Disclaimer: You saw it last chappie. Now leave me alone disclaimer hunters! Nooo!
Sanji: Umm … there were no disclaimer hunters in the first place.
Me: Shuddup!
RR: Review Response
Thank you to all the reviewers of Two Smiles in Twenty Minutes, and The Straw Hats and Me: Hemlock (replied to in ch. 1), Victoria, crepes and LittleAnimeGiRlX! I've got two chapters after this already written (I wrote first five chappies in one night ... heh heh), and I am currently writing chapter no. 6! So, more is coming soon!
I reached the building which the rest of the Straw Hats were recuperating - Luffy and Usopp were ordering what seemed to be their thirds of steak, Nami was teasing Zoro and Sanji, and the cook and the first mate still had pained looks on their faces.
"Well, hello again, Nami-san," I greeted Nami, and went to hug her. As I embraced her, I whispered in her ear conspiratorially, "I'm going to pretend I can't see Zoro and Sanji. Play along with me."
"Sure, Athie-san," she whispered back.
"So, Athie-san, where did you go?" Zoro asked me. I ignored him, and started to talk to Nami, not even giving any indication I had heard her.
"Athie-swan, where, where?" Sanji implored. I ignored him too, and hid a smirk inside of me at Zoro's reaction, which I had seen out of the corner of my eye.
"Want a drink, Nami-san?" I asked the orange haired girl, who nodded, and took a seat at the bar. I went behind the counter, and asked, "What did you want?"
"I want a beer," Zoro said, as Sanji declined the offer with his usual demeanor – lovingly and regretfully.
"Just another water, thanks Athie-san."
"Coming right up, Nami," I said, taking a clean cup, and going to get a cup of pure water.
While I was gone, Zoro scratched his head, and said, "Well, that was weird. I get the impression that Athenus didn't even hear us."
At this Nami compressed a giggle, but a squeak still came out her mouth.
Zoro narrowed his eyes. "What's happening, Nami," he said threateningly.
Nami couldn't help it. She burst out into uncontrolled laughter.
"My Nami-swan! Are you okay, my pretty?" Sanji fretted.
"Oh, I'm fine, Sanji-kun! I just can't believe you two are so naïve!"
"Who are you calling naïve, you thief?" Zoro growled.
"You. Sanji-kun. Luffy-sama. Usopp-san."
At hearing his name, Luffy's head rocketed over to where the three were talking. "What's happening here?" he asked, still chewing on his seventh steak.
"Oh, nothing, except I'm telling Zoro-san and Sanji-kun the truth," Nami sweetly said. Luffy's head ricocheted back to its former position.
"It is not the truth!" Zoro protested, reaching for his katanas.
"Yes it is, Zoro-kun," I said, ducking back into the room.
"Athenus-san, it is not!" he yelled, turning to face me. "Athenus-san …" he said again, realising I was in the room, and talking to him. Colour drained out of his face when he looked at me.
"Yes?" I smiled sweetly at the bewildered swordsman, before handing Nami her pure water.
"Umm … why weren't you talking to me and the love-cook before?" he asked, hestitatingly.
"Oi, crappy swordsman!"
Before it could get any further, Nami rolled her eyeballs and said, "Take it outside, boys."
"Anything for you, my Nami-swan!" Sanji declared, his eye turning into a heart. He then took Zoro's arm, and dragged him outside.
Nami and I heard a few scuffles, a few shouts of 'funky eyebrow!' and 'moss head!', and some bangs, and some silence (A/N ----------? Silence between Zoro and Sanji? Impossible!) before the two returned inside, with some scratches and tears in their clothes.
Zoro had a murderous and sinister look on his face, and Sanji had his heart eye popping out. Obviously, he was looking at me and Nami.
"Ummm," I stuttered, "Zoro, what are you doing?"
"What am I doing, Athie-kun?" he asked, his face now having the Zoro he-was-going-to-have-fun-but-you-knew-it-was-bad-news-for-you trademark smirk, so I knew he was going to torture me in some unknown way. Probably tickling.
So I raced upstairs, in search of my leather leggings. Of all times to wear a miniskirt, this was one of them. Bingo! In a room I spotted some of the pants I was looking for – and what's better, they were mine. I locked the door, and started getting changed.
"Athie-kun!" Zoro crooned. "Come out; come out, wherever you are!"
As far as I knew, he found my trail. Don't ask me how, he just did. I think I might of disturbed dust, or something. Doesn't matter. What matters is what happened next ... that sicko!
"I'm coming in!" he shouted, and crashed the door, as I yelled out, "Zoro! Stop! I'm changing … in here …"
You can obviously tell why I faltered. Zoro was looking at me appreciatively as I jerked on my fighting gear. My eyes tightened. Nobody, and I repeat, nobody sees me half-naked - without my permission - and gets away with it!
"You. Are. So. Dead. Roronoa," I grated. I was so angry, that I forgot the customary terms of address!
Zoro's eyes widened. He could tell it was bad news for him when I addressed him by his first name. I now put on his trademark I-am-going-to-have-fun-but-you-know-it-is-bad-news-for-you smirk, and went after him.
Not knowing what to do, Zoro panicked. He picked me up off the floor, and jerked me over his shoulder. I saw flames or red, or whatever you want to call it. From his shoulder, I shouted the first thing that came in my brain: "Baka Baka no Freeze!" My first use of my new Baka Baka powers ... cool.
The first thing Zoro did was stand still. The next thing he did was let his arm slack, so I could slide down easily.
"Ta ta, Mosshead," I farewelled him, before running as fast as I could to the markets, my third home (after Faden-sama's house and the bar), where I knew everyone, and the number of people he knew? Zero. Pretty good chances for me.
As I erupted out the front door of the inn, I could hear Zoro roar, "Where did that little brat go?"
So I'm a brat now? I thought to myself. Bit of an improvement to a Zoro fan-club girl. I smirked his trademark smirk, one that was slowly becoming mine. "Down here, Mosshead!"
Zoro ran to the window, and looked down. "How did you get down there, Athie-san?" he asked, amazed.
"Oh, it's nothing," I waved off, flapping my hand. "If you had practice, you would be able to do it too." With that I sped off, leaving Zoro with an angry expression on his face.
That angry expression morphed into a cunning one, and he went downstairs to cook up a plan with the rest of the Straw Hats. Even though cooking was Sanji's job (bad pun, I know …).
Next time on Cursed Idiot …
See what Zoro has in store for our resident 'idiot' …
And what she has in store for him …
And what her heart's telling her …
And see if Luffy or someone finally tells her her job …
On Cursed Idiot…!