Mikan Ink

By: Moments of Insanity

Date: 16 June 2020

Revised Date: -

Disclaimer: Nope, not mine. I wish I have the imagination.

Usual disclaimer- English is not my first language and my understanding of grammar will never be perfect. If there are any mistakes or better phasing of ideas, please drop me a note. And finally, please drop a review. I know reviews are not in vogue right now so it is nice to know someone is reading these snippets.

Matchmaker

Nami gave a wistful sigh as she spied on the blond cook attending her raven hair roommate.

"Nami?" A brisk voice snapping Nami out of her musing.

"Gah! Stop scaring me!" She turned her head to snap back at the intruder, her hand pressed against her heart.

Zoro eyed the navigator curiously; she was couching behind the balustrade, hidden in the shade of her mikan trees with a view to the main mask. When he saw what she was spying, he couldn't keep a certain inflection from seeping in his voice, "Spying on curly cook?"

"No! Reading!" Nami quickly refuted though her tellingly reddened ears spoke otherwise; she gestured with the soft cover book in her hand, a finger holding at particular page. Suddenly worried that her hidden spot was exposed, she hissed, "Get down you idiot,'' as she dragged the swordsman forcefully down behind the balustrade.

"Reading? Zoro said dryly, surprisingly not making a fuss with her manhandling, as he settled down crossed leg. He saw an opening and snatched the book out of her hands before she could react. He quickly browsed through the content and snapped the book closed with his ears turning red.

Nami willed her own blush to die down, remembering the passage she was reading before being distracted. She stared challengingly at the swordsman.

"Great reading materials," Zoro said dryly.

"It's relaxing and brain dead," she shot back flatly before protesting aghast, "And you lost my page!"

He made a rude sound before studying the cover. The soft covered book was well worn with its yellow pages dogeared. The word Matchmaker in gold italic graced its cover and showed a blond man embracing a raven hair beauty with her bodice half opened, her glossy hair whipped behind her like a shampoo advertisement. Ignoring the navigator, hesitantly he flipped to a page, cursory check showed him that it was a safe page to read and he soon started to guffaw at the male protagonist's antics.

Nami glowered at the giggling man and snatched her book back.

"Seriously, you like this type of books?" he asked incredulously, "or this type of guy?" after a short pause.

Nami bristled at his derision on her reading habits. She rolled her eyes, "Don't underestimate these books; they make a good study on human psychology." She said with a straight face.

Zoro just scoffed rudely.

"Well, if you are just being rude, you can leave," Nami huffed, nose in the air.

Zoro ignored her and glanced through the gaps between the balustrade at his friends next to the main mast. "So Sanji and Robin eh?" Zoro trailed off speculatively, eyeing the cover of the romance book, linking the two together.

"Why not?" Nami said, suddenly defensive.

He shrugged. The skepticism on his face made her annoyed. What would he know anyway, this muscle head. Somehow a sudden urge to defend overcame her, "Sanji had swept her off her feet a couple of times ...Robin must have a good impression of him."

Zoro crook an eyebrow so she clarified, "At Shiki's Palace, he saved her from Scarlet. And then at Karakuri castle" At Zoro's perplexed face, she just sighed, "Doesn't matter if you do not know who they are; all you need to know is that Sanji saves Robin a lot."

"You were with me most of the time," Zoro mentioned, a bit confused.

Nami rolled her eyes, "Robin mentioned passingly...so they partner well together," she pouted, for some reason, wanting Zoro to agree with her logic. "And Sanji could actually talk to her, I mean, compared to other girls. So he must feel something for her."

"I'm not sure if your matching making of Robin and Sanji would work." He stated, his eyes going to the large cyborg at the helm.

"Robin would like someone who is sophisticated," Nami argued back.

"Sophisticated doesn't mean red wine and fine dining," Zoro retorted.

"Just why are you against me just shipping them," Nami narrowed her eyes at the swordsman, her hand folded, a sudden annoyance blooming in her heart.

"Why do you so want to matchmake them?" Zoro asked instead, genuinely perplexed. "And for the record, I think you are blind," Zoro said bluntly, sinking his head into his palm as he played with the pages of the book, but refusing to clarify his statement. Both stared at each other stubbornly until Zoro looked away.

"What about yourself?"

"What?!" she stuttered; his sudden question caught her off guard.

"Who would you matchmake yourself with?" Zoro asked curiously. "Actually, forget that i asked," Zoro muttered underneath his breath, slouched against the balustrade tiredly.

She paused, secretly knowing her heart. She recognized there was a certain risk but at the same time wanting to test the water.

"I guess someone from the crew…" she said softly and shyly, legs folded to her chest as she settled next to the young man, eyes focused on the fruits on her trees, she could feel the heat radiating from her ears.

Zoro ventured questioningly, "No one from the other crews."

"Yeah, I doubt long distance would work," Nami mumbled and Zoro straightened up immediately. "It is a bit strange though, as we are like a family..." eyes still stubbornly focused on the fruit, her cheeks burning, as she worried her lower lips, wondering if she opened a can of worms.

His eyes narrowed on the girl, "you have someone in mind" he noted. Zoro had always been able to see through her.

"No, I don't," Nami quickly shot back.

"Well, it doesn't matter. It better not be Usopp though; he thinks of Kaya a lot."

"Really?" Nami almost squealed, internally relieved for a diversion. Zoro blinked, slightly taken aback by her enthusiastic response, "How did you know?"

"He writes long missives," he reluctantly said, as if betraying a secret while Nami cooed at how sweet Usopp was.

"Tell me when he writes," She demanded. Zoro blanched, "I am not asking you to "borrow" it for me" Nami rolled her eyes. She would snitch it from Usopp. It would be a piece of cake.

"Curly cook."

"Robin," Nami rolled her eyes; as if she would stop speculating.

Almost without thinking, Zoro warned "Don't even think about Luffy; He has his dreams to think about and this will just distract him!"

Nami scoffed, "As if I don't have my own dream. Besides, do you think he can think anything beyond meat?"

Zoro grunted in reluctant agreement at her analysis.

"Brook,"Zoro continue listed

"He is a skeleton,"

"Franky,"

"He is a robot, and a weirdo" Nami said flatly, "he is like an uncle who refuses to grow up." Mind still running though different scenarios before stopping at a dreaded conclusion. There was only one person who they hadn't discussed. And no way would she mentioned it with him.

With as much acting skill she mustered, "it seems like I'll be in a life of spinsterhood," Nami sighed with an air of disappointment, putting in as much nonchalant as possible. Zoro just hummed lightly next to her before standing up. arching his back as he stretched. Nami looked up, squinting her eyes as the sun shone brightly behind Zoro. She could not see his expression, but he sounded pleased for some reason.

"If that is the case, don't matchmake me with other people."

There you go, another subtle ZxN for your reading pleasure. Am I the only one who thinks in the movies, they are always pairing Robin and Sanji together? I wonder why this is not a popular pairing.

Also, it seems I can no longer write any Nami-centric stories without going to a more romantic angle. Anyone want to suggest some topics? I can't guarantee I will write it though. Lol. As usual, please review!