Prompt: Fur Coat
Day: December 21th

She passed and repassed the thin hands, wrapped in gloves to protect them from the bitter cold, on that new and expensive fur coat who she had just bought with the money of the last loot. She admired it in every respects, smiling happily like a child. In the years of her childhood she would have only been able to imagine a coat like that, forced by poverty to wear old clothes abandoned her sister and mended by Bellemere.
She spun on herself, flying her long red hair in the wind and stopping to look at her "companion" with eyes full of joy and satisfaction.

- So, do you like my new coat? I find it amazing!- she asked enthusiastic.
- Tsk! It's just fur of some animal, it's not even worth wasting all that money on it! It was enough to capture a bear or something like that and then take his fur- declared bluntly him, crossing his arms and grimacing as he did whenever he was in disagreement with something.
- Of course you give great satisfactions!- she retorted him annoyed - I don't even know why I asked you, you don't understand anything about nice clothes and you're unable to make compliments! I had to go with Sanji to go shopping!-

She heard him muttering and growling softly, a sign that her words had had the desired effect: by now she had learned to know him, she knew how much bothered him to be compared to Sanji who he considered a dandy womanizer markedly inferior to him in terms of manhood. It was ok that he bothered, so he learned not to tell her that her new coat was beautiful!

- At least the coat that I kindly bought you is to your liking, great swordsman?- she continued to tease him, relishing in doing it.
- That you kindly bought me?! But if you said I should repay it with interests!- he complained.
- Obviously, I only lend the money, I don't give it!-
- I don't pay you anything, I didn't want this coat either, you were the one to insist on buying it!- he grabbed with the hands two tails and he dragged them towards her, thus emphasizing the speech - I already had one!-
- You mean that old and smelly thing that I found in the closet while looking for our winter jackets?- she stared at him thinning the look - It's absolutely dreadful and I don't allow anyone to dress like a beggar to our Christmas party!-
- We are pirates, not aristocrats, we don't need luxurious clothes!-
- Just for once I want to see you all dressed decently, right?- she cut the speech, glaring at him.

She heard him muttering again behind her, but this time she didn't listen. She finds nothing wrong with dressing up good now and then, if they could afford it. But Zoro, in his crudity, loved simple things and for him they had to live only with those. He didn't understand how Sanji could always dress up in a suit, let alone let him know that his shaggy fur coat that he had ruined to Punk Hazard wasn't suitable for an elegant party. She wanted everything to be perfect for that evening, she wanted to celebrate Christmas big with that family that made her happy as she had never been. Also she didn't mind to see him well dressed, because the few times he had done it he had revealed himself even more beautiful than he was. She blushed at the thought, hoping that her partner wouldn't notice. Despite the bickering she couldn't help but think that she liked that coarse green-haired swordsman and not simply as a friend or companion of crew.
She interrupted her train of thought when she realized she didn't hear Zoro's steps alongside her anymore. She couldn't help but think that he got lost, as it happened every time It was useless to even be near him, because he was able to turn right or left (among other things without distinguishing them) on his own initiative, without a logical way. He was an exceptional swordsman but a landslide in orientation. She turned, ready to go and find him and give him a lecture as soon as she had found him; instead she saw him standing still a few steps behind her, his hands placed on the swords ready to unsheathe them, who looked carefully around trying to sense something. When he behaved so it wasn't a good sign: it meant that he had sensed trouble ahead.

- What happens?- she asked.
- Someone is following us- he simply said, still looking around.

She quickly glanced too, despite being aware of not having his own talents. She saw other people who like them were walking in the streets, but no one who was acting suspiciously.

- I don't thin- she finally said.
- There's one around the corner of that building, hidden in the alley; another is pretending to walk hiding among the people, but it is not very good since it continues to always travel the same short journey back and forth. Finally there is one on the opposite side of the alley guy, who's hiding behind that big tree- he ended.

Despite knowing that her partner had this ability to hear and see things that for a normal human were impossible, she marveled every time of how he could give indications so accurately. For her it would have been difficult to spot one, let alone three at once! She wondered how it was possible that he couldn't to orientate but he could say precisely at what point three strangers were hiding, without even seeing them.

- We'd better hurry up and get back to the ship, but we have to keep our eyes open and not lower our guard- he warned her, joining her but without stopping to look around.
- Ok- she nodded.

They managed to make a decent stretch of road before the people who were walking just before reduced little by little, until they disappears altogether. They had turned away from the city center, so it was quite logical, not to mention that being pirates they had moored in a place the most hidden possible. Throughout the journey Zoro had never stopped playing the role of the watchdog and she had been silent to give him way to focus. She realized how much she had been right to do so only when she heard a "Come on, Let's take them!" behind them, turning right in time to see the three men about whom Zoro had spoken her running toward them with swords in hand. Pirates, of those who however had nothing to do with them.
Zoro dropped on the floor the shopping bag with purchases, quickly pulling out his faithful katana, ready to fight back.

- Be careful, there are my clothes here!- she complained, trying to put in the shopping bag what had fallen off, oblivious to get defensive.

She knew that Zoro would have protected her, she was sure. After all they were only three little pirates by anything, stuff from amateur to one who had spent the last two years to train with the one who one day would have been the man to whom he would have taken the title of best swordsman in the world.
As she prepared to collect her things she could hear the metallic sound of the blades clashing, joined to the cries of pain that those pirates did whenever Zoro inflicted them some damage. He didn't want to take them out, it wasn't his style, but certainly he didn't hold back in hurting the opponent.
Concentrated in cleaning from the dust the clothes that had fell to the ground, she saw the shadow which was approaching her only when it was too late.

- But look how many beautiful dresses!- thundered a baritone voice behind her, forcing her to turn around.

A tall, burly man, looking decidedly evil, was staring at her with a sadistic smile on his lips and a sword with a sharp blade in his left hand. It had to be one of the crew to which owned the other three, only that unlike them he seemed much more dangerous.
Instinctively she clutched the bag to her, not so much to protect the new clothes but for an instinctive gesture of self-defense. She hoped that Zoro had finished with the other three, but now she felt a lot more voices behind him and the metallic sound was amplified, a sign that other member of that crew had arrived. When it rains, it pours, as the saying goes. She didn't have no choice but to abandon her precious purchases and fight to save her skin. The problem was that fate had destined to her the most dangerous of the whole crew.
She didn't have time to extract her Clima-Tact, as the man struck her violently on the chest with the open palm of his large hand, knocking her backward. She struggled to breathe for a few seconds due to the impact, not to mention that she had hit her head and it hurt too. The shopping bag with the clothes had reversed again, but at that moment she didn't care. When she had recovered enough by the impact, she tried again to take her stick inside her coat, opening it. Before she could, the man forestalled her and brandished his sword with both hands lowering it quickly on her, as if to stab her. For a moment she thought that it was the end and instinctively she closed her eyes, praying that Zoro, her Zoro, came to rescue her. When she realized she didn't feel pain in any part of the body, she opened them confused, finding the sword stuck in the coat just a few centimeters from her hip. Maybe he didn't want to kill her, maybe he just wanted to capture her or whatever.

- You're trapped, kitten!- he laughed amused, pulling out a large knife from the pocket of his worn pants.

Ok, forget it: he wanted to kill her. He was just stalling, he enjoyed seeing her in trouble. She had to do something to put an end to his fun and immediately. She couldn't wait for Zoro to come and save her skin, she had become stronger too now. The only way she had to escape, however, was to sacrifice thet beautiful coat, which in any case was already ruined. She would make him regret it.
With the agility that has always distinguished her, she sprung up and turned on her side trying to roll, thing that she did as soon as the sword completely tore part of the coat, leaving the man stunned. He didn't think she would react, perhaps he thought she was a frightened little girl.
She stood up, finally ready to fight. It was then that she heard a familiar voice behind her, a voice that until a moment before she had hoped to hear next to her.

- Get out of the way, I teach a lesson even to this one and then we'll go-
- And you come only now?!- she retorted him - Look how my coat is reduced!-

It was the only thing that came out of her mouth, although it wasn't what she really wanted to tell him. "You're finally here, thank you": she would have wanted to say that, but certainly Zoro would have thought she was little girl and she wanted to look like a strong woman in his eyes, because that was what she was.

- Be grateful you're alive, the coat doesn't count- he said simply, before pouncing on the man with whom she was fighting before.

It didn't take him long to bisect both his knife that his sword, knocking him out despite he was bigger. Virtually he had knocked out an entire crew while she hadn't lifted a finger. She was ashamed of this, she hadn't made a good impression, but she was caught off guard and her name wasn't Roronoa Zoro.
The swordsman put his faithful companions in the scabbard, walking toward her. He was staring at her from head to toe with those blacks and subtle eyes, able to cut you as the swords which he loved so much. She was embarrassed when he looked at her in that way.

- Are you ok? Are you hurt?- he asked.
- No, everything is ok- she reassured him.
- What's wrong with you, why didn't you start to fight right away? A guy like that you could beat it yourself with your stick-

A fair question, a claim which corresponded to the truth. She could have just thrown a lightning and everything would be over, but to do so she shouldn't have let him get so close. She couldn't tell the truth to Zoro, that she had distracted to collect the clothes. He would have said she was a stupid and at that moment she felt already enough depressed. So she decided to tell it only partially.

- I got distracted and he caught me off guard- she shook her head, bending over and starting to pick up all the clothes again.

Zoro didn't answer, apparently it was enough for him as an explanation. When she was done she handed him the shopping bag, making him understand that he had to carry it like a gentleman. At that moment a cold balst hit them, reminding them of the island's climate, perfect to celebrate an anniversary like Christmas. Less perfect, though, was the fact that her coat was half torn, allowing the biting cold to penetrate directly into the skin, making her shiver and soundly beat the teeth. She encircled her waist with her arms in an attempt to cover it up and keep her body warm. That gesture didn't escape to his partner, who closing his eyes placed the shopping bag on the ground and took off his coat, handing it to her.

- Put this or you'll take a chill, you and your bad habit to always go around with the bare midriff!- he acted like a snob.

She smiled at the gesture, noting that in his own way even Zoro knew how to be kind behind that impenetrable armor he was wearing before the world.
She thanked him, wearing that warm coat too big for her and slightly soaked in sweat for the fight of earlier. On other occasions she would complain of that particular, but at that moment she didn't care: she didn't want to ruin that gesture so sweet. She blushed, squeezing her neck into her shoulders to keep warm and also to hide the embarrassment.

- Come on, let's go- he urged her to return to the path towards the ship.
- Wait Zoro- she stopped him - And how will you do?-
- I can endure, I'm not delicate like you-
- Take this- she handed him what was left of her coat - At least put this on your shoulders-

To her surprise, the swordsman accepted that offer without complaining. He was funny with that woman's coat on his powerful shoulders, but she tried not to laugh in order not to arouse his wrath. That sense of exhilaration disappeared as soon as she realized she was left without a new coat for the party.

- I guess tonight I will have to use an old jacket or ask Robin to lend me something!- she snorted.
- If you like the coat you're wearing now you can keep it, as I've already told you I have the old one- he suggested her.
- Too bad this is a man coat and it's too large for me, if you haven't noticed!- she pointed out, pointing at herself and inviting him to observe better.
- It doesn't seems so bad to me-

She opened her eyes wide incredulous at those words: was she wrong or Roronoa Zoro, the anti-hero of the chivalry, had just made her a veiled compliment? Maybe she was just using too much imagination, maybe he just wanted to say that the situation wasn't as dire as she described it. Yet she swore she saw a slight blush on his cheeks as he was telling her those words. But even then it could be just the cold. She would never know the truth; but suddenly she felt happy, as if the disappointment had dissolved. After all he was right, that coat wasn't so bad on her.

- So if you don't mind I'll keep it!- she stuck her tongue and then smiled carefree.

She felt that that night would have been all right, that they would have celebrate in joy and that she would have had the most beautiful coat of all. She hoped with all her heart to receive also the gift that she wanted so much, but maybe she had received it at that moment.