Little Bits and Pieces of Heaven
THE ART OF BEING SUBTLE
One-shot #: 37
Disclaimer: One Piece (and its characters) belongs to Eiichiro Oda-sensei.
Reminder: I have no beta-reader. Any grammatical and spelling errors are solely mine.
Warning: OOC possible. One shot.
Rating: T
Note: I just wanted some ZoNa as seen through Usopp’s eyes. I love how he’s close to both of them.I swear he’s probably, possibly one of the first to notice if something is up with them. It’s just cute to think.
Summary: Things will definitely be more interesting from here on, ne?
It was subtle.
So subtle you will never really notice it… especially if you are not paying any attention.
Which most of the time is what happens because honestly, who would even think that something like that is happening between two of the most hard-headed individuals you ever came across the Grand Line and even in the New World?
Yes they are friends, but not really the makes-your-heart-warm type. Theirs is more… complicated—for the lack of word. Plus it does seem like irritation is the key component of their relationship.
Also there is that distance… that certain reservedness between them. Kind of like a safe space that the two seemed to inadvertently placed in the middle that neither one would deliberately try to step foot on.
But despite that, when push comes to shove… they always have each other’s backs.
In a way that makes it alright.
One fine day of sailing along the New World sea, while everything around them was quiet and calm (no marines or pirate enemy on their tail, no sea kings attacking, nothing) and the Thousand Sunny was smoothly gliding above the water heading towards their next destination…
…something in Usopp’s perception regarding his two friends changed.
He was playing a game of catch along with Luffy and Chopper on the lawn deck. They were all being boisterous, more than the usual, as if they are trying to make up for the day’s tranquillity.
They were tossing the ball up and running around, catching it and tossing it up again as they chased each other back and forth on the whole expanse of the deck.
The trio were momentarily distracted when the galley’s door opened and out step Sanji at the same time Zoro descended down from the crow’s nest.
Usopp groaned inwardly. He was having so much fun playing around and he’s really not in the mood for another squabble between the two-thirds of the monster trio.
Thankfully both seemed preoccupied with their respective thoughts and they just ignored each other, as Sanji headed towards where the aquarium hatch is, earning a sigh of relief from Usopp. Thank heavens for that!
Good thing too that Luffy managed to snag the green-haired man’s attention. The rubber captain immediately bounded towards the swordsman when he saw him. Usopp absent-mindedly threw the ball towards an eager Chopper, who shifted to his heavy point to catch it before instantly reverting back to his usual tiny form.
He called out to Luffy to get his attention. Their ever-juvenile captain was obviously pestering the taller man to play with them. And based from the way Luffy’s tone was reaching a rather whiny pitch (and also from the way Zoro was now looking totally irritated), it was a lost cause.
Usopp called out to Luffy again and as if on cue, Chopper threw the ball towards him. Luffy immediately laughed, his attention shifting away from Zor and in one swift move, he stretched his arm to meet the ball halfway… with enough force like he was about to sucker punch one of their enemies.
Suddenly Zoro nudged Luffy’s shoulder with his own. Not too much but just enough to make Luffy turn his attention back to his friend, his gaze questioning. The younger man’s outstretched arm wobbled in the air slightly though that wasn’t enough to make him miss the ball. His closed fist still struck it, only with less force than before.
And right at that moment, Nami stepped out of the aquarium bar.
Usopp could swear everyone froze on the spot when she appeared.
Except for the ball.
It headed straight to her. Usopp can only squeeze his eyes shut as he braced himself for the unwanted impact.
Which never came—much to his disbelief. The ball ended up hitting the wall a few good inches from her.
Nami let out a loud shriek from surprise and glared at icily them before proceeding to kick the ball which has rolled down the grassy deck.
The trio let out a disappointed cry when the ball went overboard, falling down the water below.
Nami silenced them with a scowl, huffing angrily before she marched away from them. Usopp was thanking his lucky stars that she didn’t resort to physical violence or even financial.
Though he clearly doubted if they really got away from the latter.
“Why is she mad,” Luffy complained with a pout, a tad disheartened at the loss of their ball. “It didn’t hit her.”
“But it almost did!” Chopper said with a hint of fear in his tone.
“Still it didn’t,” Luffy argued, a bit stubbornly.
“Yeah it didn’t,” Usopp mumbled, “Luckily.” He shot a quick glance at Zoro who had walked away from them to head to the men’s quarters while Nami was busy giving them her death glare.
Usopp can tell that that ball would definitely hit Nami face first… if Zoro didn’t pushe Luffy earlier like he did.
Talk about good timing.
Then he stopped and blinked himself into a thought.
Nope that definitely just wasn’t just good timing.
No one knew that Nami was in the aquarium bar, and certainly no one had known that she’ll be exiting it right when Luffy smacked the ball towards that direction.
Yet Zoro, already bumped Luffy even before he hit the ball, effectively derailing its path and diminishing it strength, preventing it from hitting Nami.
And saving her.
Usopp blinked again.
Saved her in one swift and subtle movement. Huh.
Usopp scratched at his cheek.
------------------------
From that point on Usopp decided to train his watchful eyes on Zoro and Nami, observing their daily interactions attentively and inconspicuously.
True enough, their disagreements had dwindled down after their two-year separation and astonishingly, it continued to do so the further they sailed into the New World.
He’d sometimes see them quietly talking to each other on one side of ship or at the far corner of whatever island they are currently on, instead of having their usual loud interactions (that definitely includes yelling and fighting). They still engage in their good, old bickering sometimes but not as often as they used to.
And that was when he noted that there were a lot of subtle things the swordsman was doing to keep Nami out of harm’s way.
It was just small little things. Just tiny things. Things that can just be overlooked.
It was so unnoticeable… that not even Nami or the whole crew was aware of it.
Unless you pay really, really close attention.
Like what Usopp was currently doing.
He once saw the green-haired man casually moving her cup of hot tea a few inches away to the side before her elbow can hit it and the steaming liquid inside spills on her.
And Nami never realized what Zoro did.
There was one time when they docked on an unruly island filled with shady people and equally shady pirates and Zoro kept bumping and nudging her so she’d change directions while they were walking. Usopp later realized that he was moving her out of the reach of the bounty hunters who were persistently following her.
Though that instance actually ended up in a violent shouting match between the two because Nami finally snapped from all that pushing. She even summoned Zeus, his lightning fully-charged, intent on unleashing it at Zoro.
The bounty hunters that were targeting her decided to high-tail it out of there instead of getting caught in the crossfire between the two terrifying pirates. No one wants to mess with the totally vexed woman, armed with a weapon that can jolt the life out of them. Nor do they want to face off with an equally annoyed swordsman with three katanas who they now realized was the fabled pirate hunter Zoro.
There was also a time that Zoro deliberately knocked down Nami’s beer mug thrice while they were all out eating and drinking in a rather seedy bar because it he knew it had been tampered.
That also resulted in another shouting match. This time with belis and debts involve along with some throttling.
Usopp didn’t need to mention the times when Zoro helps her out with shopping and carrying their groceries and stocks without being told or forced to. Which Usopp also realized, kind of happens a lot as of late.
And in all these occurrences… Nami remained oblivious.
And Usopp had to freaking stop himself from knocking her on the head because it was really goddamned obvious what was actually happening.
Once, they decided to camp by the beach of an uninhabited island. They settled around the fire that the boys enthusiastically made as Robin was about to narrate these amazing ghost stories from her newest book. Usopp quietly observed at the corner of his eye that Zoro strategically sat near Nami, knowing she’d definitely shift closer to him once she gets scared.
Usopp did the same. He deliberately sat near Zoro—on his other side, to be exact—in case he also gets scared and needed comfort.
All these were subtly done. Very subtly done, that no one had an inkling that it was happening at all.
But Usopp does. And he continued to watch and observe and wonder how long will it actually take Nami to figure it all out.
------------------------
Dinner was as usual chaotic, with a lot of laughing, talking and even yelling as they tried to get their fill of their cook’s delectable dinner dishes.
Usopp chewed on his food slowly yet with gusto as he eyed his crewmates, especially those who were at the other end of the table.
Nami had just entered the kitchen and Luffy accidentally barreled into her while running away from Sanji with a stolen plate of newly-cooked meat. Their captain shouted a quick apology to her before hurriedly bounding towards his seat at the head of the table before she can even hit him.
The blond chef was automatically at his tail, yelling expletives at the younger man about stealing food and hurting his Nami-swan.
If Usopp was not mistaken, Nami had been charting her maps all day. He hadn’t seen her since breakfast and she did have smudges of blank ink on her hands and fingers.
Grumbling and promising hell to their captain later after dinner, Nami bent down to retrieved the eyeglasses that she dropped when Luffy bumped into her.
Usopp instantly knew that the orange-haired navigator miscalculated her position. Nami was near the edge of the table when she bent down and had moved closer to it, as her glasses had fallen a bit farther under the table. He can hear her muttering something about Luffy paying for a new pair if her glasses where damage from his idiocy.
If she lifts her head up…
The sniper paused on his chewing, his eyebrows lifting up, when he saw the swift yet subtle way Zoro’s hand move to position itself at the table’s pointed corner, grasping it and effectively covering it. He had done it so casually while still keeping his attention fixed on what Chopper was explaining to him, that the movement was barely noticeable at all.
When Nami finally raised her head and was about to stand up, her forehead hit Zoro's knuckles. A quick flare of temper showed on her face and she glared irritably at the man before her as she straightened up. Zoro looked unfazed and didn’t bother looking at her direction.
Nami continued to stare daggers at him for a few seconds before a confused look crossed her features.
Usopp watched her intently as she took in Zoro’s hand at the corner of the table and why it was there.
Then her hand went up to touch her forehead.
In his mind’s eye, Usopp was nodding his approval at the turn of the events.
Nami must have realized that if it wasn't for Zoro's hand, she would definitely be sporting a large bump on her forehead or worse…
…the dining table’s sharp edge would have caused a bleeding wound that would send her directly to Chopper’s office. .
Usopp continued looking at her, as she in turn continued staring at Zoro.
Her brown eyes suddenly widened as realization dawned onto her.
Well, looks like she finally caught on.
Things will definitely be more interesting from here on, ne?
