AN: So this will be a collection of Luffy/Nami shorts of varying length spanning the entire series. The first parts are old works I've found in my 'unfinished' folder and brushed up on, but as I progress the others will be set post-3D2Y. They won't always be chronological, and most will feature Luffy/Nami as an established thing (although there will be the odd deviation). I hope you'll enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or its characters – Eiichiro Oda does.

These Slivers of Sunlight

by Miss Mungoe

–priorities.

Being a Captain, Monkey D. Luffy had come to understand, meant you couldn't always have your cake and eat it.

The finer points of the saying escaped him (because why would he have a cake he couldn't eat in the first place?), but Robin had explained it as making a choice at the cost of something else, and that he could understand. It wasn't really about cake at all, but about decisions. And decision-making was a pretty important part of being Captain, and as Captain you couldn't always make the decisions you wanted to.

Sanji's righteous howl drifted back to him as he set off at a run, reigning in his attention from the fit his cook was throwing and setting his focus on more important things – food, then their shadows (in that order, because he was getting seriously hungry and the fat-ass wasn't going anywhere). But despite his best efforts his mind kept slipping, and he threw a glance over his shoulder to catch the afterglow of Sanji's flames-of-hell-spurred fury that had momentarily lit up the sky over Thriller Bark.

And for someone who was notorious for having food constantly on his mind, it was surprisingly hard to remind himself that he'd made it his first priority. Because despite his orders (and his growling stomach), the prospect of food didn't sound as tempting as it should. Overpowering the hunger was a righteous anger that didn't burn as bright as Sanji's but that was no less furious, and over that again an odd sense of regret that was as unfamiliar as it was confusing. Because as Sanji's shouts faded away in the distance, Luffy felt the near uncontrollable urge to chase after him.

Nami was in trouble, and part of him was miffed it wasn't him running after her, screaming bloody murder and promising a world of pain and the depths of Davy Jones' locker to whoever had the nerve to so much as look at her, let alone snatch her away. He'd done that once, a long time ago. It had been his duty, in his then small-but-efficient crew, but they'd grown since then, and now the job of Nami-herding had fallen onto someone else. And at Luffy's own orders, too.

So there was Robin's cake, and there was him, running in the opposite direction,

Food, Nami and shadows. The order had been simple, and there had been no complaints or surprise at the one sent chasing after their navigator, who was apparently getting herself married against her will to some undead creep of serious proportions. That bothered him, too, and he urge to find the guy who had the galls to lay claims to his navigator made his teeth clench in an uncharacteristic show of anger. Well, no, not uncharacteristic, because he did feel anger, especially when the things important to him were a risk. His nakama, his hat, his dream. His future queen. Because that was, essentially, what she was. Nami was perfect queen-material – he'd decided that within five minutes of meeting her. She was smart, she loved treasure and she was the best navigator on the Grand Line. He'd never get lost with her, and since he had no idea what to use One Piece for once he found it (besides buying a bronze statue and a steak the size of his ship), giving it to her made perfect sense. She hoarded treasure like the klepto-cat she was, and giving her the ultimate one was sure to make her happy. And when she was happy, he was happy (that was something else he'd learned, beside the not-eating-the-cake thing). And she was really pretty, and queens were generally known for being pretty. She'd make a perfect Pirate Queen.

Except right now she was off getting married to some weirdo straight out of his own grave, and his crew's chef was running to her rescue.

And it felt wrong. Like, cutting-the-fat-off-the-meat kind of wrong, but there was nothing he could do about it, not really. Because the thought of chasing after her himself felt strange, too. Like it didn't fit, although maybe it should? Because kings were supposed to protect their queens – they didn't send their friends off to do it for them. But he wasn't good at rescuing girls, not all suave-like they way Sanji did. Or at least, he didn't think he was. Sanji was always so cool when he did things like that, and he said and did things that made girls smile and laugh. Even Luffy's best party-trick of sticking chopsticks up his nose had never earned him anything but a knock over the head.

Another frown pulled at his brows as he glanced once more in the direction Sanji had taken off in a flurry of burning outrage. He knew he would get Nami back safe (and hopefully still unmarried). Luffy had another mission – getting their shadows back, and the fat-ass wasn't going to beat the crap out of himself. That was his job as a Captain; the safety of his nakama rested on his shoulders, and he couldn't go around choosing one over the others. That wasn't how being a Captain worked. Someone else would have to eat the cake. He had a fight to get to, and it was a fight that was bound to be nothing short of spectacular, which was usually enough to set his mind on a singular track until the deed was done.

Now, if he could just stop thinking about the fact that Nami was getting married and that he was running in the opposite direction...

The subject of Robin's Cake Conundrum (she'd helped him pick the name, because it rhymed a lot better than 'mystery' which was the one he'd chosen), didn't come up again until a good while later, when they'd put Thriller Bark and the Florian Triangle behind them and were well on their way towards their next adventure. He'd had a lot of time to think about his priority-dilemma once they'd gotten their shadows back, and had found that there was, in fact, a loophole that was pretty obvious once he thought about it.

And so, "You'll be top priority," he announced one day.

She cracked open one eye to look at him from behind her tinted sunglasses. She'd been on deck sunbathing when he'd found her, and hadn't been nearly as annoyed at his interruption as she'd been the times she'd almost thrown him overboard.

Of course, she was sunbathing with her bikini-top on this time, so he guessed it might have something to do with that.

"I'll be what?"

Luffy grinned, because he'd come to this decision by himself. And it was a brilliant decision, too. It solved his problem, and it kept things from changing.

Well, they wouldn't change much.

"You'll be my top priority, when you're Queen," he elaborated with a nod of his head, in case she hadn't already caught on. She should have, though, being so smart as she always claimed to be.

When he turned his gaze back to hers Nami's brows were furrowed, and she'd lifted her glasses up to her brow, giving him a clear view of her eyes. She was wearing the expression she usually wore whenever she claimed he was pulling her leg.

The stray thought made his hand itch towards the bare stretch of leg closest to him, but he reigned in his urge and tucked his hands under his thighs.

Oblivious to his struggle, Nami was still watching him intently. Then, "If that's a proposal it's a pretty lousy one," she said as she tugged her sunglasses back down to her nose. "And you can't just say when, like it's a fact."

Luffy raised a brow. "You don't wanna be Queen?"

"I didn't say that."

He frowned. "Then what?"

She lifted her glasses again. "What's all this concern about me being Queen all of a sudden?" she asked.

He shrugged, suddenly uncomfortable. "I dunno. I was just thinking that if you were, I could run after you."

She looked at him a long moment, before a wry smile stretched across her face. "Are you saying you want to be my knight in shining armour, Luffy?" she asked. "Because I'm pretty sure you'd have to fight Sanji-kun for the title."

He snorted. "I don't want to be a knight," he argued (even though he had worn armour and it had been pretty damn amazing), "Knights don't marry queens."

"Some knights do, in the stories," she reasoned.

He raised a brow. "You wouldn't marry a knight."

She glared. "And why is that?" And there was a distinct note of warning in her tone, the kind that told him he was a few choice words away from a fist to the face.

"Knights don't have money," he deadpanned.

She blinked, and then a grin tugged at her lips. "Well, damn. Can't argue with that now, can I?"

Luffy was silent a moment, turning the thought over in his mind. "But don't marry any undead creeps. Even if they're rich," he added.

She snorted. "I've had my fill, thanks."

"...and no cooks, either."

He knew he'd taken a chance with that one, but the smile still on her face assured him he wasn't about to go sailing overboard. "Getting a little close to home?" she asked, and he shifted in his seat, but said nothing.

She looked at him for a long time from over the rim of her glasses. Then she scooted closer, placing a hand on his leg as she tilted her head and brushed her mouth against his. Her nose was warm from the sun, and her glasses bumped against his brow, but he grinned against her mouth, happy she'd responded like that and not boxed his ears like he'd been afraid she would.

"Why would I go for the cook when I've got my heart set on the King?" she asked then, tangerine hair glowing bright like molten gold under the sun, and he wondered for a moment if that wasn't perhaps why she was so enamoured with her own reflection.

Then her hands were in his hair, tugging his hat from his head before placing it on her own with a playful grin. "And you did say I'd be top priority, which is a pretty good sale. Although I'm a little insulted I'm not already." She raised a brow, and he wondered if he should maybe explain the thing with the cake when she suddenly grinned.

"Or maybe I already am. You did send one of your best knights," she winked.

Luffy blinked, before a grin stretched across his face. She did have a point. "So I do get to eat the cake?"

She frowned. "What?"

His grin only widened as he dropped down on his back beside her, and she squeaked as he tugged her towards him, making her fall over his chest and the hat on her head to come tumbling from her head. She nudged it back in place and pushed herself up on her hands, glare already firmly in place.

"A warning next time!" she chided as she flicked his nose, but the smile on her face betrayed her anger (and he had gotten really good at telling the difference between play-angry and you're-about-to-meet-your-maker angry). "Mou, you're too impulsive. And what's all this talk about cake?"

Luffy only grinned. "You're my cake, Nami, and I get to eat you."

She snorted. "I can't tell if that's meant to be a compliment or not, but since it's food I'm going to go with that." She shook her head. "But I'd still like to point out that I'm not food, okay?"

He looked up at her, scheming grin and eyes clever-as-a-cat's framed by the wide brim of his hat, and the late golden sunlight filtering through the fissures in the worn straw. "Nah," he declared. "You're Nami." He laughed. "You're way better than cake!"

She smiled, and ducked her head in a rare show of shyness. "Hey–"

"Unless we're talking Sanji's chocolate cake, because that–mmmppff!"

Nami sighed, hand clamped firmly over his mouth. "Almost had it, Captain. Good try, though."

He glared up at her, but she replaced her hand with her mouth for a kiss, and his anger was short-lived. Then she rested her chin on his chest, a small smile playing at her lips, and he knew he hadn't upset her too much. "Well, come to think of it..." she began, fingers drumming against his sternum.

Luffy raised a brow. "Yeah?"

She grinned. "Sanji's chocolate cake is pretty amazing."

He laughed, and tightened his grip around her. "Right?"

As it turned out, you could actually have all sorts of cake and eat the lot, which meant that Robin's Cake Conundrum didn't really hold water (even though it did sound cool when he said it). And as far as Things He'd Learned from Being a Captain went, Luffy decided that that was one of his favourite, coming a close second to the most important understanding of them all. Which was the rather simple truth that it was all about finding the right kind of cake to being with. If you did, you wouldn't have any problems.

Nami tilted her head, smiling knowingly. "All this talk of cake has made you pretty hungry, I bet."

He groaned. "Starving!"

She laughed. "I'm pretty sure Sanji still has some chocolate stashed away," she winked. "I'll put in a good word for you."

And it just so happened that his cake was the best damned cake on the Grand Line.

Sanji's chocolate cake included.

AN: Luffy, I think, would be the kind of person with a more-than-average appreciation for food-related idioms and metaphors. And I know the whole 'Nami as Pirate Queen'-scenario is kinda overdone with this pairing, but I wanted to have my go at it. I do hope it wasn't too disappointing; if you did like it and feel like leaving feedback, please do!