Disclaimer: One Piece (and its characters) belongs to Eiichiro Oda-sensei.
Reminder: I have no beta-reader. Any grammatical and spelling errors are solely mine.
Warning: OOC possible. One shot.
Rating: T
Note: How ZoNa-ish is the song Line Without a Hook by Ricky Montgomery? There are some parts that just fit them perfectly, especially the first lines. Anyway, play the song while reading this. I did when I was writing (and placed it on repeat) the latter parts of this story because it reminds me of them so much.
Summary: "It's not so bad to get mad because I was hurt."
LITTLE BITS AND PIECES OF HEAVEN
33 : The Way You Touch Me
Nami stepped out of the bar, all smiles and feeling victorious. She then took a deep breath of the not-so-fresh midnight air.
Another night, another bar, another win.
She turned and smiled at her companion, who followed her out, all scowls and grumbling under his breath.
Nami rolled her eyes. Nothing new with that.
"Quit grumbling Zoro," she placed both of her hands on her hips to chastise him. "Thirty percent of our winnings tonight are yours."
The man huffed, muttering something about how stingy she was. And really? Just thirty percent?
Nami frowned. "Thirty percent plus I buy you barrels of your favorite drink for your stock!"
"Tch!" Zoro clicked his tongue. "This is a waste of time."
It was Nami's turn to scowl. "Gee, I wonder why you still keep on accompanying me even if that's what you think."
"Because you keep forcing me!"
The map-maker folded her arms across her chest and stared him down. Even if he was taller than her, she was still able to pull it off.
"I did not!" She retorted. "You went here with me on your own! I didn't even need to resort to anything to make you! Besides weren't you having fun earlier when you were gambling against those pirates?"
Well… that was actually true. Zoro thought begrudgingly. He was having fun earlier and it's because he was winning! But hell if he will admit it to her.
"I'm getting tired of being roped into your money-making schemes every damn time." He decided to grouse in a petulant manner.
"So what? You don't wanna do this with me anymore?"
He just shrugged in response.
Nami tapped her cheek as if she was pondering. "Oh well, I can probably ask Sanji-kun next time. And here I thought I'd have better chances of being safe with you because you're stronger, more feral, absolutely intimidating and don't get distracted too easily."
"Don't sweet talk me."
The navigator's eyes widened as she looked at him in disbelief. That was sweet talk to him? Good grief! What's wrong with this man?
She just shook her head. Flipping her hair over her shoulder she gave him an unamused look.
"Fine. If you want out then out you go," she agreed almost easily that it had Zoro raising an eyebrow at her. "Maybe it is actually much better to ask Sanji-kun. You're not the only strong person in our crew capable of protecting me, you know." She gave a casual, dismissive wave of her hand; trying to act nonchalant but inwardly grinning when her eye caught the way his jaw clenched.
Nami decided to push it some more.
"Too bad. Not only do I think you are stronger… but you are also luckier in gambling than him," she added before walking away from him, humming.
Her inward grin was now displayed on her lips as she sashayed along the almost deserted street. Oh she saw how his face darkened and how a scowl was starting to appear on his mouth at what she said.
It was so easy to rile him up.
Far behind her Zoro was snarling, "Oi! Stop comparing me to that shit—"
He wasn't able to finish what he was saying. Because Nami's head suddenly whipped towards the left… a result of an unexpected attack coming from a drunk pirate that had jumped her suddenly.
She fell down the ground with a thud.
"You bitch!" The angry pirate was shouting while brandishing his weapon. "Give me back my mo-OOFFH!"
The pirate's eyes widened in surprise when his back hit the wall near him suddenly, knocking his breath out of him. His weapon fell down the ground with a loud 'clang'.
He was slow to realize that a hand was wrapped around his throat, gripping it tightly and lifting him right off the ground.
The pirate choked as he tried to take in some air. And he gawked in shock at the green-haired man whose features were so dark and menacing that it made him think of a demon who emerged from the depths of hell.
Sobriety instantly returned to him.
His dangling legs kicked at the air as he tried to claw at the hand that was holding him.
The man in front of him didn't flinch, nor did he utter any word but he can feel the hand around his neck slowly tightening… determined to crush his throat.
There's no doubt that this one-eyed man will kill him.
Nami clutched her head woozily. She can feel a warm liquid trickling down the side of her face. She touched it with her hand to check if it was blood and it is.
She was wounded. But despite the bleeding, she can tell that it wasn't too deep. She had seen the man jumped at her earlier and was able to avert her head at the last minute. The attack had only grazed her—thankfully—yet it had broken her skin, hence the blood. She fell down the ground more because she lost her balance while trying to avoid the attack than because of it.
Would you look at that? Her instincts are sharper and definitely on another level now. A few years ago she wouldn't be able to evade such attacks easily and would most likely end up with a squashed skull.
Zoro's ever sharp reflexes must be rubbing off on her.
She pushed herself to a sitting position and was about to reprimand the stupid swordsman for not assisting her while she's flat on the ground when she caught sight of Zoro and her attacker.
The former pirate hunter had the man by the neck, holding him up against the wall and dangling him like a rag doll.
Nami's blood ran cold. She had seen this terrifying aura on him before but only in battles when he is faced up against an enemy that he absolutely abhors.
Even so he never loses his cool like this. And he always made sure his enemies get a taste of his sharp blades… not with his bare hands.
She watched as Zoro tightened his grip on the man. He was on the process of choking the life out of her aggressor…
Nami ignored the way her body swayed a little when she stood up hastily and dashed towards Zoro, grabbing his arm.
"Hey, hey. I'm ok!" She shouted at the ever-so-quiet Zoro, tugging at the sleeve of his green coat. "I'm alright Zoro! Let him go!"
There was a gurgling sound coming from the man and Nami took it as sign that the stupid pirate was still alive… fortunately.
"Just leave him and let's go! Zoro!"
He barely flicked a glance at her and he continued staring darkly at the man before him. Nami tugged at his forearm this time and called his name again. She felt how rigid it was under her palm and she can see the veins bulging in it and realized how firmly he was holding the pirate's neck.
She breathed a sigh of relief when she felt his arm relaxed.
Without another word, Zoro threw the man a good few feet away from them like he was disposing a piece of trash.
Well he is… attacking her like that. Coward.
A whimper came from the man before he eventually passed out. From fear most definitely.
Nami barely spared him a glance as she looked up at Zoro who was now eyeing her intensely.
Nami did not make one sound. Despite Zoro's silence and the way he was staring at her, he looked like he had finally pacified.
He lifted his hand and his thumb brushed the side of the wound on her forehead.
"Let's get you to Chopper." He finally muttered.
They were quiet while they made their way back to the port where the Thousand Sunny was docked.
Zoro was walking before her—now vigilant—in case that pirate's crewmates are also planning to attack them as well. His shoulders were stiff. Despite his now calm demeanor, she somehow knew something was brewing inside him.
He never loses his composure like that. Not in all the time Nami had sailed with him. It was the first. And it was different from the times he loses his temper on her or their crewmates—that was comical.
What she witnessed earlier… was what most of the people outside the crew calls his 'killing-intent'.
And she somehow knows that she has something to do with it. Seeing her hurt while she was with him was clearly what got to him. She knows how seriously he takes on the role as the protector of his nakama.
Not to mention it'll raise a lot of questions from the crew and oh boy, it would drive Sanji-kun into a murderous rage aimed totally at the green-haired man.
Thinking of the ensuing chaos when they get back on the ship was making her wound throb. Nami winced when she touched it to check if it was bleeding again.
"Don't touch it," Zoro suddenly muttered.
Nami frowned. How did he even know that? She didn't bother replying to him but did as he said.
She let her eyes settled on his back again, silently observing him. She noted how rigid his posture was, how his hands were clutched tightly into fists. It was a clear indication that he was bothered by what happened previously.
"Zoro," she called out to him.
He didn't answer. And Nami fought the eye roll that she wanted to do.
Dear Kami he is in a mood.
Was he actually mad because he saved her?
Or was he mad because of how he almost lost control when he saw her got hurt?
She'd bet every beli in her treasure chest that it was the latter.
Because she knows—she had known—the real reason why he still keeps on accompanying her in every town bars, in every island they docked, to gamble and drink despite all his complaints.
What happened tonight just reinforced what she was already aware of.
And it seems like Zoro just had his own revelation earlier. And like the stubborn man she had always known him to be… he will try to fight it off, deny it and be absolutely sullen about it.
Just like what he's doing now.
She had enough of his surly manner and temperamental mood. It's not so bad to feel something for someone right?
"Zoro!" She raised her tone a bit higher to get his attention.
This time he briefly glanced behind her as he hissed an irritable 'what?'.
She instantly crossed the space between them in three strides. Nami grabbed his hand, and forcibly unclenched it.
Then she held it in hers.
"You know… it's not so bad to get mad because I was hurt."
Nami watched his unscarred eye widened.
And she smiled. Sweet initially, before it turned into a mischievous one when she saw how his face started to color despite the walkway leading to the port being dimly lit by the lamp posts situated on the side of the pavement.
They just stared at each other. Nami's mischievous grin widening by the second as Zoro's initially surprised expression started turning into a pained one.
He groaned. What an infuriating way for her to find out that he absolutely, definitely have feelings for her.
"I won't have you lording this over my head woman." He growled as he tried to pull his hand away from hers.
But Nami held on tightly, even as he tried so hard to shake off her grasp.
"Forget about it Zoro," Nami said with finality in her tone. "There is no way I'm letting go now."
He felt his face heat up some more; the warmth slowly spreading on his face, his neck, even reaching his ears.
Nami's statement has so much to read between the lines.
Earlier when he saw her get attacked and fall to the ground, he was surprised at how violent his reaction had been.
And it shook him. Shook him down to his very core because he realized it was all because Nami's was hurt. It was because of Nami.
When she held on to him and asked him to stop, when he felt the warmth of her hand against him and saw her… everything just slowly calmed down.
The abrupt shift of emotions had him reeling. And it dawned into him—the extent of what he really feels for her. And what he could and would do for it.
Zoro looked at her. Really looked at her
And her face clearly tells him that she has it all figured out.
"Fine," he grunted as he resumed walking with his hand still in hers. She followed suit with a small giggle.
He didn't bother retorting or even arguing with her anymore to save his face nor to save his pride.
He had nothing to say.
Not one damn thing… when the warmth of her hand on his easily put everything inside him at ease.
I don't really give a damn
About the way the way you touch me
When we're alone
– The End –
R and R please.
