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[ CNTD ]

[ All of this is more than she's used to, but being outright called out for the choices she made in an effort to save Coco Village, by Zoro of all people - it almost feels surreal. After being loathed by the entire village for so long, it still feels weird to have it all out in the open like this.

Weird, and maybe a little nice. ] I don't know what you're talking about. Coco Village is my home. I didn't see a choice. [ Nami chases the thought with another drink, before she's nudging his side and peering up at him. ]

Are you worried? [ She doubts it. This is the guy who challenged Mihawk to a duel to the death after all - what's a 200 foot sea monster in comparison to one of the warlords of the sea, right? Nami finishes her tangerine before adding, with a smirk. ] I'll protect you.

( is he worried? didn't used to be... things have definitely changed for him in the past few weeks. when before he didn't have to care about anyone but himself, things are different now. even more so with regards to his relationship with nami.

not that he'll voice any of these thoughts of his out loud. instead, he just continues chewing on the fruit, keeping that stoic expression on his face -- the one that's frustratingly hard to get a read on. he lifts the pinwheel up a little higher, continuing to look at it like it's the most interesting object he's seen in a while. )

I'm gonna need two more swords. ( he definitely has to find a way to get himself some new weapons already, especially if he intends on keeping all of the crew safe and out of harm's way. ) Wanna head into town with me tomorrow? ( he figures he'll look around the marketplace. see what might be available for trade. who knows? he might get lucky and find the perfect twin blades. after all, if it's meant to be... )

[ It's more than a little cute, watching the way he looks the pinwheel over while he eats, however firmly Zoro's got his mask of stoicism on while he does it. He doesn't have to smile, she's learned her way around him enough to figure out what Zoro's contentment looks like. ]

We'll go early in the morning, so nobody sees us both leaving my cabin. [ Because he is definitely sleeping in her bed tonight, and ideally the next night too, since they've apparently laid so many of their cards on the table and as far as Nami can tell, there's no reason to stay apart of neither of them want that.

She's on the verge of saying something else - probably asking if he's sure he doesn't want extra swords too - when a drop of rain splashes against her cheek. Nami looks upward with a quiet laugh and reaches for the rum. ] Come on, looks like you get to build me a fire after all.

( the only person on the crew who wakes up at a ridiculous hour is sanji. but thankfully he's usually in the galley getting an early start on their breakfast. they should try to head out before their glorified cook gets up tomorrow and head back to the going merry in time to chow down with the rest of the crew in order to avoid suspicion. it's fine to let them know they'd went to the marketplace to purchase some necessities. it's not okay to have them think they'd gone out for a meal together. for one, sanji would likely burst into tears, and for another, yeah... just no.

all of this pre-planning and it's hinging on... if he manages to get up in time. zoro had overslept one morning, too comfortable lying on his side with his face buried in nami's chest. no idea why she hadn't tried to wake him because attempting to leave her cabin later that morning had been an exercise in ridiculousness.

his thoughts get interrupted by the sound of her quiet laughter and he glances over, not wanting to miss out on seeing the look on her face somehow. they both reach for the bottle of rum at the same time, and he chuckles softly, taking hold of her hand instead. with his free hand, he puts the rum back in the basket before moving to get up, tugging her up with him. )

Is there even a cave around here? ( letting her go, he grabs the blanket from the ground and tosses it over her head as it starts to drizzle around them. ) Lead the way, miss navigator. ( better her than him. he has no idea where north or south or whatever is. as they start walking, he's going to collect some twigs and leaves for that fire, tossing it into the basket to keep it dry. )

[ She hadn't tried to wake him because - well, it felt good, half-rousing to find Zoro so deeply asleep on her. What choice did she have but to smile to herself about it, hug him, and nod off again? Of course, the morning that followed wasn't without its obstacles, but he made it out undetected, hadn't he? Besides, while she doesn't exactly want to alert the rest of the crew if they're found out and someone says something, she'll shut them up.

Nami gets to her feet, shouldering her satchel before making a face when Zoro throws the blanket on top of her head. He's taller than she is, so it's awkward to try, but she does anyway - sticking an arm out while holding tight to the blanket's corner, trying to shield him as well. ]

Between those two hills up ahead. [ She tilts her head up, gesturing at them before her gaze flicks sideways back at Zoro, one corner of her mouth curving in a very tiny, very affectionate smile. ] Looks like all your romantic plans are coming true Zoro. [ Well, minus the stargazing, and the prolonged handholding, but Nami suspects she won't be able to stop herself from reaching for him once he's done grabbing up the sticks and twigs they pass for a fire. ]

Shut up. ( he ducks out from under the blanket just as it starts pouring hard, raining cats and dogs, romantic my ass, and he smacks nami's behind, telling her to make a run for it. zoro then goes to grab hold of another larger stick and a few more twigs before hurrying along the same path.

by the time they get into the cave, they're both drenched from head to toe, that blanket only managing to keep some parts of nami dry. he can't help but snort a bit of a laugh when he sees how messed up her hair is. it's sticking to her forehead and her cheek and over her eyes, and he reaches over with his hand to help push her hair back, tucking it behind her ears. )

Almost didn't recognize you. ( he takes the blanket from her and lays it over some rocks to let it dry before taking a look around. in a typical fashion, he holds up a hand to tell her to stay put as he starts venturing deeper inside to make sure there aren't any wild animals already taking shelter in the dark. thankfully, it's just a small cave with nothing in it but some dirt. )

Looks like we got lucky. ( he then sets about working on building that fire with the ease of an experienced camper. clearly, he's done this plenty of times before. )

Asshole! [ The swat to her ass makes Nami straighten up in surprise, narrowing her eyes at Zoro before she tries and fails to outrun the rain. The blanket manages to keep the front of her shirt dry, if nothing else, but Nami forfeits that comfort in short order.

Once the fire's made, there's no reason not to take advantage of how he's crouched by the growing flames. Nami slips up behind Zoro, propping her chin on his shoulder so she can look past him and towards the fire. Her hand settles on his side while she feigns an appraising frown at the fire, acting like she could do better while inwardly enjoying it all, despite the damp back of his shirt soaking the dry front of hers. ] Windows and fires. Any more secret talents I should know about?

[ Nami shoots Zoro a sideways glance, the arm she's drawn across his back tensing in a brief hug before she straightens up, wandering to the other side of the fire. ] If I get undressed are you going to think I'm making a pass at you? [ She might be. That was some very romantic hair touching after all. ]

( so much for enjoying the warmth of her pressed up against his back when she moves all too quickly to stand all the way across the fire from him instead. he would've responded and told her that she can stick around to find out about his other talents, but too late for that now. instead he just watches her, looking at the play of shadows dancing across her features. )

Why would you be worried about that? ( and in one slick move, he removes his wet shirt, laying it on the ground to dry beside the fire. ) Haven't you done more than make a pass at me? ( hmph. funny. it's almost like he's daring her to undress in front of him and daring himself not to react. )

[ If she stayed where she was, she wouldn't have been able to watch him pull his shirt off in the firelight. And while Nami wants Zoro closer, it feels good to be able to look over and see him, just being around too. It's the kind of thing she's not sure how to talk about, but she does know how to not be outdone. Zoro gets that challenging tone to his voice and Nami rolls her eyes, pulling her shirt off as quickly and easily as he did his. ]

You made most of the passes, idiot. [ They're probably even at this point, if anything, and sher knows damn well she kissed him first. She lays her shirt out before her hands move to ruffle through her already messy hair. Nami glances towards him, smirking. ] I like it when you do.

( he's aware that he's very much staring at her at this point, but he can't exactly help it. she's beautiful. and... because they keep screwing in the darkness of her cabin, he's rarely gotten a proper look at her. so this time, he lets his eyes take in all of her gentle curves before it settles back on her face. )

Why don't you come back over here? I know you don't like the cold. ( he moves to sit down, crosslegged, offering her his lap to sit on. his pants aren't that wet, thankfully. her skirt on the other hand... hard to say. not that he'd mind either way. he just wants her close and within reach of him. )

[ She likes to press her luck, but given that she's watching Zoro just as intently as he's watching her, Nami doesn't tease him about it. Raising her eyebrows at him when he apparently takes what she said about enjoying his passes seriously, she strolls back around to where he's sitting. ]

You're not cold? [ If he is, hopefully he won't be for long, as Nami follows the question up by crouching down, sneaking under his arm as she moves into his lap. ] Zoro.

( she'll find out the answer to that soon enough when she gets close because he is pretty damn cold, but it's bearable. he shifts a little when she settles down on his lap and he moves to brush his thumb across her cheek before leaning in for a kiss, something he'd been wanting to do for the past hour now. )

Not anymore. ( the words get mumbled out right before he deepens the kiss, sliding his hand over her back and up to the nape of her neck, holding her close to him. he can still taste the rum on her lips which reminds him they still have their food and drink in the basket... which they can get to later. )

Mm. ( he pulls back to just look at her for a moment, studying her face in the light of the fire. ) Didn't think I'd ever be into thieves. ( no fear of admitting that since it's as clear as day he's got a thing for her. no one else has ever managed to get his attention like this. he should probably be wary of her stealing his heart, but he's not thinking about that. the thought doesn't even occur to him. even if he so obviously desires her. )

[ She's wanted him to kiss her since he turned up with that basket and decided to just come out and admit he wanted to see her the night before, and Nami is all too happy to relax into it. She turns enough to press herself more snugly to Zoro's chest, wrapping her arms around his neck and drawing him closer. His back is chilly against her hands, and she runs her hands over his shoulders in response, trying to warm him up. ]

Didn't think I'd be into anyone. [ After the life she's had, it's always felt simpler to keep everyone at arm's length. Nami holds onto that kiss a moment longer before pulling back enough to catch her breath, her forehead resting against his. ] I missed you.

( he doesn't even bother to hide the smile on his face when she lets him know she'd missed him, feeling a warm sensation building up in his chest of all places, all tingly and weird. sucking in a deep breath, he presses a kiss to her cheek, that kiss somehow lingering for a moment longer than necessary before he just lets her settle with her back against him, facing the fire. )

You hungry? ( he uses a stick to pull the basket closer to them. there's still one more tangerine, as well as the fried rice and the rum. he gets the container of food out, placing it on her lap before he digs around for a spoon. the one spoon. oops. in before she teases him about doing something else "romantic" like feeding her... )

Don't even say it. ( he pulls the lid off the container and takes a spoonful of rice for himself. gotta give it a taste test, right? and then... he actually does offer her the next bite. it's not bad. pretty delicious. )

[ Before she turns, Nami can't stop herself from running a hand over his cheek. It's really good when he smiles, which is as romantic a thought as the rest of this undertaking, and no more romantic than the way she leans up so she can kiss his temple before settling back against him. ]

Say what? [ Nami has to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling, aware that they both know exactly what he's implying and more than a little amused by that fact - or maybe she's just caught up in her own silly giddiness over having him here, and knowing her cares. ] You really thought of everything huh?

[ He offers her a spoonful and she pauses briefly, eyeing in surprise before her cheeks flush and she leans in to have a bite. As she chews she steals the spoon out of his hand, returning it to the container so that she can scoop out another mouthful and offer it to him. ] This is good. [ She's not just talking about the rice either, hopefully he gets that. ]

( she's gentle with him in a way that no one has ever been. he's not sure what he might have done to deserve it. him, the demon of the east blue. who's only ever known how to fight and how to kill. when she scoops some rice up and offers it to him, he almost grins a little, not quite able to help himself; having not expected her to return the favor. he takes the bite and chews, before resting his chin on her shoulder. )

Mm. It better be. It costs me twenty berry. ( obviously, this one did not get what she was really referring to, but he is thinking that this is nice. he's clearly enjoying being with her like this. it shows in the way he seems all kinds of relaxed, with his arms wrapped loosely around her.

shifting slightly, he reaches into the basket to pluck out that pinwheel again, holding it out in front of her. )

Where'd you learn to do this?

[ The notion that he looks kind of beautiful like this, grinning slightly while the light of the fire he's made them warms over the angles of his face, would normally send her into a slight panic. When it comes to feelings, the sense of being in over her head is never far behind whenever thoughts like this cross her mind, but tonight feels - different somehow, like it's a little more okay to let herself enjoy him. ]

Twenty whole berry huh? Keep spoiling me like this Zoro, and I'll start thinking you're trying to seduce me. [ Nami grins, turning her head so she can kiss his cheek. ]

Back home. My mom taught me.

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@serio, the living nightmare continues

ty for saving us from captcha hell

anything for my favorite train wreck

this is not a slow burn but a forest fire

a tour de force of emotional intelligence

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apols i fell asleep in the face of all this romance

no apols allowed!

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