Funny How Love Works

WARNINGS: Time skip... big time skip-ish. More of a 4 year time skip after the two year time skip so Luffy will be like 23 years old-ish~. OOC-ness...


It was a quiet night. Stars way above twinkled like fireflies in various hues. occasionally the shooting star would come soaring passed in the sky, making childish dreams ignite as children would pray and wish for a wish to come alive and true. The moon itself dominated the sky's glory, its submissive white glow glorified by the hidden sun brought the light to the calm blue ocean. Its beams basked a decent ship in the open ocean, no lights on.

It was obvious the occupants of the said ship, that looked like a sunny lion, were asleep. In the ship and in a large feminine looking room, and resting on a large, extremely comfy bed, hidden within its cocoon of blankets of various hues and colors, was a young female. Her long black hair was sprawled out on the frilly pink pillow beneath her head she was clutching along with the blankets.

"Ice... cream..." the young female, Luffy, grumbled, rolling and tangling herself more in her blankets. It had been two years since she and her nakama had reunited. A total of four years together out at seas, a total of six years as nakama under one single flag starting at Luffy's departure from Dawn Island out way in the East Blue.

... The sea they were currently hanging out in for the heck of it.

They had grown quite a lot as a whole crew over their years together and the hardships they faced. The challenges in both battle and in their bonds with one another, testing them to even beyond the extremes. Luffy herself, had changed, She had matured (somewhat) and grew stronger with the aid and support of those around her.

In strength and looks her maturity was most evident and if you had known her as long as her friends did (even they had to pay attention to notice this) you would see her own personality had matured somewhat. Her breasts had grown again, rivaling the number one fan of Luffy's, Hancock's, own breasts. Her black hair had more volume to it, cascading past her shoulders and down her back, just some inches above her perfect wide hips of her generous hourglass body that could rival any perfect dancer. Her eyes had grown larger and more feminine. The dark brown now a caramel brown that forever twinkled with warmth and laughter of a child. Her skin had lightened up to a nice creamy moon color of sort with just some barely noticed tan. Her lips were softer than rose petals, forever kissing the sea. Luffy looked more mature, yet still held that innocence to her. Like her ever shining eyes, or her still child-like voice that was forever kind. All balanced out by her forever scar on her left cheek and the 'x' upon her chest. the scar a now very faded 'x', still visible on the chest, lighter than her skin.

She wasn't afraid to cry now, she never held the tears back when she lost a loved one or came so terribly close to losing a friend. Her fury was more evident when you insulted someone she held at heart and her strength and will was formidable. She wasn't now too afraid to look a little more feminine (which Nami is very thankful for).

A worthy opponent in all aspects... to the naked eye that is.

What most didn't know was that Luffy wasn't strong in her sleep. Not the 'I can kiss your ass in my sleep' sort of thing, but when she surrendered to the black conciousness of sleep, her dreams took control... and her nightmares as well.

Luffy hardly ever had a nice dream as years went on. She began to think back at her battles, and always came to one conclusion with on in particular. The conclusion had brought its nightmares when Luffy turned twenty-one, the very day of her birthday she came to the grim conclusion of luck. The young captain had thought long and hard on the topic after she had over heard Chopper and Usopp reminiscing on the fateful battle with CP-9, the World Government agent assassins.

She had a nightmare that very night of them, or more in paticular of the man she nearly lost to. His dark wavy hair held back, his tall, muscular slim body of a cat. His dark eyes always so cold and menacing as they looked down on her. Luffy didn't like that nightmare. It came at least four times a week, almost to the point she was afraid to go to sleep and see those eyes and his powerful form towering over her.

It had been clearly obvious to her that luck must have been on her side that day, and the powerful element of surprise and the tough agent repeatedly underestimating her skills and strength. Will power also played a vital role, and the fact Usopp came at the right moment as well. Luffy also knew very well if that man survived the Buster Call, which the CP-9 former agents did... and were now back in play as Coby so kindly informed her, he surely would not have just lounged back. He would have gotten stronger as she had, Luffy would say, and she hated to admit this, she would lose if they ever fought again.

Wasn't it natural to suddenly be paranoid of the fact that pigeon guy was alive and could easily come back for revenge? Heck, Luffy was even surprised the World Government hasn't done anything against Luffy yet considering who her father was. But then again, they didn't have those bastards on their side exactly who were still out on the loose somewhere in the various seas. And Coby had also informed her that the 'new Cp-9 agents' were dropping like flies and the only agents they were managing to scrape up were not really strong and hardly useful in missions.

But back to the moment with Luffy in her warm, cozy cacoon of blankets on a plush bed with frilly pillows a plenty. Not even those blankets she was tangled in could save her from the perging nightmare.

.

She was running through the empty streets of some commonly built city or town of sort along the coast. It's plain grey walls slightly blue under the moon's gaze. Her heart was pounding for miles a minute. Luffy's breathing was raggid, her body becoming slow in response to her will. Even her brain was slowly doing and demanding to just stop and rest. Her legs were like lead, her side hurting with aches from running too much. She couldn't stop, not now.

He was following her. He was looking for her and he was going to surely get her if she stopped here. Luffy turned a corner, running just some feet before she tripped from her own sluggish legs unable to keep up. Her body sounded with a thud as she met the brick ground, her mouth gasping for the air that was knocked out of her.

Why did she feel so sluggish now of all times? Pale, elegant hands moved to push on the fading colors of the brick beneath her body, pushing to lift her upper body up, only succeeding to lift herself up on her elbows. Her leg curled inward, forcing her weight onto the lifting left knee. Brown eyes widened in shock, unable to get up.

The sounding of shoes hitting the nicely yet slightly sloppy oraginzed brick road echoed in the ghost town. The sounds becoming louder and less echo sounding as they neared the struggling form as the young female tried to lift her body up so she could run for it. A large, strong hand grasped her upper arm, pulling her up and forcing her to face him.

Fear punded in her ears, the adreniline to fight for her life was soaring high yet stably low in some form of way. Another hand grasped her chin, squeezing her cheeks just slightly. Brown eyes were forced to meet dark grey ones.

And the stormy eyes had a look Luffy did not like one little bit.

.

A clasp of thunder woke Luffy up, startling the young female. She slowly pushed herself up and looked around her, looking to see if the sudden brought storm disturbed anyone else. Nami was still asleep, grumbling about beli, Robin rested peacefully in her bed, unbothered the slightest by the clapping thunder. Her ears strained to listen for noise in the boys room, only to hear loud snoring and an ocassional sleep argument brewing up between them all.

Luffy sighed, her long hair a mess from her bed rolling and tangling. Her large white baggy shirt with an ice-cream cone logo on it with the words 'Phish Food' imprinted in pink, bubbly letters around the cone. It was evident she wasn;t wearing no bra and only panties underneath the large shirt. Luffy grumbled, falling back into place in her mess of blankets, "Stupid thunder-san."

But then again, she was rather relieved the thunder woke her up so she wouldn't have to deal with the other part of the dream.

Yawning and stretching her arms as she laid on her side, she proceeded to then snuggle with her pink pillow and have some fantasies of Mr. Ice-cream Man. Just as she started drooling (around a minute later or less, she loved ice-cream that much), a slight thud, like someone stepping with weight onto the cabin floor, sounded. Thinking it was simply the storm making Thousand Sunny a little noisy, Luffy easily brushed it off and continued to drool over her 'day-dream' of eating Mr. Ice-cream Man.

Rolling onto her back and spreading out her arms, her left hand's finger tips brushing against the rough yet soft material of slacks. Her left hand hanged, limp off the side of the bed, brown orbs being revealed as black eye-lashes fluttered as her eyes opened slowly. Wooden panels of the ceiling above greeted her sight. She turned her head to the left to see what her fingertips had touched and was greeted with someone standing, their legs clothed in black, or some dark color, trousers. Luffy blinked again, confusion and bemusement written all over her face and reflecting in her caramel delight eyes. "... Huh?"

A foreboding feeling rose up in her throat, her stomach filled with fluttering butterflies. Was it Sanji who woke up from the storm and came to check on them? But it didn't seem right... this feeling she was getting wasn't a pleasant one either. Daring herself, Luffy forced herself to look up. The person wore and dark button down shirt with some other color that was dark of hawian flowers. The form was tall and slim, muscular of a cat's grace of body. Brown eyes finally caught sight of a much to familiar narrow goatee, strong bones. Dark hair that waved to his shoulders and an inch or three lower: more specifically his hair went to his shoulder blades.

Light eyes met dark eyes and Luffy was pretty sure she paled. Blinking a few times at seeing the face of Rob Lucci, the man she had nightmares of. The drowsy captain muttered, "I'm still dreaming? Haha... I'm seeing things now. Sleep time." With a do, Luffy rolled over feeling quite sure she was illusioning again. She buried herself in her cocoon of blankets, hugging her pillow tightly as she curled in slightly feeling suddenly in need of sleep.

A large, strong handed gripped her upper arm that was hidden by blankets, yanking her over so she faced him. "Eeek!"

His face was so close to hers, leaning over her. She could smell his warm scent that she found some appeal in, a lot of appeal in actually. The only thing she didn't like about it was the sense of predatory delight practically steaming off him.

"Nice to meet you again, Mugiwara," the man spoke, with the same cold, monotone voice she remembered him with. She tried to get out of his grip, but it was strong and hard, tightening to to the point where she wanted to cry out as it hurt just that much.

"Let. Go." She hissed, still trying to get out of his painful grip despite the pain she was feeling.

Lucci simply smirked, yanking her suddenly making her cry out as her arm was twisted behind her back, slamming against his chest. The cry, however, was blocked off as his other hand suddenly was covering her open mouth. Her free hand reached up and tried to pry off the large hand. "Mmphf!"

The blankets that were once wrapper messily around Luffy were now lazily scattered on the bed, piling on one another and missing the warmth of the occupant now free from their hold. His hand squeezed her cheeks and chin, a solid grip, forcing her head to the side and making her look at the hunter.

He had a look in in his dark, stormy colored eyes she did not like one single bit. More of a hungry look mixed with menace. "I'd be quite if I were you, unless you don't want your peacefully sleeping friends to be sleeping forever."

Oh don't you fucking tell her his buddies were in here too. It was already bad she was easily taken like this and his obvious threat towards her friends if she didn't cooperate was near the mark of humiliation.

Seeming to have read her mind, he gave a rather stony smirk. "They're not in here, just above on the deck of your fine ship."

Luffy sent him a glare clearly stating how pissed off she was at the moment with him. She knew she shouldn't be doing that, but she couldn't stop it. It didn't matter whether or not he was stronger than her or she had the weaker hand, but no one- NO ONE- threatens her family like that. 'Bastard...'

Did Luffy mention she did not like this guy? If not she does with a fierce passion. The guy made her feel sick and some other feelings that bubbled in her heart and stomach. Her cheeks even heated up when he leaned down (Luffy could swear this guy had to have grown even taller then he already was those years ago) and nudged his nose into her bed ruffled hair, taking in its scent.

Feeling a bit tad too uncomfy with this action, Luffy renewed her struggles. Her small body twisting and turning in his grip, all the while trying to pry off his hand covering her mouth and get free the arm held so tightly behind her back. "Mppphf!"

Sadly, he just would not let go and her arm was really, REALLY starting to hurt. She could feel Lucci's chest slightly shake, a sort of rumble, as he chuckled. His hand moved from her mouth. And just as Luffy was about to yell at him after drawing a breath of clean air (not that she was complaining that his hand smelt or anything of sort, for it did not smell bad but rather intoxicating of sort, she just wanted some fresh, fresh air), she felt a stab, like when Chopper would give her annual shots, in her upper right arm. Her muscles had suddenly tensed up as the forgein fluid entered her body. Brown eyes widened at the pain, a gasp escaping. Within just two seconds, her body seemed to have started to shut down in exhaustion and desire to sleep then and there. Her vision blurred as she went limp, falling back against Lucci's form. Just faintly she could feel that she was lifted into strong arms, the sudden rush of air as she was raised and the nice welcoming warmth of the former CP-9 agent's muscled chest. Her head leaned against his chest, her smooth pale cheek pressing against the fabric, her nose slightly nudging it. Luffy could now fully smell his scent, despite how close to passing out she was. It was a rich with a sort of creamy coffee and vanilla sort of hint to it.

He smelt nice. Luffy couldn't help but snuggle up closer to him as she finally passed out.


A/N: I simply felt like putting this out there. I am working on Maho (had a little writer block) and P2P2K is on hold (sorry guys, I have to think something over now that I really LOVE LuccixLuffy pairing. (I also realized I had to do the Akoiji meeting Luffy and strawhats, lol.) Decipher is on hold-ish (sorry) and Promises That Echo is kinda on hold (some time-skips may occur, sorry). ^ I need some good LuccixLuffy stories or doushinjis to read, any recomndations?