I wrote this a year ago, Christmas Eve '04. It was the product of my boyfriend driving 4 hours in holiday traffic just to see me for 18 hours...and him giving me one of my Christmas gifts, a GORGEOUS ZoroxNami doujinshi. I typically don't write plain old mush...but...yeah. I was in a verymushy and sappymood at the time. This is a short post-finding-One Piece Christmas 'that's so sweet, I'm getting cavities' piece. It is pure fluff. If you don't like a solely fluff piece, you have been forewarned. Happy Holiday of your choice, everyone!
Warmth
By Seta Ginny, 2004
Nami put the tiny angel doll on top of the tree...and then took a step back and smiled. She had done a nice job on her first Christmas tree, in her new home. The home she was in now was technically more like a home than she had had in years. After all, she was living on the island she had spent her early childhood happily dreaming away on...And after years of being on the sea, she had a real home once again. A house, and quite a lovely one, as well, close to her mother's orchards, and close to her sister's home. But all the same...It felt strange. She had spent many Christmases on that ship...with that crew. And now, here she was, decorating the tree, using the same little angel doll, but without her crew there to watch.
"Oi. The angel's crooked." Zoro said with a grin, as he stood beside her
Well. Except for him, of course.
"...Were you expecting me to be able to get it on straight? It's a eight foot tree, and I only have a box to stand on, you know." Nami replied, as she stuck her tongue out at him. Zoro smirked, and picking her up with one arm, lifted her up so that she could fix the angel.
"...It looks nice." he said, lowering her to the ground...but not before he playfully scruffed up her hair. Nami grinned, beaming at her own work. This was her home. Her first Christmas in the rest of her life.
"Thanks." She slumped onto the nearby couch, the preparations for tomorrow finally finished. Sanji would be coming some time in the late morning, to help with the preparations Christmas dinner. Usopp and Luffy wouldn't be far behind him, and Chopper would come last, some time in mid afternoon. She was excited about having the entire crew under one roof again - her roof, and she had worked extremely hard to make everything look lovely. It had all paid off - the tree that Zoro had gotten with his bare hands from one of the neighboring islands was decorated. The house had been made to be a bit more festive as well, pine branches on the mantle, a wreath on the door, and various other Christmassy things around and about. Prior to the decorating spree, the house had been cleaned until it was immaculate - Nami clearing up all her books and papers, Zoro finally organizing his training equipment. The kitchen was fully equipped with everything Sanji could need (or so Nami thought) and she had even brought out their best tangerine preserves for dessert. There was nothing else to be done...except sit and enjoy this Christmas eve evening, with the one that she loved.
Zoro carefully poured two glasses from a punch bowl, and then sat besides Nami, handing her one of the glasses.
"I made a batch of eggnog early." he said with a smirk. Nami looked down into the glass, and then took a tiny sip.
"...I see you like a little eggnog with your rum..." She smiled at him, and he grinned, shrugging his shoulders.
"What can I say, I'm really not an expert on mixing drinks. You might wanna do it tomorrow...Or Sanji is going to get smashed after a gulp." Nami nodded her head. Christmas day was going to be wonderful...but it was also going to be wonderfully noisy. Zoro looked at her...and could almost read her mind. "...Enjoy the quiet while you still can...it won't be here for long tomorrow." Nami met Zoro's eyes, and she felt him move in closer to her...putting a hand on her thigh.
"...I have something for you." Zoro said after a moment, as he dug clumsily through the pockets of the his pants. And then he pulled it out. There was no wrapping paper, no tiny little velvet box. Just a simple gold band, with a diamond large enough to capture the heart of a thief in it. He held it out to Nami...his one hand reaching for hers, but he stopped to catch her gaze. He was waiting for her answer. One nod of her head was sufficient. The ring was slipped on her finger, and she held out her hand to admire it. Zoro smiled slightly, before leaning back against the couch, his arm going back around her.
"...Happy now that it's official?"
"Mm hm..." she managed to say...admiring the ring on her finger. "...Thank you."
"...You're welcome." They smiled at each other...before their lips began to draw near for a light kiss. "...Now nobody can complain that the pirate king's first mate didn't take his wife properly."
"...There's...still one thing that they can complain about..." started Nami...shyly, which was very unlike her. Zoro raised a brow.
"...Well..." She took his hand, and brought it over her stomach. "..Zoro...I'm..."
"How many times do I have to tell you...you're not getting fat. Okay?" Zoro said grumpily. He was soon thwaped in the back of the head.
"...I'm expecting." she finally said...and before he could look at her clueless, she added, "A baby." Zoro was stunned for a few moments...before a broad grin crossed his face.
"...You mean to say by this time next year we'll have a little punk running around, that we can teach everything we know...and probably regret it later?" Nami chuckled a bit, pushing a strand of her hair behind her ears.
"By next Christmas they'll still be a baby. No running around with shinai, or stealing cookies from the cookie jar yet. But that'll all happen in time."
"Na-chan..." Zoro called her affectionately by her nickname. "...It's going to be great..I promise you." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "...I love you, you know."
"...I love you too." She tilted her head, to catch his lips with her own. They drew closer, pulling each other into an embrace, enjoying a long kiss. They were interrupted by a knock on the door.
In the door way stood Sanji and Nojiko, grinning, their arms piled high with packages.
"...Look who showed up on my door step a night early." Nojiko said smiling, as she glanced to Sanji. "...I figured you two wouldn't mind if we brought the food over now...it'll save us a trip in the morning."
"Merry Christmas. Now let us inside...it's freezing out there!" Sanji said, teeth chattering, and laughing.
As she watched her sister, her best friend, and her lover step into their house, 'ooo'ing and 'aaah'ing over how well they had decorated, watching as Zoro offered Sanji a bit of eggnog, and then feeling Nojiko's eyes fall on the diamond in her ring, Nami could only feel warmth. If there was one thing her journeys had taught her...it was that nothing was perfect, but it was important to savor the 'near-perfect' times.
There would never be another Christmas like the ones they had on the ship. But there would never be another Christmas like this, either. Nami looped her arm through Zoro's, and smiled. All though it was cold outside, they had many warm days ahead of them.