Author's note:

This is my first fanfiction, which means it's probably not going to be that great. I'm not positive anyone would even want to read this. :P I really dislike a lot of things about the way I write, so criticism is appreciated strongly. I'm not saying this to make someone say "Oh no, honey, your writing is fantastic! Don't be so hard on yourself!" NO. I really, really want criticism.

Anyhow.

This is a story about Jack and Nami's relationship, how it happened, and all that good stuff. I really elaborated on the different sides of Nami's personality. She may seem a bit OOC through this chapter, but that's because I imagined her to react that way in this particular situation. I haven't played the game in a while, so that may affect her, too :P

I hope you enjoy it anyways! Now, on to the story.

Chapter 1 - First Impressions

Nami dived, flopping stomach-first onto the fluffy white bed. Sighing breathlessly, her hands guided themselves to the subtle folds in her jeans. A hand plummeted into her left pocket, and she pulled out a pen. Reaching toward the little wooden desk, she pulled the drawer as it creaked open, and took out her ancient, now brown-tinted journal. Her gaze bore into the prehistoric blank paper in front of her, as she scrambled her brain furiously for the right words. Closing her eyes, a sigh escaped her chest and hit the crumbling pages of the diary. Long, dark eyelashes fluttered open, and sapphire eyes darted across the page as her pen began to move.

Dear Diary,

When was the last time I wrote here? A year, maybe? I don't know why I suddenly felt the urge to take you out of the drawer, but I did. Maybe it's hormones or something weird like that. Anyhow, here's the great story I've been meaning to write about.

I've realized a lot of things during the past few years, and I've been through different experiences. Not all of them happened to be pleasant, in fact, many of them were horrible. I know I'm not old or wise enough to know as much as others, but I do know this:

Some people get stuck in a never-ending eclipse. There's something in their life that takes away their light, and makes them cold and dark. They stay under the shadows so long that they can't see way out, a solution. Some of them see that tiny glimmer of the sun, and for some of them, it's too late. When they finally notice it's there, it's already vanished. A few people get that second chance, and unfortunately, most of them don't.

I guess I'm lucky, since my solution was practically thrown into my face.

Two years ago…

Birds were singing their delicate morning melody as the sun radiated dazzling rays of light onto vivid green fields. A sea of towering grass waved lazily in the wind, sweeping through the farmland where a young farmer stood. He wore a white button down t-shirt, a coat of brown grime smeared along the long sleeves. The muddy jeans on his legs were tucked into brown leather hiking boots, and suspenders kept them from falling. Today, Jack was the epitome of messy. He raised his palms towards the bright blue sky, closing his eyes and stretching. A cheerful bark broke the calm atmosphere.

"Hey there little guy! Make sure you keep my animals behaved," he said, turning around with a smile curling the ends of his lips. Bending down, he ruffled Bandit's fur and was greeted with a long lick starting from his chin and ending at the beginning of his hairline. The brown and white spotted puppy yipped with glee.

"That's my boy!" Jack rose to his full height of 6 foot, rubbing his cheek to remove the saliva that layered his face. The puppy seemed to grin at him, wagging his tail rapidly. His tongue hung out of his mouth, just dangling there. The goofy stance made Jack smile back. "I'm going outside the farm for a little while. Keep the place safe, alright?" he chuckled.

Marveling the intense shade of bright cerulean the sky wore, he strolled to the field gate and opened it, shielding his eyes from the searing white sun with his hand. He exhaled noisily, having milked all the cows, sheared the sheep, and brushed the horse already. His chickens were fed, and all the eggs were gathered. Proudly, he smiled to himself.

"Another day on the farm," Jack beamed. "Hmm… What should I do next? Feed the cows? No, I did that already," he mumbled and clicked his tongue, "Should I buy seeds? Ah, that's right. I still have 20 bags of watermelon seeds…" Trying to find something to occupy his time, he wandered out into the village, letting his feet guide him. Forget-Me-Not Valley was a calm, peaceful place, unlike the city where he was raised. He liked the pure essence of the valley, how there was fresh air to breathe, clean sparkling beaches, a rushing crystal clear river, and trees looming overhead in every direction.

The weather made him feel light, airy. Jack loved this time of year, when summer reached its end and leaves hinted slight changes in color. A wisp of cold air ran through his hair as his eyes shut automatically, enjoying the sensation. The wind beckoned him towards the mountain trail leading to the hot springs, whispering in his ears tenderly. He finished all of his chores today, so why not take a refreshing dip? A guy deserves a break every now and then, right? His eyes lit up like a child's would, his legs quickening their pace through the shaded path uphill. The wind praised him for his decision as a cool breeze swept through his disorganized auburn hair and played with his untucked shirt. Jogging up to the springs, he rounded the corner.

A young woman was presented before him, sitting next to the spring, running her fingers through it mesmerizingly. Although her back was turned towards the farmer, her short, flamboyant red hair and pale-skinned neck left him captivated. The eager feet under him stopped abruptly. He heard his heart pound, unwanted nervousness squeezing his air passages shut.

"… I've stayed here…so long…" she breathed to herself quietly, so that Jack could barely make out the inaudible words. Her small voice was soft sounding, like a flute. "I should have left a long time ago…"

She turned slightly, so part of her face was visible. Her eyes were half-way open, like she was lost in a dream. A dull grey pebble fell out of her delicate hand and plummeted into the water. Jack couldn't control his deep desire to know what she was mumbling about, and his legs began to move towards her.

Step…step…step…

Opening her shining sapphire eyes, the girl sighed and stood up, smoothing out her orange shirt and the blue blouse over it. Her hands glided towards her belt buckle, as soft clicks indicated the removal of it. It fell to the ground, a soft thump on the dirt floor.

Step… step…step…

His brain was no longer in control. What was he doing? His feet were moving on their own accord. He knew he shouldn't be goofing off at the hot springs in the first place—not to mention the woman who was currently undressing before him. Her hands were brought back to the button of her shorts, as her fingers swiftly undid them.

Step…step…step…

The white clothing began to slide down her thighs, and her hands lightly brushed her underwear. Jack lost his bearings.

CRACK!

The girl whirled around and froze. Jack peered down at his feet to find a broken black twig crushed underneath him. Both people were speechless, staring at each other with gaping mouths wide open. It seemed like minutes passed as they stood there, like time had stopped itself just to watch this awkward event. Suddenly, her hands whipped into motion, pulling her pants up and buttoning them at an impossible speed. In the middle of her feeble attempt to get dressed she spoke, a burning flame of fury visible in her bright eyes.

"What do you think you're doing?!" she screamed, the soft quality she possessed earlier had completely vanished. Jack couldn't speak. The passionate rage in her voice terrified him more than any horror movie he's ever seen.

"You—I mean… you better watch your—yourself," She was stunned and overly angry, spluttering mixed words out of her mouth. Her pants were on now, her posture refined as she glared at him menacingly.

Jack was silenced against his better judgment. He moved his lips, but no words would escape him. The redhead balled her hands into tight fists.

"What the heck is wrong with you?"

"I'm sorry…" He managed to squeak.

"You're sorry?! That's all you can say?"

"What, do you want me to get down on my knees and beg for forgiveness?"

Wrong move.

Without warning, she rushed past him, bumping into his shoulder purposely. He did not get to see her expression as she darted past, but he was sure it wasn't something he necessarily wanted to see. And yet, Jack didn't want that girl to leave… he didn't even know her name yet. He took a few steps towards her, feeling the blazing fire on the trail she created.

Hesitation hindered his current movement. Would he really risk his health just to know her name?

He knew the answer was yes.

"Wait!" he called, dashing towards her. He carefully grabbed both of her shoulders, wheeled her around, and held her there. "I'm sorry for spying, or whatever terms you would use for that situation… clearly, you thought you were alone, and I shouldn't have done that," she tried speaking, but Jack hushed her with his finger and continued, "I have reason for it enough, though. You intrigue me." His deep brown eyes met the girls' shining blue ones with sincere honesty. They stood there for a moment, just looking at each other. Her face scrunched up in disgust.

"What the…? What, are you trying to be Mr. Strong, Honest, and Charming?" The fiery red headed girl tore him down with the most resentful glare imaginable. "Do you think that makes it okay to watch someone undress? Get a life!" She flushed red in anger and pulled away from his arms.

Jack was taken aback. He took a few steps toward her. "Wha—I'm just trying to—,"

"Well, stop trying," she interrupted. Jack was bewildered by her offensiveness, and yet, the strong desire to know her name kept him from letting her go. He moved agilely, making the exact same steps she performed like a mirror. When she took a step, he took a step. When she charged at him, he charged at her. He continued like this, following her in a dance like pattern, blocking her path for what seems like forever while she persistently pushed and shoved, trying to bury her way through him. Out of nowhere, arms locked around his waist in a desperate attempt to make him budge. A small childlike squeal emitted from her scowling lips as she pushed determinedly against his towering build. Jack bent down towards her and muttered something in her ear.

"Don't you think it's about time you just give in?" he exhaled. His hot breath curled around her neck, making cold needles prickle her all the way up the spine. He felt her arms stiffen.

"Never," she muttered.

"I guess you're stuck here, then."

"You're irritating beyond comprehension," she stated, malevolence riding the edge of her voice. She unclasped her arms from around his waist and stared him down.

"Look, I apologized. It was an accident," he said. She rolled her eyes. "I just want to ask you something, anyways. It's not a big deal."

Ill-tempered, the girl whirled around and lowered herself onto the rock-and-dirt path beside a dark green bush. She started rolling the gravel around with her fingers, feeling the earth. Tension hung in the air. Jack watched her, unmoving, arms crossed. She continued to play with the rocks, eyes focused anywhere but on Jack.

"You're seriously not going to let me leave, are you?" Picking a small yellow flower off the ground, she preoccupied herself by plucking the petals off, one by one. Each petal danced away with the wind.

He shook his head. "Not until you tell me your name." The girl redirected her attention back on Jack.

"…You honestly think I'd tell you?" the redhead asked.

"Sure, why not?" Jack flopped down beside her in the dirt, ever the optimist.

"It's none of your business."

"Oh, and what do you want me to call you? Miss Hard-head?"

"I could live with that."

Rolling his eyes, Jack grabbed her left arm and held on tight. "I'm not letting you leave until you tell me your name. That's final."

Head down, Miss Hard-head crushed the fragile flower in an angry fist. "And I'm not telling you my name unless you want me to throw you into the river first."

"I think you'd have a bit of trouble doing that, Miss Hard-head," replied Jack, grinning annoyingly. He saw her eyebrow twitch.

"You're probably the most persistent, irritating jerk I've ever had the misfortune of meeting," she countered, fuming. She hated it when she had no sense of power, or dignity for that matter. Jack didn't reply, and kept his strong hold on her arm. He felt her shoulders droop as her arm trembled a little impatiently. The only sound between them was the trickling of the river. Her fist unclenched itself to let the crumpled yellow flower fall to the ground.

She brought her head upwards, looking into the sky, and sighed.

Being defeated bothered her a lot, it seemed, as her eyebrows narrowed and she looked away from him in frustration. "It's Nami. I live in the Inn, across from your farm. Not too far away." Then she looked into his eyes again, calmer now.

"Mine's Jack," he smiled. He felt ridiculous, admitting his name was Jack, while hers was Nami. It wasn't unique or any of the sort… it was just Jack. In fact, it sounded like a dim-witted farmer's name.

"That's original," she snorted.

He felt his hand clench and squeeze something in embarrassment.

"Hey," Nami laid her hand on his. He didn't notice it, but he was still holding on to her arm. "Could you let go?"

He removed his grasp quickly, cheeks becoming a rosy shade of pink. "Oh, uh—sorry about that."

"Yeah, well, don't do it again," Nami said, rubbing her shoulder bones as she hopped up from her seat on the dirt. Jack smiled inwardly and watched her briskly brush away the invisible dust on her shorts. Redirecting her attention to the pathway, she shot a quick goodbye glance at him, and began her stroll down the trail through the green plants, trees, and thick branches. He stared at her subconsciously until she was out of his sight, becoming a red speck in the distance.

Jack withdrew a deep breath, letting it out slowly in a wistful, low sigh. He scuffed his boots on the ground. There was nothing else to do for the rest of the day, and it was only 6:30 PM. The sun was only beginning to set beyond the horizon, waving goodbye before it dipped under the hills. He rummaged through his head in a desperate search for something to do, but nothing seemed important anymore. All he could think about was that girl. That stubborn, fiery, mysterious girl. His thoughts were constantly shoved aside by the image of her, glaring at him with bright azure eyes, vivid red hair caressed by the wind. The more he tried to eliminate her from his thoughts, the stronger her image became. It was extremely frustrating.

The internal conflict continued as he began to pace. He groaned. His feet were moving on their own again, and he had no control over them. Again. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a plaid blue blouse. It lay alone on the grass, apparently having been dumped there and forgotten. A single orange leaf drifted from an overhanging tree, fluttering downward, landing silently on the shirt; it's only company. Suddenly, his head snapped up and his eyes flicked towards the pathway Nami had walked down. Wasn't that the blouse she wore over the orange one?

Jack broke into a sprint down the gravel pathway, grabbing the shirt on the way. He ran faster than he thought he could run, almost tripping over his own feet, a new kind of adrenaline flowing through his veins. The trees surrounding him were a blur, his feet leaping off the gravel ground like a lion chasing its prey. When Nami's bright red hair was in view again, it only made him run faster.

The sound of furiously fast footsteps reverberated behind the redhead and she turned around. Her eyes widened in surprise (and probably annoyance) as Jack halted abruptly before her.

"What are you doing here?" Nami demanded.

"You left this," he explained breathlessly, holding up the shirt with one hand as he panted. Her eyes grew large.

"Oh," she muttered, removing it quickly from his hand, cheeks glowing bright pink. She glanced downward in embarrassment, short strands of hair falling on her face. Her fist squeezed the cloth tightly. Did he really run all the way here just to give me this? She thought. "Thanks, I guess."

He laughed. Was this the same girl he had witnessed a few minutes ago?

"Anytime."