AN: so i had some fun with the beginning of this chapter and i hope you guys enjoy it :) as always, criticism is welcomed with wide open arms (I really need it guys, srsly)
Nami walked down the street with a grumbling Zoro behind her, carrying five or six bags. She had dragged him out here the day after his big win, she insisted it was because she wanted to celebrate his comeback to the underground fighting with minimal wounds.
He argued that it wasn't a celebration if he hated clothes shopping. But that was quickly dealt with when she brought up his debt and his promise to go shopping with her. She even got him to hand over his winnings! True, she was going to use them mainly to pay for the house, but she put some aside to pay for this specific day.
Of course today didn't quite go as planned, she planned to talk more with Zoro and test if he secretly did have a gay fashion sense. She spent the beginning half of their outing dealing with his wise ass comments about the different things she tried on.
He sat there with his stupid smirk as she showed off her choice and said things like "Makes your thighs look like flabby tree trunks." and "Suits you, very sluttish, super trailer trash!". She put up with as best she could, she only hit him ten times in the face! Only three kicks to the shin and one knee to the balls! She was being very generous!
After a while he got bored and answered somewhat seriously. But she was sad to discover he really had no fashion sense. Most of the time he would say things like 'it looks a little short' or 'its a nice color on you'. But when she purposely wore horribly clashing colors or styles he always said he didn't see anything wrong with it besides the comments about length or the occasional 'how the hell did you put that on?'.
She sighed. Oh well, it might have actually been creepy if he did end up having a good sense of fashion. Gay or not, Zoro was still his usual infuriating self.
"So when did you end up liking Sanji anyways?"
"Do we really have to talk about this every time were together?" Zoro asked tiredly.
"Yes. Its fascinating. Most of us thought you were asexual."
"Wait, most of us? Did you guys talk behind my back?" Zoro asked angrily.
"Well you wouldn't have answered us, now would you? Oh! That reminds me! Did you ever have a thing with Ace?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Well I ended up asking everyone what they thought, made it a bet actually."
"You started bets on my sexual preference?"
"Yup. And if anyone saw you with someone from one of the category's, we had to report back, this was in high school by the way, null and void now. But when I asked Ace what kind of girl he wanted to bet on , he sort of got this weird look and said he didn't want to bet."
"Weird look?"
"Not descriptive enough? Well if I had to describe it now I'd say...'fuck that was a hot night' kind of look. He was even drooling, but I thought he wasn't paying attention and was thinking about food. But I wonder." she gave Zoro a suggestive wink.
He flushed slightly "Really? He looked like that from pretty much just mentioning me?"
"So something did happen! Do tell!"
He shrugged, "It was just one night. It got kind of...out of hand."
"Well now you have to say more!" Nami demanded eagerly.
Zoro gave her an amused look. "You know that party at Vivi's? The one you took control of because her guardians went out for a day? You got enough booze to last a bar four months."
"Yeah, every one got pretty messed up." Nami laughed at the memory, that was a fun night.
"Well me and Ace hit it off, he actually kinda threw himself at me. We locked ourselves in the bathroom about the time Luffy started demanding someone challenge his right as captain or something."
"That was only, like, halfway through the party! You spent that long in there? What did you do that still left you a virgin afterwords?"
Zoro shrugged, "It was a nice party."
"Dammit Zoro! Tell me before I kill you!" Nami shrieked, she needed to know now! What kind of kinky foreplay lasts over three hours?
"I'm not going to tell you everything! Were in the middle of the street for fucks sake!" Zoro said sending an appalled look at her.
"Your telling me later!" she jabbed a threatening finger in his face.
He smirked down at her, "Wanna bet?" instantly his smirk dropped as he realized what he just said to her. She grinned darkly up at him.
"I would love to." he frowned more and dropped the matter after Nami's foreboding answer.
Nami laughed evilly and excitedly at the same time. This was going to be beautiful!
"Zoro?"
Nami and Zoro paused their walking to look at the man who called out Zoro's name. He was a tall man, black hair, red eyes, nice clothes, generally attractive.
She shot a glance at Zoro, he looked shocked. "Matt?"
"Hey, are you okay? You didn't crash or anything when you left right? You were kinda messed up." Matt, his name apparently, said worriedly.
"Ah, no. I, I got home alright." he said nervously. He glanced at Nami's observing face.
"That's good. Hey, do you have a minute to talk? I'm sorry for interrupting your day with your..." he looked at Nami and trailed off.
"Roommate." she put out helpfully. "But we're a lot like family." she gave a smile that she new that people found threatening.
"Y-yeah sure. Here, I'll meet up with you at the car." Zoro handed her the keys.
She glanced between them a few more times. She was certain she knew who Matt was now. She looked at Zoro one last time.
"It'll just take a minute." he said.
She shrugged and closed her fingers around the keys and started walking off.
"Here, its more private over here." she heard Matt say. She walked a few more steps then looked over her shoulder. Zoro was following Matt into an alley between the shops. She waited until they were out of sight before she dashed to the opening of the alley, they turned a corner to another alley and Nami crept up behind them.
There was a dumpster right there! The perfect spot to see but be unseen, and its close enough to hear! She glanced at the backs of the men a little farther down. There was a small possibility she would be seen...She took the chance and ran as silently as she could to the dumpster.
She slid down the back of it and peeked out at her targets. They were standing a bit awkwardly and Zoro dropped the bags he'd been holding in a heap.
"So what was that all about Zoro? You really freaked me out, running out like that." Matt started.
Zoro had his eyes fixed on the ground. "I'm sorry about that, really but...reality just hit me kind of hard you know?"
"I don't get what you mean? And will you please look at me?" Matt said gently.
He sounded like a nice guy, she could understand some of Zoro's pain of not being able to move on.
Zoro sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "It...it just shouldn't have happened. And I realized that the other night and it kind of freaked me out."
"Is it because of that guy? Sanji or something? That shouldn't prevent you from starting something new, he rejected you."
"Its not like I feel like I'm cheating or anything," Zoro started, "But it was just a little...soon. I...just cant forget about him." Zoro said apologetically.
"Wont you give me chance? I really want to try us out. We don't have to go that far right away, we can just go out for some drinks, start over?"
"I'm sorry but I cant." his voice adopting a colder tone.
"Why?" Matt insisted.
"Because I cant really see you! I freaked out because I was with Sanji! And I cant do that! Not to you or me!"
"Listen, just go on a few dates, give yourself a chance to see me!"
Zoro closed his eyes and took a deep breath, composing himself."I really cant Matt, I'm sorry." Zoro turned to leave but Matt caught is arm.
"Zoro! If you don't give anyone a chance, you wont ever be able to move on!"
"Let go." Zoro warned.
"Tell me why you wont move on."
"Because that's too much right now! Things happened between us and I'm still in shock about it, I just want everything to calm down! I cant take this much!"
"What do you mean things happened?"
"Ugh. I didn't technically get rejected..." Zoro said tiredly, avoiding Matt's gaze.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean he doesn't know I like him. Something happened, just heat of the moment and he denied it afterwords, like I knew he would. It just hurt and I tried to forget about it, that's why I went to the bar."
"Is he stringing you along?"
"No! Its nothing like that! There was just a heated moment, it could have turned into a kiss, but dammit the point is it didn't!"
"So you wont give anyone else a chance because you haven't actually been rejected because you haven't told him?"
"No! Yes? I don't know! The whole situation confuses me and I just need a goddam second to myself to think about it!"
"But your saying you're not giving up on him?"
"I'm saying I need time to myself! I don't want to do something I'll regret and I don't want to do something that he will hate me for!"
"He would hate you for moving on?"
"He would hate me for being gay and fucking dreaming about him! Now let go of me! I don't want to punch you over this!"
"Why are you so torn up about this if he will hate you for being you?" Matt demanded, pushing Zoro against a wall.
"Because I love him! I don't want him to hate me but even if he did it wouldn't change how I feel!"
"Its not healthy to be so obsessed with one guy! If you know you'll be rejected why cant you just stop?"
"BECAUSE I'VE TRIED! I'VE TRIED FOR YEARS! I TRIED OTHER GUYS! I TRIED EVERYTHING! I TRIED TO FORGET IT, AND JUST WHEN I ALMOST DID THAT HAPPENED! I CANT DO IT ANYMORE!" Zoro just exploded, Nami could feel the pain and frustration in his words.
She saw Zoro close his eyes then open them and look Matt evenly in the eye.
"I'd be lying to myself and I just cant take it. It would kill me. I know how I feel and I cant stop it. I have never felt anything I do with him with anyone else, even slightly. I know I should stop hoping but I cant. I know I should move on but I cant. But right now I cant take a relationship and I cant take him hating me. Let me go, Nami's waiting." his words came out in a hollow monotone.
Matt faltered, then let go of Zoro. Zoro silently picked up his bags and turned to face Matt again. Nami chose then to slip out behind the dumpster and around the corner.
"I'm sorry I got you involved with this." she caught Zoro's last words, and they sounded so dead! Like all of Zoro's emotions were torn from him!
She sprinted out of the alley to the street again and decided to wait at the end of it. She stood as naturally as she could, fixing Zoro with a bored stare, like shed been waiting all day.
He walked quietly up and stopped in front of her, not taking his eyes from directly in front of him.
"You were listening?" he asked, his voice still devoid of every emotion.
Nami faltered a bit, before she gave in and nodded.
He nodded to himself before he continued walking. She jogged up to his side, trying to read his face.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"Not right now. Please Nami."
"...Are you alright?"
"Not right now."
she nodded in understanding.
Once they were in the car she sat a moment before driving away. She reached out and gripped Zoro's hand tightly in hers. She had never before been so scared for one of her friends emotional well being. Zoro gave a slight squeeze back and Nami sniffled, suppressing the urge to cry.
The ride home was dead silent but Nami refused to let Zoro's hand go.