{zoro x oc} stick 'em with the pointy end

9. a sea nymph in the desert

Leaving Whiskey Peak:

The Straw Hats, circled around Neso, were left speechless.

"That's all of it," Neso looked down, wiping a tear from her cheek. "Thank you for saving me from that island. You've given me the chance to find Crocodile and get answers to my past."

Nami reached out to hug her but Neso pushed her away, "No, don't touch me. I want to be alone." Her voice was harsher than she intended but her heart was shattering all over again as she realized she would soon face the man who destroyed her life.

Zoro got up and followed her out of the cabin, he reached out and she turned around, her teeth bared, "I said don't touch me!"

The swordsman didn't usually express much emotion but, she saw hurt flash across his face. He quickly retracted his arm and bowed his head, "I'm sorry."

She doesn't trust me, he realized. And it hurt.

"I..." she didn't know what to say, she couldn't breathe, couldn't think. "I just need some space."

That was then. while she had gotten close with all of the Straw Hats since then, it was her and Zoro who remained distant.

{ play: rogue by cobra man }

☽ ◯ ☾

Outside of Yuba:

Now, Zoro and Neso sat side by side, watching the flames of their camp fire rise into the night sky of Arabasta.

"I wanted to give you space. Was that," he trailed off as she looked away from him and nestled her chin into her knees. "Was that the wrong thing to do?"

"No, you're right. I needed space, asked for it. This has all been a bit too much," she whispered so those sleeping wouldn't be woken up.

They sat in silence for a bit. It wasn't an awkward silence. It was comforting for her. Zoro on the other hand, couldn't help but feel a bit self conscious by her silence.

"So," he said, just hoping to get a response and hear her voice, "A sea nymph in the desert?"

She felt horrible for how she had treated him. And while she couldn't apologize then, she knew she needed to now.

"Zoro?" she looked to him and her eyes filled with tears, "Zoro, I'm so sorry!"

"Shit," he pulled her close and helped her up. Zoro led her away from where the crew slept around a huge boulder and some sand dunes.

She sobbed into his chest, "I'm so sorry for treating you so terribly."

"You don't need to apologize. You'll never need to apologize."

She looked up at him and he wiped her tears with his calloused thumbs. Is this how the cook feels about every woman he meets?

Neso realized she was pulled tightly against his body at the same time he realized how he had caressed the nape of her neck, supporting her head as he had led her away form the camp.

Neither of them moved as they were both caught up in the thought of what to do next. Seconds, minutes, this moment was timeless as Zoro realized he didn't want her to be here, in harms way with them. He couldn't bear the thought of her being caught by whoever this Crocodile guy was. He had already inflicted too much pain upon her.

He pressed his lips to hers and pulled her closer, falling back onto a sand dune. She relaxed into him and deepened the kiss.

"I've been wanting to do that since Whiskey Peak," Zoro said after parting, needing to breathe.