Wind
AN: I own nothing in this story. This is for sentimentalreality so enjoy! Please R&R.
As a child he had always loved the wind. The way it would tickle his skin and sift through his hair caused him as much delight as his mother's stories. And one day he knew the wind would blow his father back to him and they could all go on adventures together.
But one day the wind blew cold and chill despite the blue sky and warm sun. And once it had passed he was alone except for his lies and painful memories.
Growing up poor she had never really paid heed to the wind. Maps and treasure interested her far more. Sure she could remember the way the wind would blow through Bellemere's tangerine grove and noticed how useful it could be for predicting the weather but other than that it didn't really affect her.
But as she watched her mother die, above her screams and tears, the howl of the wind stood out the most.
When the liar had joined the crew the navigator didn't know what to make of him. He acted as idiotic as their captain at times yet she noticed there was something beneath the cowardly exterior, but what it was she couldn't quite place.
As she lunged towards him, knife glinting in the noon sun, he expected to die. But as the summer air buffeted his face and he stared down at the navigator with wide eyes and trembling lips, he realized that she had deceived everyone present and granted him another chance at making his lies come true.
She remembered how broken his body looked and rushing towards him. Remembered picking his frail form up as gently as she could. He was crying, the tears carving lines in his face to match the wounds cut into the rest of him. She tried to be strong, to tell him it was okay about the money, to reassure him but the wind blew fiercely, cutting off her more tender words.
When he was officially reunited with the crew he was at once ecstatic and nervous. Could he help them despite how weak he was? Could he help himself? As he sat on watch pondering these questions Nami came up to relieve him.
"How are you?"
"Afraid, but I suppose that's nothing new with me," he had replied. She came closer to him, sitting beside him. Her head rested on his shoulder and he felt her left hand entwine with his.
"Me too," she whispered back. His gaze shifted to her then and he looked down at the scarred palm resting between his fingers. Her free hand lifted his chin up meet her eyes a few moments later and she smiled at him.
"So how are we going to get over our fear?" Nami looked pensive for a moment before resting her forehead against his.
"That's up to you, Captain." His answer came when he kissed her, his lips shivering from the cold wind. The navigator embraced him then and returned the kiss, their combined heat driving the cold away.
The hammock swayed slightly as she held onto her husband. His breath against the crook of her neck tickled her skin and she sighed in contentment. Overhead the sky was as blue as the ocean and gulls could be heard over the crash of the surf. As she watched him in his repose, his eyes started to flicker and soon opened. He gave a slight yawn and kissed her on the cheek.
"I must have dozed off, where was I?" Nami took his hand and placed it on her rounded stomach, a smile on her face.
"Your fight with the giant mole I think." He nodded at this and kissed her belly.
"Ah yes, so there I was surrounded by 3000 men all alone, well maybe Chopper was there to help, but anyway this mole lady..." Nami felt the baby kick at the story and Usopp stopped for a moment, a look of joy on his features.
As the story reached it's heroic conclusion Nami found her eyes closing and she drifted into sleep, Usopp's voice riding on the wind to mingle with the breath escaping her lips.