MY ORANGE ANGEL

He didn't know how it happened. To be frank, he didn't even know it would happen—it just did. He didn't think that he would come across some sort of coincidence that a "mysterious feeling"—or a burning flame—would just burst into his chest. He didn't expect to see the world in a different way, to look at something, or someone, so… so… oh, I don't know, so lovingly and tenderly? But he still did. And truthfully, he wouldn't have it any other way.

It all started when this unusually orange-haired girl came to his school and walked into his life. Actually, she didn't walk to him—he did. And it wasn't in the ordinary way a normal high school boy should. He was really rude back then (well, that's what she said).

In a certain day in the midst of Spring, busy and noisy the students were, there was no hindrance for her to successfully introduce herself to the new class. The teacher hushed his pupils, giving way for her melodic voice to be heard by her astounded classmates. Everyone looked at her like she was an angel with long, wavy, tangerine hair and a smile set to catch each of their attentions—including his.

His first impression was exactly like everyone else's. She was nice, bright, and down to earth. She had no trouble socializing with new people, a trait similar to his. She followed their previous and current lessons easily and raised her ranking in the school faster than anyone could. In conclusion, she was almost perfect. Almost…

If it wasn't for her bossy and mean attitude.

His first verbal action to her wasn't at all the same from his other classmates. Their exchange of names was good, however.

"Nami. Nice to meet you." She said with a beam, raising her hand.

"The name's Luffy!" He grinned, grabbing her fair hand and shook them.

He didn't even know how it happened. First few heartbeats were delightful, as if he was really enjoying her presence. The next thing you know, when he eyed another orange object from her bag and thought of eating it, his daylights were punched out of him. And her presumably soft palms ended up as a hard hitting fist on his head, leaving a swollen bump on it.

Oh, she was no angel. She was evil—and just plain mean.

And from that moment, this was what Luffy plastered into his mind, covering his first perfect impression of this daunting woman.

Despite the optimistic remarks Luffy's friends gave him, he refused to believe them. He solely trusted his instincts—and his unforgettable bump. A few months and he just looked at her with doubtful eyes, accusing her of being a liar.

"Just look at her!" He would exclaim at Sanji and Zoro. "She's playing with you guys with that, that… that innocent looking smile of hers!" Oh, he would shout at their ears normally, too.

But his friends, and soon all of his classmates, and even the other students from other classes liked her. Ussop told him that he shouldn't judge her with that one incident, but Luffy would just grunt in annoyance. They were just being tricked, he always thought to himself. She only looked naïve and innocent and nice and lovable and everything that makes everything sweet. But Luffy knew to himself that pretty Nami was just scamming them all. Heck, he won't care about her anymore! He'll just ignore her, despite the thought that all his close friends were on her side now.

"Then how did you come up with all those compliments, all the while hating her?" Zoro asked calmly, answering his dark-haired friend's complains again.

"I-I am not praising her! No way! I'm only saying my first impressions to her." Luffy yelled, hinting a bit of pink in his cheeks.

"Yeah?" He was more annoying than the blondie, the aspiring swordsman thought.

"Yeah! Hell yeah! Damn right, yeah!"

Yeah, Luffy didn't like her. He loathed her (if he even knew what that word meant). He ignored Sanji's invitations for Nami's study group. He disregarded Ussop's opposing statements about his "bad" view of the orange-haired girl. He didn't even listen to Robin when she was telling a story of her having a great time with Nami. Oh, Luffy didn't like Nami at all. He didn't. She's just a meanie and a bossy girl.

Then, came Fall—and a late afternoon of change.

An hour already passed after the bell rang, and the school was almost empty of students. A few upcoming Winter breezes shifted the curtains of the classroom where an angel with hair as orange as the sky stood by the windows. Her hazelnut eyes looked onto the horizon, staring to the unknown, not knowing that the only boy who disliked her was outside. His black eyes passed through the door's glass window and looked at the only figure inside the room.

For a second, Luffy thought she wasn't the girl he thought he saw. He didn't see the same smile he'd see everyday, just a plain face. Her eyes didn't seem to sparkle like the way he just saw them the whole day. And more importantly, she didn't look like the angel he thought of her before. What he eyed was just a girl named Nami. And he didn't know her. He never even met this person.

What he saw was no bright and shining angel; she was broken—or at least that's what he sees. Her eyes showed no bliss, her face no flame. From another's point of view, they'd state of seeing a depressed girl. But what Luffy's eyes laid upon was a girl, a lady, a broken-winged angel. He could see an ocean of tears welling in her eyes and a smile—formed into a lonely one—that practically killed him. He didn't know why, but somehow, somewhere deep inside his simple-minded brain, he knew he had to do something. He had to know something. He had to mend her wings.

The next day, he asked Robin if she knew something about Nami no one knew about. The wise lady thought for a moment, seeming to be anxious of her reply. But she told Luffy otherwise. There, the black-haired boy discovered the past of his "disliked girl". And it was cruel—crueler than his, actually. Seconds after Robin left him dumbfounded, he found himself confused. For someone like him, he knew Nami's "secret" attitude may be a result of her life before. But still, he couldn't quite get the connection between the Mikan keychain from the story he just listened to (or maybe he was just that stupid).

But for someone idiotic like him, he still cared. Even if he spent the last few months eyeing her like she was the worst thing he ever ate, he couldn't deny that the way he looks at her now was different. Truthfully, he was just sorry—and that's the first thing he wanted her to hear from him.

He walked to her desk, where she was casually chatting with her friends (even Robin was there). With each step, his heartbeat deafened him with anxiety and pity and regret. He wanted to say sorry, something that's not new for him. But Nami was different. He realized that he was the bad person all this time, hating a girl that simply hit him on the head and had a heart-breaking past. Besides, she wasn't the first person who hit him.

"Nami?"

"Oh, Luffy. Is something wrong?" The orange angel smiled at him like nothing happened the last time they talked.

For someone who wasn't new in apologizing, this was hard. Look at him—he didn't even know where to start. Sure, he'd say "sorry". Then what? Think Luffy, think.

"I… I'm…" He gulped. Nami just blinked. Seconds later, she smiled. Luffy just gaped at her, this time he was the one who blinked.

"Robin told me." She took a step forward, towards him. "It's alright. I'm not mad. It's not a secret, really. I just didn't like telling people about it." Then she looked away and blushed, like the innocent angel everyone sees in her.

But before she could speak again, strong arms wrapped themselves around her fair ones. One blink and she felt his breath on her shoulder, his chin slightly trembling. Nami's eyes widened, her brown eyes following the figure that was currently—and was surprisingly—hugging her. And for the second time, before she could even ask, he spoke.

"Thank you."

A year passed after Nami transferred into the school, and she's finally a senior. All of them had new classes, new classmates and new lives. Robin, luckily, was in the same room as she was. Zoro was too, and Ussop and Sanji (still calling her and Robin his "Mellorines"). And yes, Luffy was too.

Ever since last Spring, Luffy knew some things would change the moment a certain angel came into his life. He tried to like her, befriend her, but ended up hating her. Well, he just wanted to know if that Mikan keychain on her bag was palatable or not (but frankly, he was about to eat it whatever it was). So he got hit on the head while hearing her yell, "Don't you dare touch that! It's not a real Mikan, so don't eat it, stupid!"

Then he learned her past, her life before, how painful it was and how much suffering she had to endure before she could even smile genuinely. He felt sorry and regretted disliking her. So he apologized…

And after that, they became closer than anyone expected them to be. In a fewer words, they were basically inseparable. Then Luffy confessed to her (being the idiot he was) that even when that time he hated her, he still looked at her. Well, his first reason was because he just eyed her and somehow thought that looking at her would make his friends realize her "mean side". But then he discovered that that wasn't the real reason. Deep down, so deep he didn't even know until some time, he knew he liked looking at her. Somehow, he just wanted to look at her and stare at her smile, to just see what else she'd show as the perfect angel as she is, to know if some kind of flame would launch out of her and make him feel like there was no tomorrow. And it did. But it didn't come from her, the fire started inside of him.

Of course, naïve Luffy wouldn't know what it meant—until Robin told him what it was. And he just smiled.

Luffy started liking Nami.

She had a bright smile. She was nice, and sociable, and bubbly and all. She was smart and pretty and beautiful and perfect. And despite the terrible past, the mean attitude, the weird obsession for Mikans, the bossy side, the scary face when she's mad, the hard and painful fist, he didn't mind.

He wouldn't have her any other way.

"Why are you… thanking me?"

"Because I know…" Nami felt his chin move on her shoulder, whispering. "…you've heard thousand of 'sorry's'. So, instead…"

He pulled away, and looked at her eyes for the first time, and realized that she had the most beautiful eyes. He grinned at her, showing his teeth, and spoke in the most innocent way. She could feel his heartbeat, calming her like she was home, at peace. And for the first time in the longest time, Nami smiled with tears in her eyes.

"Thank you for being an angel, Nami."