Original characters © Eiichiro Oda. Creative story © shipfiend. Cover art © gg-xx on Tumblr.
When they touched down in Japan, Zoro seemed on edge. His mannerisms, his facial expressions. He would jump at the slightest touch as if the air itself hurt him. Nami took notice, and in between quips and comebacks, she would try to nurture something out of him. But he was not budging. Then it caught her eye, the billboard by the inn they were staying in. It was in Japanese, of course, but the image was very clear. The nearby cinema was putting on an all-night Studio Ghibli showcase. She suddenly forgot about the brooding man beside her a squealed.
He turned his dark eye to her and followed her line of sight, "What?"
She tried to calm herself and grew shy at explaining her childish joy, "Uh…it's…um, it's a Miyazaki film marathon, in the original Japanese."
"Oh?" A tailored dark eyebrow rose over his tan face that had been set into a frown the moment he got off the plane.
Nami cleared her throat and grew less enthusiastic, "Never mind. Forget it. It's dumb."
Zoro looked at her watch the world pass by her through the window of the bus and sighed. He hated being here, but it was not kind of him to take out his personal issues on her. He did not want to be the reason she ever said something she liked was dumb, just to appease him. It was not right.
Zoro got up from the seat and gave her his hand, "Alright. Let's go."
"Why?" She said startled as the bus came to a halt when Zoro pushed the button for them to stop.
He cracked his neck, tried from the trip and the need to explain his kindness, "Why…why not?"
"I mean it's for kids." She said accusatorily as if he had some hidden agenda in giving her what she wanted.
The bus driver started shouting for them to get off, and Zoro groaned, "Nami, let's go. We're holding up the bus."
She reluctantly followed him out in silence, still pondering his sudden desire to watch an old animated film.
"Looks like they have options," he said as he walked over to the movie posters. All of them looked rather childish to him, but Nami had her eyes on a giant raccoon-looking thing with a tiny umbrella. "This one?"
Nami jumped at his voice as if she was lost in some other world momentarily. "Hmm…yes. My Neighbor Totoro."
"Okay," he said with disinterest as he paid at the ticket booth. She did not like the way he walked as if a ghost clung to him.
"Hey," she stopped him and furrowed her brows, "You don't need to suffer for me."
"What are you talking about?" He asked with exasperation.
She gripped his arm, "Don't waste your time with me if you don't want to."
"What do you want, woman? We're watching the movie!" He could never just let her have something. She made him fight for it, even if it was a gift to her. How she managed to make him feel like the villain was beyond him.
"Zoro. You don't need to watch it!"
"I want to!"
"Oh really? Then maybe don't act like you've got punched in the gut!"
"Can we just watch the stupid movie?"
They were shouting at each other, and people were staring. Nami took the ticket from him and walked away in a huff. Zoro frustratingly shook his hands after her like he was choking her from afar but followed her regardless. They sat in silence during the entirety of the film, but Zoro managed to peek over at her every now and then. He watched her smile during the movie, almost saying each part, amazed at her Japanese. Then he caught her crying, but she wiped it away before the lights came back on and they left.
They continued to walk in silence as Nami focused on the floor. Zoro cleared his throat and scratched his head as he spoke quietly, "Did you like it?"
"Hmm," she said without much more. So Zoro stopped and sighed.
"You gonna tell me about it?"
Nami turned around and smirked, "Did you really fall asleep during it?"
"No. I mean…why you know literally every word of it?"
"Yeah, well, I watched it a lot."
"Hmm…and…" He crossed his arms as waiting for her to explain.
Nami watched him and shrugged, "And?"
"I mean, sure, the giant fluffy cat thing was cute and all, but you don't seem like the type to cry over it."
"Oh, you know what type I am?" she asked, mimicking his arms crossing.
"Hey, no need to get defensive. I just call it like I see it," he said with hands up and shrug of his own.
"Hmm, that keen eye of yours?" She said skeptically.
"Yeah, something like that."
"Right."
"Yup."
The silence overtook them and suddenly the bustling noise of the town seemed to disappear. The sun was setting, and the pink-purple hue of the fading light hit her eyes as she looked at it. She could have blamed the light for the wetness of her eyes, but Nami did not care to hide much more from him.
"No. It has a lot of themes in it," she said as she approached him.
"Like?"
"Like…whatever, it's cool."
"No, you seem really excited, I just want to know why."
"This move…I mean…it's about these two sisters who move into the countryside with their dad. They are waiting for their mom to get better, and basically,…these two girls explore their home and just…find such awesome things that kinda…help them."
"I didn't fall asleep through the whole thing…" he said as he looked down at her, "So you just like movies about sisters who find things?"
"Ugh, you don't get it," she said as she turned but Zoro stopped her.
The wind moved between them but Nami did not budge much. Instead, she came a bit closer and spoke softly, "You know…Law was a pretty sick kid."
"Really?" Zoro imagined the tired and angry looking man cutting up insects and experimenting on little animals. But Nami took him back to reality as she found his shirt and tugged on it with nervous fingers.
"No, I mean…he was actually pretty ill. So…I mean, we never really got along, especially when they moved in with us and we were trying to be this big happy family. Nojiko was naturally brilliant, she got along with everyone, but I was always…just ugh…I don't know…harder to figure out. And of course, Law was a boy genius so he was naturally a shining star in their eyes, but then he would need medicine and treatments and my mom just suddenly seemed to dot on him, and that stupid sick jealousy of mine rose.
And well, he liked watching cartoons and movies like this and so for Thanksgiving, my mom decided we would have a new tradition of watching a movie together. And of course, Law got to pick it. And I just…I lost it. I mean, I was 8, but I just started screaming at him about not being my brother and him being annoying and not wanted. And my gosh, it was bad, Zoro. Like really bad. I mean, now I know him being kinda cold and indifferent or quiet or shy to me was because he always saw his biological sister who passed when he looked at me…so he was trying to get over his own thing…beyond his failing health, and then I just…I ruined Thanksgiving. And, he was 12, but he already put a lot of pressure on himself to excel in everything and make sure we did not think of him as burdened. And…"
She let out a heavy exhale, "His already weak immune system couldn't take it and he collapsed. So, we rushed him to the hospital…or everyone else did, and I just stayed at home with Uncle Genzo and just…was disgusted with myself. I caused him to get hurt and then I saw the way my mom looked at me. It wasn't anger, just…disappointment. And it crushed me. So, I decided…typical Nami fashion, I needed to run away.
So, like those kids in the movie, I would take a block of cheese, a loaf of bread, and some apples and then just…you know…wander through flower-covered mountains wrapped in a scarf and just find some moving castle and fall in love with a cute wizard who would have a darker side than me, but we would just be okay, and I wouldn't hurt anyone anymore."
She seemed lost in a trance and Zoro could not help but respond with slight sarcasm, "Yeah…that…sounds…normal…"
"Yeah, right." She looked at him with a smirk, "Mind you…I shoved a bunch of Kraft Singles in a duffle bag and got hopelessly lost in the woods behind my house trying to find damn Totoro."
She laughed but continued, "So, then I made a new plan…I would try to survive in the woods, and if I died…I died, but at least my family wouldn't have to deal with me anymore."
His hands found her back and pulled her closer as he spoke, "Wow, Nami, that's pretty dark."
"Not everyone has sunshine and rainbows and mansions for a childhood," she said with a bit of anger.
"I didn't say that-"
"I know. I'm sorry…I just…I still get mad at myself for getting to that point. By blocking them out like that."
"And then?"
"Well,…you've kinda met my lovable step-father. He…walked through the woods all night and found me freezing under a tree, and when he found me, I was scared. Scared he'd hurt me…or just tell me everything I was feeling. I mean, Law was more his son than I was his daughter…but…he just…he just held me, covered me in that stupid feathered jacket of his and cried and said he was so worried. Even with Law in the hospital, he said he was worried about me and came to find me and was so glad I was safe, and I just…I lost it. I cried and cried and told him I was sorry, that I did not mean to make Law sick. And Cora, or Rosi as he is legally called, he just looked at me with a such a goofy smile and said he knew Law was going to get better, but right now, he needed to take care of his daughter, too."
She smiled so wide, even if Zoro could not see it with her face towards the ground.
"I think that was the first time he called me that, really…I mean, and well, the rest is history. Law did get better, beat leukemia every doctor in the world said he'd die from. I started calling Cora dad and that just made him an even clumsier mess than he was…so, it's just a good story."
"The movie or your life?" he asked.
She giggled and pulled him closer, "Both, I guess."
"Hmmm, guess you found your Totoro after all."
"Huh, I guess I did. He is just as tall but nearly as cute."
"Am I as cute?"
"Ha! Please, Zoro. You're not cute."
Nami moved away from him and tried to find their inn as Zoro watched her suddenly recover from what could have only been a very dark part of her life. He thought maybe he could, too, but he did not want to deal with that right now. He preferred to be distracted by her, so he continued with his teasing.
"What?"
"Oh, oh, I see. You want me to compliment you right now?" She asked with a titled of her head.
"No…," he said smugly.
"No? You don't want me to tell you all the things I like about you," she teased.
"I mean if you insist." He pulled her closer and smelled the orange in her hair.
"Oh, if I insist? So, you don't want me to whisper them to you?" she said as her fingers traced his lips.
"Now, don't be a tease, Nami."
"Am not," she said as she wiggled out of his arms.
"You keep walking away like that, and you will be."
"Why don't you keep up?" She looked over her shoulder and giggled.
"Oi! Am I the cute wizard?"
"Why don't you show me some magic and I'll let you know."
"Want to see my magic wand?"
Nami rolled her eyes, "Ugh, you're disgusting. But…"
He chased after her, "Oh, now I have to show it to you."
"Well, I'm waiting, Zoro," Nami said with a sexy smile.
I found a post on Tumblr that went along those lines...getting lost in the forest with Kraft singles trying to look for Totoro. And so, here we are. I wanted to get this in time for Thanksgiving...if anyone needed to hide from family and read something, but here we are.
Some fluff. Some sadness. But all ZoNa.
I hope everyone had a healthy and happy Thanksgiving...and also remember that this holiday is very problematic and we need to strive to learn the importance of the history. And if you don't, happy Friday! Hope no one got trampled getting deals or something on Black Friday. Honestly, America is so weird. Say thanks one day, then kill someone for a tv the next day? Idk. I mean, I hope that didn't happen, but people be cray.
Anyway, I know I promised this story would be all smex and fluff...but UGH, I guess I am just a dramatic person so. Here we do. lawl
XoXo shipfiend