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: A ZoNa Holiday Events is up at Tumblr for the month of December. We got selected themes for each day and we'd love other ZoNa shippers to join and celebrate our favorite couple with holiday-themed fanarts and fanfics! Feel free to check it at zonami tumblr.

I am late, so late for the other themes and for this event. But still, I cannot pass this opportunity to make something for my favorite pairing. So here's one. Just a cozy, not even that romantic one-shot.

Theme: #11 – Scent of Christmas

Summary: Right now Nami is almost at her wits end trying to figure out why Zoro, of all people, was coming and going in the library while she was in there working.


Scent of Christmas


It was the sixth time he had stepped inside the library that day.

Nami could count on her fingers how many times Zoro was able to get himself lost in the Sunny's library in day—sometimes once and sometimes zero.

But never more. Especially if she was inside it and drawing her maps.

He knows she doesn't like distractions when she's charting. It's almost the same as when he was working out in the crow's nest and didn't like anyone going up and interrupting him.

That is the unspoken rule. Their unspoken rule. And the whole crew knows it. No interruptions unless it was absolutely necessary—like someone better be dying necessary.

So right now Nami is almost at her wits end trying to figure out why Zoro, of all people, was coming and going in the library while she was in there working.

He does nothing while inside. He doesn't talk to her. All he ever did was gave a slight nod to indicate he was aware that she was there and then goes to sit on the farthest part of the bench, close to where they placed the Christmas tree the day before. After a few minutes he would stand up, nod at her again and leave the room.

And Nami was dumbfounded.

"What's going on?" She blurted out when he finally stood up to leave after another instance of him silently sitting inside the library. Zoro was officially distracting her and in the last minutes they kept on glancing at each other to the point that it had turned awkward.

"Nothing."

That's it? That's all he is going to say?

Nami turned her body to his direction so she could fully look at him. "Why do you keep going in here if it's nothing?" Her hands made the 'air quotes' gesture at the word nothing to emphasized her point.

"Can't I?" Zoro asked with one raised eyebrow.

"Don't be difficult," Nami folded her arms across her chest. As much as she wanted to throw her ink bottle at him, she was also trying not to get irate or she'd lost her mapping mood. "Do you need anything?" She tried again.

He just shook his head. "Nothing." He repeated again. "Don't mind it."

With that he just gave her a dismissive wave of his hand and without another word, exited the library.

Nami was left to slumped back on her chair with a confused expression on her face.


After that Zoro didn't came inside the library any more. Nami had timed his coming and goings. The green-haired man might not realize it but he did have some actions that are pretty predictable that she can easily discern them.

Like some of the things he did are kind of habitual. It doesn't take a genius to figure out Zoro's everyday schedule. Except when he gets lost or when he is fighting.

So it really didn't take much for Nami to figure it out his weird routine that day. It only stopped because she finally called it to attention.

But of course, Zoro is just as stubborn as her. And when he wants to do something, he's not gonna let anyone stop him.

Only this time he didn't bother going inside the library and he just stood outside the door and after a few minutes he walks away.

And that, that was driving her crazy.

What in the seven seas is he doing?!

Nami was now ready to tear her hair out. She cannot concentrate anymore. Instead of paying attention to her maps, her attention was drawn to the library's door where he lingered outside for reasons only Kami knows why.

And she spent the whole time he was out there staring at the brown, wooden door that separated him and her, wondering.

This went on up until dinner time. And Nami was so ready to confront him again. And this time no more niceties. This time there will definitely be some fining and punching.

But Zoro disappeared before her dinner was even finished. Either the idiot went up the crow's nest for a post-dinner work-out or a post-dinner nap.

Or he knows she plans on talking to him and made his prompt escape to avoid her.

She headed back to the library, mentally reminding herself that if Zoro so much as hover outside the door again, she's gonna put him on a chokehold to make him spit out way why he's being odd.

When she opened the door to get back to her maps, she stopped short.

She was holed up inside for so long that she didn't even noticed it anymore. Sitting and bending down her desk to make the perfect maps must've immuned her to it.

Their library had never looked this festive before. The Straw Hats did decorate it yesterday in preparation for Christmas. They had hung decorated wreaths and ornaments all around the room and erected a Christmas tree that boys cut down from the island where they were docked. There were big scented candles in red, green and white that she and Robin had carefully hand-picked and Nami recalled she had lit them up before she started working to give the room a cozier ambience.

But it wasn't just that. The scents coming from inside was warm and cool and woody and sweet; crisp and fresh and inviting and delicious…

The combination of scents was overwhelming yet calming. It was like stepping inside Christmas and being wrapped in it.

It was like stepping inside home and getting a warm, welcoming hug.

And she understood what was going on.

The next time she heard Zoro's footsteps approached the door, she stood up, opened it and stared at him.

He looked taken a back. Which is quite surprising that it almost made her smirk. Because honestly she rarely catches him off-guard.

"Just get inside," she said with sigh.

He was about to open his mouth to retort but she beat him to it.

"Just shut up," she turned and headed back to her desk. She heard Zoro followed her inside without saying anything.

Once she was back on her chair, she huffed slightly before resuming drawing on her maps again. "Just lie down on the seat. The floor wouldn't be that comfortable."

Zoro grunted. But Nami choose to ignore whatever it was that he was saying.

She didn't bother glancing up when he propped his swords against the library's surrounding bench and stretched out on it. Quite near her to be honest.

Nami threw something at him. A beautifully designed Christmas blanket she had purchased when she was shopping with Robin.

"Weather's gonna turn much colder tonight," Nami snorted as she continued working on her map. "And you're still not dressed in your winter clothes."

Zoro mumbled something under his breath. She was damn pretty sure it wasn't a nasty retort or comment that would set her off.

It shouldn't be. She was generous enough to let him nap inside after all, even if she was still doing some work. She'd break their unspoken rule just this once. Because honestly, it was cute that he keeps coming back because he wanted to spend some time there… where the scents of Christmas are all-around, surrounding them.

This could be her gift to him.

"Oh and Zoro," she called out, watching him amusedly as lifted his head to look at her crabbily for disturbing the start of his dozing off.

"Just don't snore too loudly. I'll kick you out," she cheekily reminded him.

He scoffed and Nami just ignored him again.

There was a smile on her lips as she turned back to her drawing again.

And if she had just stolen a glance at the swordsman, she would have caught that same smile as he drifted off to one of his many naps.


The End –


R and R please.