Captain's Orders || ZoroXNami

ACT SIXTEEN - Chapter 65v Living Without You

Nami ran so hard that she thought her legs may fly off, but that wouldn't be good because then she wouldn't be able to save Zoro. "Zoro," Nami whispered to herself again. That was the reason she was running so hard, she had almost forgotten.

The sun's glaring heat blinded Nami at every turn and its heat made the back of her throat scratchy and dry, but Nami had forced herself to ignore it. The ground was another problem, Nami had not worn any good shoes when she dashed out of the ship. Instead, on her feet were old, uncomfortable slippers that she had brought with her because they were her mother's old shoes. They weren't proving to be very good at keeping her feet comfortable at all.

It seemed like forever before she arrived at the grassland beside the Dandan River Dam, but the dam was still a distance away. Nami's eyes were failing her as she squinted to catch sight of any human being on the dam. There was nothing there. She began running again. The short pause for breath had caused her legs to ache so it was better if she kept running.

Finally, as she got closer Nami saw him and screamed his name. "ZORO!" her voice cracked with tears. No sign of recognition could be seen on his face. The sound of the water and waves rushing was too loud and deafening for her voice to be heard from where Zoro stood.

The waters pounded the side of the dam and a sudden thought occurred to him: How would it feel to be pounded just like that? Wasn't it just how he felt now? Pathetic and useless? There was no point in anything anymore. He would always, always be a failure in everyone's eyes. In Nami's eyes. Nothing mattered anymore.

A burning sensation lit his heart on fire and the whole of his body reacted, tingling unexpectedly. This was the feeling of facing an unknown outcome, he knew. The fear, the doubt, and the grief gripped his throat and he struggled to breathe. Finally, he found the courage to step off the dam. Zoro lifted a leg and then fell forward.

The sudden rush of air hit him as he started to fall. Then Zoro thought of something as the adrenaline hammered in his ears, 'I'm too scared to die.'

"ZORO!"

Two hands suddenly grabbed his arm and he stopped falling. Zoro's legs dangling in the air and his heart pounding in his chest fearfully, he looked up and a tear suddenly trickled down his cheeks and the hatred for himself stabbed his own heart. Nami's crying face smiled back at him as she spat out a few words, thick with tears. "YOU IDIOT! YOU STUPID IDIOT!"

"Nami..." Zoro whispered, "I'm too scared to die. I'm so sorry."

Nami began to laugh and more tears came. "Stupid, shut up. I'm just glad you're not dead yet. Let me work out how to pull you up first."

As if right on cue, another pair of hands appeared and grabbed Zoro's other arm. Sanji's face appeared as he glared at Zoro. "Sorry for ruining your romantic moment," he scoffed, "But how about doing that while not dying? It would be a lot easier for everyone else."

Together, Nami and Sanji managed to lift the heavy, muscled swordsman from the edge of the dam. It was a sweaty job but they managed to do it, and before they had time to chat, Sanji ordered them to walk back to land first. Just in case someone fell off the dam by accident.

When they were finally on the grassland, Nami could not resist the urge to hug Zoro. The man took it by surprise but slowly hugged her back, bringing her close to him with his own shaking arms. Sanji noticed the pair and gagged inwardly as he started to walk away. He was pretty sure he was going to die on the inside if he stayed here to witness the pair being lovey-dovey with each other in front of his sad, single self.

"You're such an idiot," Nami whispered into his ear as she clung to him tighter. She blinked back her own tears, knowing that this wasn't her time to cry. "I was so scared."

"I should've just died," Zoro murmured, "I'm such a piece of shit. I couldn't save Luffy for you, for anyone."

"No. I would've hated you if you died," Nami's tears finally could not stop flowing. "I love you, Zoro. So please don't die."

"But I hate myself."

Slightly frustrated, Nami stopped hugging him and impulsively kicked him in between the legs. "You dumbass. Are you done hating yourself? Isn't it enough that I love you?"

"I'm sorry," he winced, "I... really love you too."

"You mean it?"

"Yeah."

"Good."

Then Zoro was pulling Nami closer. Their faces were right in front of each other, their breathing soft and in sync. Zoro's hands worked their ways around her waist and body as he lifted her shirt to feel her warm skin under his own trembling fingers. Their bodies were no longer separate, but one as they clung to each other and kissed deeply.

Both pairs of eyes were closed, fearful of seeing what it would look like being so close to the person locked in with them. The feeling was enough to cause shivers to pulse through their bodies. Everything in their body exploded with unspeakable emotion as their tongues played a game, twisting and feeling. Their heartbeats were so fast and loud that it almost felt like a silent earthquake between them. Each breath only made them want more from the other as they pushed back and forth, drinking in the taste of their intertwined lips.

Finally, an unknown force pulled them apart from each other. They finally stopped and merely breathed heavily as they stared at each other. Nami had never known there would ever be someone she would kiss, and now here he was. Zoro had not been able to let her go.

Zoro's arms tightened around her waist and brought her closer until he could speak to her ear. "So you'll date me then?" His heart thumped once and then the suspense halted it.

"Of course. You're the one I like, and the only one I will ever love."

Sanji's black shoes silently crunched the old and crusty leaves that fell from the autumn trees in the forest. It was the same forest which he had just been in with Nami, and now he was all alone. The only thing he could hear was the silence that pressed in against him, almost blocking out the sound of his footsteps. It was suffocating, reminding him of his lonely life. A man without a woman was nothing and the person he had loved was now taken away by the one person he could not stand.

It seemed almost unrealistic and unbelievable. Nami and Zoro. No one would've ever thought their navigator and swordsman would end up as a couple, an item. They had always been mutual friends, with the same trust the whole crew shared. Sometimes they fought and teased, but there had never been anything going on that would make Sanji think they were in love with each other.

Maybe he didn't notice it or perhaps it happened when he wasn't there. They were indeed the pair that had brought the crew back together, spending a lot of time together obviously. Sanji couldn't be jealous, somehow. He respected Nami's choice and Zoro's love for her. It was genuine. He could tell.

But it still hurt.

Without noticing, Sanji had walked back to the town subconsciously. His thoughts had busied him until he had barely seen his surroundings. Sanji's feet halted and he stopped walking, recognising the town. He just hoped that Nami and Zoro would be able to make it back as easy as he had.

As he started walking again, a woman appeared in front of him and they nearly collided. Sanji's immediate instinct for women caused him to stop walking quickly, just as the woman also stopped. Her black hair and slender but blossoming figure were familiar as Sanji widened his eyes in recognition.

Robin quickly stepped back and held Sanji by the shoulders, steadying the man as he nearly dropped to his feet. When Sanji found the courage to look Robin in the eyes, tears gathered under his eyes. Then the tears spilled out with no warning and Sanji was sobbing on Robin's shoulder as she hugged, comforting him like she would her own brother.

He wasn't supposed to do this. Sanji wasn't allowed to cry on a married woman's shoulder about personal things like the death of his captain and the loss of the person he loved. It was petty and selfish to do this to Robin when she had her own things to worry about. He knew all of this but didn't want to stop. Sanji just needed someone right now.

Robin hugged him and let him cry. "It's ok, Sanji-kun. We're friends. Just cry."

So he did.