Author's Note: I had this come to me early…really early this morning. I'm a little stuck on Crossed I'm afraid to say, and I'm not even half way done with the next chapter. I'm finding that all my great ideas don't necessarily coincide…I'm having to think of a way to make them all fit together…I'm hoping I won't have to trash any of my great ideas…It's still, however, boggling my simple mind. I will try my best to get it out as fast as I can…I just hope I can make it all work…I think it will be my last chapter too…So I realize how frustrating it must be for you guys, and I apologize. Anyways, enjoy this one shot I wrote to appease you guys in the mean time! Enjoy!
That's Why I Love You
Nami yawned as she stepped out from her room. She'd been up late the night before working on her maps, and wasn't in the best of moods from the lack of sleep. She kept her eyes narrowed in a bit of a glare as she walked. Her hair was messy, and her face, greasy. Scratching her side she made her way to the bathhouse for a much needed scrub down.
As soon as she made it up the stairs, the door was quickly opened, and she was almost run over.
"Oh! Sorry Nami!"
"Watch where you're going, Luffy!" She yelled in irritation.
"Shishi! Okay!" He said with a grin before climbing down the rest of the way after she'd stepped back down.
He then ran out in a storm of utter glee for no reason at all. Snorting inelegantly at how anyone could be so disgustingly happy at all times, especially so early in the morning, she finally made her way up the stairs, her mood having not improved at all. Walking in, she first went to the sink to brush her teeth. Looking in the mirror, she groaned to herself.
"It's a wonder he didn't run screaming in terror…" She mumbled to herself as she reached for her toothbrush and the toothpaste.
She actually couldn't believe he'd not said anything at all about her horrible appearance, or even made any outward gesture to it. Shrugging, she finished brushing her teeth before going in for a bath. As soon as she was done with her bath, she was beginning to feel a little better, but only a little. She was still exhausted and not really looking forward to the rest of the day.
By afternoon, her mood had only worsened. Breakfast had proven to be more irritating than normal. Not only did the boy's fight over food, but Luffy'd managed to break the table, giving Franky a project to do, which ate up their supplies. Not only that, but Sanji and Zoro bickered all through the breakfast about possibly making more meat for Luffy so he'd quit eating their share. Sanji had told him to eat it, because then it'd cost more, and Nami wouldn't like it, which only brought about more insults, fighting, and more things being broken. It would cost even more money to fix them.
Nami had yelled and beaten Luffy blaming him for it all. He'd apologized through a bruised mouth and seemed to move on the rest of the day, still happy. As she sat in her chair now and watched him, she wondered how the hell he remained so happy no matter what happened. This only made her mood darker. Looking around, she noticed the ship was beginning to look messy. Standing, she then called out for their attention. Then she announced they'd be cleaning the ship.
Everyone complained, all but Sanji, and she let them now by giving them 'the look' about how she felt about that. Each scrambled to do their assigned job, Zoro only mumbling to himself. She barked, complained, yelled, and nagged about their horrible jobs, and how much better they had better do it if they knew what was good for them.
Pouting, Luffy continued his job after Nami had yelled at him that he'd not been doing it right at all. "Why aren't you doing anythin'…?" He mumbled to himself as he pursed his lips further.
"What was that?!" She yelled as she popped him on the head.
"Ah!" He cried out as he grabbed his head.
"I'm supervising, because I know what kind of half ass or horrible jobs you'd all be doing! You think I like to supervise?! I wish I didn't have to, but you all are such idiots that I have to do this!!" She yelled as she gave him another pop for good measure and to appease her horrible mood.
"Aah!! Okay, okay! I'm sorry!" He exclaimed as he picked up the pace of his job to appease her.
She huffed as she moved on to check on the other's progress. She knew she didn't have to check on Robin. Robin always did a good job of whatever she did, her current job being the laundry.
"Geez, Nami's really pushy and grumpy today…She's a real puzzle…Ya know? I don't get her half the time. She's always mad all the time…" Usopp mumbled next to Luffy.
Luffy only turned to him with a grin. "Shishi, aa, she is." He agreed.
"Eh? What's there to grin about?!" Usopp asked in a loud whisper.
"She's just makin' sure we do what we gotta do, lookin' out fer us 'n all." He said.
"Eh? But then…why did you…?" Usopp asked, not sure how to finish that question.
"Shishishi!" He only laughed, not answering the incomplete sentence that he knew the full question to. Then he shrugged. "I don't think she's a puzzle…"
Usopp only blinked at his captain. Luffy usually loved to complain about how unfair Nami usually is. Why was today any different? And how can he say he didn't think she was a puzzle? "What the hell are you talking about?" He finally asked Luffy.
Luffy shrugged again. "I dunno."
Sighing and then shrugging himself, Usopp got back to work before Nami's wrath was upon him next.
Huffing, Nami went over each job done by the crew after they were done, doing whatever else needed to be done that'd not been done properly. She'd had to get onto Luffy four more times before the end, before just getting angry and beating him to a pulp, pushing insults about his crappy ass job.
Luffy tilted his head as he watched his navigator go about inspecting the jobs, unbeknownst to the orange haired, mikan loving woman. Then he grinned and laughed softly to himself before twirling around on his seat of the lion's mane. He'd been watching her for awhile now, few weeks maybe. He noticed how hard she worked for them all, which he'd at first thought she'd not been doing anything at all. He learned, it wasn't true, although, he'd not noticed before until a few weeks before. She really cared and even if it didn't seem like much, she took care of all of them, and made sure things got done.
He'd realized how important it was for her to do so. After all, he'd screwed up fives time, in which, she'd had to set him straight. He knew she always went about it the same way, which usually ended very messy for him, but he knew she cared and was why she did the things she did. He was lucky to have a nakama like her, who cared enough to make sure things got done, when he himself may not be capable. He'd said what he had to her about not doing anything, because he didn't want her to know he'd realized and been watching. It might be messier for him if she did…According to Luffy logic…
As he stared out ahead of him, he only smiled and tilted his head to the falling sun in the distance. Nami was Nami, and that was okay with him. He didn't mind.
After she was done inspecting, and fixing, all the jobs, she then made her way to her seat and plopped down with a sigh. It irritated her greatly how they, especially Luffy, could complain that she did nothing…She worked all day when it came to them. Her job never seemed to end. Even after all of it, she wasn't even appreciated for it. Well, Sanji always seemed to appreciate her, but he was such an ass kisser when it came to women, that she wasn't even sure it was really sincere.
Sighing to herself, she leaned back in the lounge chair before noticing Luffy on the mane. Her brows furrowed a bit and stared up at him with narrowed eyes. He was the biggest idiot of them all. He was completely useless, other than his monstrous strength. He could do anything right…He was half assed, dimwitted, and clueless…Sighing again, she closed her eyes. Although, she had to give him credit for not utterly hating her for always getting after him, she wondered about that.
He always came out happy in the end, offering her a grin. Sighing, she closed her eyes as she slumped down in her chair. What was up with that anyway?
After she'd sat and moped in her chair for a while, taking a short rest, she then dragged herself off to the observation room to then work more. She needed to catch up on some maps and hoped not to be disturbed. With a heavy sigh, she plopped into her chair and lifted her pen. About thirty minutes later and half way through her map, the door to the observation room burst open. Her eye twitched, but she paid it no mind for now.
"Nami!!"
She clenched her eyes and teeth shut tight, baring her teeth. "Go away, Luffy…"
"But Nami!" He whined. She was sure if she turned he'd be pouting. "We need one more person! Zoro, Sanji, and Robin won't play! We gotta make it even or one of us can't play! It'd be unfair! Brook and Franky wanna play too!" He whined as he came to her desk and plopped on it from the other side, pouting into her face.
Her eyebrow twitched further as she shoved a hand in his face to shove him off of her desk. "Go away…Luffy…" She seethed in a warning tone.
"But Nami!" He cried with more of a whine. "When's the last time ya came and spent time with us!" He cried.
"I'm working Luffy! I don't have time for games! You guys never give me that time! Now get out! I want to finish this map!"
He pursed his lips at her with narrowed eyes in his brooding. With a sigh, he turned and left, closing the door quietly. Also sighing, she turned and looked at the door before turning and continuing her work.
Once she'd completed that map, she made her way out. She looked over the rail to the boys playing cards. Sighing, she made her way down and to them. Perhaps he was right, she didn't spend a lot of time with them, and also, she wouldn't mind the company. As soon as she reached them she crossed her arms and looked down at them.
"Alright…I'll play now…" She said.
"It's too late…"
"Eh?!" She questioned, already getting upset as she gaped at Luffy.
"We had to change the game because you didn't wanna play with us…because you were too busy. Now it's too late to join, game's already started…" He explained with pursed lips.
"Why you little…!" She exclaimed as she grabbed his vest and hauled him up.
"Gaah!" He screamed as he blocked his face.
"Don't come in there begging for my attention, and then reject it when I offer it!! You give me a hard time about everything!! You break things and whine and eat us out of house and home, and now you say I can't play?! I said I wanted to play!" She yelled.
"Okay, okay!! You can play! We'll start over!" He exclaimed.
She growled. "Forget it…I don't feel like it anymore…"
"E-h?!" He exclaimed as he gaped at her. She released his vest, causing him to fall into the middle of the game. "Gah!" he exclaimed.
"Oi! You ruined the game, navigatin'- neesan!" Franky exclaimed as everyone backed away from Luffy falling, cards going everywhere.
"Then I guess he shoulda let me play to begin with!" She yelled over her shoulder.
"What a fiery beauty! Yohohoho!" Brook laughed as he watched Nami walk away. "She sets my heart aflame!" He exclaimed before pausing a bit. "If I had a heart! Skull joke! Yohohohoho!" He exclaimed gleefully.
Everyone only frowned at Brook as Luffy got up, dusting himself off. Nami stomped to her chair and plopped down next to Robin, who offered her a gentle smile. "Bad day?"
"You could say that…" Nami mumbled under her breath as she glared at the boys.
During dinner, things only seemed to get worse, and so did her mood. Luffy had managed to break the fixed table again, and made a large mess in the kitchen. After everyone left, she'd made him stay and clean it while Franky went to make a brand new one instead. Luffy wore a pout as he picked everything up and scrubbed the floor clean.
Sighing, she brought her fingers to the bridge of her nose, feeling completely tired and drained of energy. He only seemed to make her feel more exhausted with his antics. "You are such a pain Luffy…" She said in a bit of a mumble.
He made a weird hum in question as he turned to her with raised brows and blank eyes. Opening her eyes, she looked down at him as he stared at her. "You're a pain in the ass!" She said louder for his 'benefit'.
He pursed his lips and turned back to his work, grumbling incoherently. "What was that?!" She yelled angrily as she stomped over, reaching down to grab the front of his vest.
"Aah!" He screeched as he closed his eyes and blocked his face with his arms. "Nothing! I said nothing!!" He yelled frantically.
"Don't get me started you little ingrate!"
"Aah! Okay, okay! I'm sorry!!" He yelled as he tried to pull away from her.
She released him abruptly with a snarl, and then pointed towards the mess. "Get back to work!"
"Okay!" He exclaimed as he scrambled to do just that.
He worked in silence for awhile before pausing. "I'm not ungrateful…So…I'm not an ingrate…"
She blinked as she looked down at him in confusion. "Eh?"
"I appreciate what you do Nami…" He said, still not turning to her.
She furrowed her brows as she gaped at his back. "I know why you do it…and I'm grateful…You're really great Nami. You do a lot for us. I'm lucky to have nakama like you…" He said as he then began to clean again.
She could only continue to gape at him, not really believing he just said what he just did. "Not sure what I'd do without you…or any of us…" He said before finally turning to her with a grin. Then he turned back around to finish his job.
She stared at him for a long while before closing her mouth and blinking. She had wondered how it was he couldn't possibly hate her after all she did to him. However, he just told her he appreciated all of it. She frowned a bit as she watched him. After all she did to him, even when she'd been unexpectedly mean towards him, beat him for things he did…he said he appreciated it, and that she was great. Even after all of her flaws, he could still offer her that grin of his, which always seemed to say, 'everything will be alright.'
She then smiled softly at his back, feeling a warm fuzzy feeling in her gut. Even after all of that, he still liked who she was and actually appreciated her. She was beginning to realize, that was why she cared about him too. It was because he could still offer her that grin, no matter what, and it be sincere. Sighing contentedly as she closed her eyes, she slid her crossed arms across each other, and hugged her arms a bit before opening her eyes to look down at him again. Perhaps there was more to the feeling than she thought. Perhaps…there was some potential…
After he finished his duty, he then turned to her with his grin and approached her. "Sorry for the mess…" He said. Then his grin shrunk to a smile as he placed a hand on her head. "Thanks for lookin' out for us Nami. I know it can be hard, but it's a job I know is suited for ya. Can ya keep doin' it, even if it makes ya mad sometimes?"
She gaped a bit at him wide eyed at his question before offering him her own grin. "Of course! Otherwise, we may never find One Piece, and I'd never get rich!"
He blinked at her, his turn to gape this time before grinning with her. "Shishishishi! Aa!" He exclaimed before continuing past her and running out to announce to the boys that he was done, and that it was time to play another game.
She turned to watch him leave before smiling softly at the door. Luffy was Luffy, and she was okay with that. Then she sighed and shook her head, keeping her smile.
"Idiot…"
The End…
Author's Note: I know what you're thinkin'…'What the hell was the point to all that?' As a matter of fact, this idea and muse was spawned from a song Kaku had shown to me in an attempt to emotionally hurt me, saying that my husband must feel this way. –Sniffle- Anyways, no matter how true it is, it still spawned an idea. XP Now, the song was Beyonce's Flaws and All. When I read the lyrics to it, after laughing my ass off from Kaku having suggested it to me, I thought to myself, 'Holy monkey! This is so Luffy and Nami right here! I must write a one shot to show this!' I mean, just their every day thing is this song! So, I decided to write about a single day in the usual things that happen, just so you can see how much this song relates. I decided to make it to where they'd not actually been in any relationship. I've posted the lyrics below. It's something you really need to read. XD
Flaws and All Lyrics
I'm a train wreck in
the morning
I'm a bitch in the afternoon
Every now and then
without warning
I can be really mean towards you
I'm a puzzle
yes indeed
Ever complex in every way
And all the pieces aren't
even in the box
And yet, you see the picture clear as day.
I
don't know why you love me
And that's why I love you
You catch
me when I fall
Accept me flaws and all
And that's why I love
you
I neglect you when I'm working
When I need attention I
tend to nag
I'm a host of imperfection
And you see past all
that
I'm a peasant by some standards
But in your eyes I'm a
queen
You see potential in all my flaws
and that's exactly what
I need.
I don't know why you love me
And that's why I love
you
You catch me when I fall
Accept me flaws and all
and
that's why I love you
Even if there is no relationship between them now, this song to me still applies. Because no matter how she treats him, he still cares about her a great deal. He still does all those things and feels that way. She also cares about him, and I can see that being one of the reasons. I hope you all liked this little drabble or one shot or whatever. Anyways! Please review! XD