A Taste of Winter: Snowflake
Disclaimer: One Piece (and its characters) belongs to Eiichiro Oda-sensei. Neige is a borrowed French word, so I can’t lay claim to it.
Reminder: I have no beta-reader. Any grammatical and spelling errors are solely mine.
Warning: OOC possible. One shot.
Rating: T
Note: Written for my secret santa: @ravenandcat for the ZoNa Holiday 2019 event in Tumblr. I hope you enjoy it as I did. Merry Christmas!!!
Summary: The warm feeling spreading from your face down to your toes… Along with that tingling sensation you can’t even begin to describe…
Everything in the winter island of Neige was blanketed in soft, fluffy white.
But despite the almost ethereal-like quality the sea of white was exhibiting, the whole place was buzzing with activities from the excited townsfolk as they rushed back and forth in preparation for the celebration that was about to take place tonight.
Perched silently and contentedly on the railing of the Thousand Sunny, two figures watched the whole scene with quiet interest.
“What are you two up to?”
Nami and Chopper simultaneously turned to look at the owner of the voice. Zoro was coming down the stairs with his brows furrowed together in question as he studied them. He most likely came from the galley, given the three steaming mugs in his hand.
The reindeer perked up at the sight of his favorite swordsman. “What is that Zoro?” He gushed curiously, jumping up to stand on the railing as the green-haired man approached them.
“Ero-cook told me to give this to you.” He motioned to the drinks he was holding.
Nami raised an eyebrow at that as she leaned back at the railing. “And you just like… conceded to his request without any fight?” She asked, exchanging surprised glances with Chopper.
Zoro shrugged. “Robin declared a ceasefire. Said something about different balls hanging on the Sunny’s Christmas tree.” A frowned appeared on his face as Nami laughed and Chopper innocently blinked at him.
“Balls?”
Zoro grinned and patted the reindeer’s head. “Never mind it, Chopper.”
That was when realization dawned into the cute doctor. “Oh, he giggled as Nami laughed harder, recalling the events in Water 7. “Robin can be really scary when she wants to.”
“Yeah…”
“Hey,” Nami retorted with a chortle. “In Robin’s defense, if not threatened you and Sanji-kun would not stop fighting.
“Tch,” Zoro clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “Point taken,” he muttered handing her one of the mugs.
The navigator pursed her lips at him. “We did agree to spend today as peacefully as possible right?”
Zoro shrugged in a non-committal manner.
“Zoro!”
“Yes, alright?!” The swordsman looked like he was pouting. “No fights. No bickering. No grating the cook’s nerves…”
“Very good!” Nami said with a nod as Zoro handed Chopper the other drink.
“That includes us woman,” Zoro suddenly muttered. “That means no shouting orders or just plain shouting at me today.” He smirked when she scowled at him.
“Ooooh!” Chopper suddenly exclaimed as he stared at the mug in his hand. His sensitive nose caught whiff of the minty sweetness from inside. “This smells delicious!” He brought the mug closer to take a whiff.
“You are right Chopper!” Nami inhaled deeply and immediately warmth spread across her cheeks. “Sanji-kun’s awesome as always.”
A faint snort came from Zoro’s direction and she decided to ignore it as she and Chopper continued to bask in the smell of the cook’s latest concoction.
“Look!” Chopper pointed out. “It’s even got crushed candy cane on it!”
“You’re right!” Nami smiled as she swiped a small amount of whipped cream with her finger, bringing it on her lips. “So good!” She enthused, studying the drink. “What a perfect holiday drink… and it’s pink!”
“Yeah!” Chopper agreed, delightfully taking a sip from his drink to taste it. Nami followed suit.
“I knew the stupid cook had it in him,” Zoro mumbled from the side.
Nami glared at him from over her mug.
“Wow! It tastes really good!” Chopper announced, immediately loving the pink drink.
“True!” Nami said licking her lips after she tasted it.
From the corner of her eye, she saw Zoro cringe. Probably from imagining how sweet the beverage is. It was no secret that the katana wielder was not a fan of anything sugary.
She stared at him as she took another drink from her cup, savoring the warmth it was spreading all over her. Beside her, the reindeer was enjoying his drink as well.
Nami noticed that the ex-pirate hunter was holding a mug of his own.
“What’ve you got there Zoro?” She asked, wondering if he was drinking the same sweet pink concoction as they were.
“Coffee,” the tall lad answered curtly.
“Spiked?” Nami grinned, knowing the his preferences.
She got a chuckle from guessing correctly.
“Yeah…” Zoro half-smiled. “Though if you ask me, I could go without the coffee itself.”
Nami rolled her eyes at him before swiveling to observe the milky white town again. Chopper did the same while still engrossed with his saccharine drink.
Zoro moved to set his mug down the railing just beside the navigator. Nami did not missed the way he purposely stood behind her, close enough for his arm to brush against hers. His winter jacket made a rustling sound as it rubbed against hers.
She tilted her head a little to look at him as he smirked at her before slyly planting a kiss on her cheek.
Her brown eyes immediately shifted towards Chopper, who was luckily, still too engrossed with his own drink.
The mapmaker looked at him in a chastising manner.
Zoro just grinned impishly at her. With the reindeer doctor just near them, there’s no way Nami can reprimand him for stealing a kiss… or two.
He bent down again to kiss her, letting his lips linger against her flushed cheek longer while keeping an eye on Chopper.
Nami pouted as she elbowed him on the ribs. He bit back a chuckle and caught her elbow when she repeated the action again.
“What are you two doing anyway?” He asked as he released her, moving to grab his mug to take a drink. “What’s in that town that’s got you both occupied?”
“We are waiting for the festivities to start,” Nami answered with a sigh, a bit relieve that Chopper wasn’t able to see her swordsman’s antics. After all they did agree to keep things under wraps for now. But as of late, Zoro seems to be tempting fate by randomly stealing kisses behind their nakama whenever he wants.
She reached out to tug at his earrings as a sort of retaliation and smiled sweetly when he scowled at her.
“And we are also waiting for the snow to fall,” Chopper added in an eager tone. “Nami said it could happen before night time. Luckily, it will fall just in time for the festivities!”
Zoro raised an eyebrow at her. He pondered for a moment before grunting out, “I see.”
“Anyway you should join us Zoro!” Chopper invited. “It’ll be fun! We can catch snowflakes with our tongue!”
“Uh, that is something Usopp and Luffy would want to do.” Zoro drawled, unamused.
“Oh, you are right.”
Nami narrowed her eyes at his unenthusiastic response. “Such a spoilsport Zoro. Even snow doesn’t get you excited.”
Zoro snorted. “Are you saying, you’re gonna join Chopper and catch snowflakes with your tongue?”
She pulled at his cheek. “Maybe not my tongue idiot!”
“Ouch… then what?”
Nami released him with huffed. “Maybe I just want to feel one on the tip of my nose.”
“Huh?”
“Oooh!” Chopper’s eyes twinkled at that. “That is nice Nami!”
The orange-haired girl winked at him. “I know right?”
“Wait I‘m a bit confused,” Zoro held up a hand to stop them. “What’s a snowflake on your nose gonna do to you?”
Nami and Chopper looked at each other, astounded. They both know Zoro is kind of on the serious side of life but surely… he must’ve been a kid once?
“You don’t know Zoro?” Nami looked astonished.
“No.”
“He doesn’t know,” Chopper whispered.
“Poor Zoro…” Nami murmured with a hand on her cheek, feigning a sad expression on her face.
Zoro looked uncomfortable under their sympathetic gazes. He glared at the two. “Oi!”
Nami suddenly grabbed his arm. “We should let him experience it Chopper.”
“Uh-huh, I definitely agree!” The Mugiwara doctor nodded in agreement. “We cannot let him go on with his life without knowing how significant it is!”
Zoro growled. “What’s the big deal with it anyway?!”
“It’s no big deal Zoro,” Nami smiled at him, patting his arm. “It’s just that it feels nice.”
“Feels nice?”
“It does,” Chopper concurred with a smile of his own. “I like the way it spreads this warm feeling all over your face down to your toes…”
“Along with that tingling sensation you can’t even begin to describe…” Nami continued, laughing at Zoro’s blank expression. “Don’t worry. You’ll feel it when you experience it.” She smiled teasingly as he glowered at her. “If you experience it.”
“I really don’t see—”
“Nami!” Chopper suddenly gasped. “It’s snowing!”
They all looked up as a flurry of white flakes that looked as soft as cotton started falling down from the skies.
A hush fell between the three of them. Likewise, all the activities in the town halted as everyone outside paused in their activities momentarily to gaze at the falling white wonders.
Chopper jumped down from the railing and ran towards the middle of the deck, laughing gleefully as more and more snow fell from the sky.
He looked up and squealed when a snowflake landed on his blue-colored nose.
Nami’s brown eyes met Zoro’s grey one.
“I still don’t—” Zoro started to mumble when a white flake landed on the tip of his nose.
The navigator watched him amusedly as he frowned until the snowflake melted away.
“So?”
“It’s… cold.”
Nami bit her lower lip. Then threw back her head and laughed.
“Oi, stop laughing crazy witch,” Zoro groused a bit sulkily. “It is cold!”
It was so typically Zoro. Just plain facts. There was no hint of any soppiness or sentimentality at all.
She continued laughing, even as she reached out to squeeze his hand. “Just like I expected.”
“What do you mean?”
She just answered him with grin and watched as Chopper ran towards the galley to inform the others that it was now snowing.
“Nami…” Zoro grumbled, getting impatient when she didn’t explain herself.
“Forget it for now Zoro,” she lightly tapped the tip of his nose. Then she stood on tiptoes and kissed the place where the snowflake landed earlier.
And that’s when he felt it.
The warm feeling spreading from your face down to your toes…
Along with that tingling sensation you can’t even begin to describe…
The snowflake on the tip of his nose.
Nami drew back with a smile. “Merry Christmas, Zoro.”
He stared at her for a moment, before returning her smile with one of his own.
He actually didn’t need to wait for the snow to fall. He already had his own snowflake with him all along.
“Merry Christmas Nami.”
