Sadly this is the last chapter... posting it already for you Galleta. That review deserves a reward.

Words of Wisdom

Zoro trained harder than ever ignoring Chopper's frantic cries and pleadings to stop. He trained and trained until the cries in his head were silenced but the second he stopped, the second he relaxed they came back and he would pick his weights back up. He knew what he was doing wasn't healthy and every muscle in his body was screaming in protest but he continued to swing the bar around.

He had been crazy to stay the night with Nami. Once he knew she was asleep he should have left, he never should have presented the false hope that spending the night was bound to show. Sweat was pouring down his face and there were even a few tears mingled in with them, not that he would admit to them. Nami's pained cry from his dream repeated in his mind. "Zoro... how could you?" sounding over and over again like a mantra keeping him from going to her. A soft knock against the wall drew him out of his own head and whipping around he cried out.

"I'm fine Chopper!"

Except it wasn't Chopper who was standing there, instead it was Luffy wearing an unusual sombre expression. Seeing the younger boy Zoro put down the weights and wiped his face with a towel. If Luffy was going to say something Zoro knew to listen. His captain usually let well enough alone and when he decided to interfere it was best to listen for the youngster had incredible insight especially when it came to his nakama.

"Most people think looking out for yourself and having to take care of yourself with no help is the hardest thing to do."

Zoro listened and waited for the boy to continue. He wasn't sure where Luffy was going with this but he had faith in his captain so he waited patiently.

"They're wrong. It is much harder to allow someone else to look after you."

They both sat there in silence as Zoro worked through Luffy's words. He knew the boy was right and he thought to the night before when Nami had allowed herself to ask for help, to ask him for comfort. He recognized the importance of it, what it had cost her to open herself to him like that but he still couldn't shake the fear that he would end up hurting her.

"She'll be better off without me." Zoro said softly.

"No she won't. Allow yourself to open up to her like she has, you'll be amazed."

Luffy left then leaving Zoro alone to ponder over this piece of advice. Zoro spent the entire afternoon in his training room not even emerging for lunch. He didn't pick his weights back up after Luffy left and instead simply sat there thinking things through and pondering Luffy's words. Finally he came to a decision and with that settled he fell into a dreamless slumber waking in time for dinner.

He kept to himself during the meal, focusing solely on the food on his plate. Once darkness fell he found Nami once again nestled in her tangerine grove and he approached her hesitantly. He quietly took a seat beside her, staring up at the moon. Zoro was thankful for the darkness; it made what he needed to say easier.

"I've been watching you for weeks trying to find out what was bothering you. I told myself it was because you were my nakama but I knew there was another reason it bothered me so much. When you told me you had fallen in love with me I realized the reason I cared so much was because I felt the same way. Despite the sincerity of my feelings for you I can't keep from being afraid because more than anything I am afraid of hurting you."

And so for the first time in his life Zoro admitted out loud a weakness. The entire time he had spoken he had kept his eyes fixed on the pale shimmering of the moon and he was startled to feel Nami's hand slip into his own. Her action drew his gaze to her face and she laughed lightly.

"Baka" she chided softly. "I'm scared too."

Nami's words calmed him immensely and he grinned sheepishly at her feeling incredibly foolish. He bent down and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. As he did so his nightmare flashed before his eyes again but this time he pushed it away not allowing it to get a grip on him. Zoro moved and pressed another soft kiss to her smiling lips. She kissed him back and he felt a calmness settle over him.

"Let's go to sleep." Nami whispered as they pulled apart.

Zoro nodded and allowed her to lead him to her room. He turned his back as she slipped into her pyjamas and crawled under the covers. Stripping down to his boxers he joined her under the covers, gasping as her cold feet brushed against his leg. She laughed softly and curled into him as she had done the night before. Once again Zoro waited until she was soundly asleep before drifting off himself.

Again he dreamt that he told Nami he loved her only to have ripped her still-beating heart out of her chest. Pain contorted in his chest as he looked at the palpitating organ gripped in his hand. As he stared at the gruesome sight he felt his body began to shake and slowly he was wrenched back into reality.

"Zoro. Zoro, are you okay?"

Zoro blinked his eyes to see Nami propped up and staring down at him concern etched into her features. He nodded lightly as his heart rate slowed back down taking a few deep breaths. Nami gently stroked the side of his face and leaned down to press a tender kiss to his lips. He clung to her as if to convince himself that she in fact alright and he hadn't hurt her. As she pulled back she smiled at him and he felt the same calming sensation from earlier wash over him.

"It's okay. I'm alright and we are going to be fine." She settled back against his chest wrapping an arm around him tightly. "We're going to get through this."

Nami said it with such sincerity that Zoro knew she was right. They were going to get through it and eventually the dreams would stop. Together they would make it leaning on each other. With that thought in mind they both drifted back to sleep tight in each other's embrace.