Straight Forward

Chapter 14: Infuriating Picnic

When Sanji dragged himself out of the men's quarters early the next morning, he found Shiloh standing out on the upper deck putting a letter in the bag of a News Coo. The bird looked ridiculously excited to be getting some personal mail to deliver. It hopped up and down and nipped at the redhead's fingers, causing her to laugh quietly. "Okay," she said as she patted the top of its hat. "I'm glad you're excited. Make sure it gets to him, okay? It's very important. I'm trusting you, buddy." With a loud squawk and one last friendly nip, the bird spread its wings and flew off.

"Finally finished your letter, huh?"

Shiloh turned to face him with a small smile. "Yeah. It practically took all night but I couldn't sleep anyway."

Sanji chortled as he slung an arm around the girl's shoulder, leading her to the kitchen where they would start prepping breakfast. "I wonder why."

Rolling her eyes and snorting, Shiloh replied, "Yeah right, 'you wonder.' You know exactly why, you eavesdropping jerk."

There was no bite to Shiloh's words. Shaking his head in amusement, the cook nudged the girl into the galley before following after her. "Well since you know that I know I don't feel bad asking what you're going to make for the picnic."

"Sandwiches," she replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Oh, come on," Sanji groaned. "You can do better than that. It's a first date after all."

A slight blush appeared on Shiloh's cheeks. "I hadn't thought about it like that. But," she added slowly as her reddened face began to resume its previous complexion, "I don't want to do anything too fancy. I think Zoro and I are pretty simple people."

"Simple-minded, more like." At the girl's pout, Sanji chuckled and handed her some plates to arrange on the table. "You have a good point though. That idiot couldn't tell the difference between a meal that took three hours to make or three minutes. Might as well not waste the time."

"Sooo…. Sandwiches?"

Sanji threw a dishrag at the girl. "No, you hopeless little dummy." Shiloh removed the offending towel from her face, revealing an almost helpless look. The blond sighed. "I'll tell you what, come up with something better than sandwiches and meet me here after lunch. I'll help you out with whatever it is."

"Really?" Shiloh sent him a brilliant smile before running towards him and throwing her arms around his middle in a tight hug. "You're the best, Sanji!" He wasn't really all that thrilled about the open display of affection, but he supposed this time he would allow it instead of throwing her off of him as he usually did. He didn't return the gesture, but he smiled and patted the top of Shiloh's head before she pulled away.

"I know," he replied. "Now go over there and mix up some pancake batter."

"Hey, Cook." Sanji raised a suspicious brow at the swordsman who had suddenly come into the galley. For the past hour, various members of the crew had come in and grabbed lunch, with Zoro the only one left who hadn't yet done so. Now that he had shown up, Sanji was instantly on alert at the lack of an insulting adjective when the green-haired man had called to him.

At Zoro's serious expression, Sanji asked tensely, "What happened?"

"Nothing happened. Everyone's fine. I need to talk to you." Sanji frowned as the swordsman looked away, putting a hand behind his head. Was he seeing things or did Zoro actually look a little unsure of himself? The beginnings of nervousness began gnawing at Sanji's stomach. "Well, actually, not talk to you. I, uh…"

Not being able to handle the sight of this strange stuttering Zoro, Sanji said in a near shout, "Spit it out, Marimo!"

"Shit," Zoro spat. Finally, after taking a deep breath, he brought his eye up to Sanji's and hissed through clenched teeth, "I need your help with something."

The cook blinked once. Twice. Three times before his mouth began working again. "What?" Did Zoro just ask him for help? "Did you just ask me for help?" Zoro growled but said nothing as he nodded stiffly. Sanji stood there, too stumped to even insult the other man. Zoro had never asked him for help. He never had to. In battle they automatically had each other's backs without question and any other time they never needed anything from the other. Something clicked in Sanji's brain. If Zoro needed his help with something it either had to do with Shiloh or with food. "Is it about the picnic?" Zoro blushed and gave another nod. Bingo. "Shiloh's already taking care of everything."

"I know," Zoro replied gruffly. "She told me you were going to help her out a little." He paused before asking with an almost tentative tone, "Are you packing the basket?"

"Yeah." Sanji was growing confused again. "Why?"

It seemed like they stared at each other for an eternity before Zoro turned away once again and mumbled so quietly Sanji almost didn't hear, "I want to make a cupcake."

What? "What?" Sanji shook his head just in case there happened to be water clogging his ears. Did Zoro just say the word 'cupcake'?

"A cupcake, stupid. A tiny cake in a paper wrapper that's shaped like a muffin. Help me make one."

Although the words coming from the swordsman's mouth were strange and foreign, his scoffing, demanding tone was not. Sanji rolled his eyes, most of his surprise dissipating at Zoro's attitude. "You shouldn't insult someone you're asking help from, grass-headed asshole."

Zoro bared his teeth and growled but said nothing more, choosing instead to cross his arms and lean against the wall. "Are you going to help me or not?"

Sanji raised a curled brow. "Depends on the reason. Who the hell makes just one cupcake?"

The cook received another shock when Zoro blushed, a deep frown tugging the corners of his lips downward. "I think Shiloh's birthday was a few days ago. People usually get cakes for their birthday, right? Since she's so small I thought a cupcake would be… would be…"

"Cute?" Sanji finished for him.

"Shut up," Zoro grumbled. "Don't make fun of me, Shitty Cook."

"I wasn't," the blond replied as he began rolling up his sleeves. "Alright, Marimo. Get in the kitchen and wash your hands. I'm warning you though, break anything and I'll kick you right out of here, literally."

Half an hour later found Zoro wiping up the fourth batch of batter he had managed to spill everywhere except into the paper-lined muffing tins and Sanji swearing profusely. The green-haired man had been surprisingly good at measuring and adding ingredients at the cook's instruction, but when it came to finally pouring the mixture he was a complete and utter failure. Sanji had tried to take over but Zoro had absolutely refused to let him. In certain instances, the other man's resolve was admirable but at that particular moment it was a pain in the ass and waste of resources and time.

"Damn," Zoro swore as he rinsed the towel in his hand. Frustration was clearly written on his face. "This is harder than it looks."

"That's because your proud ass didn't listen to me when I said there's an easier way to get it into the cups," Sanji reminded with a glare.

"I don't do easy," Zoro growled.

Sanji rolled his eyes as he slammed down another small bag of flour. "This is the last batch I'm letting you make, dumbass. Spill it and you're done." At that point, Zoro had made the cupcake batter enough times to have memorized the recipe. Without much effort, he measured out all the ingredients and mixed them smoothly in the large bowl. Sanji would never have said it out loud, but he was impressed with the care Zoro took in making the mixture. It was just when it was time to transfer it from the bowl to the cups of the muffin tin that his hands became unsure. As Zoro positioned the bowl over the tray, Sanji sighed dramatically, causing the green-haired man to pause and give him an irate glare. "Just let me do it, stupid swordsman."

"I can't."

"And why the hell not?"

Zoro put the bowl back down and pointedly looked away. Sanji could have sworn he had seen a blush bloom on the swordsman's face. "I already told you, it's for Shy." When no reply or insult came, Zoro continued, "If I just let you do it, then it's not as special."

Sanji couldn't help it; a large Cheshire cat-like smile split his face before he burst out laughing. "I can't believe it. You're actually trying to impress her! You're in deeper than I thought, Marimo."

"That's not it," Zoro replied simply, surprisingly ignoring Sanji's teasing. "I made up my mind to do this and so it needs to completely come from me. I don't want to bother others with weird sentimental stuff like this."

"Yeah because making me instruct you on how to make cupcakes then watching you spill it all over the place five times isn't bothering me."

"Four," Zoro corrected. Sanji noticed the green-haired man's eye land on the measuring cup and couldn't resist a grin. "I won't spill a single drop this time." Grabbing the measuring cup, Zoro poured some of the batter into it and very slowly managed to pour some of the mix into one of the awaiting cups of the muffin tin.

"Good job, Marimo," Sanji said with as much sincerity as he could when speaking to Zoro. "Always use your resources." It wasn't the method Sanji preferred; when pouring batter he usually used an icing bag for precision, but Zoro's way worked nonetheless, the small lip of the measuring cup making it much easier to direct the flow of the mix. They remained in companionable silence as Zoro finished filling up the rest of the twelve cups.

When he finished, he gave Sanji a small smirk before rolling his eyes and saying, "Don't get your panties in a twist. I'll clean up everything. Swear."

The blond shook his head, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "You better, you hopeless idiot."

Sanji stared at the little design Zoro had made on the top of the single cupcake meant for Shiloh. The extras had been iced and put in the fridge for later. The swordsman had long since left the galley, making sure everything was spotless, as he had promised. At any moment, Sanji knew Shiloh would be coming in to prepare the meal for their picnic. Shaking his head at the sloppy white lines decorating the top of the small pastry, he gently picked it up and stored it in the fridge with the others. He would plate it and stick it in the basket as soon as Shiloh was finished.

Sure enough, the galley door opened and he heard a cheery voice say, "Sanji! I'm here!"

He walked around the counter and greeted the redhead with a nod. "You figure out what you want to prepare?"

"Edamame, onigiri, takoyaki, some sort of fish fillet and a bottle of sake."

Sanji chuckled. "Playing it safe, huh?" Oh, well. At least, he figured, it was better than sandwiches.

"Well," Shiloh replied slowly, "I didn't want to use anything too complicated in case you already had plans. You do feed all of us after all."

The blond smiled and shook his head, a bit touched at the girl's thoughtfulness. "That's considerate of you." He gestured for her to follow him into the kitchen. "We still have some swordfish fillets left from a few days ago, I could make that into a nice swordfish steak. And everything else is pretty simple too. It shouldn't take me too long."

"Actually, Sanji," A curly brow raised at the sight of Shiloh putting her hands behind her back, a small blush on her cheeks. "I was wondering if you would let me cook it myself?"

He could have laughed. He could have rolled his eyes and mumbled about having heard that twice already that day. He could have even said no, considering his poor kitchen had already been practically bathed in cupcake batter from Zoro. But he didn't. Instead he smiled and put a hand on the girl's shoulder, giving a small squeeze. "Just don't make a mess. And let me know if you need help."

Sanji knew Shiloh wouldn't be as terrible to have in the kitchen as Zoro had been. After all, for the past six months she had been his constant helper for nearly all meals prepared. So all he really did was hover and make sure nothing became too burnt, too salty, or too odd looking. He could tell Shiloh was no expert at cooking, but it was very obvious that she was no stranger to the art either. Her small hands moved confidently but carefully, respecting the fact that this was Sanji's domain, not her own. "Did your mother teach you how to cook?" He knew it might have been insensitive to ask, but he had a feeling Shiloh wouldn't be bothered by it.

When she looked up briefly to smile at him, he knew he had been right. "A little. She worked most evenings so it was mostly Milo. Nothing fancy, though. Just the basics so I could feed myself when no one was home." Sanji's heart tugged a little at the thought of a young Shiloh preparing and eating dinner alone. The redhead must have seen something in his face because she said, "Don't look so upset. I actually sort of liked being alone."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It didn't happen too often and Mama had me in so many activities that it was nice to just have some peace and quiet once in a while. Of course," she added after a brief pause, "I still would have preferred having dinner with her."

Sanji nodded. "Makes sense." He would have to remember to tell Zoro that later. The swordsman would appreciate that the girl wasn't the type to need constant companionship. Then again, Sanji realized, maybe Zoro already knew. It wasn't a peculiar sight to see Shiloh by herself doing some sort of solo activity like reading or practicing her contortion. When she wasn't helping them with whatever task given to her, she was often found simply sitting on the upper deck, happily watching the waves roll by. Never once had he ever heard the girl complain of being bored or ask others to entertain her, unlike a certain straw hat-wearing captain. He smiled to himself. It was good that Shiloh wasn't needy, especially since he knew Zoro wouldn't be very nurturing. Or at all, really.

An easy silence fell between them, Sanji simply watching unconcernedly as the contortionist seasoned the swordfish and flipped it in the pan. He noticed Shiloh's gaze following the movement of the fish and was struck by a thought. "Wear blue."

Shiloh looked up as if surprised by being spoken to so suddenly. "What?"

"Wear blue," he repeated. "For the picnic. The color brings out your eyes."

Said amber eyes bore into his for a moment before Shiloh blinked and gave him a soft smile. "Thanks for all your help, Sanji. And I don't mean just the picnic."

Unable to resist, Sanji let out a laugh and replied, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Sanji briefly stared at the cupcake Zoro had made before carefully placing it on a tiny covered cake plate. He made sure to push it all the way to the furthest side from the picnic basket's opening so that Shiloh wouldn't see or reach for it. The rest of the food got put in just as gently before he fished out an extra tablecloth from one of the cabinets to serve as a picnic blanket. Lastly, he went over to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of sake and a bottle of juice. He was pretty sure that Shiloh didn't drink any type of liquor.

As he walked towards the grassy deck, he saw Nami walking towards him. He smiled and opened his mouth to bid his love hello, but she beat him to it with a question. "They got you involved, huh?"

Sanji chuckled. "You could say that. I didn't actually help much though. Setting everything up will be the most I've done all day."

"I told everyone to stay off the deck for a few hours."

"You're so kind, Nami-swan. I'm sure Zoro and Shiloh will appreciate that."

"Oh, it's not for them," Nami said with a smirk, "It's so we can watch how it goes uninterrupted." She pointed towards the upper deck towards her tangerine trees, which Sanji realized had the perfect view of the grassy lower deck.

He chuckled and cooed, "You never cease to amaze me, Nami-swan." The navigator sent him a small smile before taking the basket and sake from his arms and setting them down. Next she took one side of the tablecloth/blanket and helped him spread it on the ground. Sanji marveled at how her breasts bounced slightly as they carefully smoothed out the few wrinkles still present.

"You know," Nami said, interrupting his thoughts. The cook gave her a curious look as she set the basket in the middle of the cloth and carefully propped the sake and juice bottles against it. "We should do this sometime, Sanji."

Had he heard her right? "Huh?" The minute the syllable fell form his mouth he cursed himself for how stupid he sounded. "Excuse me?"

Was he imagining it or was Nami actually blushing? His heart skipped a beat as she looked away and brushed a lock or orange hair behind her ear. "A picnic. We should go on a picnic together."

Sanji had no words for how ecstatic he felt. The world could have ended right then and there and he would have been fine. He could have done a noodly love dance, could have taken her into his arms and planted a romantic kiss on her lips, but instead, he simply bowed in a gentlemanly fashion, and took her hand in his before giving it a delicate kiss and replying, "Any time you wish, Nami-swan."

To him, there was absolutely no greater joy than seeing Nami smile and knowing it was he who had caused it.

"Look, there they are."

Sanji sat up red in the face and quickly tried to smooth his hair back down. Despite all the build up, at that moment he wasn't actually that excited to spy on the pair down below. He much would have rather focus on Nami's soft lips. However, said navigator was already peering around the trees, eyes intently following the figures down below.

Trying not to feel too disappointed, Sanji crawled over to where she sat and looked down. He was pleased to see Shiloh had listened to his suggestion. The girl wore a large royal blue sweater that exposed one small shoulder over black leggings that disappeared into a pair of well-worn brown combat boots. Her crimson hair was put up in a messy bun, the white bandana Zoro had given her tied around the base, making a cute bow-like knot at the side. She looked a little more casual than Sanji had expected, but he supposed that would suit Zoro just fine, considering he was simply wearing his usual outfit.

"She looks cute," Nami commented.

"I told her to wear blue."

"Good call."

Zoro waited for Shiloh to take a seat on the blanket before doing so himself. Sanji was impressed; Zoro had a few basic manners after all. However, the swordsman hadn't even greeted the girl and remained silent as she unpacked the basket. Sanji noted that she had not found the special dessert hidden in the furthest corner. "It's not much," Shiloh said, "But I hope it'll do."

Zoro looked away, eye on the ocean. "It's fine."

The redhead snorted as she made to uncover the food. "You don't even know what it is yet. For all you know it could be terrible." She paused and shrugged, a playful smirk on her lips. "Or poisoned."

Food exposed, Zoro brought his eye down to inspect the meal. He raised a brow at Shiloh, a small smile playing at the corner of his lips. "It doesn't look terrible." He grabbed an onigiri and took a giant bite out of it that made Sanji roll his eyes. "Not poisoned." Alright, so his not-so-high-hopes for Zoro had been short lived. At least Shiloh looked amused as he shoved the rest of the onigiri into his mouth. Sanji frowned as Zoro looked away and mumbled something around the food he was chewing. The blond shook his head. The idiot could have at least swallowed first.

Shiloh's eyes had widened, so Sanji assumed she had caught something in Zoro's garble that he hadn't. "What?"

The green-haired man swallowed roughly before very slowly and quietly replying, "I said, 'you look nice.'"

Nami and Sanji exchanged a look before sharing a quiet laugh.

"Oh," Shiloh replied, a blush creeping onto her cheeks. This time it was she who directed her gaze away. "Thank you." Needing something to do with her hands, she busied herself with grabbing one of the cups to pour Zoro some sake. However, her hands froze midway. She took one look at the swordsman, then the bottle, before simply handing him the entire thing. "I don't drink."

Zoro took a swig before asking curiously, "Have you ever?"

"Oh sure," Shiloh answered nonchalantly. "I had tons of clients who constantly offered drinks trying to get me drunk. It never happened though. Turns out I go right to the puking part without any of the fun."

Sanji paled. That wasn't exactly good dinner conversation. He heard Nami groan in frustration beside him. "You're so dumb, Shy," she chastised from their hiding place.

As if she had heard the navigator, Shiloh looked up abruptly, a worried expression on her face as she met Zoro's gaze. "Sorry. Inappropriate."

Silence fell between them as Shiloh put one of the swordfish stakes on a plate and put it in front of the drinking swordsman. Putting the sake bottle down, Zoro stared right at the redhead and stated. "What scum."

Again, Shiloh looked up, surprise in her eyes. "Huh?"

"Those men you were talking about. They're just scum. Don't think about them anymore."

Zoro's words could have sounded rude, but even Sanji had a hard time interpreting them as such. He knew the swordsman had good intentions behind the order, despite the way it had come out.

Shiloh seemed to catch on because she smiled. "Alright. I won't. Besides," she added as she looked away shyly, "I've got enough to think about with you around."

Zoro blushed and also averted his gaze. "Stop. Don't say things like that."

Sanji heard Nami giggle. "They're like children."

"Oh come on, Nami-swan," he chided playfully. "Even children have better game than Zoro." The navigator smacked his shoulder to avoid bursting into laughter.

The shorter redhead down below asked slowly. "What kind of things should I say?"

Zoro let out a frustrated sound and crossed his arms. "How the hell should I know? I've never…" He faltered, the blush coming back full force. "I've never done this kind of thing before."

Shiloh giggled nervously. "Yeah, me either. This is my first real date."

Zoro's eye shot towards hers. "Date?"

Surprised, Shiloh's eyes widened at the unexpected reaction. "Yeah? This is a date, right?"

"I-I…" Sanji would have laughed at Zoro's stuttering if he weren't so flabbergasted at his cluelessness. "I guess so… If you want it to be." When Shiloh said nothing he continued, "A date, huh? So what are we supposed to do?"

Sanji breathed a sigh of relief when Shiloh just laughed and replied, "Why don't we just eat first? Will figure out the rest when we're not hungry."

Zoro nodded and proceeded to reach for the food in front of him. Up on the higher deck behind the tangerine trees, Sanji sighed and gave Nami a weary smile. "It's almost painful to watch."

The navigator nodded in agreement. "Still though, it doesn't look like things are going badly. Maybe awkward is just normal for them."

Before Sanji could respond, Zoro surprised them both by saying, "This is kind of weird."

Horrified, Sanji nearly chucked a tangerine at the stupid tactless muscle-brain's head, but Shiloh's laugh stopped him. "It is, isn't it? I've been nervous about this all day and now that we're sitting here I really have no clue what to say or talk about."

Much to Sanji's surprise, Zoro chuckled. "Me either."

"We could talk about that."

"About what?"

"About how neither of us knows what to talk about."

"That's dumb."

"I guess it is."

The blond blinked a few times to make sure he wasn't seeing things. Zoro was actually smiling. Not smirking or sneering, but sincerely smiling at the giggling redhead across from him. "You're weird, Shy."

"You think so?"

"A little, yeah." Zoro's eye seemed to land on something towards the side of Shiloh's face. Without warning, he reached forward and put his hand at the girl's jaw and turned her head ever so slightly. "Did you pierce your ears?"

The contortionist, surprised by the swordsman's sudden close proximity, only managed a strangled, "Huh…?"

"Your ears," Zoro repeated, oblivious to the girl's reddening cheeks. "Were they pierced before?"

"Oh, um, yeah. I just didn't have earrings to put in them." While Zoro continued to stare at her ear, Shiloh's face grew increasingly redder. "Um… h-how long are you going to hold my head like this?"

Zoro lowered his hand but raised a brow. "Does it bother you?"

"No, that's not it… I was just surprised, that's all. I mean, I like you a lot so when you suddenly touch me like that it makes me feel a little flustered."

The green-haired man answered with a tilt of his head and a flat stare. "Huh? I don't get it. I was just looking. No big deal."

Shiloh looked at him with large eyes. "So if I did it to you, you wouldn't mind?"

"No-" Zoro nearly gasped when Shiloh's small hand moved to his jaw, her thumb gently running over his three golden earrings. Sanji was both pleased and surprised that Zoro hadn't moved away the moment Shiloh had reached for him. The swordsman had fast enough reflexes to have evaded her if he really wanted to. Despite himself, a deep blush invaded Zoro's cheeks. "What are you doing?" Ha, Sanji thought with a smirk, Eat your words, cocky marimo.

"Just looking," Shiloh replied innocently. "Why three?"

She pulled her hand away and took a sip of her juice, acting like the two of them hadn't just invaded each other's personal space. Zoro shook his head slightly, like a dog shaking off water and replied as he reached for another onigiri, "Three swords, three earrings." Before Shiloh could reply he asked, "What about yours?"

Shiloh put her cup down and brought a hand up to feel the singular earring in her left ear. "The pearl stands for the ocean, because I was born at sea while Mama was travelling." She moved her head so Zoro could get a better look at the other two. "The diamond stands for Venus."

The swordsman blinked. "Why Venus?"

A secretive smile crossed Shiloh's lips. "Because of the moon."

Zoro frowned. "That doesn't make sense."

"Venus shines brightest before dawn," Shiloh paused, her eyes going soft as her smile turned sweet. "And once in a while, it's right next to the moon. It's really pretty when you see it." She pointed to her ear. "The moon is a crescent because it's my favorite moon phase."

"Why?"

Nami poked Sanji's arm to get his attention. "I've never heard Zoro ask so many questions before." The blond nodded as the navigator's eyes lit up. "He must actually really like her."

"Trust me," Sanji replied with a quiet laugh. "He does."

"Because it looks like a cute little smile," Shiloh answered simply. "And it's always nice to see a cute smile."

"That's true," Sanji agreed softly as he took Nami's hand into his. He was rewarded with a beautiful, heart-warming giggle.

Zoro seemed to chew on Shiloh's words before saying, "I guess."

The pair resumed eating quietly before Shiloh said slowly with a bit of hesitation in her voice, "There's something I'd like to ask you."

Zoro gave her a slightly suspicious look. "Alright."

Shiloh's eyes travelled to Zoro's swords, which were laid flat on the blanket right besides the swordsman. "The white katana, was it a gift?"

Surprised, Zoro dropped the piece of swordfish steak he had been about to put in his mouth. "Huh?" By the tangerine trees, Sanji found himself gaping while Nami's eyes went wide.

The redhead's amber eyes locked on Zoro's. "Who gave it to you?"

For a moment, Zoro remained silent, shock clearly written on his face. But he recovered soon enough and replied as he went back to his food, "A friend."

A knowing look came over Shiloh's face. "A female friend?"

Zoro's head snapped up so fast that his hair was nothing more than a green blur. Eye filled with a mixture of surprise and suspicion, he asked, "How did you know?"

Shiloh briefly met his eyes before turning away, the ghost of a smile touching her lips. "Woman's intuition." Up by the tangerine trees, all Sanji and Nami could do was exchange confused looks. Watching Zoro take a sip of sake, the contortionist waited until he put the bottle down before urging, "So? Was it a gift or something?"

Zoro looked away, but much to Sanji's surprise, answered softly, "You could say that." Shiloh continued to stare at the swordsman so intently as if waiting for more of an answer that Sanji was almost afraid her eyes would burst from her lack of blinking. Zoro must have felt it too because he added, "After she died, I asked her father if I could have it."

Shiloh nodded, understanding setting into her face. The two of them grew quite before she broke the silence by sighing and saying, "It's nice to have things to remember people by."

"Like your mother's necklace?" Zoro asked cautiously.

Sanji found himself surprised at the way Shiloh's eyes suddenly grew sad. "Yeah," she answered slowly, "Sort of like that. She didn't really leave it for me, though." At the lack of response, she continued slowly, "In her will it says the necklace is supposed to be returned to Shanks."

Zoro's gaze softened. "What did she leave you?"

Amber eyes bore gently into his. "A lot of good memories." Shiloh took a breath and looked down to pick at her food. "I just wish she had remembered them too."

What happened next seemed so surreal that Sanji actually pinched himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming, earning him a questioning glance from Nami. Zoro reached over and placed his hand under Shiloh's chin, tilting her head up so he could look into her widened eyes. "I'll remember you." A sharp breath hitched in the redhead's throat at his words. "No matter what happens, I'll remember you. I promise."

"Go, Zoro," Nami urged quietly, pulling Sanji from his shock just to push him right back in when she cheered, "Go in for the kiss!"

"You don't really think he-" A strangled cry from the swordsman down below interrupted the cook. He looked back down to find Zoro all the way back on the other side of the blanket (which admittedly wasn't really that far from Shiloh to begin with), arms crossed as his beet red face turned away from the blushing girl across from him. "Ah," Sanji sighed. "He's normal again."

"The basket," Zoro practically yelled. "There's still something in there."

It took Shiloh a minute before she registered what the swordsman was saying. Blinking a few times as her brain started working again, she gave the basket a quick look before reaching inside it.

"What's Zoro talking about?" Nami asked curiously.

Sanji chuckled. "The idiot made a special dessert for her."

Nami looked worried. "Good grief. Is the galley still in one piece?"

"I appreciate your concern, Nami-swan. Your heart is as beautiful as your eyes. The stupid marimo actually did a halfway decent job. It looks terrible though."

The navigator directed her worried look towards the swordsman and contortionist. "I hope it doesn't taste terrible."

Sanji looked up thoughtfully. "Well he followed my recipe so it should be fine." Nami shot him a suspicious glare. "I swear, Nami-swan, I wouldn't dare take my eyes of that brute in my kitchen."

"That, I believe," she replied, her gaze softening. "If Zoro did anything to your kitchen I'd kill him."

The cook's visible eye widened. "I'm sorry, Nami-swan but what did you say?"

Nami smiled innocently. "Nothing."

He wanted to ask again, but he had already heard her pretty clearly the first time. His heart had soared at her mumbled words. It was a treat to hear the beautiful navigator acknowledge things that were important to him and even more so to hear that she wanted to protect them. One of the things he loved about her so much was how she was simultaneously fiercely bold and incredibly caring.

Sanji was pulled from his adoring when he heard Shiloh ask, "What is this?" Zoro answered by looking away and placing a hand awkwardly behind his head. The redhead's eyes lit up as a delighted smile split across her face. "Is this for me?" The swordsman merely nodded, keeping his eyes away from hers. Shiloh took the cover off the tiny cake plate and immediately let out a surprised, but happy squeal. "A cupcake? Did you make it?" Again, Zoro simply nodded, but this time he managed to look at the giggling redhead. "It's adorable. I love it."

A small smile on his face, Sanji let out a sigh and mumbled to himself, "Dumb-ass clumsy Marimo." He had seen what Zoro had attempted to draw on the top of the cupcake with white icing. It was supposed to be the face of a cat with 'Happy Birthday' written under it. However, Zoro had underestimated how hard putting tiny writing on such a small area would be and only managed to put a sloppy 'H' and 'B.' As for the cat, he had only managed to put two ears, a pair of tiny dotted eyes, a small, lopsided mouth and two wiggly whiskers on each side. "It's a cat," He told Nami who was craning her neck to find a good angle to get a look at the tiny pastry from their perch. "Or it's supposed to be, anyway."

"A cat?" She asked incredulously. "He actually put the effort into drawing a cat onto a cupcake?" At Sanji's nod, Nami let out a loud sigh and leaned back on her hands. Shaking her head she wondered, "Why a cat? That's way too cute for Zoro."

"Well Shy's last name is Catling."

"Does Zoro even remember that?"

"…You know, that's a good question, Nami-swan."

Zoro's voice suddenly caught their attention. "You remind me of one," he said to the redhead who was still inspecting the cupcake with a smile.

Shiloh looked up and raised a brow. "A cupcake?"

"No, idiot," The green-haired man replied with a roll of his unscarred eye. "A cat."

"Oh. Because of my last name?"

For a moment Zoro said nothing, his intense stare rendering the girl silent as she watched him, confused by his silence. From the upper deck, Sanji frowned. Did the idiot's brain just break? Why wasn't he saying anything? He nearly jumped in surprise when Zoro suddenly answered, "Because of your eyes."

His words caused Shiloh to blush yet again. Nami shrugged and turned to Sanji. "I can kind of see what he means." The cook had to admit he did too. Shiloh's amber irises contrasted sharply against her pupils, giving her eyes an incredibly intense and sharp look when seen up close.

The redhead looked back down at the cupcake and asked, "What's 'HB' mean?"

At that, Zoro busied himself by stuffing a takoyaki into his mouth. Around his chewing he mumbled, "It was supposed to say 'Happy Birthday' but it didn't fit…"

Shiloh fumbled with the cupcake as she nearly dropped it in surprise. Sanji couldn't help but let out a quiet laugh as the girl cradled it as close to her body as she could without it touching her clothing. "Aww," Nami couldn't resist cooing.

"Zoro," the contortionist called with a soft voice and bright eyes, "That is so sweet, I don't even have words… Just… Thank you." A little bit of confusion filled her face, causing her to tilt her head slightly, "But I don't remember telling you my birthday. Actually, I don't think I've told anyone on the ship."

"You told Nami at the bathhouse a few months ago that your birthday was in a few months so it had to have passed or be coming up in a few days."

Shiloh snorted. "Oh right." A smirk was sent towards the swordsman, "So hold on, if you heard that did you hear us talking about breast size and puberty too?"

"Uh…"

Sanji smiled nervously as Nami sent him a glare. "You guys could hear us through the wall?!"

"Well, yes but it's really a good thing, Nami-swan. That's how we knew those bounty hunters had shown up."

The navigator sent him a glare. "You're all such creeps, you know that?"

Sanji chanced grabbing her hand and was thankful when she didn't snatch it away. "The others may be creeps, but I only do it because I love everything that comes out of your mouth."

Nami raised a brow, her glare fading into a cheeky smirk. "Even when I scream at you and smack you around?"

The cook brought her soft knuckles to his lips and gave them a gentle kiss. "Even then," he whispered. He couldn't help but smile as Nami pulled her hand away, her cheeks turning a pretty shade of pink.

Down below, Shiloh let out a loud laugh. "Oh man, it's a good thing I didn't say anything too embarrassing."

"You asked about Luffy's junk."

The redhead burst into a fit of giggles. Sanji took note of the fact that the corners of Zoro's lips were turned upwards in the smallest of smiles. "That's not embarrassing, it's just funny."

"You're so weird," Zoro repeated as he reached for the sake bottle.

And that was when Sanji saw it happen. With a smile from Shiloh and a chuckle from Zoro, the pair fell into an easy rhythm that consisted of eating, chatting, and laughing. They suddenly seemed so natural together, like they had been friends for years. How it happened and the exact moment, Sanji had no idea but now that he was witnessing it, he couldn't help but be a little shocked. Whatever they were talking about, their words didn't even matter any more. The nervous awkwardness that had been there at the beginning of the picnic had suddenly disappeared like a raindrop falling into the ocean, leaving only a jovial familiarity. The blond watched with a smile on his face, feeling a sense of accomplishment.

About ten minutes passed this way until he heard, "Sanji." The cook turned to find Nami staring intently at the pair below with a sad expression that didn't fit the happy atmosphere. "What happens if things don't work out between them?"

Sanji blinked. He hadn't really thought that far since it was so early in their not-quite-relationship, but he tried to consider it for Nami's sake, if only to get the pensive darkness out of her eyes. "Things go back to how they were before Zoro acknowledged her feelings," he reassured her calmly. "I doubt either of them would let something like that change how we all live. They may both be idiots but I wouldn't consider either of them petty." Nami sighed, causing Sanji to frown and bring an arm around her waist. "What's bothering you, Nami-swan? Your troubled eyes make my heart ache."

Nami remained silent a moment before turning to directly face the cook with a look that made his heart skip a beat. The intensity in those eyes was almost too much for him to bear. "I don't want either of them to get hurt." She sighed and laid her head on his shoulder. Heat began to spread where her cheek met his body but he tried not to think about it and focus on her words. "Zoro may be an idiot but he's still a good guy. I think he needs someone like Shiloh, someone who can tolerate all the crazy things about him and still love him." Her eyes fell on the small redhead below who was offering Zoro the rest of her swordfish steak. "And Shiloh… I think she deserves a good guy more than anyone. The fact that she even took a chance on Zoro after what she's been through… It's so crazy." Closing her eyes, she took a breath before giving Sanji an almost pleading look, as if begging him to tell her everything would be fine. "I just want them to be happy."

The cook wasn't used to seeing Nami vulnerable like this. Strengthening his resolve, he put on a smile and titled her chin upwards so he could see her eyes. "Nami-swan, you truly have a big heart." He jerked his head towards the pair below, urging her to look. "Do you think that, right now, in this moment, that those two fools look happy?"

Nami followed his gaze and answered slowly, "Yes. Yes, they do."

Sanji nodded and placed a soft kiss on the navigator's forehead, secretly thrilled that she hadn't dodged him. "Something tells me that no matter what may happen, that," he gestured towards the laughing pair, "Is what they'll remember." Nami looked up at him, the sadness in her eyes fading. "The good memories, just like Shy said."

With those simple words, Nami suddenly pulled away and stuck her tongue out at him. "Alright, I get it. No need to get sappy." Sanji smiled. That was his Nami, the cheeky, spunky, bold navigator he had come to love. However, he knew that if that suddenly insecure and vulnerable side came out, he would love her just as much, and stand strong for her even more so than usual. The orange-haired woman gave him a small smile. "Thanks, Sanji. I don't know why I got so worked up all of a sudden, but thank you. I suppose it's best just to let those two figure things out and trust that they won't make a mess of things."

Sanji intended to confirm her last statement, but the sudden silence down below prevented him from doing so, prompting him instead to lean over and look towards Shiloh and Zoro. The plates had been put away, leaving only the sake bottle and the scraggly cat cupcake on the blanket. However, those two things lay forgotten as Shiloh leaned in towards the swordsman. "Zoro," she said softly, "Is it okay if I give you a kiss?"

"Say yes, you stupid idiot!" Nami said in a fierce whisper. "You better say yes or I'll kick your sword-swinging ass myself!"

Sanji's eyes were nearly as wide as Zoro's visible one as Shiloh leaned in even further. "Unless you say 'no' I'm going to do it, okay?" Zoro didn't say a word.

The blond found himself holding his breath as Nami squealed and continued to quietly cheer Shiloh on, her previous anxiety completely gone. Zoro seemed frozen in place, his lips parted slightly in surprise. Shiloh's eyes were half-lidded, a blush burning on her cheeks. As she inched closer, Zoro closed his eye and Sanji's heart nearly skipped a beat at the notion that the swordsman was really going to let the girl do it.

However, it was Zoro's hand, not his lips that met Shiloh's. She blinked, his palm still covering her mouth as he blushed. "Cut it out, Shy." He dropped his hand and directed his gaze elsewhere.

Nami let out a frustrated groan and fell onto her back, arms spread-eagled. "I'm done. I don't know why I was so worried earlier. All these two are doing is making me tired."

Sanji found himself a little angry. What kind of man refused a kiss?! "That asshole," he growled. "I'm going to kill him for rejecting a woman's affection like that!"

Shiloh scooted back to where she had been sitting, a small smile on her face. "Sorry," she said without any remorse. "Maybe next time, huh?"

Without any warning, Zoro reached over and pulled the girl to his chest, his lips by her ear. Her face wore a look of sheer shock, followed by a blush and a nod. Then they stood and Zoro began folding the blanket as Shiloh gently cradled her cupcake with one hand while putting plates and things away in the basket with the other. Without any sort of verbal exchange, Zoro gave the girl a nod and began walking towards the crow's nest as she took the basket and headed towards the galley.

Nami stood and practically yelled, "What the hell just happened?!"

Sanji shook his head and lit a cigarette, utterly confused and really quite ready to give up on the pair. "I have no idea."

If Sanji and Nami had peeked through the galley's porthole instead of simmering in their frustration, they would have seen Shiloh with her back against the door, blushing intensely as Zoro's whisper rang through her ears.

"Meet me on the deck right before sunrise."

A/N

OH SNAP. When Zoro whispers in your ear, you do as he says.

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