One Piece:
Hide & Harbour
"Ah…Zoro?" He heard his name being called from behind, but he was not startled. Turning slowly, lifting his eyes from his heated stare on his once cool ale, the first mate was greeted by the sight of the Mugiwara's recuperating navigator. She stood just a few feet away with eyes of slight surprise, which seemed to reflect his own.
"Nami," he answered in a similar fashion to her own remark, "what are you doing up? Shouldn't you be resting?"
As he spoke, she entered into the miniscule light that the moon's rays offered to shower the kitchen with through the hatch windows along the wall; it was a particularly bright night, so he felt there was no need to make use of the light indoors. He did, however, feel the need to watch over her – his eyes locked fiercely on her frame – in case she would need assistance in her small trip around the dining hall. Thankfully, the slim darkness hid his obvious concern from the one person who needed it the most.
Suddenly, he cringed; even in the pale complexity that was the light offered by the moon, Zoro could quite clearly see the poison that stained Nami's cheeks, neck, hands and legs. Dressed in odd shapes and sizes of poison-induced bruising, he had never seen the spunky young lady look so…ill. And of course, the colour of the sickening markings was the very colour that represented his very existence.
Green – the colour of his hair and sash, and the sheen to his pants and boots – was the horrifying discolouration on her skin.
"Zoro? What's wrong?" he heard her question from the other side of the table now; since when had she moved so deeply into the room? He shook his head lightly, earrings making a slight jingle as he went, in order to focus once more on the redhead before him.
"Ah, nothing. Oi, you didn't answer my question." He pointed out while returning from his depressing mental haze.
"I did, just now. I said I needed to get out of that room already. Pay attention to more than just your sword." Nami sighed as her fingers danced away on the refrigerator's keypad to the rhythm of the mystery code to unlock it.
This time when he hissed, it was due to the increased amount of light pouring into the room. His forearm over his eyes, Zoro waited until he heard the familiar 'snap'-like sound of the door closing before taking his make-shift visor down. When he did, however, he was greeted with the sight of Nami taking a long swipe of his ale.
"O-Oi! What the hell are you—"
"Blah, Zoro! This beer is so warm! How can you drink this?" Nami complained with a bit of a whine. Her heels' thumped upon the ground as though the sound was trying to surround him, while she traveled around his side of the dining hall table and sat on the couch by the hatch windows.
Of course she would glorify those hideous green marks on her skin by sitting right under moon light. It was as if Nami knew how to torture Zoro without even giving it much thought; it was a natural habit of hers. Almost like an instinct.
"You shouldn't take things that aren't yours when you were just in the fridge, and you're the one with the code to get into it!"
"It's empty." She informed while moving some stray strands of hair behind her ear. His jaw tightened.
"That's not my fault! I found this on the counter. A-And you probably shouldn't even be drinking right now anyway!"
"I'm healing, not dying. Relax, Zoro; why are you so anxious tonight?" Her voice rolled over the distance between them and straight into his ear, sending a small chill down his spine. Anything and everything in that remark could be commented on by him, but he chose to bite his tongue.
"If Chopper says you can drink, that's fine. But check the pantry or something before you steal my booze." He demanded more so than requested. With his unease filling his being to its rim, the swordsman turned to face the table yet again. He would not torture himself by ogling the bruises on her skin.
"That still doesn't answer my question." sang the coy navigator as she ran a hand over her legs.
"I just couldn't sleep. I'm going back out on night watch now, so I'll leave you be." Zoro informed as he began to rise with his eyes downcast.
"I didn't say you had to leave."
"I know, but I can't sit in here all night. See you in the morn—"
"Zoro?" her voice shocked him; it was very…weak. Curious, he stopped before the door – refusing to look back at the person challenging him to claim the colour green as their own – and awaited the rest of her remark, "…If I swipe one of Sanji's wines, will you sit and drink with me?"
His heart felt constricted as anxiety accompanied his response, "Ha, I didn't think you had it in you to steal from Lovecook. And I don't drink wine; I drink grog."
"I'm sure he has a specific beer he cooks with; I'll swipe it if you stay." The offer she presented not only tempted his taste buds, but seduced the trouble maker in him as well. It was simply an extra feature to be able to monitor her while they drank.
Nodding absentmindedly, the first mate found himself returning to his seat at the dinner table without so much as another thought. It was almost an instant reaction, one might say. Nevertheless, he watched her saunter to the cupboards under the sink as he dropped his weight into the leather-covered seat. She appeared to be in perfect health as she knelt down and rummaged as carefully as a thief in the night should. But Zoro knew her better, and as he watched with eyes of transparent emotion, he knew her pain was most likely just the same.
Finally she resurfaced from the sea of liquor and displayed for him one of her most prideful grins, "Yatta~ I think I found your favourite too."
He did arch a brow – how could she possible know what his favourite beer was? He usually drank whatever came in a barrel – but she did not respond to the gesture. Instead, she hid the bottle from his sight and put it in the fridge to cool for the time being. Afterward, she grabbed herself a charming wine glass and sat down across from him to enjoy both the sauce and the entertainment, "So, you were defeated by Shiki pretty easily, huh?"
The swordsman – and his pride – twitched, "This is what you want to talk about?"
"But you made up for it with Dr. Indigo; I heard you were the one who got him to give us the antidote." The short departure of sound in the kitchen solely made room for an undertone in their conversation that both refused to acknowledge.
"I killed him, if that's what you mean. Heh, if I could defeat one of Shiki's crew mates, I could have defeated him after."
"Pretty confident, are you?"
"It's just the truth."
"But why did you lose to him before then? I thought no one could beat the demon Zoro."
"If no one could beat me, then I would already be the greatest swordsman; I have to aspire to beat anyone who defeated me. But now I can't, since Luffy took care of Shiki."
"Hm, but what if he's not dead?"
"…Then…I guess he's Luffy's to kill. If I were to find him when I'm alone and he threatened the crew again, I would kill him. Otherwise, it's Luffy's job." She had taken a rather long, slender sip of her chosen red wine while he spoke and the topic began to wither. Zoro was well aware of his poor cover; he had said 'the crew' instead of Nami. The small foolish choice in words would only come to haunt him. When the sentence replayed in his mind, the first mate let his eyes wander over the navigator's skin again. His stare weighed heavily on her body, but he was certain she did not feel an ounce of it.
"Really, Zoro," she whined, almost snapping his concentration, "You can admit to me that you couldn't do it. I won't tell anyone." Her playful tone was drizzled over her words, but he did not appreciate it in the slightest. He knew that the cool remark was only meant to help glide them over the rocky terrain of their unsaid unconcern and insecurity, but it did nothing but push him closer to his edge.
"It's not about whether I couldn't kill him or not; that wasn't even one of our goals! It was just a bonus!" he barked as he declared.
Her brow arched now, but in more of a mischievous way, "Wasn't one of your goals? Killing him would mean that his plan was ruined; the East Blue would be completely safe."
"But we obviously weren't going there for that!" Roronoa snapped, and had to reel himself back in, "Luffy wanted us to find you first, before doing anything else. He's got the devil's luck; he didn't need to worry about the East Blue until you were safe."
He gave her a moment; most likely, Nami would appreciate the comment to the point of silence – a moment he would usually bask in. However, he was also aware that she would overcompensate in her reply to him as an attempt to hide how touched she felt. Surely, he should have braced himself.
"Really? …Then you all are a bunch of idiots. You should have killed him first and then gone after me. When Usopp and Chopper found me I thought, 'Oh no, they're here for me? I guess I should just do everything myself and stop Shiki on my own.' How could you guys care so little about your home—"
Zoro slammed his fists, "It wasn't about that! You're asking us to choose between our nakama and the place where we come from; it isn't so easy! We did what we did and none of us would have done anything differently. Aside from killing that bastard when we met him at the village, we would have done everything the same. And you don't have a right to question that!"
Through the smoky charcoal-tinted darkness, he could make out the small shape of Nami's body when it jumped in fright of his action. He could also see the green marks on her body quite well; the moon seemed to take Nami's side, as the tiniest ray landed on her arm and caused her moss-coloured markings to glow in the night. His jaw clenched – to cease any further verbal slaughter – as he took his stance once more. Toward the door he flew, prepared to turn to his night watch.
There was simply something about her sounding so ungrateful – even when he knew it was to mask her gratitude – that irked him so. Neither one was willing to delve further into their feelings toward the incidents caused by the Gold Lion, giving Roronoa Zoro the perfect excuse to carry himself out the door.
"Zoro!" she called to him once more, only this time, her voice was both angry and panicked. He had already left through the kitchen's doorway, but had left the door ajar. He stopped under reflex and command of his name, but did not re-enter the space. When she said nothing after quite some time, the swordsman relaxed himself by rubbing the back of his neck as he looked to the sky, and letting his other arm come to rest atop his swords' hilts; he hoped the sound would notify her of the short distance between them, "…What about your ale?"
He thought on it, "…I'll drink it tomorrow." And he took only one step further before she called to him again.
"But Sanji will see it in the fridge, and then you'll never get to drink it."
She made a strong argument with her even stronger voice; it appeared that she was slowly approaching him, "I can always swipe some for myself another time."
"Heh, you, a thief? You can't be a very good one," He was about to argue with her, when she had soundlessly arrived at his back, "You're too heavy when you move."
"It's muscle weight." He stated defensively, though it did not show in his tone.
"Right, right. You sure it's not from your beer belly?" She teased as she gained the courage to stand at his side. They both scanned the night sky that was emptied of all stars, as if there was something important to catch sight of, aside from the sun-challenged moon.
"I don't have a beer gut!" Now his defensive voice was in use.
"Really? I thought that's what you were always hiding under your sash."
"I'm not hiding anything!"
"I know; you don't have the patience, and you aren't very suave."
Now he turned to face her, "O-Oi!" From his stand, he was facing her profile. And now that they were outside, those damn green marks on her body were all lit up before him. His streak of enthusiasm in their latest battle of wits was losing its heat as he began to sink in upon himself.
"But," she went on, still turned away and unaware of his sudden depression, "You are strong. And if you could, I bet you could kill Shiki."
Sentiments? From Nami? Stunned – and still lost to his saddened mind set – his eyes fierce hold on her slowly rose to meet her eyes as she turned to face him. Just as they came face to face, Nami returned to her cat-like ways; she smirked oh so playfully, patted his cheek and said, "I'm sure you could, Zo-ro."
"ACK!" He froze in a manner that was similar to her coldness back in Whiskey Peak, "I-I could! And I don't need you to believe me; next time I fight someone, you'll see how quickly I defeat them!"
And then, to surprise him further, she broke out into a large fit of giggles. "Oh Zoro," she squealed as she began to make her return to the Sick Bay through the kitchen. She looked back at him with her hand on the doorway and a wink on her lashes, "You barely drank and this is was fun! Next time, I'll make sure to get you drunk to the point where you pass out; who knows what else you'll say? Good night!"
Once more as she went, the moon did its best to defy the shape of the ship and hold onto her Zoro-coloured skin. He watched the spots dance away into the darkness as if they were hovering without being attached to someone's body. But they were, and it was Nami's body they were stuck to. His colour…on his skin… She was recovering wasn't she? Then maybe he could learn to see the silver lining in the incredibly odd scenario…
My Soul Duty return, anyone?
