A/N: HEY EVERYONE!!! I AM BACKKKKK!!! AAAAAAAHHHH!!! Omg I haven't posted anything for almost SIX MONTHS!! SIX MONTHSSSSS!! Crazy stuff...sheesh....So this is my second One Piece fanfic! First one was written over a year ago, so it's been a while. =P I suppose this is a nice fic to come back on! Lots of LuNa fluff and such xD. Hehehehe IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK!!!
Italics - flashback
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He had done nothing. Nothing at all to stop it from happening. Staring down at his navigator's now-sleeping form, Luffy clenched his fists tightly against his thighs, the pain of his nails digging into his skin barely noticeable against his inner turmoil. He couldn't keep his eyes off the bandages encircling her right shoulder and chest, illuminated by an eerie spotlight of moonshine.
"Why, Nami?...........Why am I so………", he whispered, trailing off before letting out a sigh of frustration. Unclenching his fists, he pulled his hat down over his eyes, trying not to focus on the stark white of the bandages, and the blood stains he knew were forming underneath.
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There were swarms of them. Marines with swords, marines with guns, all scampering towards him with murderous determination.
Luffy smirked. Didn't they have any idea who they were dealing with?
He laughed as his nakama began arguing as to who would take out which side of the advancing army. Pleased and excited, Luffy raced forward with a grin and took out a dozen soldiers with his Gum-Gum Whip. Switching to Gatling mode, twenty more went down. Glancing behind him, he assessed his crewmates' situations.
All appeared to be holding their own despite being clearly outnumbered. Hiding behind the mast, Usopp gave him a thumbs-up as he readied a tabasco boshi. Robin shot him a quick wink before breaking the backs of three enemies.
Giggling to himself, Luffy scanned the crowd for the glimpse of orange hair that was sure to be close-by. He frowned, however, when no such glimpse was to be found. Knitting his brow, he checked again. 'Where are ya, Nami?' His search was interrupted by a sudden clatter behind him. Whipping his head around, he barely had time to duck before Nami's climatact hurtled by, inches from clobbering him.
"Nami?!", he called, his voice now ripped with concern as he nervously scrambled to his feet. Leaving his crewmates behind, he raced to the upper deck in the direction from which the climatact had fallen.
Panic shot through him as his friend appeared in his view, cornered against a wall, and being held at gunpoint by a marine.
"You bastard!", Nami growled, glaring intensely at the man. "You could've broken my fucking ankle!"
The marine merely chuckled. "Big talk for someone who's just lost their weapon!" For emphasis, he stepped forward, driving t he gun closer.
"Nami!!!!", Luffy cried, deciding to make himself known. "Wh-What're you doing?!" 'Stupid question,', he thought as he tried to control the unexplainable shivers that now wracked his body.
Nami's eyes flashed heatedly with an emotion Luffy couldn't quite name. Forcing a bitter laugh, she shot an annoyed glance in his direction.
"Heh, what does it look like I'm doing, idiot?! I'm in the middle of a fight so just get out of here! I can handle it!" She swore inwardly when her voice broke. She swore again when she saw that Luffy hadn't moved. He was still standing, rooted to the same spot, staring blankly at her.
"Urgh, Luffy! I don't need your help! Now leave and go help the others! I-I'll be fine!" Struggling to maintain her composure, her breathing picked up and sweat beaded on her forehead.
But Luffy just stood there, frozen as if from shock. He always obeyed Nami, so why now of all times did he feel an overwhelming desire to go against her wishes? He needed to protect her at all costs, yet he couldn't find the strength to move, let alone tear himself away from the intensity her confused and fearful eyes bore into him.
"Luffy?", she questioned meekly, her breath hitching briefly before calling out desperately, "I TOLD YOU TO RUN!!!"
However, her attempt at snapping him out of whatever daydream he was in was to no avail.
The marine raised a bushy eyebrow. "What's wrong with you, boy? Aren't you going to kill me and save your girlfriend? No? Well then someone needs to die!" He smirked. "Ladies first, I say!"
The gunshot was deafening.
It tore through Luffy's senses, storming through his chest and effectively shattering his heart in one blow as he watched, in horror, his navigator fall.
He hadn't realized he was screaming her name.
Quakes of anger shook through him as he sprinted forward, fist clenched, ready to beat the living hell out of the soldier. With one powerful punch, he connected with the enemy's jaw, snapping his neck, and sending his body crashing into the wall behind.
Following quickly in a blind rage, he continued to punch and beat the dead marine with all his might.
Tremulous sobs began to shake through him as his momentum slowed. Two pairs of hands pulled him off the marine, and he crumbled to his knees, his grief uncontrollable as he writhed under the hands, raking his fingers through his hair.
"I couldn't…..I let him………….NAMI!!!....", shaking miserably, the world began to crumble around him. He had been unaware until this moment what his only guiding force had been. A single light, now snuffed out, that led him to fall deeper and deeper into darkness.
…………………………………………………………………………………
A violent shake of his shoulders brought him back.
"Luffy? Luffy, listen to me! Calm down! She's alive, okay? It'll be alright!"
Zoro's voice cut through the unbearable loneliness.
And the light shone again.
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Luffy shuddered, trying to force the memory of the day's events out of his mind.
Sitting up straighter, he looked back over at Nami. The moonlight had changed angle, no longer shining on her bandaging, but now illuminating her face, making her appear deathly pale and still.
He let out an involuntary whimper and rushed to her side. Cautiously, he laid a hand on her chest and waited until he felt the steady rise and fall of her breathing, the beat of her heart. He sighed, relieved, and eased his temple to her forehead, shutting his eyes.
"Jeez, you scared me……", he murmured.
A moment passed before another voice was heard.
"Uh, Luffy, what are you doing?"
Startled, Luffy's eyes flew open to see Nami staring back at him.
"Nami! You're awake!" Elated, he laughed and hugged her tight. Still smiling, he brushed his nose to hers affectionately. "I'm so glad you're okay….."
Another moment passed.
"Luffy, can I have my face back?"
Realizing his forehead was still glued to hers, Luffy blushed.
"Oh, uh, sorry!", he said, pulling away and grinning sheepishly.
Nami smirked and started to sit up, wincing a bit when she moved her shoulder.
Instinctively, Luffy reached out to steady her, but then with a sudden hesitance brought his hand back to his side. It was his fault she was injured in the first place.
With that thought in mind, he lowered his eyes. Biting his lip to keep it from trembling, he tried to quell the oncoming catharsis that was rising within him.
Nami, in turn, frowned, noticing her friend struggling for composure.
"Are you okay?", she questioned, then started a bit when Luffy blurted out,
"I'm sorry!" It was the first phrase he could form out of the many swirling around in his mind.
Nami blinked in surprise, then gave an exasperated sigh.
"Luffy, you don't have to apologize; you're not the one who did this to me! Besides, I'm fine now so-----."
"No, Nami! Just listen to me, okay?!", he insisted, his voice growing louder.
Hearing the waver in her captain's voice, Nami stopped, eying him with mixed concern and confusion.
"I…….I was weak, Nami. I didn't try to stop the marine. I didn't even listen to you! I didn't do anything…….I just stood there like an idiot….."
"Luffy, you weren't-----!"
"I was!", he interrupted again, raising his gaze to meet hers, frustration and intensity reflected in his eyes. "I think…..I think you should stay away from me……from now on. Lately, I seem to……..lose control of myself when I'm around you. And I don't want to hurt you. So I think you should stay away." He continued to stare into her eyes as he spoke, the pain of his decision making itself known as his voice broke.
Nami rolled her eyes. "What do you mean 'stay away'? Should I go stand on the opposite side of the ship when you're around? How are you 'losing control'?"
At this, Luffy felt his face heat up, ears turning red with the sudden blush. Quickly, he pulled his hat down further.
"I-I don't know! I'll just……when I see you I'll…..I'll look at you, and I'll start breathing weird, a-and sometimes…..I wanna t----." He stopped short and crossed his arms. "I can't tell you! It's a secret!"
She sighed again. "And it's such a huge secret that you can't tell me of all people."
He nodded. "It's such a huge secret that I especially can't tell you of all people. Look, it's just a weakness that I'll have to sort out if I ever wanna be strong…."
Nami narrowed her eyes, shaking her head in disbelief.
"How the heck can you just call yourself weak, Luffy? You're the strongest person I know!"
"I let that guy shoot you. I did nothing to stop it.", he answered bitterly, his voice wrought with guilt and shame.
"That's in the past, Luffy! And in case you haven't noticed, I'm fine!.....How can you say you've done nothing when you've done more for everyone on this ship than anyone ever has?!", she spit out in anger and frustration.
When he said nothing, she gripped his shoulders, forcing him to look at her.
"Luffy. I trust you, okay? I trust y ou more than anyone. But how can I…..how can all of us…..trust you if you can't trust yourself."
She slid her hands up and down his arms briefly in an attempt to comfort him before continuing.
"So please. Please don't say you want me to stay away from you. Because," She gave a small smile, a blush creeping up her face. "I've never wanted to stay with someone more in my entire life."
Silence bore down on them, and she bit her lip, unsure of herself. She frowned when a smug expression crept across his face.
"Y'know, Nami,", he grinned and plopped his hat down on her head. "I've decided you're allowed to know my secret now!"
She scoffed. "Oh you have, have you?"
He nodded. "But I don't want you to hear it. I want you to feel it."
With that, he raised a hand and brushed his fingertips to his lips, breathing out three meaningful syllables before placing the same hand over her heart.
"Can you feel it?", he whispered, grinning expectantly.
She giggled at the innocent gesture, beaming up at him as she nodded.
Luffy smiled hugely and pressed a kiss to her temple.
"Good!", he replied before letting his head drop onto her good shoulder.
"I've also decided….that you don't have to stay away from me anymore.", he added with a yawn.
Nami smirked. "Wasn't planning on it, captain…."
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A/N: Ahhh yes so there you have it!! Man I hope they weren't too OOC! Although I think it's really hard to keep Luffy in character period when he's involved with any sort of romance! =P HAH I wrote this when I had a fever so I hope it turned out okay! Thanks for reading! =)