The mornings were always lively to begin with. It either starts with Luffy and Sanji fighting over the lines of 'I want breakfast!' and 'Piss off and wait, these are for the ladies!' or Usopp and Franky working on a project that then explodes in a matter of seconds or of course, Nami and Zoro's daily bickering. But this particular morning struck an obvious difference. When a story/announcement was told, the crew would be scattered around the deck. But for some odd reason, everyone decided to gather together in a circle. All eyes were on Franky who was thrilled to speak. An irritated frown was thrown around by Nami. Do they really find this interesting? I thought Franky was going to bring me aside to tell me.
Childish laughter engulfed the moment as Luffy stated, "Zoro put on a pretty funny act yesterday. Whatever Zoro told you must be funny, too. I want another good laugh, shishi!"
With a proud smile, the cyborg replied, "Right you are, Mugiwara! SUPAA right!" He turned to the woman next to her. "That's why I'm also telling everyone else, Nami. You won't be disappointed!"
It wasn't the best reason but she wasn't going to complain. As long as she knew what drunk Zoro willingly answered, she won't be upset. She nodded at him as her approval.
Franky clapped both his hands and rubbed it in excitement. "Ok, minna! Where should we start? Hmm..."
His sinister grin made Nami wary. Maybe she does mind her crewmates listening in...
"Let's see...Oh! I asked him what he likes about you! Eh....the answer was totally in character though." The shipwright sadly sighed. "I was expecting something like," Suddenly his deep tone resembled Sanji's whenever he'd fawn over a woman. "I like her smile and her personality! I like her hair and she makes me soooo happy!"
"Oi, oi." An unimpressed look painted over Usopp and Luffy's features. "No way, Zoro would say that."
"Right?! All he said was '....her tits I guess.'"
Nami had to take a pause to take that in. "He said WHAT?!" The navigator was like the blue sky (and literally because of her staff), she can cause chaos in a matter of seconds. Right now, she could struck lightning to all members if she so wished.
With no luck, Sanji overheard the talk and was more displeased with the comment than Nami, herself. "HUH?! That marimo said that?!" Curses were spat under his breath as he looked around the ship. "Let me find that bastard and kick the shit out of him!"
Usopp rolled his eyes. "Ignore him, Franky! Keep going! What else did he say?"
The cyborg nodded to his curiosity. "Well, of course I had to push for other answers! The boy was all dizzy and was about to pass out but at least I got some entertaining responses. I kept asking specific things like whether he likes her smile, her personality, whatever!" A thought appeared before him that deserved a knee slapper. "Oh man, his cheeks were baby red! Zoro was sooo drunk. Ow! Complaining on and on about why I'm so interested in his woman. Unknowingly he even answered my questions! Saying Nami is great company and he doesn't mind staring at her witchy-self. Talking about the times she yells at him gives him the chance to stare at her closely and how he loves how she sneaks in kisses whenever he naps on deck."
The last part threw her off. "I don't do that!" Her flushed cheeks said otherwise.
"Lies." Usopp teased under his breath.
With disregard, she didn't acknowledge his comment. Instead, she shifted the conversation somewhere else. "See. It wasn't that interesting, right? Gosh, you all wasted your time."
"Yeah!" The straw hat yawned in boredom. "That was lame, Franky! It wasn't even funny!"
The sharpshooter wagged his finger like a parent lecturing his child to stop. "Tsk, tsk, you clueless captain. It's not about whether it's funny or not. It's about the information!" Rubbing his chin, Usopp plotted in his head an idea Nami would definitely disapprove. "This is valuable information! Franky got him to say stuff he would never say when he's sober!"
"Yohoho! Usopp-san's trying to blackmail y'know!"
"Yup! Brook gets it!"
Usopp's excitement was quickly plummeted down a hole when Nami grabbed his overall strap and pulled him in to her hellish glare. "I don't care how you're blackmailing Zoro but if I catch word that you are talking about the last thing Franky said-"
"-about your sneaky kiss?" A sly smirk from Robin interrupted her.
"....yes." Nami couldn't help but show her annoyance. "Then I'll throw you off board. Mark. My. Word." Her attacking speech was finished off with a snake-like hiss.
"I-I swear!" Defeat was declared as he shot both hands in the air.
Once he swore, she let go. "Tch, good."
Franky laughed. "Well, since now that you all know...let's go ask Zoro what happened with him and Nami in the women's quarters!"
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Sanji's telling of last night's incident led to the desire of Zoro wanting to hide himself away. Meeting any of his crew member's eyes is an obvious cause to eternal taunting. What best way to avoid the crew but by bathing his embarrassment away in the Thousand Sunny's bath house.
As relaxing as the bath was, the stabbing of his pride appeared when facing a few of his crewmates standing in front of the bath house's door awkwardly. Usopp. Franky. Brook. Nami. A bored look rested on the navigator's doubtful look.
"Oi, Zoro!" The cyborg contrasted Nami's mood, he stirred up a curious glance while Usopp stared mischievously. "Got time to talk?"
For all the swordsman knew, this must be their opportunity to remind him of his pathetic acts the previous night. They got nothing but a refusal and Nami snickered in response.
Usopp made a horrible attempt in using 'puppy-dog' eyes. "Oh c'mon! We just want to know what you two were up to yesterday! What happened after Nami brought you into her bed?"
It was expected that Nami would like to keep that sort of thing private but she appeared unbothered; no sign of worry detected. Hell, she was even filing her nails while the guys discussed.
"...That woman...she," he looked up at her with hopes she'd direct him to a specific response but that wasn't the case, "put me to sleep."
A flush of red emerged the cheeks of the cyborg and sharpshooter. It was obvious a perverted thought took form but Zoro wouldn't even waste his time to cognize it. He had no recollection of such events, dammit! Who knows if they did it all night?! Only Nami would know!
"Tsk, there's your answer; so go away now. I need to change."
It didn't even occur to Usopp and Franky that Zoro was half-naked in front of them, with only a towel to cover his abdomen and down. The long-nose pirate stared back and forth at Zoro's abs then Nami for a certain reaction but she would never feed their entertainment.
"Really? Is that all we did?" Nami mockingly asked.
Curse you, sea-witch. Might as well play along with her, huh? "No. I didn't think you'd want me to go in detail...so should I?"
Dammit. just admit you don't remember anything! Nami pondered.
Just tell me what happened, damn woman! Zoro frustratingly thought.
"I can't do this, Franky! I want to rip my ears out!" Usopp covered his ears and ran away to Chopper's direction who admired Robin's voice as she read aloud.
"What?! Usopp, you can't abort-" Once Franky realized the tense atmosphere, he knew he didn't want to be caught up into their thunder. "You know what, never mind! Abort! Abortttttt!!!!!"
Nami rolled her eyes at their idiocy and returned back to Zoro's annoyingly cocky grin. "Quit the bullshit, you don't remember shit."
In that moment, Zoro was sick of pretending. He was both too curious, for the first time in forever, and exhausted to play this back-and-forth game. "Fuck." He groaned under his breath. "You caught me. Just give me a rundown already."
Nami always had her way of making him snap. "Of what? Be specific."
"Damn woman...Did we have sex or not?!" They were both in their own little bubble that the volume of his tone went unnoticed to himself. In the corner of his eye, he couldn't even realize the horrified face of Sanji and the barfing noises coming from the rest of the men on board.
Nami flashed an amusing grin his way.
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What really did happen the night before after Nami brought Zoro into her room? The answer to that awaiting question would finally receive an answer. On her soft mattress, she got comfortable right before explaining the details of the occurrence.
....
"Shit! - hiccup - My woman...Damn Chopper..." Unsteady walking and a blurry brain burdened the navigator as she assisted his drunken self by slightly carrying him. It was like dragging a colossal rock with only a thin rope tied around it for support. His sensitive ears and muscular cheeks were tainted red as he swung his bottle of beer around the air as if he was swatting a fly.
She laid a heavy fist to his head. "Shut up, idiot! You're so noisy!"
The women's quarters was just around the corner and Nami was not delighted to see his dirty self stink up her precious resting area. But where else was she suppose to take care of him without the crew stalking?
Reaching the door handle, his body grew heavier and she was sick of treating him like a toddler. Once she let go, he stumbled and tripped into the doorway of her and Robin's lovely room. At first, she thought his frozen body meant he knocked out; peacefully sleeping his drunken state away. But he wasn't tired, just so out of it that he forgot how to get up. She put a self-reminder at the back of her head that Zoro would owe her for this hassle.
"...it's so damn hot in here." As if a switch suddenly turned back on, Zoro was capable of keeping his composure. He sat beside Nami in her bed but acted as if he was all alone. Piece by piece, he took off his clothes. First, his white shirt with sweat stains right at the collar then his green haramaki. With lazy effort, he removed his black trousers and boots; now, only in his boxers. He made himself comfortable on her cozy, cold bed. "Ha...feels good."
Conflicting emotions fought as Nami tried to find an appropriate reaction for this situation. As much as she wanted to push him off and ask what the hell he was doing, she didn't have the heart to bully him that moment. The space was a quietude; a room so calm that it affects anything/anyone within. And because of that said air, Nami was at peace and watched her lover with a small smile.
Without hesitation, she joined him; laying down beside his half naked self. But she should've known that they were the least romantic couple to ever be made because when Zoro spotted her elated beam, he called her by an infuriating nickname. "...sea-witch," then dozed off like a kid.
A pinch to his cheek made him flinch but it did not awake him. It was brought to her attention that a red dot was forming on his left cheek. Did she really pinch him that hard? Then an embarrassing thought came to mind. Nami tried to hold it back but her thoughts convinced her that it'd be ok because no one was here to watch.
A soft peck was planted onto his pain-ridden cheeks.
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"...That's all? You can't be serious..." Zoro's lack of a retort annoyed her.
"What else did you expect? Maybe ask next time instead of assuming, you bone head!"
As of now, they were currently sitting on two comfy sofas with a small table holding a potted plant. The moss head had his legs spread wide open with both hands thrown behind his brainless head. Nami curtly watched his rude stance with her legs crossed while sipping a cup of tea made by Brook earlier.
The swordsman idly shrugged. "I was fucking naked and I'm a guy. Of course my head is gonna lead to that conclusion," a short pause allowed him to think about his next answer. "You're a witch! You would've got mad at me and bashed my head in if I forgot!"
His accurate description of her attitude was applauding. "True....Ugh whatever! Case closed!"
An irksome grin spread across Zoro's face. "Fine, witch."
"Oh, you have no right calling me that, y'know? Do I even have to remind you that you got jealous of Chopper."
"Fuck off."
A muffled voice was then heard behind the wooden door; an irritated cry trying to retort something back.
"The hell?" Zoro glanced back and heard the sounds of struggle on the other side of the door. He quickly recognized the yelling.
Then Slam!, the door suddenly banged open with Usopp's head smashed to the ground and Sanji coming in, rolling his sleeves, ready to fight.
"QUIT CALLING NAMI-SWAN A WITCH! SHE IS A PURE ANGEL THAT CAME RIGHT FROM THE HEAVENS." Sanji argued as his pissed glare stared right through the marimo's lazy gaze.
Brook and Usopp, who tried to play off his fall, snickered. "No way is that true..."
"What the-" Their appearance only led her to one verdict. "Were you idiots eavesdropping?!" She tried to stay firm but her expressions crumbled down to expose the slight panic in her. "How much did you hear?!"
"Shit-!" Usopp quickly got up and ran away with Brook. "ESCAPE!!!"
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awkward....ok so I know it has been like years....sorry bout that....
but i'm seriously going to finish this because i want to be done with this already! this story haunts me but I also cherish it for being my first ever story!
like i said last chapter, i promised this would be a three parter and so there will be one soon enough!! that'll be the very last ending of this story!
see you until then!