Chapter 19

(A/N Pic: Young Katou)

Katou's POV

It's Christmas Day today... I slept all Christmas Eve and the day before... I probably pushed my self too hard with the mermaid technique.

And the funny thing is when I woke up on my cork board where I write notes to myself and pin up pictures, Zoro had left random sticky notes.

Apparently he checked on me all through out the two days...

The sticky notes said stuff like.

I may have broken one of your weights.

You need to buy more sakè.

You talk in your sleep, who's Claire the Cookie Monster?

Luffy dropped by, he ate almost everything in your pantry, he said he did it all the time so I didn't stop him.

I got lost walking to your house again...

When I read them I feel my heart beat louder than anything.

I put them all in my bedside draw.

I think maybe I should've brought him a tracking device for Christmas...

It's one in the afternoon and Zoro said to come over whenever.
So I might go around five...

Now that I'm awake I can eat and go train.

I ate two cups of ramen noodles (because the only Luffy left was his Christmas present of a kajillion cups of ramen) then went to train.

I lifted some weights (not super weights) slashed some dummy's, 'accidentally' put a hole in the wall...

It was four o'clock so I decided to go back to the house.

I walked past the mail box to see something in it.

It was another parcel, I kind of feel sorry for the mail birds... It must be exhausting carrying that stuff and flying.

I walked inside to open the package. I gasped when I saw who it was from.

Dear Katou and Sanji,

I'm deeply sorry that I didn't visit for Xiou's birthday.
I had other things to attend to with the world government.
You must understand this and remember that I only became a legal pirate for the 'reason'.
I'm also sorry I sent no word for your birthday Katou, so this is for you and Sanji as a gift for Christmas.
I'll visit when I can.

Your uncle,
Hawkeye Mihawk.

Wow... Very uhh 'sentimental', touched my heart... Certainly did...

I looked inside the package and took out a log post.

A log post?

I see, he knows the time is soon.

Our island Nihoji, is quite large and sits just beyond reverse mountain.
So we are quite close to the Grand Line.

This log post was fancy though, an intricate design of wood sitting under the glass ball.
The band was even made of real leather.

How nice of him.

Completely out of character...
I'm mean, he treats us like blood but usually he sends some random present without a letter.
But this one seems more personal, is something going on?

Should I send a letter to Sanji?

I probably shouldn't... He'll want to come back.

Now I suppose I should go to Zoro's... But why do I feel so nervous, it's weird. As if on some other level I know something is going to happen.

But what exactly?

💜💚💜💚💜

I walk slowly to Zoro's house, with his present tucked under my arm, thinking about things, trying not to fall over in the thick snow.

I've been acting rather serious lately haven't I?
It isn't that bad, maybe I've finally found 'someone' I can be myself and more around.

I've really lost my mind haven't I?

It must be a side effect to greenhairanearringimia.

It's a very serious and rare diseases you see.

I finally reached the little log cabin that belonged to Zoro.

Without knocking I walked straight into the cabin and saw he wasn't in the living room.

So I sat down on his couch and waited for him.

Then suddenly I hear footsteps coming from the hall way.

Zoro walked out and jumped when he saw me siting their.

"Sup." I say casually.
"HAVENT YOU HEARD OF KNOCKING?! YOU CANT JUST WALK INTO SOMEONES HOUSE UNKNOWINGLY!" "But real friends don't knock on your door, they barge in and demand food. Hence what I'm about to do." I threw my coat at him to reveal my arms.

I ignore his protesting and walk into the kitchen to see plastic bags of steaming Chinese takeaway!
Takeaway I swear, is the best thing that was ever invented.

Zoro gave up and walked into the kitchen sighing.
"Fine, help yourself. I just came back from Silcena with it."
"You walked all the way to Silcena? Didn't you get lost?" I said claiming a box of teriyaki chicken soba noodles.

"Let's just say I started walking at twelve o'clock then on the way back I decided to take the bus back to Masakuto." He grabbed a random box and two bottles of sakè and walked into the living room.

"YOU NEED A GPS! Seriously Roronoa, what am I going to do with you..." I shook my head and followed him into the living room.

He handed me a glass a sakè and said.
"So that giving up drinking thing didn't work huh?" "It wasn't worth it." I skulked the sakè in one hit and poured another glass.

"Merry Christmas. Kanpai!" We chorused and clinked glasses.

"Your wearing the necklace I gave you." Zoro noticed and I blushed, I just nodded because if I open my mouth I might spill to him that I wear it everyday

💜Three Boxes Of Chinese Food Later💚

"So, do you want your present?" I ask stuffed full of Chinese food on his couch.
"Hm?" He raised his eyebrow as I pass him the big rectangular shape covered in red wrapping paper.

He ripped off the wrapping paper and his eyes widened.

"What do you think?" I asked looking over his shoulder.

The painting was of Zoro from behind holding up his swords in fighting stance with his bandana on and his earring flickering in the wind.

He just stared at it and I grew worried that he might be angry I painted him.

"I don't know what to say, your talented... Is this really me? I swear I don't look that awesome in life." "Yeah that's Zoro 2.0, I much more prefer him, he doesn't ask stupid questions." I hit his head for making me worry.

"What was that for?" He walked away with the painting and came back with his hands behind his back.

"You know I never knew my parents." He said siting down.
"Yeah..." I tilted my head in suspicion.
"I only have a few things of parents... This is one of them."

Behind from his back he presented a beautiful jewellery box made of gold and what seemed to be emeralds.
"Is that real?" I asked referring to the gold and emeralds.
"Yeah... I want you to have this, I never knew my mother but as a child I would always play the tune of my mothers jewellery box over and over watching the little ballerina twirl around."

He opened the box and twisted the nob at the back of the box and a ballerina with a purple tutu and blonde hair twirled around to the tune of Für Elise.

My eyes widened at it's beauty.

"The song and the little ballerina reminded me of you and I don't think its very manly for a guy to have a jewellery box, so I want you to have it." He passed me the box but I put it on the coffee table and attacked him with a hug.

"I know you never knew your mother and even if you act like you don't care I know you do. Thank you so much for this gift Zoro, I can put the necklace in it, don't worry... I'll look after it." I unwrapped my arms from his neck and sat back down.

His eyes were wide at my suddenness.
I laughed at him and slouched on the couch.
"This is a good Christmas, no fuss like other people. Just having a relaxing time with sakè and Chinese food." I said looking at Zoro who was looking at the roof.

"What's so interesting about that roof Roronoa?" I ask continuing to stare at him.

He is pretty damn stareable (another made up word).

"Just thinking about stuff, you know..." "Not really. I think about stuff but it usually consists of some pretty random stuff. Like how to plant a pappadam tree or how to keep my pantry Luffy safe."

"You could child lock it that would work." Zoro said putting his feet up on the coffee table.
"Yup, he'd probably think about how to open it for five seconds then deem it a mystery gate and punch it open."

I saw Zoro smile discretely, twenty five.

The next couple hours we just relaxed and talked innocently until I saw a shooting star out of his window.

I ran over quickly and gasped, a smile spreading out on my face.

The sky was full of shooting stars.

"A meteor shower." Zoro said standing next to me.
"It's amazing!" I said looking deeply into the falling stars.
"It is." Zoro said simply but when I turned to him, he was staring at me.
"It's not everyday there's something like this." I continued to look at the sky out the floor length window but then my eyes quickly darted to the ceiling.

"Look mistletoe, I wonder what that's doing there? That is very cliche..." "You mind?" "Hmm??"
He moved his head closer to mine and all my memories flashed before my eyes... Wait. Isn't that when your dying? Oh my gosh I'm dy-

My thoughts were cut off when Zoro placed his lips on mine and I did the last thing he expected I would do.

I grabbed his shirt, pulled him close and kiss him back.
I could feel him smile and he deepened the kiss.
I ran my fingers along his sharp jawline and flicked his earrings.
His lips were slightly chaffed from the cold winter air.
But they still felt smooth against my lips.
Soft yet firm at the same time...
All the while electric sparks tingle through my body.

That's it, the spark. The spark Xiou told me about.

It was always there but now it feels stronger.
Like it's been shadowed by the whole world, but now the world stopped, just so it could shine.

He pulled me so close to him there was no space left.
He ran his hands down my scarred arms and I shivered.
I broke away and hugged his chest tight, not ever wanting to let go.
If I could build my own little world, here with me in his arms I would.

"I could never tell you this before, but I'm going to now... I love you, I love you more than everything in this world combined, I love you more than I want to become the best swordsman in the world. I. Love. You."

I looked up into his eyes, they seemed to sparkle like the Arabian stars.
"That's a good thing swordsman, because I love you too. If it were up to me, we would be the only ones in the world... Because when I'm with you I feel like I'm on a high... I know it's weird but that's the only way to explain it... I feel light headed and dizzy, in a good way, I really can't explain but I do know I don't want it stop."

Before he could respond I pulled
him into another kiss, this time rougher, like we had five minutes to live and it was our last moments together.

"Do you promise never to leave me? I can't live without you." He said eyes closed, forehead pressed to mine.
"Forever with you."

A/N praise me now children! I made you wait 19 chapters but here it is! Wast it worth the wait? Please let me know what you think of it... I worked so hard on it! Edited it like 100000000 times!
(I honestly just held down the 0 button...) Just because they kissed doesn't mean it's finished. It's like half way done.
As a young child I grew up listening at night to my Aunty playing Für Elise on her piano trying to perfect the song, I fell asleep to that song every night.

Auvior!

Hugs & Kisses all round.

Kitty Kat 💛~