A/N : Ha, my first crack at a One Piece fic! Hope ya enjoy.

Disclaimer : I own nothing

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Nami's POV

Being a pirate... it was one hell of an experience. Sure, I made a lot of money (because who wouldn't steal from those bastards that challenged us?), but sometimes, like now, I thought it could still be a little too risky.

I watched Chopper as he hurriedly patched up the rest of the crew. We were all bloody and bruised, but alive. And that was really the most we could hope for. I don't know what I'd do if I lost my crew.

They were my family now. Even if I knew that one day, like all families had to, I suppose, we would split up. After we found One Piece and Luffy became Pirate King. We would all finish our own aspirations if we haven't by then. Most likely alone.

...Alone. I hated that word. You think I would be used to it by now.

But not even my closest friends know that I wake up crying in the middle of the night, thinking that all this was a dream, and I was really still stuck with Arlong.

I knew I wasn't the only one afraid of the future. Sometimes, it seemed Luffy was the only one without a care in the world.

Sighing, I stared off into the ocean. Everyone on deck had headed to their rooms, opting to rest up. I volunteered with watch, so I knew I would be out here all night. It was okay, though. They needed their rest.

I settled as comfortably as possible up in the crow's nest. I shivered, realizing how cold it was, but I wasn't going back down after I had just climbed all the way up here. Leaning back on the post, I rubbed my arms.

I nearly had a heart attack when someone draped a blanket over my shoulders. I jumped up, hitting the person on the head.

"Ow, Nami! What was that for?" asked the captain of the Straw Hat Pirated. I let out a breathe, realizing it was just him.

"Baka. You can't just sneak up on people like that!"

"But I wasn't even sneaking! It's not my fault you weren't paying attention," he argued. Knowing this was already a lost battle, I sank back to the floor, clutching the warm blanket. Luffy followed my example, wincing a little.

I stared at him from the corner of my eye. He had a large bandage covering his chest where he was stabbed, almost through the heart. I remembered the scene so vividly.

I had been holding up okay on my part, but someone stabbed me in the arm. I cried out, and Luffy turned to look at what had happened. That was all it took. The sword sliced through his skin, going in from his back and out of his chest. Someone screamed then. I think it was me.

The rest however was a big blur. Somehow, we had one. But...

We almost lost our captain. And I knew, one day, one of us will be lost.

I didn't even register the fact that tears were forming in my eyes. I quickly rubbed them away, but Luffy caught them before I could.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"What's wrong?" I repeated. "You—you almost died out there! How could you be so stupid? You need to pay more attention! You could get yourself—or someone else—killed!" I was openly crying now. Because I can't stand the thought of loosing him. Losing him would be like losing myself. Maybe even worse.

He looked confused. As always. "But... You were hurt. You needed help."

I groaned, contemplating slapping him again. "That didn't matter. It was a small wound, nothing I can't handle. The point is, you need to be more careful."

"I need to protect you, too, though."

I closed my eyes, trying to stop the flow of tears. Of course Luffy wouldn't understand the importance of perseverance. Or my feelings for him.

It was inevitable, really. He saved my life. Countless times. How could I not fall in love with him after all that?

"Luffy, I wasn't the one in danger there. You were."

He sighed, looking at me strangely. Like he was trying to think something through. "I'm sorry," he finally said. "I just felt like I should protect you more. More than the rest."

I scoffed. "I'm not that weak."

"No, not like that!" he said, holding his hands out. "It's like... I know you can take care of yourself, but I don't want you to. I want to protect you and save you. In a different way than the others. I... don't understand why."

I felt butterflies start from the pit of my stomach. Was it possible that he could feel the same way about me? Sniffling, I leaned into him, throwing my arms around him. After a surprised moment, he hugged me back and we sat like that for what seemed like forever.

"Do you ever think about what will happen after we find One Piece?" I asked.

I felt him shrug. "I guess we'll all move on. I'm hoping someone will stay with me, though. You know what they say: Every king needs a queen."

Staring up at him with wide eyes, I tried to assess what he meant. Did he want me to stay. I was about to ask, but his stomach growled loudly.

"Wow, I'm really hungry. I'll talk to you later, okay, Nami?" He gave me another quick hug and jumped down from the crow's nest.

I shook my head. Yep, now that was Luffy. Surprisingly, I found myself smiling.

Maybe the end of our journey won't be so bad after all.

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A/N : Wow, this got WAY fluffier than I wanted.. Not sure I like it..

But R&R anyway! :)