Hey there,
I have no idea why, but this plot bunny just popped up in my mind and refused to leave, so I wrote it down to get it out of my system.
I would like to write a whole story around this scene, but that probably won't happen anytime soon.
(Someone out there, who would like to write the awesome fighting scene? I really suck at action.)
Summary
Her eyelids were really heavy now. She could barely keep them open.
"… I'm so tired, Luffy … just let me close my eyes for a bit …"
"No. You can't."
"… please, Luffy … just for a moment …"
"No! Captain's Order!"
She locked her brown eyes with his black ones.
"… you're cruel, Luffy …"
"I know …"
Disclaimer
You all know how it is.
The characters aren't mine.
The story is inspired by everything I ever read or watched, so possibly occurring similarities aren't attempts at stealing anything.
If someone feels imitated or thinks I stole an idea or something, please tell me and I'll correct it.
English isn't my first language and I don't have a beta, yet (someone interested?) but I tried my best to avoid mistakes.
Read, enjoy, review, don't be too harsh with criticism.
Unpredictable
He stood over the man now lying beaten on the ground in a relatively calm fashion, considering the fierce and brutal fight they just finished. His straw hat dangled loosely behind his back, untouched, while his red cardigan, which exposed the X-shaped scar covering most of his chest, his blue trousers and his yellow stash looked considerably battered.
The captains face no longer showed any signs of the anger and utter resentment he felt towards his enemy, which had been there plain for everyone to see only moments before. Instead it held a composed expression.
The battle was over.
Finally.
He won.
End of story.
Several feet behind him stood his navigator, still slightly bewildered from the past events, and tried to gather her thoughts.
In the background the rest of his crewmembers were making their way to the scene of action.
The captain's black eyes never strayed from his adversary, though, who was trying hard not to grimace from the immense pain he felt at that moment and to get his irregular breathing under control again.
"It's not over, yet, Straw Hat!" he managed to force out between strained breaths.
"It is. You lost. You can't even stand up in your condition."
With greatest difficulties, the man lying defeated on the floor struggled to raise his left arm. His standing opponent tensed in reaction and in preparation for a possible new attack - only to loosen up again when the latest try to assault him turned out to be a gun directly aimed at his heart.
"I don't have to stand up to achieve my goal."
Letting out an almost annoyed sign, the black haired pirate turned seemingly tired eyes back to the face of his soon-to-be attacker.
"That won't work on me."
Nasty green eyes flashed with the promise of something dreadful.
"… really …"
The bang that followed was unsurprising.
The widening of black eyes was not.
Neither were the horrified screams of his crewmates in the background.
"… if I can't have her, nobody will …"
Turning around as fast as unhumanly possible, the straw hats captain searched the eyes of his navigator – only to find them as wide as his own.
Slowly lowering her head and simultaneously raising her left hand to the lower left side of her abdomen, she was stunned to find a red thick liquid covering the whole inside of her hand as soon as she took it away again.
Drawing her eyebrows together it took a moment before the whole situation registered in her brain.
"… damn …"
She had barely uttered the expletive when her legs started to give out under her.
"Nami!"
He was at her side in a flash, catching her toppling form and cradling it against his stronger one.
"Nami!"
"Luffy … "
Dazed brown eyes turned to the man in question.
"I … I didn't notice …"
He ignored the beginning of her unnecessary apology in order to loosen his stash as quickly as he could and tied it tightly around his navigator's waist to stop the wound's profusely bleeding, but it didn't take long for the yellow material to be completely soaked in the crimson fluid.
"Damn it!"
Pressing his right hand firmly onto the wound and muttering a quick "Sorry" in answer to the painful hiss at his action, he raised his head in the direction of his fast approaching crew members.
„Chopper, hurry up!"
There was a trace of fear in his voice that wasn't often heard coming from him and the person nearest to him noticed.
Following the progress of his friends impatiently he didn't notice right away when a sad and almost resigned expression set onto his navigator's face.
If Luffy was actually worried…
"It's bad, isn't it?"
That brought his attention back to the woman in his arms immediately.
"You will be fine! Chopper is almost here! He knows what to do and he is the best so don't you worry!"
But deep down he knew that he tried to reassure mostly himself. Even he was aware of the severity if a wound bleeding as heavily as hers.
If they couldn't stop it soon…
"CHOPPER!"
"I'm here!"
The little reindeer plopped down beside his two friends even before his captain finished the shout and started to examine his newest patient right away. With every passing second his facial expression grew more worried and he tried frantically to find the source of the still flowing red liquid.
"He must have hit quite a large vessel but I can't find it!"
"You have to hurry!" was the almost immediate reply.
"I'm trying, Luffy! But I can't see anything with this amount of blood!"
"Do something!" came the frantic retort.
The heated exchange was interrupted by softly spoken words.
"… it's okay guys ... it doesn't even hurt anymore … I'm just a little tired …"
That drew the attention of doctor and captain instantly back to their injured companion.
"The blood loss starts to affect and dull her senses…"
The black haired pirate closed his eyes and had to clench his teeth hard to suppress the need to yell again.
They had to do something about it already!
"Luffy, you can't let her close her eyes!"
Two pairs of black eyes locked.
"No matter what, she has to stay awake. She can't sleep now! If she does, she may not wake up again…"
A serious nod.
"Got it."
As the little reindeer went back to locate the source of the bleeding, his captain adjusted his hold on the woman still in his arms and turned all of his attention to the task at hand.
"You heard that Nami, we have to keep you busy somehow until Chopper is finished with fixing you."
"… but I'm really rather tired …"
He didn't like the fatigue prominent in her voice. At all.
"Doesn't matter! You'll stay awake!"
"… you're loud …"
"You always say that!" was the almost amused reply and the trace of a smile found its way on the face of the pirate's captain.
"… because you are …"
"That's good, Luffy. Keep her talking." came the input from the busy doctor.
"… and annoying …"
"Annoying enough to keep you awake, I promise!"
Despite that there was a short moment of heavy silence between them.
"… Luffy … I'm sorry about before … I shouldn't have …"
"Hush, Nami. Stop trying to apologize for something like that! It doesn't matter anyway!"
"… but …"
"No buts!"
He sounded serious once more now and his face was set in a determined expression.
"I knew you didn't mean what you said back then the moment you said it. So stop sounding like it's your last opportunity to apologize for things in the past. Because it's not, you hear me!"
This heavy silence again.
"… I don't think I can stay awake much longer, Luffy …"
But he had already noticed that in the way her voice slurred and her tone grew softer with every word.
"You have to …"
"… I'm so tired, please let me go to sleep for a while. You can wake me up in a few minutes again … "
"No. You have to stay awake."
Her eyelids were really heavy now. She could barely keep them open.
"… I just … just want to rest my eyes for a moment ... I promise ... just let me close them for a second … "
His grip on her tightened as he tried badly to prevent her from getting her much needed, but currently not allowed rest.
"No! You can't!"
Her eyelids drooped lower and lower anyway.
"Stay awake Nami!"
His yell registered barely in her dulled mind.
"… I'm so tired, Luffy … just let me close my eyes for a bit …"
"NO! I won't let you!"
Her eyes were almost shut completely …
"… please, Luffy … just for a moment …"
"No! Captain's Order!"
… and flew open again at those grave, although slightly desperate words.
Raising her head as best as she could, she locked her brown eyes with his black ones.
She would never freely go against serious orders from her captain.
And the bastard knew it too.
She had an exhausted, but understanding smile on her face when she addressed him next.
"… you're cruel, Luffy …"
"I know …"
"… please, try to stay awake for little longer …"
"… I will …"
Oh my god! Oh my god!
What happens next?
I don't know!
Suggestions?
