kendo?"
He blinked.
"Kendo? You mean that wonky sword stuff?"
Tashigi nodded, ignoring the 'wonky' comment as she stood up and kicked the mop up to her hands. Noticing her knees couldn't move too well, she bent over and searched for the seam.
"I learnt it, so hopefully, I can put my skills to use here. Although I hardly use kendo technique - mostly whacking on self-accord..."
Finding her seam, she held the mop under an arm and grasped the hem of her skirt with both hands, on either side of the seam. With a sharp pull, the threads gave way with a loud rip, and Zoro stared as she ripped up the seam uptil mid-thigh.
"Uh. So you're going to whack 'em riders with a mop?"
He asked.
Tashigi knew that using the mop would be difficult - after all, it was a MOP, not a shinai - but hopefully she could pull off a couple of stunts. She nodded in response to the green-head's dubious question.
"Not just me, though,"
She added, and he looked up in surprise as she tossed him something,
"You're helping me clear the way, too."
He looked with a sweatdrop at the object in his hands.
"A broom."
He stated with such a finality it was as if he was proclaiming the world was going to end.
"Stop whining. It's the best we can do on short notice."
Tashigi said briskly, and picking up the mop, she held it at an angle, and slammed her heel just above the head of the mop. With a snap, the handle broke off the mop, and she held up the long handle to her eyes.
"Usable."
She decided out loud, and she found herself a make-shift grip. Taking a deep breath, she took a couple of practice swings at the air. Each swing gave an impressive sound of whooshing wind.
Tashigi found herself grinning, and to her immense surprise, confidence was brimming in her. She smiled with that confidence at Zoro.
"There we go! Now let's--"
She stopped talking. Zoro was staring at her very intently, his eyes on the mop handle.
"Zoro?"
She asked uncertainly. He snapped his head up and shook it quickly - shaking all recognition out of him - and picked up the broom. He imitated Tashigi and snapped the broom bristles off his new 'weapon', and held it up. His own hands fumbled around at the handle.
"I never tried this kendo stuff before."
He explained as Tashigi looked at his grip,
"So I'm just going to whap 'em to death. Is that okay?"
She smiled at him, and as Zoro watched her smile of confidence, he realised he liked it loads better than the smile of respect she'd given him earlier.
"We have to wait for those bozos to get outta the way."
Tashigi reminded him. He nodded.
"Sure. I'll keep a lookout."
He peeked out of the curtains, and again felt her head brush against his chin as she looked out below him.
He needed to tell her that she didn't have to look out either; that just him looking out was more than enough; that two heads peering out at the edge of the stage curtains was much more conspicuous than one; that her mop handle was sticking into his side uncomfortably;...
But, for a reason Zoro just couldn't place why, he didn't want to tell her to move away from him.
So he didn't.
A/N: Ugh. Ugh. My head is going to explode. I don't know why. But anyways. Thanks for your reviews, you kind, kind, humans. Leave me a note to hint you're still reading and I'll be inspired to write more. But for now, I just came back from Korea, I barely slept 5 hours in the past 24, so I need rest. To prove it, let me tell you something scary. I feel like I'm bobbing and floating at the same time. It's scary. I better go to sleep now before my head blasts off... *passes out, twirly-eyed*