Hey, this is my first One Piece story so I hope it's ok! I've been listening to this song, "Wrap me up" by Leddra Chapman, and this idea just came to me, and now I can't listen to it without thinking about this, so I hope it's worth the emotional turmoil it's caused! I recommend playing the song during or after reading the story simply because it's beautiful, and I hope I managed to translate it into fanfic form well.
Also, I know I've not updated my multi-chap fincs in ages, but I've been on holiday! and I've been busy busy :( anyway, enjoy, and please review!
It smelled.
That was the first thing that Nami noticed as she followed the younger man down the steps to the lower depths of the fort. Before her, Coby adjusted his hat nervously, glancing back at her as he reached the solid Seastone door.
"Miss Nami..."
"Just Nami, Coby. Please." She whispered, and he smiled shakily.
"I've tried persuading..."
"I'm very grateful to you, Coby. You've risked a lot this past week. I... we all appreciate this." She smiled, but it was as shaky as his own, and he removed his hat, bowing.
"Not at all. I'd do anything if it meant..." He trailed off, and the older woman could see he was fighting tears.
"I know." She took a deep breath. "Me too."
He paused for a moment, just a moment, before unlocking the door.
There, at the other end of a long corridor, a single cell was occupied, with a dim light cast by one candle, which was nearing the end of it's life.
Much like the cell's occupant.
He made no visible move to acknowledge the arrival of the two, instead he sat watching the candle as Nami entered, Coby locking the door behind her.
Nami made her way slowly over to the figure sat behind the bars, shadowed grey in the candlelight., and sat down carefully on the damp floor. Somewhere, she could hear the steady dripping of water condensing and falling from the ceiling in the dark corners of the horrid, subterranean room.
When he made no move, she reached through the bars, stretching her fingers desperately to touch his shoulder. "Luffy..." He was an inch too far away. "Luffy."
There was no other sound for a second, until- "I told Coby not to let you come."
"You think he could have stopped me?"
A sigh. "I hoped."
She laughed, a bark of dead, mirthless laughter. "You know me better than that."
"Aa."
"Kohza and Vivi are declaring war tomorrow, and Hancock's bringing the other women to rescue you. The Fishmen too..."
Finally, he lifted his head from the candle, and met her eyes. The redhead fought back a gasp, and reached out again, silently begging the shadowed, gaunt young man to take her hand.
"Don't let them." He whispered, and shuffled to face her fully, allowing her to see the Seastone stocks around his ankles and torn, bloodied vest beneath the large black coat he'd only just started to wear. "Nami, please. I don't want any of you to die."
"Luffy!" She gasped. "We don't want you to die! Please... Coby's going to help us..."
Luffy shook his head, dark locks falling messily over his pale forehead. "Nami."
"I know we can't get another crew. I know that... there's no way we can get new Nakama now, but we can go somewhere." She finally managed to touch his shoulder. "No one will die, Coby will help us escape tonight, we can be on a ship before sunrise and be on our way to Fuchsia by sunrise."
"I can't go back to Fuchsia." He murmured, finally lifting his hand to hers. "I can't go back."
"Then we'll go somewhere else." Nami whispered, fervently, tears brimming in her eyes, "Anywhere. I know..." She swallowed, and gripped his hand tightly, shaking. "I know I'm not enough. I know I can't hope to be enough after we lost the others... but I'm not nothing! Luffy..." She heaved a sob. "Luffy..."
"No." He whispered, returning the pressure of her fingers. "You're not nothing, Nami." He met her eyes. "Always remember that you were my Navigator. My precious Nakama."
"Luffy!"
"But I have to accept my fate, Nami. If I escaped, do you really think we could go anywhere? Everyone knows the face of the pirate king. The Marines would find us. And you..."
"There must be somewhere." Nami gasped. "There has to be."
He shuffled forwards with his free hand and reached through the bars, wincing as he did so, to stroke her cheek, with a smile. "Tell me where."
Nami knew the tears were falling freely now. His hand was glistening with her own emotions, pouring out with each gentle sob.
"We could leave." She whispered, leaning against the bars. "Get on a ship and go somewhere they'd never find us. We'd make front page of all the papers, and melt away somewhere where the weather's always nice, and the sky's always blue."
Luffy breathed out, slowly. His eyes sliding closed as he leaned his forehead against hers. "Tell me."
"We'd change our names, and burn the ship. Find a house with flowers in the garden and a white fence. A small cottage in a little village where no-one ever reads the papers because it's so peaceful." Her voice trembled. "I'd learn to cook all your favourite food, and we'd have five meals a day..."
"Ten."
"Ten meals a day!" Nami laughed, though it was shaky, and more like crying. "All of them with meat." She could feel his tears as well now. "No one would bother us, we'd just be another young c-couple moving to the village. We could grow our own food..." She sniffed. "We'd make our own honest living. We'll find everything we're looking for."
"We'll get married."
"Yes." She breathed, tightening her fingers impossibly tight around his, and lifting her other hand to rest at the crook of his neck. "And three children..."
"Seven."
"Seven children..." She smiled. "Zoro, Usopp, Sanji, Chopper, Franky, Brook and Robin." He sobbed, once. "We'll grow old, and be so happy..."
"It's perfect." He whispered, and slid both his arms around her, hugging her tight. "It's perfect."
Nami sobbed harder, clutching him to her desperately. "We'll have grandchildren, and die when we're a hundred..."
"Yes."
She closed her eyes, tears spilling endlessly down her cheeks as he held her tighter as the candle finally burned itself out.
When Nami awoke the next day in Coby's room, it was already evening. And Coby had been crying.