I do not own anything besides these words and the cover art.

Zoro walked down the street pissed at Nami. He muttered to himself about her selfish nature, about how she took whatever she wanted from people but would not give anything away. But then again, that was Zoro's type: the girls who kept things interesting, moving. Yet, Nami just got under his skin. She could be the sunshine and have rainbows coming out of her ass, but then be so cold. Did she not know that the more she tried to keep him from her, it just made him want her more? Not that he wanted something more.

Sex. It was not promised to him, and she had no obligation to do anything she did not want to do. To him, nothing was unconditional. Love and emotions were not needed for intercourse, just bodies. However, what pricked at Zoro's mind is that she wanted it. She wanted it just as badly he did, and yet, he was the one fuming to no one but himself, as he got lost down the nighttime streets.

He stopped in his tracks and grew frustrated at himself. It was never this hard for Zoro. Then again, Zoro could not remember the last memorable physical moment he had. He was quiet and reserved. He kept to himself, even from people in his daily life. Zoro did not waste personal energy on things that had no personal gain. He drank, slept, and worked out. In that order. So why and how did Nami get so much space in his head? Made him ponder her gazes or her touches? If it was just for sex, Zoro would be satisfied in knowing he needed to strengthen his resolve, but there was more to her that he wanted.

Suffice to say, he often got bored and found it easy to leave romances that no longer interested him. Opposed to his roommate who fell in love every minute. Zoro realized he was acting just like him, the lovesick cook. Zoro tried to understand what came over him to lean forward.

Sure, she kept things stimulating. A day with her was never dull. It never seemed to stop, and just the thought of arguing with her made him tired and yet, he smiled at the possibility. However, Zoro hated that she could open her mouth so many damn times to yell at him, but close it when it was convenient for her. She could tell Zoro got something missing, and be all up in his face. His face. Her face. They were so close. Yet…

Zoro grunted to himself and ran his hands through his hair. He considered the last time he wanted something so much. It was for Luffy. It was always for Luffy. If Zoro was anything, he was loyal and he wanted Luffy to have the world. Luffy was his best friend, a brother…the boy who shook up his world. Zoro was willing to die for him, and with the crazy adventures they got into, they pissed off many people that made Zoro test his strengths. However, Zoro did not die, Luffy did. Zoro ended up on a side that opposed Luffy's dream, opposed Luffy's manner of changing the world…in his own way.

He felt the darkness inside him as he remembered Tashigi tell him that Luffy was dead. After everything, Zoro knew the cops were the ones who did it. They were always eager to take down Luffy, who liked to call himself "the king of the vigilantes". Luffy did not do it for honor or recognition. He did it because he wanted to. Luffy always followed his dreams, and his stomach, to bigger things. He was a favorite of anyone who met him, and in the world of corrupt law enforcement and greedy politicians, Luffy was a man of the people. He could have been king of the world.

Zoro gripped his hands into tight fists; the white of his knuckles was so clear on his tan skin. He hated Tashigi then, who reminded him so much of Kuina. Beat cop, no probably Detective now, was a friend to him and yet was a part of the very organization that killed his best friend. She said she did not know and even tried to defend her fellow officers, but Zoro knew. Zoro knew that her dirty cop friends murdered Luffy.

Zoro shook his head and shouted into the quiet night. His predominant emotion was anger, and for some reason, Nami brought things up in Zoro that were buried. She made him so wired, so frustrated. She did not even have to ask, but suddenly people, places, events came back to tackle him like a boulder. He did not like that. He did not like how she had her way with him. She could tell him to jump, and though with reluctance, he knew he would. Zoro just wanted to know why. Why he had turned around and seemed to see the light in her apartment still…and his feet walked toward it? Why he had to think about her fearful expression? Why did he need to know what made her move away from him?

Zoro knew she knew. She knew what her power was over him, and he hated every moment. Every moment he felt her, wanted to feel her, or just wanted to be beside her. For what? Sex? Her body? It was not as if Zoro was a simple man. He believed in higher things than carnal desires, and yet, he could look at her and want nothing more than to know if she tasted like the oranges she smelled like. It killed him inside because he wanted her body as if that would win him something more. Like her secrets.

Zoro always moved forward, but for some reason, he wanted to map out his life for her, so she could walk with him from the start. However, how could he do that when she was so willing to toss him to the side when she felt threated? And by what? A kiss? Zoro did not think it was that big of a deal, though he lied to himself. He did not want to just taste her, breathe her in, make her cry out his name…

It dawned on him then as he picked up his pace, Zoro had feelings for Nami that went beyond her sexual nature. However, Zoro spoke with his actions and his body. As much as Nami could deny, she leaned in, too. Zoro did not imagine that, and he would use that to his advantage if need be. As his footsteps stopped, he stood in the quiet of crickets and the occasional car that passed. Yes, he would make her suffer for making him suffer. Zoro would not take another move towards her, until she acknowledged that is what she wanted, too.

"Stupid moss head! What are you doing out here?"

Zoro had hardly noticed the glare of Sanji's headlights until the blonde-haired man screamed at him from the driver's side window.

Sanji put the car in park and got out, ready to bombard Zoro with questions. Zoro balled his hands back into fists and briskly walked to the car. He pulled the passenger door open and spoke gruffly. "I want to go home. Let's go."

Sanji stared bewildered at the sudden dark demeanor and wanted to know what happened. As soon as Sanji got back in the car and looked at him, Zoro shot him a fiercely violent glare and Sanji shot him one back.

Sanji was not one to back down, but he had seen that expression before, one of absolute disdain and malice. He knew if he prodded, Zoro would get violent or at least get them both into an accident from their shouts and punches. Nevertheless, Sanji was not afraid. "Zoro, are you going to talk about it?"

Zoro said nothing in response. Sanji had hoped for a happier conclusion and swung by to see that Nami and his idiotic friend would at least explore their boundaries a bit. Sanji was, after all, a romantic. He just felt happy at the thought that Zoro did something other than lift weights all day or at least not alone.

Sanji watched Zoro from the corner of his eye and noticed the slight sadness around him. Zoro never wore his emotions on his sleeve, a condition of being alone for so long and of losing the only ones who got close. However, Zoro was generally optimistic, even if he did not show it. He managed to get a job, have a place to stay, and stay out of trouble. Zoro's optimism went hand in hand with cheerfulness, sometimes a blind faith, and a great deal of trust that eventually everything will move in the right direction. Zoro would say it was sheer luck, but Sanji knew there were more people in Zoro's life that cared about him too much to let him get so low that he could not be picked up again. Sanji believed Nami was one of them. At this moment, however, Zoro needed to be pushed. Cracked. Punched. Maybe even suffocated, if Sanji had his way.

"Zoro, you're going to tell me what happened or I won't cook anymore."

Zoro managed to mumble, "I'll be fine then."

Sanji rolled his eyes. "No, you buffoon. You'll starve."

Zoro bit back. "Then let me starve."

Sanji slammed on the brakes, put the car in park, and pulled at Zoro's shirt so that they faced each other. "You better take that shitty talk and shove it back up whatever depressing hole you crawled out of. Now, tell me what the damn hell happened or I swear I'll beat you ass right here!"

"Yeah, Sanji? You want to fight? Because I think we both know I'll kill you."

Sanji shook his fist but calmed a bit. "You only get this way when you're really upset. What about Nami makes you so…heated?"

"The hell does that mean?"

Sanji let him go and put the car in drive. "You know exactly what I mean, Zoro. You like her. You must really like her because from what I can tell, you expected something tonight and are angry you didn't get it."

Zoro fumed. "The fuck you think this is? Huh? You think I'm just out here to get laid? Do I look like you?"

Sanji chuckled. "Watch that shitty tone, muscle head. You wish you looked this good. But, let me tell you something, okay, Zoro? I know you love to fix things and may create problems in your personal relationships, just so you can have the fun of fixing them. Now, I'm not saying Nami needs fixing, but there is something about her that makes you want more. I'm not blind either, buddy. I see the way you look at her and how you two act. Again, I don't know what Nami is looking for or what she sees in your ugly mug, but there is something."

Zoro blinked at Sanji but then frowned. He turned to the window. "Thanks, Dr. Phil."

Sanji smirked. "I don't need a Ph.D. to cut the sexual tension between you with a chainsaw. That's how thick that shit is."

"Well, again, as you can see…we don't see eye to eye."

"And should you? Zoro, you and I are very different…but I think we approach life in a similar way. You may think I put my emotions out there and love too freely, but I do it and it lets me be happy."

"And STD-filled."

Sanji threw Zoro a glare that got a bit of a smirk out of Zoro, but Sanji continued.

"Actually, the ladies call me, Mr. Good Stuff FYI."

Zoro scoffed and focused out the window.

"Zoro, I'm serious. Nami might have a hard time with opening up. Like you, you know? And you aren't an easy person to love but frankly, Nami is sticking with you. So, whatever happened…just give her a second chance."

Zoro did not respond, and Sanji let him stay silent. They rarely talked like this, because Zoro rarely showed much interest in anything. It was refreshing to see Zoro alive, but Sanji figured he still needed to protect his best friend. He was surprised Zoro did not shoot down the idea of love, but Sanji figured that Zoro did not even know what that looked like, at least not in regards to his own relationships. Sanji did not think there was a person Zoro loved outside Luffy, but that love was different. It was only natural that Zoro was afraid of something he did not know how to handle, but Sanji worried that Zoro would tackle it with the only emotion he felt comfortable with: anger. However, Nami seemed all too capable of carrying herself, as much as that made Sanji sad, as he loved to help any lady that needed it. There was nothing about Nami that Sanji feared; on the contrary, he wondered why she seemed to be so reluctant to explore happiness, too. She knew how to use her body and appeared to love as freely as he did, perhaps not as openly, but she was not shy around the opposite sex. However, he felt that, like Zoro, that was an anger and darkness in Nami and perhaps it took fire to fight fire.

Sanji put the car in park but before he could say anything, Zoro was out of the car and sprinted up the stairs to the apartment. Sanji signed. Sanji lived in a world of logic and evidence, and what he gathered from tonight was that Zoro needed to push a little harder. Perhaps Sanji could help ease his mistrust or miscommunication. He pulled out his phone and scrolled through the contacts. He selected one and brought the phone to his ear.

"Ah, Madam Officer- I am glad I got you. Oh, Detective now? Wow, I never doubted your intellect or beauty. Oh, well, yeah. I know it's late, but I was wondering if you could check someone out for me. What? Of course, I'm not using police resources to stalk someone. My love for you should be resource enough! Ah, yes, I know. I know. Oh, uh...her name is Nami. I'm not sure of her last name but I can give a description. You know how good I am with those, right? Ah, ha, yes. Um, she has short orange but sometimes golden brown hair with a single curled strand usually over the left side of her face. Her hair lands just at her shoulders, curls out at the ends. It's so cute! 5'6½" and I would put her at 115 pounds, give or take, but very physically fit. I would say a 34B. In addition, she's beautiful with milky creamy skin. Some freckles, which are so cute- right, right. Sorry. Yeah, thanks, Tashigi. I'd appreciate whatever you can find. Um…yeah, he's good. You know…the same. Yes, right. Thanks again, my dear. Goodnight."

Sanji hung up and looked towards the apartment; the lights were off so Zoro must have gone to sleep. He really wanted to know what happened and so he went back to his phone but frowned. "Oh man, I don't even have Nami's number."

Music Inspiration/Theme: "She Don't Know" (Usher)

Annnnd here we are- they didn't. Hehe. Alright, some of you may be like- "Shipfiend, this is too much. I can't handle it." To which I say, "Grab an Asprin, boo. We got ways to go!"

No, but seriously, I think I can entice you with Zoro know plotting some deliciously disastrous moments to get something out of Nami, but remember kiddos- these are two very broken people.

Real talk tho- One Piece has some many intense characters, and I think we often forget how broken or lonely their lives were, like as kids, ugh, so much sadness- but then they found each other and get to be happy and travel. So, minus fun pirate times, you get therapy moments brought to you by shipfiend in this fanfic. Lol!

I promise I won't let them keep pretending for long...cause I only write so much, but Arlong is the big bad meanie here, and let's say, I won't be happy until someone knocks him out;)

Alright, lovelies, thanks for sticking with it- and stay tuned! #sanjiisteamzona #sanjimakesmelaugh #usoppisdefboyfriendmaterial #sanjiprobablyknowseveryonessizes...nasty LOL

-UPDATE:

*Gasp* Two more chapters?! Yes, my dears. I feel like I owe you guys something for being so patient with me. But as you can see...them lemons ain't here. And I'm so sorry if you guys keep looking forward to it, but I hope you can follow the plot and see there is much more to happen before they get to it. And by "it" I mean the sexy times. And I'm so sorry for keeping you here without something to satiate that need, but I hope the story at least keeps you coming back...with the promise of that cherry. I really appreciate the people who keep reviewing- because it makes me feel happy that you are at least receiving this story. ZoNa, I feel is my TRUE OTP, in that I just can't see either Zoro or Nami with anyone else. So, this, though long winded and painful, is my little dedication to them. Hopefully, my "prudish" nature doesn't make you all roll your eyes in anticipation for some hanky panky. #iloveyouguys #pleasestaytuned #exchangingofpromiserings #jkbutforrealtho

XoXo shipfiend