The Blind Brawler [ Roronoa Zoro X OC]

Chapter 51: Girls' Night

Zoro handed me the two letters he helped me write before he brushed his hand against my wrist. I took his arm with a small smile and a nod. We walked down the hall back to the infirmary where the rest of the crew was surely getting ready for bed, if they were not already asleep.

I could not help the small smile that tugged at my lips. Part of me was still a bit giddy at the fact Zoro had kissed me. Although admittedly, part of my happiness was from relief that Nami no longer had the means to blackmail me into some kind of ridiculous debt.

However, I did not realize I was not yet off the hook with the scheming navigator. The moment the swordsman and I entered the room, she rushed up to me with an eager voice, "Kaori! It's about time. Vivi and I were waiting for you!"

Startled, I turned to her voice with my brow furrowed in confusion, "Waiting? Why?"

It was the princess's turn to run up to me with an equally thrilled voice, "We're gonna have a girls' night. Just the three of us!"

Nami then hooked both of her arms around my left arm. She yanked me back toward the door, causing me to nearly stumble as I let go of Zoro's forearm. She smiled with a coy voice, "Excuse us, Zoro."

The princess was suddenly wrapped around my other arm as she turned me around to start heading down the hallway. She called back over her shoulder cheerfully, "Good night, guys!"

"We'll see ya in the morning!" Nami added with a small laugh.

I managed to get over my surprise at how quickly my friends had acted to whisk me away and I started to protest, "Hey, wait a sec! Where are we going?"

Vivi answered me with a bright voice, "We're headed to my room. That way we can all bunk together!"

I shook my head in confusion, "How is that different from what we were doing in the infirmary?"

Nami scoffed at me, "Obviously, this way we can get away from the guys and have a more private conversation."

A small knot of dread began to settle in my gut as both girls began to giggle freely. Before long, the three of us had made our way to the princess's bedroom. It was certainly a very large room, and her bed was huge, easily enough to comfortably fit several people at once.

We all sat on the massive bed, sitting across from each other in a triangle shape. Vivi was the first to speak, her voice low and expectant, "So? What have you been up to this evening?"

I felt a blush creep onto my cheeks as I turned my face away from her, "I asked Zoro to help me write a couple letters," I held the two papers out to her, almost forcing them into her hands, "Would you be able to send those to the East Blue to be delivered home for me?"

The princess hummed curiously as she took them, "Oh, uh, yeah I can do that."

"Oh, come on!" Nami cried out, startling me a bit, "Will you spill it already?! I saw the look on your face when you came back with Zoro."

"Yeah, Kaori!" Vivi pressed, "Tell us what happened!"

I baulked at her, "Wha- Vivi, you too?!" My lip turned into a scowl as I turned to the navigator, "Nami, I thought you weren't gonna tell?!"

"I didn't!" My crewmate defended herself with an indignant huff, "She asked me about it!"

"I've been suspecting something was going on between the two of you since Little Garden," The princess explained, "You think no one noticed you two sneaking away to the boy's cabin to be alone?"

Nami gasped at that, "Wait, what?! I didn't know about that!"

I quickly shook my head and threw my hands up as I objected, "It wasn't like that, I swear! You remember Zoro had hurt himself really badly when we were fighting Mr. 3, right? Well, he didn't want the guys to know about it and pester him so I was tending to his wounds in secret!"