On This Ship

A Luff in the Sails

"It's broken," he said after a moment.

Nami frowned softly, and looked up. She still seemed to be riding the high of their first intimate time together, but she was swiftly falling, "Broken?"

The condom was a bit bloody, but that wasn't the only liquid dripping from it. Luffy had seen the ragged, torn appearance of the thin membrane when he had pulled out of her, but it was only when he put a finger through the rough holes, that he truly realized what had happened. Slowly sitting up, Nami held the covers to her bare chest, staring at what Luffy had in his hand.

She said then, "There must be … I mean this is … It's not so bad. I like babies."

"I do too," he said, still gazing at the broken condom.

A smile began to form on her lips, and she took his other hand, "I only want your baby anyway. This is just … moving us up a step. We could have Franky split the woman's quarters or maybe the men's, and we'll have plenty of room for you, me, and the baby." When he didn't answer, she smiled, leaning up to kiss his cheek, "It'll be fun, Luffy!"

Finally, he looked at her, and said, "Fun?"

"Well, yeah," she said.

"We don't even know if you're going to be pregnant," he said.

Frowning softly, she said, "No, but it's possible." She pointed at the condom, "Besides, what if that happens again? It might just be too weak to stand up to your rubber skin, and that's why it broke."

"Then we won't do it anymore."

She blinked, and then said, "What? Not … Luffy, what is it? What will we not do?"

"Sex," he said; his eyes were steady. "We won't have sex."

Huffing, she crossed her arms, "Just because our condoms break? Luffy, you could just pull out. It's not a perfect solution, but it'll help."

"No," he said. "We just won't have sex anymore. You said it before. Pulling out won't be enough. You said that even if a little bit gets into you, you still might end up pregnant. Isn't that why we got these in the first place?"

"Is this because …?" Relaxing, Nami smiled, and leaned against his shoulder. She said, "Luffy, I know I said those things, but I would still be happy if we had a baby – accident or not. I wouldn't be angry with you at all." Beginning to flush, she brought his other hand to her lips, and she said shyly, "I would love nothing more than to carry your child."

"Nami …"

She looked up at him, smiling until she realized that Luffy had his face still fixed in the prior, serious expression. Biting her tongue a moment, she said, "What is it?"

He said, "I would never raise a kid on a pirate ship."

"What do you mean?"

"If you're pregnant, we're turning around, and getting out of the Grand Line."

Beginning to pale, she said, "But, Luffy, we're already in the New World." She laughed softly, "You can't just leave it already. Everyone's counting on you to move forward."

"Nami," he said, "we can't do that with a baby. We can't raise a baby on Thousand Sunny."

"Oh, come on," she said, "you're just nervous. You'd be a wonderful father."

"I'll take you to my village," Luffy said.

Her eyes began to widen, and she said slowly, "What …?"

Tossing the condom into the trash bin, he wrapped an arm around her, and he said, "We can't raise our baby here, Nami. If you're pregnant, I'm taking you both out of the New World, and to my home village."

"You're going to leave me there?"

He said, "Yes."

"You're just nervous," she said, feeling frantic and unsure suddenly. "Everyone gets the jitters. I mean, it's a baby. But don't worry about it! I wouldn't be angry. I want your children."

"That's why I'd have to take you and the baby to my village," he said.

Nami said, "You're really serious, aren't you?" He nodded, and she scowled, "You'd … abandon me and your baby on some island!?"

"I would if I had to."

Fuming, she yanked away from him, and limped out of the bed before she found her panties, "I can't … I can't believe this!"

He frowned, and said, "Nami."

"No! No, Nami," she said, and grabbed her bra to put it on as well. "You can't just leave me somewhere, Luffy! Future King of the Pirates or whatever, you have to be responsible for your actions!" Pulling up his pants, Luffy buttoned and zipped up before he stood from the bed. She snapped, saying, "Where are you going? You need to stop being so selfish, and talk to me!"

"I'm selfish?"

"You're selfish," she said, "and irresponsible! Our crew is strong, and powerful. We can give the baby everything it would need! We really do have fame, and fortune, and wealth! And you think we can't take care of a little baby?"

"Yeah, I really do think that," he said.

Nami abruptly realized that she was crying and it wouldn't stop, "But it's a baby … our baby. Wouldn't you be happy at least!?"

"That's why we wouldn't keep it!" Grabbing her hand, Luffy pulled her close, and he said, "We can't always get what we want."

Yanking her hand away, she then brought it back in the form of a slap to his face. He blinked at her, and his lips parted just so in incredulity. She struck him again with the backside of her hand and with more force. When it came back for another round, Luffy caught it, and then her other hand when she brought it up.

"Bastard," she said. "Don't you love me? You told me … so many times …"

He said, "I love you, Nami. I love you so much that I can't have our children on a pirate ship. I refuse to raise them on this ship."

"But I can't … be with …"

Frowning gently, he pulled her closer, still holding her hands, "What?"

Nami said after biting her lip hard almost hard enough to bleed, "I can't be with someone that would leave me."

She watched his chest – that proud, straight and true structure – bend, and he said, "I understand."

"Do you?" She said, "Luffy, I'm breaking up with you."

"I know and you know it's not safe," he said, and she realized that he was trying to save something. "You shouldn't be with any man that would raise your baby on his ship."

Starting to tremble, she said, "Don't make this harder than it already is. I can't be with you."

"Break up or not, I won't have you raise a baby here." Luffy's words seemed to slow then as he said, "You are going to stay though, right? You're the best navigator in the world. I won't have any other."

"How else will I fulfill my dream?"

He didn't answer her, and she looked up at his face before she wiped aside her tears. His arms enveloped her securely, pulling her close before he smiled at her, and said, "Why are you crying? You're going to fulfill your dream."

THE END