Chapter 7 - Dont Trust A Redhead

Okay... I was inspired last night, but sadly I needed to sleep, so I choose bed over computer. The ideas aren't flowing as well as yesterday, but at least I'm writing, right? Well, here I go. ^^;

-o-Chapter Seven-o-

Nami woke up in an irritable mood. She hadn't gotten a whole lot of sleep the night before thanks to a pair of rather loud pirates. She could hear the others moving around the Merry, but didn't feel like joining them just yet. It was one of those mornings where you know right from the start, that you're going to have a bad day. The navigator wanted to avoid beginning the day for as long as she possibly could.

``Nami-san~!!'' Came Sanji's voice from the other side of her door, followed by three knocks. ``May I come in?''

``...'' She was still in her pajamas. Since she had decided to sleep in her new pretty nightie the night before, she wasn't sure if she wanted Sanji to see her in it. But then again, a compliment or three never hurt... ``Come in, Sanji-kun.''

The moment the door was cracked, Sanji instantly noticed her nightie and acted accordingly.

``Nami-swan~!!'' The Love-Cook's nostrils flared as he quickly committed the way she looked to memory before averting his eyes. ``You look so charming in your nightgown, Nami-san!''

Nami smiled. ``Thank you, Sanji-kun. What is it you came here for?''

Sanji's eyes lit up when he heard Nami's `thank you'. ``You're welcome, Nami-san! I came to tell you that I finished making your breakfast. I made yours with extra love!''

``Thank you for telling me, Sanji-kun. I'll eat after I get dressed.''

``I'll keep it warm for you, Nami-san!'' Sanji sang as he left Nami alone to change.

Nami let out a sigh as the cook closed her door. I guess his compliments wont be enough today...

The redhead got up and dressed herself as slowly as she could manage. She didn't even feel like trying to look nice today. There's no real point in it. The only one who ever appreciates it is Sanji... Putting on a pair of blue jeans and a black spaghetti strap top, Nami opened her bedroom door.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

``What are you doing, Usopp?'' Chopper asked as he tried to figure out just what he had asked.

``Shhh!!'' Was the only answer the young sniper would give.

Usopp had been entertaining himself with his still sleeping nakama all morning long. First, he had decorated Zoro and Luffy with a big black marker. The pair was covered in squiggles and gibberish on every inch of exposed skin. After that, since Usopp decided he wouldn't get another chance like this for a while, he arranged their bodies in to rather... uncomfortable positions. He was currently tying Luffy's hair up in rubber bands all over his head while giggling like a school girl.

Chopper just watched from a safe distance. ``I don't think they'll be very happy with you when they wake up...''

The long nose just continued what he was doing. If anything, he just giggled louder.

``Breakfast is ready!'' Sanji shouted from the kitchen.

Luffy's eyes blinked open at the word `breakfast'. He was about to go tearing into the kitchen when he realized he was wrapped around his first mate. Literally. His torso was wrapped around Zoro's chest like a sash. His stomach was facing Zoro with his right leg pulled around the back of the man's neck then wound around his right arm. Luffy's left leg was wrapped around his first mate's other arm. The upper part of Luffy's body was wrapped mostly around Zoro's right leg with his right arm wrapped around the other leg. Since Luffy's hands were also tied together Zoro's legs were bound to each other. Needless to say, Usopp was nowhere to be found.

``Uhh... Zoro?'' Luffy tried moving, but he wasn't sure what was where. ``Zoro??''

The swordsman slept soundly. So soundly, it was a little disturbing.

``Zoro!!'' Luffy bit down on the closest piece of swordsman he could find. ``Ouch~!!'' It happened that he bit his own arm which was definitely not part of Zoro.

``Gah!!'' Zoro exclaimed as Luffy bit a second time. ``What the-'' It took a moment for him to process where he was and what he was before he could speak again. ``What the hell??''

``I'm stuck...'' Zoro heard Luffy's voice whine from somewhere near his foot.

Struggling to sit himself up, Zoro was able to get an idea of why he couldn't move properly. ``Hold on, Luffy...'' He tried bending his arms. ``Did you feel that? Try to unwind your arms...''

``What have you two been up to?'' Asked an amused voice. ``You'll miss breakfast if you keep fooling around like that.''

Luffy didn't even hear, being so preoccupied with trying to unravel himself from his friend.

``What do you want?'' Zoro scowled. If things weren't already bad enough, he didn't need Nico Robin making it worse by laughing at them.

``Do you two need a hand?''

``We can figure it out on our-'' Zoro was cut short when Luffy managed to unwind one arm, smacking his friend in the face in the process. ``Gah! Be careful!!''

``Sorry!'' Luffy quickly apologized with a grin that made him seem a little less than believable.

Robin chuckled as she watched the pair slowly untangle. She literally lent a hand or six a few times, but for the most part she just watched. Why pass up free entertainment, right?

``Yay, I'm free!!'' Luffy stretched happily.

``...'' Zoro straightened himself out and scowled. ``Where's Usopp? This is something he would do...''

``You mean you two didn't get that way voluntarily?'' Robin asked with a knowing smile.

Glaring at the woman, Zoro stomped away in search of the long nose.

``Aren't you going to eat?'' Robin asked, turning to Luffy.

``Oh yeah!!'' And the boy was in the kitchen in seconds.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

After beating the shmalt out of Usopp, Zoro was finally able to go to the kitchen to eat. He still felt like he was half-asleep, and even though he felt this was a good reason to be cranky, he couldn't keep the corners of his mouth from turning up. When he entered the kitchen, Luffy was stuffing his face gleefully. Seeing this made it difficult to hide his smile.

``Good morning, Zoro,'' Chopper greeted with a hoofed wave.

``Morning,'' He replied.

It seemed Chopper had already finished breakfast. Actually, the only one still eating (Or even in the kitchen, aside from Sanji and the previously mentioned) was Luffy. It was clear that the straw hat had already finished off most of the food. Zoro quickly grabbed a plate and started eating before everything was gone. One doesn't take their time getting to a meal on the Going Merry. The remaining food was gone in a few minutes.

``You two are disgusting.'' Sanji spat as he was taking all the dishes to the sink. ``Luffy, you have to help clean up today, remember?''

``Uhhh...'' The boy still had a bone in his mouth as his eyes darted to the door. It was obvious that the pirate was planning on making a break for it.

``If you try to run, you wont get any lunch.''

``What??'' Luffy turned to Zoro with big round eyes, hoping his friend would somehow get him out of cleaning.

Zoro just shrugged his shoulders apologetically.

``...Fine. I guess I'll help...'' Luffy slowly got up and started to help Sanji put things away.

Roronoa finally allowed his mouth to do as it pleased, letting a grin show. He almost felt bad for not trying to help Luffy escape. The boy could be so cute sometimes. Seeing where his line of thoughts were going, Zoro decided to leave the kitchen. He figured if he was going to smile like an idiot, he shouldn't do it where everyone could see him. Though why he was ashamed of smiling, not even he was certain of.

The swordsman couldn't keep his thoughts away from his captain as he wandered about the ship. The more he tried not to think of the charmingly strange boy the harder he failed at it. After so long, he gave up entirely and allowed himself to daydream like a love-sick school girl. ((If only Luffy would ask me to the dance... *sigh* ^^; Sorry, I had to.))

Once he grew tired of meandering around the Going Merry, Zoro settled himself against a railing on the deck. There were a few clouds in the sky. It looked like it might rain later, but Zoro wasn't worried about it. If it was anything big, Nami would notice.

``Zoro?'' Came Nami's voice almost as if on cue.

Roronoa turned his gaze away from the sky. He silently cursed himself for not noticing her sooner. ``What do you want?''

``I need to talk to you about something,'' Her expression was unreadable as she turned, continuing to speak as she began to walk. ``Follow me.''

``And who are you to order me around?''

``Zoro...'' She didn't turn, but somehow her tone made him want to hear what she had to say, so he grudgingly followed her to her room.

``Close the door, please.''

Zoro did as she said and turned to face the navigator. ``So, what is it?''

It had always been difficult for Zoro to understand Nami. She was a woman he'd usually rather not deal with. Nami could pick your pocket with a smile and then make you believe it was her money to begin with. She was a dangerous woman. He tried to figure out what she was thinking from her face, but she was good at wearing a mask. On top of that, Zoro had never been good at that sort of thing to begin with...

``I want to know...'' The redhead paused. ``How do you feel about Luffy?''

``What??'' What?? Zoro's brain exploded on the spot.

``I knew it!''

``Wh- Knew what??''

``You're in love with Luffy, aren't you?'' She smiled like a witch as she asked Zoro the one thing he couldn't deny.

``N-No I'm not!'' Well, he could still try...

``It's written all over your face. You can deny it all you want, but I've known for a while...''

``How could you have known for a while if I didn't know until a couple of days ago?''

``So, it is true!''

Zoro mentally slapped himself.

``And I've known you were in love with him since well before we left Alabasta,'' She added a-matter-of-factly.

All the swordsman could manage was to glare. How could she have known? ...Could she be right about how long I've felt this way?

``Well, is that why you wanted to talk to me? So you could rub it in my face?''

``No, actually,'' Nami sat down on her bed and looked Zoro directly in the eyes. ``I wanted to tell you that I'm not going to let you have him.''

-o-Chapter End-o-

Ha, ha, HA! Aren't I evil? Don't you want to hurt me? Mwahahahahahaha~!! So what do you think about this? I've decided to try something new. A love triangle! Whee! I was going to write more, but I also thought it might be fun to try something cliffhanger-ie. XP You can kill me if you really want, but I don't think that will help anything.

I have cheese and crackers for those who review! ^^

Oh, and I know this chapter was painfully short, but I plan to write some more as soon as I post this. The next chapter should be finished soon, so don't worry.

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