Crooked Artistic Windows
AN: I own nothing in this story. Based off a prompt given to me by penniless1. Please R&R.
The Grand Line Art Museum was hosting a grand exhibition today. Usopp, the latest art sensation, was the one whose work was on display.
With Usopp was his girlfriend, a fitness instructor named Nami and Usopp's best friend Luffy, a boxer. Usopp's newly gained fame had also come with several very lucrative checks and for the first time in his life the young man did not have to worry about money.
Nami was happy for her boyfriend. Of course she was also happy that he had bought her one of the fanciest dresses money could buy with his first check. Now she was wearing that dress, a black strapless number with glistening sequins, leaning into Usopp's shoulder as he welcomed people to the exhibition.
Luffy was off to the side, not that interested in seeing the people in high places here for the night. He was dressed in black slacks and a long sleeved white undershirt under a sleeveless beige shirt, his muscles still visible. His own career was on the rise, the boxer facing off against lightweight champ Coby in two weeks. As he was minding his own business, something caught his eye.
Near one of the large windows Luffy could see his favorite buffet McMeaty's. Every kind of meat was available and for a low price. The boxer licked his lips as his stomach growled. Inching closer to the window, he pressed his face against it, his breath increasing and fogging up the glass.
Usopp was leading his guests on a tour of his exhibition, the first painting they came across being of a young girl, around twelve or so with pale skin and long blonde hair. She was smiling gently and each observer was struck by the beauty of it.
Nami gently squeezed Usopp's hand as he stared at the painting for several silent moments.
It was his first painting, the one he had had even before he had met Luffy or Nami. It was of his old childhood friend Kaya, a sickly girl who hadn't lived to see fourteen.
Eventually Usopp squeezed Nami's hand back and continued his tour.
Of the many guests at the exhibition, there was one who was starting to get bored. Her name was Boa Hancock, the mayor's twenty three year old daughter and one of the most beautiful models around.
Her boredom ended when she noticed the latest painting the artist was showing off. Her breath caught as she looked at the painting. It's subject was a man, a very well built young man, apparently an athlete of some sorts. He had a wide grin on his face and the sight of it stirred something in Boa. She was left behind as the group continued onward, moving closer to the painting.
After several minutes she realized she was alone and broke away. And then she noticed someone out of the corner of her eye. Turning, her breath caught once more as she realized it was the same man in the painting.
Pinching herself, Boa felt the little sting of pain. Satisfied she wasn't dreaming, she stepped towards this captivating young man.
Luffy was still at the window but not pressed up against it. Instead he was merely watching the patrons enter and exit McMeaty's. A tap to his shoulder caused the young man to look behind him.
A young woman with long black hair, a voluptuous build, and striking black eyes was looking at him in a daze.
"Hello, who are you?"
Luffy blinked a bit before extending his hand.
"Monkey D. Luffy! And you are?"
"Boa Hancock," the woman answered, cheeks turning a little red.
"I think I've heard your last name somewhere before," Luffy said with a pensive expression on his face.
Boa was shocked. A person who didn't know that she came from an influential family actually existed? Masking her surprise, she moved a bit closer to Luffy.
"Actually I'm a bit bored of this show. Did you want to leave with me?"
"Well I promised my best friend to be here. It's his show," Luffy said, but his gaze drifted towards McMeaty's just across the street.
His gaze was not lost on Boa.
"We could always come back. This is sure to last an hour more at least. Plus, I'm feeling a bit hungry, aren't you?"
Luffy looked towards his friend and then back to Boa.
"Alright, but we can't stay long, okay?"
Boa nodded and, taking his arm, quickly left the exhibition.
Nami was nervous as they approached the final painting Usopp had done. It was of Nami staring up at the night sky with one hand outstretched towards the heavens, several stars glittering on her fingers and a melancholy expression on her face.
The Girl Who Stole The Stars it was titled and Nami remembered the day Usopp drew it. Now it was being shown to the public. She was expecting applause or even booing but instead she heard one word.
"Mellorine!"
One of the younger guests of the evening had said this odd word. He was blond and looked well built, an unlit cigarette dangled from his lips and he was staring at the painting with hearts in his eyes.
"Um...thank you," Usopp said. The young man paid no attention, still staring at the painting, until one of his oddly shaped eyebrows twitched and he noticed Nami in the flesh. His body started to contort like a batch of wet noodles and he suddenly had Nami's hand in his, the young man bowing deeply.
"Ah, with an angel such as you to inspire him I can see why the artist is so skilled." He then kissed Nami's hand and looked into her eyes. "My name's Sanji and I live to serve you."
Before Nami could reply a gruff voice broke into Sanj's adoration.
"Just like you promised to serve that girl Perona last week. And that Hina lady the week before that?"
The owner of this gruff voice then grabbed Sanji by the arms and dragged him away from Nami, his green colored hair the oddest thing about him. Sanji was trying to free himself while yelling.
"Let me go! I'm a creature of love!"
"More like a creature of stupid," the older man shot back.
Silence reigned once the two had exited the museum.
"Thank you for coming everyone! I hope you've enjoyed yourselves!" Usopp finally said. The others turned to him then and soon enough applause started up, causing the long nosed young artist to blush fiercely.
Most of the audience trickled out then, a few wandering here and there to look at the art some more. One of these people approached Usopp as he was standing by Nami.
She had a mature beauty to her, the kind that could make odd shipwrights act normal, Usopp decided.
"You're quite talented. My name is Nico Robin and I would like to purchase that painting over there," the woman said, pointing towards the middle of the gallery. Said painting was something Usopp had created in a fit of madness. At least that's what Nami said once she'd seen the thing. It was called Truth and featured a crooked woman, her body intersected at odd angles by flowing script and odd glyphs.
"Name your price," Robin said once Usopp had retrieved the painting for her.
"Um...hmm...how does 10000 berries sound-" but the artist was cut off.
"Done," and with that the woman walked away, painting under one arm. Usopp stared down at the check in his hand and then at Nami.
"Did that just happen?"
Nami nodded and soon enough snatched the check from his hand.
"Your savings need a boost," she explained.
Usopp just shrugged his shoulders.
When Nami was around money he swore her eyes changed into berri signs. Plus he knew she would put it in their joint savings account which is where he would have placed it anyway.
But then he noticed something.
"Hey, where's Luffy?"
Before Nami could attempt to answer him a loud crash was heard. Turning around, the couple saw Luffy standing in a pile of glass shards, the window he had broken through now letting in the cool night breeze.
Rushing up to Usopp with panic on his face, Luffy started to talk rapidly.
"I'msorryI'mlatepleasedon'tbeangry!"
After deciphering Luffy's panicked plea, Usopp managed to calm him down a little.
"It's okay. I've fallen asleep sometimes at your fights." Luffy's remaining panic vanished at that confession and gave him a glare. Usopp held up his hands. "Only the ones I knew you'd ace!"
Luffy was then whacked over the head by an irate Nami.
"Oww! I said I was sorry!" Luffy said, rubbing his now sore head.
"Well that's so you remember not to do this again, got it?"
"Yeah, yeah, I got it."
"Oh my..." a voice said.
Nami's ears twitched at the voice. It was obviously a woman and a beautiful woman at that. Her suspicions were confirmed when she saw Boa Hancock herself enter through the ruined window, the model avoiding whatever glass was in her path.
Luffy grinned when he saw her and Usopp's jaw dropped.
"That better not be because of her," Nami growled into his ear.
"Of course not. I just saw a talking reindeer claim he could cure all the diseases in the world," Usopp replied quite quickly.
"That's better then," Nami said.
Of course she knew Usopp wouldn't start fawning over Boa. But the model had a beauty that many Greeks and Trojans might have gone to war for a few thousand years ago.
As Boa reached the trio, Luffy placed an arm around her neck, pulling her close.
"This is Boa. She's a new friend I made!"
Nami and Usopp expected Boa to get upset at how close he was but her cheeks merely turned a light pink.
"Nice to meet you."
The couple nodded and made small talk with Boa for a minute or two before Luffy gave a shout.
"Oh no! Chopperman reruns are on in ten minutes! I can't miss it!" And with a few hurried words, Luffy bid his friends goodbye and left, Boa being dragged along.
"Did that actually happen?" Nami said after a few quiet moments.
Usopp could only nod as he placed a his suit jacket around Nami's shoulders, the two leaving the museum.
The night air carried a cool breeze with it as they walked to their apartment. The stars were out and Nami looked up, eyes taking in the rare sight of so many stars visible from the city. She was so entranced by this that she didn't feel Usopp's hand tap her shoulder until the third tap. When she turned her gaze towards him, her breath caught.
Usopp started to speak.
"I was thinking that since I'm respected as an artist now that maybe, just maybe, I could make a respectable woman out of you." He was on one knee as he said this, nimble fingers opening the tangerine-colored felt box to reveal a gold band topped with diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, and rubies. "Will you marry me Nami?"
Memories of their three years as a couple flashed through Nami's mind at the speed of light. Or so it seemed. She remembered laughing with him, crying on his shoulder, and everything in between from his fantastical stories to the cold nights cuddling up to his warmth, gently tweaking his nose and watching his slumbering body toss and turn when she couldn't get to sleep.
"Yes," she said softly, as if she were in a dream that would unravel at the first loud noise. "Yes," she repeated, louder, and once Usopp slipped the ring onto the ring finger of her right hand she hugged him as tight as she could.
Once she had broken apart a little, her eyes narrowed.
"Did you mean I wasn't respectable before?" she said, fake anger in her voice.
"Not at all."
"I thought so." They continued to walk then, Nami leaning into him as they continued onward. "You know I'll want only the best for the wedding, right?"
"Whatever you want," Usopp replied.
Nami gave a short laugh then and kissed the tip of his nose.
"No, it's whatever we want, Usopp."
She held her hand up to the heavens then and compared the jewels in her ring to the jewels twinkling overhead.
"Looks like I didn't need to steal the stars after all," she murmured quietly, squeezing Usopp's side tenderly as they walked together.