A/N: Okay! Here I am again! So many of you requested or suggested that I continue this oneshot, and sure enough, I'm gonna! :) Again, monumental thanks to all of you for your reviews. I seriously didn't think this story would be that well-received haha. I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

Also, to reply to the anonymous people that reviewed:

Val- YAY! Why thank you! :D I'm glad you enjoyed it! I would try writing about these two in the New World… except I haven't gotten there yet. xD I'm not fully caught up with the anime. I'M ONE EPISODE AWAY.

Blackleg- Thank you, thank you! :) I'm going to take your suggestion there. We'll see how well this goes haha!

Disclaimer: For God's sake, no.

Near Me

Zoro let out an exasperated sigh. He was at the bow of the Thousand Sunny, standing right next to the sunflower head of the ship. He stared out at the sea as he took a swig of his second botte of sake. In that moment, he confirmed yet another fact after being a member of the Straw Hat crew for so long.

There was always an excuse to throw a party.

The weather faired well. There was a comfortable breeze, and the sun warmed Zoro's skin. It had been a bright and shining day as the Sunny bobbed on the waves. There was no particular hurry to get to the next island, or anywhere for that matter. There was plenty of time to relax, and it couldn't have been a more perfect day to do just that.

But, while every other member of the crew could've been content with spending time to themselves and doing their own things, Zoro knew that the one person who wouldn't was Luffy. The captain was always so restless; he couldn't spend more than a minute sitting still. Luffy always had to be doing something or bugging someone. And, of course, he wouldn't take no for an answer. So, he'd end up dragging Usopp or Chopper around to entertain him, usually pissing the ero-cook and Nami off in the process. Then, if there was extra food and drink stored up, Luffy couldn't help but getting everyone together for a big meal. That's when Brook would strike up a song and the dancing would begin, led by Franky of course. Zoro smirked as he slugged some more sake.

All of this created the perfect formula for a party aboard the Sunny.

However, the party continued on the lawn deck regardless of Zoro's absence. He knew that he would return eventually but, for the time being, he enjoyed staying where he was. He could hear Brook playing a lively jig and Luffy, Usopp and Chopper laughing and shouting as they normally did. Zoro was slightly surprised that their rambunctiousness wasn't followed by a scolding from the damn cook. But, it seemed that even he was taking the opportunity to have some fun.

Zoro had just drained the rest of his bottle when he sensed that he was no longer alone. As a swordsman, he was constantly aware of anything that was behind him. He put an instinctive hand on his haramaki, his fingers feeling the hilts of his swords, before he turned around. Nami giggled as she approached him, a sake bottle in each hand.

"It's just me!" she exclaimed, shoving one of the bottles at him. Zoro took a moment to put his empty bottle down before taking the new one and quickly popping the top. Nami followed suit. Before she drank, though, Nami tilted her bottle toward his. Zoro looked at her skeptically.

"Cheers, you idiot." she said playfully.

Zoro scoffed with a smile. The necks of their bottles clinked together, and both of them proceeded to drink. Zoro took a huge gulp and sighed in relief, wiping his mouth with the back of his arm. Meanwhile, Nami only took a small sip, watching Zoro the whole time. He had seen it out of the corner of his eye, and he frowned.

"What?" he asked suspiciously. Nami looked at him as though she were collecting her thoughts. Zoro looked back, waiting for a response.

Nami's face was full and red like it always got when she had a bit too much to drink. Her brown eyes were wide, as though she was experiencing the world around her for the first time. She licked her lips a few times as she looked at Zoro, and whether it meant she was thirsty for more sake or not, Zoro didn't know. When he found that his gaze had lingered too long on her lips, Zoro examined the rest of Nami. Sometimes, he really hated what she wore. It was always a shirt that was too tight or too revealing and a skirt or shorts that rode up her legs. The damn woman always loved to show her skin. Today, Nami wore a thin, pink tank top and a black skirt. It was a simple outfit, but for some reason… she looked more beautiful than ever. It was as though everything about her was glowing. Zoro almost felt as if he had no control over his eyes anymore as they moved on their own up and down her body.

Maybe it was his inability to keep his eyes off of her that he really hated.

Finally, to distract himself, Zoro chugged the rest of his sake. He ended up coughing madly before slamming the bottle on the rail and folding his arms across his chest. He glanced at Nami to gauge her reaction. Her face was even redder than before as she now looked at him nervously.

"What?!" Zoro snapped. Nami laughed a little to clear the air.

"You were staring at me." she stated.

"You were staring at me first." he said defensively. Zoro couldn't believe how childish he had just sounded! He groaned a little, shaking his head as he turned away from Nami. She laughed again, this time softly. Zoro could hear her put her sake bottle down somewhere. Then, he heard the clack of her sandal against the deck as she took a step forward.

"Well, did you want to hear my answer or not?" she teased him.

Zoro didn't move for a few seconds. He had his eyes squeezed shut. If he was going to look at her again, he was going to make eye contact, not… let himself wander. After his short, mental preparation, Zoro faced Nami once more. His eyes met hers and stayed there, and he was determined to keep it that way. Nami smiled.

"I just wanted to try something."

Zoro raised an eyebrow at her. She neared him slowly. He kept his arms across his chest, observing her. She was finally at his side, her face just inches away from his cheek. Zoro's thoughts raced in a million different directions, but he wouldn't dare show it. He just stood still, wary of Nami as she continued whatever it was that she was doing. Then, Zoro's eyes widened a little.

Nami kissed him on the cheek.

And just like that, it was over. She had pecked Zoro on the left side of his face and moved back to where she was before. Nothing had touched him except her soft, dainty lips. Every thought in his mind had stopped, except for one; all Zoro could think about was how moist that one spot on his cheek was. He didn't even bother to reach up and brush it away. It felt so strange. But, it also wasn't enough.

Before Zoro could say anything, Nami had whirled away from him, laughing loudly. His narrowed his eyes at her with a scoff. He rarely understood this woman, even when she was sober. She was trying to compose herself to say something.

"That must've been really stupid, huh?" she managed, trying to catch her breath. Her laughter was beginning to subside. Yet, it hadn't faded completely until Zoro grabbed Nami's shoulder.

"Oi."

Zoro spun Nami around and placed his hands on either side of her head. Nami had fallen silent now, except for her breathing, which was still ragged and fast-paced. Zoro glared at her intensely. Her orange hair was almost blinding as it caught the sun's rays. Zoro found himself liking the way it looked. Finally, he spoke.

"That wasn't stupid."

"It wasn't?" Nami whispered.

"No." he told her. He leaned into her to the point where their foreheads were touching. Zoro could feel just how hot Nami's skin was. It had been baking all day in the sun, most likely. He almost thought that it felt good against his own. But, that's not what he was concerned about at the moment. Zoro was concerned that what he was going to say next wouldn't come out right at all. However, he wouldn't hesistate. He just came out and said it.

"I want you next to me."

There. Done. He had gotten it out. Obviously, it could've been said much better, but he had never done this before. He was already embarrassed enough as it is. The point was that he had told her. That's all that mattered. He wasn't drunk enough to regret it. And he knew that she wasn't drunk enough to forget it. She could take it however she wanted.

Zoro felt Nami's small hands rest on his forearms. Her eyes focused on his. What she said next sounded so simple.

"That wasn't stupid either." she assured him.

Although Zoro could make every argument to the contrary, he decided against it. There was no stopping now. He had gotten only a small taste, and he craved more. He craved Nami's kiss, and he was going to get it. His hands moved behind her head as he pulled her even closer and pressed his lips against hers.

And he definitely didn't regret it.

Zoro closed his eyes, and he could feel Nami's hands trapped against his chest as their bodies moved together. Zoro kissed Nami so deeply that her neck craned back, and he cradled her head in his hands. Their tongues met, and this made Zoro pause for a moment. He backed off a little, opening his eyes to look down at Nami. Her eyes were now open as well. Her hands were on his biceps, and she was biting her lower lip.

"Nami."

"Uh huh…?"

Zoro looked at her hair again. He took a loose strand of her hair in between his fingers and tucked it behind her ear. He let his fingertips linger on the side of her face before looking back at her.

"How much have you had to drink?" he asked in a low voice. Nami didn't answer immediately. She leveled her chin, smiled and made eye contact with him.

"Not enough for you to be taking advantage of me." She even winked at him. "I still know what I'm doing."

Zoro smirked a little. Yet, it fell just as quickly as it came. He knew that the question he had asked her was still very serious. He wouldn't take her answer lightly. Zoro searched her eyes for any hint of a doubt. But, he should've known better about Nami. The woman was determined, to say the least. When she had her mind set on something, it was hard to get her out of it. She was a lot like him in that regard.

Zoro moved his arms down and wrapped them around Nami's waist. He moved closer to her again to the point where their lips were touching, but just barely.

"Me too." he whispered against them.

Zoro pulled Nami toward him, closing that tiny gap between them, and kissed her once more. He could feel Nami's hands trail up and down his back, her nails digging into his shirt. She gasped as he pushed his tongue past her lips to touch her own. They were so close now that Zoro could feel Nami's heartbeat against his own. He had never desired to be with a woman like this. In fact, he had never desired to be near ANYONE like this.

Near, huh? Zoro thought. He pressed his hands into the small of Nami's back as they kissed each other deeply and with absolutely no regard of their surroundings. Zoro could feel himself smile.

I want you near me.

Yikes! Sorry it took me so long to get this out! I only have two weeks of school left, so everything got super busy! But, anyway… I might be even more worried about this chapter than the last. ^^; Please, please, tell me what you think, and be honest! I'll try and update quicker next time!~