Title: Sanctuary
Genre: Romance, Drama
Rating: T, just in case
Pairings: Luffy x Vivi. Don't like, don't read.
Warnings: None I know of. Everyone who wants to die of an overdose of fluff is free to read this. xD
Disclaimer: The characters aren't mine, they're Eiichiro Odas. I'm not making money with this either, I'm just screwing them up for the heck of it. xD

Well, here it is, my Oneshot for a challenge of a german LuVi-community. And it's one hell of a long story, too. -.- I mean, six word-pages?! O.o What the hell? But screw it... It was all worth it. I've put everything in this Oneshot I always wanted to write about the LuVi pairing.
But just read it. I still have a few things to say, but I guess I'll do that AFTER you read the story. xD

Enjoy!

Sanctuary

From leader to leader

The heels of white stilettos steplessly met cold marmoreal floor with a loud crash. Steps resounded echoic from the depressing, white walls, paved their way through the eardrum of the owner of those stilettos and transpired again. The hallway she ran along seemed just as endless as it was terrifying. It was so white that she almost longed for the blacking and darkness that hunted her down this path. The confused, disordered screamed words and phrases pursued her with every step she made, sounded gruesome in her ears. Over and over and over, again and again and again …

"Oh yes, run, princess! Just run!"

"Go ahead and try! You're going to fail anyway!"

"Pathetic! You're so pathetic!"

Followed by the most snotnosed and obnoxious laugh she had ever heared in her entire life. She squeazed her hazel eyes shut, tried to switch her ears to deafness, but it just wouldn't stop. The words resounded through the hallway, always on her heels, as if the speaker of those sentences was standing right next to her, but he was far and wide nowhere to be seen. And the white hallway still wouldn't come to an end.

She ran her feet bloody, literally. The white fabric of her stilettos slowly colored in a vibrating crimson red, her toes were burning like hell, but she nevertheless forced herself to run further. She couldn't and didn't want to stop running, not because of some crummy pains. She needed to save her country, she needed to prevent her country from going under. She couldn't let him win, not again.

Before she knew what was happening, the hallway had came to and end and she was facing a deep abyss. She came to a stumbling halt just one feet from the slope away, a quite cry escaped her pale lips, sweat was running down her forhead continuously. The abyss reached down into endless nowhere, just as endless as the hallway had looked, and faded into the blackest shade of black she had ever seen – it seemed to swallow up every hint of light that would ever come in touch with it.

"End of line, princess," hissed an arrogant voice behind her suddenly into the bone-crushing loud silence.

The girl turned around so appalled, stricken with fear and hastily that she almost lost her balance, her azure blue hair was flaunting like a flag of silk with every movement of her body. She stared with widened eyes right into the face of a tall man, whose scare stretched across his whole face and the cold that emanated from him was almost within reach. His provocative grin didn't miss itss target at all, her legs started shaking with fear inperceptibly and her body seemed numb. She felt such a wrath and disgust inside her that the fear was almost forgotten, but when the wearer of that green fur coat made a threateningly step in her direction, she felt her foot make one backwards almost of its own volition, the abyss seemed prehensile.

The eyes of the older man flashed up venomously and before she could realize it, his arm had transformed to granular sand, grasping her throat with lightning speed and throwing her down into the abysmal sheer. "You can't save Alabasta!" was the last thing she heared, before she sank into the darkness of the abysm with a neverending scream, death was right in front of her eyes.

The fall wasn't the worst about it at all. She could even endure the fear of death. But the cognition that her country was lost now and the notion that she would never be able to see him ever again, those were the things that made this fall so insufferable. She squeazed her eyes shut once more, she didn't want to see the impact coming, felt tears soaring up within herself, kept on falling into the depth.

The next thing she felt were two strong arms nestling around her body and chatching her gently, it was a little like falling into a bed full of soft pillows. She instantly jerked her eyes open and stared into a face she knew more than just well and it was eyeing her up exceptionally serious. His black-brown eyes seemed cold and empty, almost entirely unemotional and they were appalling her in a bizarre way.

Her lips parted, but when she said his name it seemed as if she wouldn't really by the one talking here, "Luffy … " Far away. Her voice was far away. Just as his thoughts seemed to be far away, unreachable. He didn't react to her words, in fact he wasn't even paying regard to her at all, he was just holding her in his arms, in silence and motionless. When she looked around, she noticed where they actually were, saw the walls of a strange cave tumble down, cognized grieve stone chippings falling down from the ceiling like in slow-motion.

"You failed."

She gasped hard and nearly jumped out of her skin, because even though those were words that normally someone else should have said, they had came from no other than Luffy. He was still goggling with empty eyes straight ahead, almost mesmerized, like in some kind of trance, his black hair stuck damply to his forehead, blood was dripping down his face. She opened her mouth, wanted to say something back, wanted to explain herself, but no sound escaped her throat.

"I failed," he continued and let the girl fall down to the ground carelessly, leaving her to stare up at him dumbfounded, tears gleaming in her eyes.

His hands balled to fists, blood dripped down to the ground. "We're both a miserable failure." His voice battered inside her head like an explosion, enabling her into some state of shock. Why was he saying something like that?

"He's right," said Luffy, his voice was barely more than a hoarse whisper and as cold as ice, making a painful shiver ran down her spine. "We should both just die."

"You finally realized your fate!" hissed someone directly behind the black-haired boy and let a fumy laugh resound which left a psychopatic reverberation behind. His eyes widened zealous and he pulled out the golden hook on his hand. "Watch closely, little princess," said the man and grinned beastly, making the eyes of the girl widen with fear and her hand stretching forward imploratory. The hook was just a few centimeters away from Luffy's back, but the pirate still didn't even try to get away and just stood there in obedience. "Watch your beloved pirate die voluntary!" the man screamed and gouged the hook with a dart straight through the heart of the black-haired boy.

Her scream that resounded thereupon perished harrowingly in the quiet of the night …

--- ---

Nefeltari Vivi startled out of her nightmare with a chocked cry and an expression full of fear. She looked around in bewilderment with sheer horror in her hazel eyes, catching a glimpse of the courtyard of the apalce in Arbana, feeling her hands resting on the cold marmoreal balustraide, taking in that she was sitting on a chair in front of it and everything had been nothing but a dream. Out of some kind of reflex she brought her hands to her eyes and felt moistness – she was crying. She quickly wiped her tears away and smiled, while the cool desert breeze blew through her hair and she shivered slightly.

She cuddled closer into her bathrobe and gazed out at Arbana, murmuring with a relieved smile, "I dozed off … "

The lights of the capital city were flickering calmly. A hammer banged continuously onto wood in the distance, the sound of someone pottering about something clanged – obviously, the people of Arabasta didn't even give the reconstruction of the city a rest when it was nighttime.

Of course it had only been a nightmare. They had beaten the Baroque Works and Crocodile a few days ago after all. She had seen Crocodile being tossed into the air with her own eyes after all, had experienced how everything had came to a good end. Alabasta was save. Vivi laughed quietly to herself and new tears, tears of joy, almost welled up in her eyes. She didn't fail. Luffy didn't fail. Everything was alright. They were both still alive. She didn't lose him. Everything was alright …

Or was it?

Oh, of course everything was alright. Luffy was alive. She had nursed him back to health with her own hands after all. Shortly after that he woke up and instantly had been back to his old self again. They had dinner, they had bathed, the guys had peeped on them... Everything was alright. Why was she suddenly having doubts? Gods, so maybe it had been just that confusing real, so the pain had been just that much within reach, so everything had felt just that virtual … She still knew intimately that everything was alright.

Vivi bit her lower lip and straightened up slowly, her knees shaking excpetionally violent. And what if not? What if everything else had been the real dream? What if her wish about Luffy, herself and all the others turning things to a good account again had been so strong that she had been completely blindfolded by it? What if the true nightmare had never ended? What if Luffy … Oh, screw it. She just had to look it up, that surely wouldn't be amiss. She was indeed fairly sure that everything was alright, but just looking after Luffy … That really wouldn't be amiss, now would it?

So the princess bestirred and walked alongside the whitewashed terrace corridor that lead directly to the room the strawhat pirates were currently guesting in and which Vivi temporarily slept in also. Her hands gouged into her bathrobe, keeping it close in front of her chest spasmodical. Her heart was beating demoniacal fast, painfully thrusting against her chest with every throb. Her stomach tightened, she felt queasy.

'No, don't think about something like that,' she tought forcefully and squeazed her eyes shut tightly, kept walking alongside the hallway sightlessly. 'Just don't think about something that horrible. Everything's alright. Everything's in best order. We didn't fail. We didn't fail! I didn't lose Luffy!'

The next moment her body met a half-hard, half-soft resistance and her eyes opened knee-jerkly while she fell to the ground. But before her body could hit the cold marmoreal floor, someone had grabbed her by her upper arms and hauled her back to her feet. A handsome face grinned widely at her, framed by messy, pitch-black hair and her heart made a relieved jump. "Vivi," said the person unaccustomedly gentle with a pleasant, but constantly slightly hoarse male voice, his hands were still holding her upper arms firmly. "There you are … "

Vivi gave her counterpart a sedated smile, but couldn't avoid the tears welling up in her eyes again. She knew it. She knew that she hadn't been wrong after all. Everything was alright. They didn't fail. She didn't lose Luffy. He was alright. She whispered felicitously, "Luffy … "

But the black-haired boy simply overheard it and didn't even notice the tears glimmering in Vivi's eyes, he sprightly kept on grinning. "I woke up and you weren't in your bed. So I got worried and … " But he cut himself off with a perplexed blinking and looked around in bewilderment. "What are you doing out here anyway? It's cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey. You're gonna catch a cold or something and then Chopper's going to go bananas … " And while he was saying this, he started to grind his hands up and down her arms in an attempt to rub her warm again.

Vivi grinned to herself and brought a hand to her mouth. "Oh, Luffy … " she murmured. He could be so sweet. And he was always worrying so much over her. She had never expected Luffy to be so courteous when it came to girls. Actually, she had thought that nothing would change at all. Well, basically indeed nothing changed, he was still the same, but still somewhat different from before... A little meeker, slightly matured, a lot more cheerful. She felt cozy warmth rise to her cheeks and thought almost naturally back to the exceptionally special night in Yuba where they had met just like the had done right now. Only then it had been the other way around...

--- ---

The cold desert breeze was sensible even before she opened the door leading outside. She cuddled closer into her robe and raised her eyebrows in wonder when she catched a glimpse of the black-haired boy heading straight for Toto who was digging for water in a whole in the ground in quite a distance.

"Luffy-san?" she asked quietly into the night and when he turned around to her, she felt her heart start beating wildly. And when he even gave her a warm grin, her knees practically started melting. She started fiddling about her fingers in embarrassement, a blush rushing into her cheeks. "Wh-what are you doing here? It's freezing outside, you should--"

"Don't worry so much all the time, Vivi," Luffy cut her off with a grin. "The cold doesn't bother me, really. I just wanna keep Ossan company..."

Vivi blinked puzzled. "Uncle Toto's still digging for water?" she asked more herself than the pirate, nevertheless he nodded with a smile.

"Oi … " murmured Luffy suddenly and turned away from her, his hand found its way to the back of his head, almost bashfully. "Thanks, Vivi. For being concerned over me and all. It's good to know that there's someone who's worried about me."

Heat rushed into the princess' face involuntary and she quickly waved it off in embarrassement. "N-no, that's completely understood! We're all always worried about you!" she said hastily.

And that was when the black-haired boy turned around again, smiling so gently like she had never seen him smile before. "No, I mean … It's good to know that you're always worrying over me … " he murmured and grinned bashfully, she even thought she saw a slight blush creep to his cheeks.

"Luffy-san … " she whispered in surprise, her heart was beating painfully against her chest. Did that perhaps mean what she thought it meant? "O-of course I'm worrying over you … I'm always concerned about you … " It was almost creepy how easy those words went off her tongue. And before she even knew what she was thinking, four words she had only wanted to speak in her mind were vocalized, "Because I love you … " When the words were out, Vivi instantly wished them back, she clasped her hand over her mouth appalled and when she saw that Luffy's expression came pretty near to hers, she instantly felt like crying. Damn it! Crap! Why did she say that? Why?! She hastily squeazed her eyes shut, so that her eyes couldn't water. Damn it, damn it, damn it …

Luffy was completely perplexed in the meantime, he stared downright flabbergasted at the blue-haired girl in front of him and then murmured really slowly, "What … did you just say?"

"Nothing!" escaped Vivi shrill and she shook her head, forcing a smile to her lips. "I said absolutely nothing! Just forget it!" She turned on her heels and grabbed for the doorknob. "I-I'm going back to bed! Good night, Luffy-san!"

But before she could open the door, she was being grasped at the shoulders and spinned around. And the next thing she knew was that she was pressed against the wooden door and something warm and soft met her lips. Her eyes widened as she realized what was happening right now – Luffy was kissing her. Vivi instantly started dancing on cloud nine. Calling the kiss heavenly would be still understated, putting her feeling in this very moment into words would be impossible, it was like from another world.

But before she could well and truly drown in the kiss it was over again and Luffy grinned happily at her. "Good night, Vivi!" he said cheerfully, pressed a short kiss to her cheek and was gone in Toto's direction the next moment.

Leaving Vivi confused and agitated, but happy with heated cheeks. While she was still leaning against the door, one of her hands searched its way up to her lips, lips where Luffy's mouth had still been pressed to a few seconds ago. Maybe just blurting out with it hadn't been such a bad idea after all …

--- ---

Luffy had never answered her back. But he didn't have to vocalize it for her to know that he felt the same way. He was simply showing it in his own way, with his gazes, with his touches, with his kisses... To be honest, it would sound kinda strange if Luffy would suddenly just outright tell her 'I love you'. She indeed wondered why he wasn't telling her, but it didn't really matter anyway. His trains of thoughts were complicated, very complicated. There was no way to know what was going on inside Monkey D. Luffy's head, even for her. But he definitely had his reasons for not telling her and even if it was something she wished so longingly for, she had to accept that it probably just wasn't in his nature. Luffy was a person that rather let actions speak instead of words anyway.

Yes … That was exactly that Luffy she loved so much. That she loved so much that it was almost painful. A life without him... It was unthinkable and the mere thought forced tears into her eyes again. Vivi bit her lower lip that had started to tremble questionably hard. If that nightmare had actually been reality … If she really would have lost Luffy … The pain would have been so insufferable that it probably would have killed her. Tears dropped down from her hazel eyes, ran over her pale cheeks and hit the ground.

"Luffy … " she whispered with a sob.

That was when the black-haired boy finally noticed her tears, his eyes widened and his hands wandered from her arms up to cup her cheeks gently, thus forcing her to look at him. "Hey … why are you crying?" he asked alarmed. "What happened?" And before he could take the situation fully in, the princess collapsed into his arms, entwining her arms around his waist and pressing her face firmly to his chest. The captain put his arms around her fragile body with a slightly perplexed expression, stroking her hair comforting, while she was crying bitterly, vibrated by sobs.

"Hey … " he whispered. "Please, Vivi … Stop crying … I've had to watch you cry too often lately … "

Vivi clawed for the fabric of Luffy's robe. "I-I'm sorry … I-I … " she stammered, shaken by her sobbing. "I dozed off outside and I … I had a nightmare … and … and you were … Crocodile, he … "

The eyes of the raven-haired boy instantly narrowed to furious slits and he pressed the girl in his arms only firmer against him, huddling his cheek to her head and running a hand through her hair. "It was just a dream. Crocodile won't lay his hands on anyone ever again," he said quietly. "Neither on me, nor on you or Alabasta."

The princess nodded and sniffed. "I know, but … why am I dreaming about something that terrible then?" she murmured as she constantly calmed down bit by bit. His mere prescence always managed to calm her down.

"No clue," replied the captain honestly. "Maybe you're quite simply afraid. Isn't it normal?"

Vivi shook her head vigorously and glanced up at Luffy while wiping the tears away from her eyes. "No, it's not normal," she said forcefully. "You're never afraid of anything! You're not as weak as I am and--"

"Oi!" Luffy cut her off with a serious undertone and a blank stare. "Of course I'm afraid. Over and over." He wiped new tears from her eyes, but they just wouldn't stop pouring out. "I'm afraid that something might happen to my friends. I'm afraid that I might lose you. I'm afraid that I won't see my brother ever again, or Shanks, or Makino and all the others from my hometown … I'm afraid of many things. All the time."

She leaned her forehead back against his chest almost a little defiant and breathed his scent deeply. He smelled of meat, of freedom, but mostly of hero. Luffy was simply your classic hero. That's exactly the way heroes were. They were like princesses that were concerned about their country and appeared in form of captains that had a crew to worry about. Heroes never thought about themselves, they were always just thinking about others. Just like princesses were never thinking about themselves but just about their people. Heroes and princesses – both were leaders. And it just wasn't in the nature of a leader to think about themselves.

"From leader to leader … " she murmured thoughtlessly to herself.

"Huh?" said Luffy puzzled and glanced down at her azure head of hair.

"We're all the same, aren't we?" she murmured and gazed up at him with a melancholic smile, hazel eyes met deep black ones. "My father, Dalton-san, Kohza, you, I … every leader is the same. We're always thinking we're not allowed to falter … That we have to be strong for everyone else … So that they have someone who's going to catch them when they fall … " Luffy surrounded himself in expectant silence and just listened to what she had to say. "I guess there are things only leaders understand. Like to hold back the tears whenever we feel like crying, so that nobody would notice that we're nothing but a human, too … But if no one's looking except for another leader we should allow ourselves to fall, shouldn't we?"

The raven-haired boy laughed quietly, but somehow it sounded a little bit enforced. "'Cause if we don't catch each other, then who the hell will, eh?" he replied almost a little wryly.

Vivi giggled quietly, but her laugh was also rather forced than honest. "Pretty much," she admitted.

"I'd really like to cry."

The eyes of the princess widened, Luffy's quiet confession came way too unexpected. She glanced appalled into his serious face, that vision was way too rare to not be alarmed. She had never expected Luffy to ever tell her something like that. Never.

Luffy smiled sadly. "Just for the heck of it, you know? I've seen so much crap … I think it'd do me good if I'd cry," he explained willingly, which was odd, for he usually wasn't so openly spreading his feelings to another person. "Just letting it all out once … all that fear and … well, just all the crap and stuff … You know?" He let his fall to her shoulder and embraced the princess closely, as if he feared she would vanish into thin air any minute now.

Vivi was completely agitated by his words. Her hands fondled his back and her eyes fluttered close with a sigh. "So why not just cry on my shoulder?" she whispered almost inaudibly.

Luffy shook his head and burrowed his face into her neck. "I think I've forgotten how that works," he whispered back just as quiet, the wind engulfed them and made the girl in his arms shiver involuntary, wheron he only held her closer. Cozy silence obtained for a while, in which both of them just embraced the other, listening to the others breathing. Until Luffy smiled sadly against the princess' neck and murmured, "You won't come, right?"

Vivi opened her eyes, blinking perplexed about the sudden change of subject. "Huh? Where to, Luffy?"

"With me to the sea, I mean … " said the captain and somehow managed to not sound reproachful in the slightest. "You won't come." It wasn't a question anymore but rather a down-to-earth coclusion. "I know it, you know it. The others know, too."

Vivi bit her lower lip. "Why are you saying this?" she asked, her voice trembling. She had swamped this little complication skillfully out until now. Why did he have to raise that topic just now? Why couldn't he just enjoy the time they still had left?

"'Cause nobody else does," was his simple answer, his hot breath tickled the sensitive skin of her neck. "As much as I want you to come … you won't, right?" And much to his surprise his eyes started to burn, it was a strange feeling, but comforting at the same time.

The princess tried spasmodical to not start crying again, while stammering quietly, "I … It's not because I don't want to come … b-but..."

"I know," he cut her off and sighed inwardly. "And I understand you, Vivi. Really, I do." He aspirated a gentle kiss to her neck and closed his eyes. Strange. His eyes were watering. Really strange. Was that the reason he had raised this subject? So that he could cry for a change?

"Luffy … " she choked out in a whisper and pressed herself so close to him that even a piece of paper wouldn't have space between them anymore. "I … I don't wanna leave you!"

The captain smiled doleful to himself. "I know," he repeated and much to his surprise a tear actually poured out from his eye and hit the pale skin of the bluette. He blinked in bewilderment and started grinning involuntary. "Hey, Vivi, guess what? I've almost died so many times, almost lost my friends, watched my idol lose his arm, watched people dying, saw how horrible the world really is … But imagining you not being with me is somehow the only thing that makes me cry. Funny, eh?"

Vivi shook her head, but couldn't avoid to laugh, even though it sounded almost a little desperate. "Not funny at all, you imbecile," she sobbed inwardly. There it was again. A hidden message. A silent declaration of love.

Luffy snickered to himself. "Oi, but don't look, okay?" he pointed out rather half-heartedly. "Or else I'm gonna lose my dignity and all."

Vivi laughed quietly and quickly wiped the tears from her eyes. "Don't worry, it'll be our little secret," she whispered and ran a hand through his soft, black hair.

"Heh … A secret between leaders, eh?" When the princess nodded with a giggle, Luffy sighed heavily and inhaled her scent as deeply as possible, so that he would never ever forget what Vivi had smelled like – vanilla and rose petals, got it. "Oi … Even if we both know that I've gotta leave you behind … Let's just pretend you'll come for now?" he asked inwardly, almost entreating.

Vivi nodded with a grieved smile. "Okay … " Just pretend as if … That was Luffy for you. But after a thought, her eyelids closed halfway to a sad expression. "Will you ever come back, Luffy?" she whispered so choked that it made you think it would cost her a lot of overcoming to ask that question.

The raven-haired boy looked up and backed away only so much that he was able to see her face, his eyes showed pure insurrection. "Of course I'll come back! Really, what kind of question is that?" he asked with a playful grin, nothing showed that a tear had traced down his cheek only a few moments ago. "As soon as I'm king of pirates I'll come back to get my queen. And then … " He smiled mischievously at her. " … I won't accept a 'no' anymore! Got it?"

Vivi couldn't help but smile back happily. "Got it," she nodded, absolutely convinced by his words.

The captain smiled contentedly and closed his eyes while letting his forehead rest against hers. "It's a promise, Vivi," he murmured. "And I always keep my promises."

"A promise between leaders?" joked the princess half-heartedly.

A grin. "No … " Luffy cupped her face with both hands and pressed a soft, but way too short kiss to her lips. "A promise between fiancés. Okay?" he grinned and took her hands in his.

"What?!" Vivi shrieked startled, blood rushing to her cheeks. Had she heared that right? "A-are you serious?" she asked, her eyes widening.

Luffy nodded two, four, six, eight times. "Of course I'm serious. Or do I look like I'm kidding here?" He stared demonstratively serious at her, which looked simply ridiculous.

The princess laughed wholeheartedly and instantly threw her arms around his neck. "I love you … " she whispered tenderly and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek.

The captain laughed quietly. "I know," he simply said.

Deep down inside her heart Vivi was somewhat disappointed that he still hadn't said it. But whatever. She knew that he loved her after all. So he didn't have to say it out loud. After all, he had cried on her shoulder, told her things he usually never entrusted other people with, even became engaged to her just now … Of course Luffy loved her. He didn't have to tell her with words. Not yet.

"So you're going to wait for me?" Luffy sprightly broke the silence and smiled at her with his incredibly cute grin.

Vivi rolled her eyes with a smile and shook her head. "Goofball … Of course I'm going to wait," she replied.

The captain pursed his lips to a played pout. "Promise me," he claimed.

Vivi giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck, their lips were only a few inches away from each other. "I promise," she whispered and gently pressed her lips to his mouth. Luffy launched out a quiet sound of surprise first, but then started to kiss her back, even though much more passionate than Vivi had started it.

After the princess broke the kiss for the sake of air, she bit her lower lip, grinning. "Let's go get a midnight snack, okay? I'm kinda hungry … " she admitted mischievously.

Luffy's eyes widened enthusiastic and he grabbed for her hand so fast that she didn't even realize it until he started dragging her along with him. "Jeez, Vivi! You're really the best wife a future Pirate King could wish for!" he exclaimed excitedly and set forth straight for the palace kitchen.

Vivi laughed wholeheartedly with a hand in front of her mouth and just let Luffy lead her. What a night. Time had passed by so fast that she wished she could live through everything again, over and over. Mostly the part with the engagement – which had taken place entirely without a proposal, a ring or an obligatory declaration of love. But that was simply Luffy's style. Him kneeling down in front of her, saying 'I love you' and giving her the ring? No, really not. The mere imagination made her surpress a laugh. No, she really couldn't imagine Luffy ever doing something like that.

Besides, she didn't need all that. Being in love with Monkey D. Luffy meant to do without all that romantic nonsense and she reliquished with pleasure if that meant they could just be together.

And who knew what was bound to happen when years passed by anyway. Maybe one day she would hear those three words she had longed for him to say after all …

Owari

Author's notes:

Wow... Corny or not corny, that is the question. I'd say... definitely CORNY TO DEATH! xD

Apart from Luffy and Vivi being OOC to the absurdism this story drifted off so much, it's almost creepy. O.o I actually wanted to write something WHOLE DIFFERENT! But then this idea of Luffy's never existend "I love you" occured to me and that was the point when my whole concept went south... (lol)

For example, it was never planned that Luffy and Vivi were a couple to begin with. Or that Vivi cries out of her own will... Actually, Luffy was supposed to "force" her to like in Yuba by saying he'd cry with her if she lets it all out... And LUFFY was originally planned to give VIVI the "from leader to leader" speech... And they actually weren't supposed to get engaged! xD

But all of it went so easy from my hand and it matches the sequel to this story, Thousand Tears Through, so well. Before I knew it I had finished this story and thought, "Screw it! It's all the same in the end..."

So... Questions about this story, about Luffy's non existend "I love you" and his reason behind it, if he really returns to her, if they're really going to get married... You'll find out in Thousand Tears Through! xD