[Action]

[mikangirl]

[It's some ungodly hour of the morning when Nami finally wakes up, sprawled uncomfortably across overturned barrels. Huh. Nice of the Malnosso to dump her back in the orchard again. A brief scrabble around with the one unbroken lantern shows the climatact is gone, and she hopes that just means one of her crew came out this way and took it home with

Comments

[threeswordsoul]

[Three guesses who's awake at an hour past Ungodly O'clock that morning. The first two don't count.

As a matter of fact, for the past two weeks Zoro's pretty much been deep-meditating more often than actually sleeping, which is a strong indication of his general state of affairs. He's been sitting in a loose lotus on the living room couch basically all night.

His eyes slit open at the sound of the back door opening-he could use a break, so random crewmates, roving itinerants, even some kind of idiot thief enemy attack wouldn't be unwelcome. When he recognizes the normally-light, currently dragging footsteps-that crewmate!-it's too late to do much but blink wide and stare at Nami as she comes in.]

...

[mikangirl]

[It's a mark of how tired she is that Nami fails to notice the living room is occupied; at least, not right away. It's a long trip back in the dark, and she was half-inclined to just sprawl under the mikan tree in the back yard rather than come in (you know, it's thirty less steps she has to walk).

She's halfway along the wall to the small set of stairs, fingers on the wall for balance, when she finally realises there's someone sitting there in the dark and her head turns sharply-- and then Nami stares right back at him.]

...

Zoro.

[She managed his name, at least.]

1/2

[threeswordsoul]

[Lamely]

You're back.

[...No shit she's back, back from -- ]

[threeswordsoul]

[ --he shoots to his feet and takes a step forward, brows slamming down.]

Do you need Chopper?

[Some things are built deeper than current complications can reach. What kind of concern this is exactly, what shades might be crossing over, any hesitation: temporary non-issues, don't even occur. His nakama is just back from a kidnapping.]

[mikangirl]

[Her back hits the wall-- she doesn't mean to retreat from him, but when she's so tired, sudden looming nakama of any kind are too much of a shock to the system. Not just Zoro. (...okay, especially Zoro.)]

Ah-- [It's a question that cuts through the mess, isn't it? She answers honestly, sidelined from other thoughts for a moment. He's got the right to ask.] --no. I'm just-- I'm just tired.

[threeswordsoul]

[Zoro freezes when she jerks back, mouth flattening involuntarily...but that's good news. It sounds like the truth, and-scanning her-looks like the truth, so after a pause he gives a short nod and steps away.]

...He should check you out anyway. [...] They'll be glad you're home.

[mikangirl]

[She didn't mean to-- she's not frightened of him. Nami shifts guiltily, opens her mouth to reply-- something dry and more Nami-like, it's buried in here somewhere, prove everything's fine-- and then shuts it.

....

...though she really should say something without skittering off. She folds her arms and glances at Zoro through the gloom, before she looks away again, speaking softly.]

I'll ask him tomorrow. I need sleep first.

[threeswordsoul]

...Aa. [His eyes don't shift from her, but it's a veiled look through the dark.] Go to bed before you fall over. It can wait for tomorrow.

[He's not talking about Chopper's check-up.]

[mikangirl]

[She knows.

...she pretends otherwise. It's easier to turn away from him, then.]

Yeah.

'night.

[Resuming her creep for the bedroom. And not daring to look back.]