Nightmares and Reality

Zoro walked into Nami's room with a purpose, she was startled to see him and he couldn't blame her. After his speech he shouldn't even look at her yet here he was storming into her room like he had every right to do so. Her surprise gave way to anger and her warm eyes became hard and cold. She stared at him with such coldness that he involuntarily shuddered. This wasn't like her usual anger. Normally when Nami was angry she seethed, there was a heat that radiated from her that was dangerous and volatile. This was worse.

There was no heat coming from her now. She didn't say a word and simply stared at him as if daring him to do something and in that moment Zoro feared her. He had been stupid to think that he could hurt her and simply leave it at that. He had been even stupider to think he could give her up now that he knew he loved her and that she felt the same.

"I'm sorry. I was wrong, I need you. I want you more than life."

His words seemed to soften her and melt the ice that she had so effectively packed around her heart. He continued to apologize until the last of the cold disappeared and warmth returned. He crossed to her and drew her into his arms in a tight embrace. Nami leaned into him and Zoro inhaled her sweet scent hugging her closer.

"Zoro?"

"Yeah?"

"I can't breathe."

He quickly released her and murmured apologetically looking at his feet abashedly. Nami just laughed and kissed him lightly on the lips. Zoro pulled her back to him kissing her deeply and thoroughly. She tasted like his own personal slice of heaven and he couldn't get enough, his tongue delved deeper and he drank in her moans. When they pulled apart her lips were swollen and her eyes hooded. She looked absolutely gorgeous in his opinion and he felt the love swell within him stronger than ever. Softly he pushed the hair out of her face and placed a tender kiss to her forehead.

"Nami, I- I love you."

Nami gasped audibly and her eyes widened in pain. She looked up at him and all that pain was directed at him.

"Zoro... how could you?" Nami gasped weakly before looking down at her chest.

Zoro's eyes followed her gaze and landed on the gaping hole in her chest. Blood was dripping down her shirt a deep crimson stain spreading out across the fabric. Zoro felt something hot in his hand and he looked down to see a heart beating in it. The organ was warm and pulsating as blood dripped in between his fingers and down his arm. His eyes widened in horror and as he glanced between Nami and the heart in his hand. He felt Nami grow cold while the heart in his hand slowly shrivelled up and blackened before his eyes.



Zoro bolted up, nearly falling out of his hammock in the process. He was covered in a cold sweat and his heart was beating erratically. Slowly his heart beat slowed as reality sunk in and his surroundings became clear. It had only been a dream, Nami was safe. Yet he couldn't shake the feeling of unease and her plaintive cry echoed in his head making his stomach turn. Silently he slipped out of the hammock and out of the men's quarters. Up on the deck he took a few calming breaths of the salty air allowing his stomach to settle. Once he was calm he quietly crept to Nami's room. Gently pushing the door open he looked in at her relieved to see her sleeping peacefully one arm flung over her head.

A sliver of light shone through the door softly illuminating her sleeping figure and Zoro was struck by her beauty. His breath caught in his throat and an anger and hatred at himself welled up within him. How he wished things could be different but if his dream had been any indication Nami was better off without him. He was just about to close the door when she cried out.

"Zoro! No!"

Zoro whipped back around and saw her once peaceful features contorted in pain. He fought an internal battle as to whether he should do something or not. In the end he couldn't bear to see her in such pain so he entered her room and crossed to her bed. He placed a hand on her delicate shoulder and gently shook her.

"Nami. Nami wake up."



Slowly her cries died down and the writhing stopped her features softening once again. She didn't wake however and Zoro figured it was probably for the best. He removed his hand and stood up to leave but was stopped by a slim hand on his wrist.

"Please don't go."

Zoro looked over his shoulder but her eyes were still shut. The grip on his arm however didn't loosen and he knew she was in fact awake. Zoro knew he should remove her hand and leave but he couldn't. So instead he nudged her over and slipped under the covers. She immediately curled into him and instinctively he wrapped an arm around her. He held her close as she fell back to sleep. Once he was satisfied that she was indeed in a deep dreamless sleep he pulled the covers up further and drifted off all the while holding her close.

Zoro woke as the sun slowly started its ascent over the Grand Line, shining through the porthole and bathing them in its soft glow. He was slightly startled to see Nami in his arms but slowly the night's events came back to him. She looked so peaceful and content that last night's horror seemed so far away and he struggled to remember why it was that they couldn't be. Zoro watched her until she stirred observing the sleep slowly release her, he was curious as to what her reaction would be under the harsh light of day.

Nami blinked sleep out of her eyes and smiled up at him softly and he was relieved that her reaction didn't include bodily mutilation of any sort. She let out a soft yawn moving to cover her mouth with a delicate hand before returning it to its position on his naked chest. It occurred to him that he was still only wearing the boxers he had gone to sleep in and was now all the way across the ship in Nami's room. Getting back to his room and his clothes was going to be awkward.

"Morning." Nami said her voice still thick with sleep.

She looked so adorable that all other thoughts vanished and he found himself smiling back at her. Instinctively he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. The action was eerily familiar and last night's nightmare came flooding back including the pain that had been in her gaze. Her cries once again echoed in his head and he jumped out of her bed.

"I can't." Zoro whispered his voice cracking.

He didn't stick around to see her reaction or response and instead hightailed it out of the false security of her room.