Nami lay face down on the padded bench in the aquarium room and moaned. The pale shifting blue of the filtered light was soothing compared to the bright sunlight on the deck. The Thousand Sunny caught a swell and Nami bit her lip when her hips shifted with the roll of the ship. She didn't want to move, she didn't even want to breathe right now. The ache in her lower back and abdomen was so consuming that she couldn't even tell which way the wind was blowing, if it was blowing at all. She felt like a blind duck with a lame wing trying to swim through a gale: small, helpless and better off dead.
The worst part, the absolute worst part, was that she had to pretend she was fine. Not really that bad, just tired with a bit of a migraine. If she told Chopper the truth, the little doctor would probably end up telling everyone by accident at some point, and Nami would sooner abandon ship than have her mostly immature male crewmates know she was suffering from severe menstrual cramps.
Luffy would need it explained, and no way was she going to be the one to have that talk with him. Usopp would probably run screaming, and then blame every following instance of her being in a temper on her time of the month, regardless of what time it was. Zoro wouldn't care, or probably wouldn't even hear about it because he'd be sleeping. Or he'd just make barbs about her being weak and then Sanji would start a fight and she'd have to kill them both. And Sanji... Sanji would probably suffocate her with being extra attentive to her every need while completely refusing to accept what the problem was. He was annoying enough when he was being over-solicitous; she didn't need him around when the pain was making her patience shorter and her temper faster. She wasn't actually sure how Franky would deal with it, and the one lone pro out of a whole list of cons was that it just might make Brook stop asking to see her panties.
Nami pulled the blanket she'd brought along up over her head and made a sincere effort to not think murderous thoughts about every wave that shifted the Sunny and every one of her crewmates who did likewise. She had claimed a migraine from studying her maps too late into the night and escaped to the aquarium room for what she had assured the others was a restorative nap. They had dropped anchor so they didn't get lost, and the challenge of waiting was proving too much for some of the boys from the sounds of the increased commotion on deck.
Just when Nami thought she might honestly hit the Sunny with a lightning storm, a cheer of "MEAT!" was clearly heard above the rest of the voices, and was followed by silence. Nami almost smiled into her forearms; Sanji must have bribed them with food to shut them up. She felt a twinge of guilt over thinking he was annoying, but a sharp twinge of physical pain put an end to it. She was wholly beaten by her own body.
And that was the other main reason she had lied about what was causing her indisposition. The boys, who had all suffered broken bones beyond what a normal human could handle, would never understand that the pain from the cramps was enough to reduce her to this. They just wouldn't be able to comprehend it. That wasn't their fault really, but still.
A light tapping noise disturbed her misery, and Nami cautiously lifted the blanket enough to peek out. She stared blankly at the blue cloth blocking her view before she realized it was a skirt, and morosely looked up to the face of the only other woman in the crew.
Robin held a bowl and glass in her hands, a book tucked under her arm. The archaeologist smiled her thin enigmatic smile, and set the dishes down on the floor next to Nami. "Our cook was distressed for your well-being and made you a special treat." Robin said lightly with laughter in her voice, probably amused at how Sanji had acted out his distress. "There is a painkiller dissolved in the water from our doctor as well, for you to take afterward."
Nami buried her face in the blanket, feeling guilty all over again for thinking unkindly about her crew. Fruit salad, painkillers, and silence. They were all trying so hard for her. She pushed the blanket off her upper body, and carefully brought the food up onto the bench. Still lying on her stomach she ate slowly, avoiding eye contact. Robin had taken a seat a few feet away and was reading, and it didn't look like she planned to leave anytime soon. Nami hadn't even told Robin what the real problem was. Nami knew it was her pride that kept her silent with the other woman. Everyone could sympathize with a serious migraine; having a migraine didn't make her seem weak. After all, Robin might not even get cramps and if she did she never showed any discomfort.
After Nami finished the food, she gulped down the bitter tasting water. Hopefully the painkiller would work on the cramps and she could get back up and about soon. She stretched out and placed the dishes on the floor again, figuring that a real nap would be just the thing to finish things off. But it turned out that it was too much of a stretch to the floor, and the movement caused the blanket to slide off, crumpling on the floor.
A curse jumped to the tip of her tongue, and she hastily swallowed it. The blanket was out of reach as she was now, and she would have to sit up to pick the blanket off the floor. She was too cold without it, but sitting up would put her in far more discomfort than she was willing to deal with, especially since she had just started feeling relaxed. She could hardly ask Robin to pick it up either. Even a migraine shouldn't make her that needy and helpless.
The seconds dragged out as she silently agonized over what to do, until a pair of arms suddenly sprouted from her hips. Now, this wasn't as alarming to Nami as it would be to anyone who didn't know Robin, but it was still highly unexpected, and Nami looked over at Robin with confusion. Robin didn't look at the younger girl though, and just as Nami was about to ask what was going on, she practically melted into a whimpering blob as the disembodied hands began massaging her lower back.
The older woman was still reading her book, but Nami figured that only controlling one extra pair of hands was child's play compared to the hundreds Robin utilised in a fight. The kneading of her throbbing back was firm and so soothing, and Nami felt like she could nearly purr as the tenseness ebbed away. She sighed deeply and nestled her face into her arms, positive that she had never felt as blissfully relaxed as right then.
Robin set down her book when the navigator's breathing became even, and smiled when the younger girl made a noise that could almost have been a snore. The blanket was still lying on the floor, so Robin got up and shook it delicately before draping it over Nami and gently tucking it around her sleeping form. Robin had known what was causing Nami's pain, just as she had known that the best way to deal with it was to keep her distance. Nami was prickly about her pride sometimes, as if she couldn't physically bear to be pitied. Luckily the Hana-Hana No Mi really was quite useful for things like getting close without alerting her target.
The Sunny rocked gently on the waves, the weather on the Grand Line being complacent for once as if it too didn't want to disturb the resting red-head. Robin collected the dishes and her book and made her way onto the deck after she verified that Nami was truly asleep. As soon as she opened the door to the lawn seven pairs of hands appeared and clamped over the crew's mouths before they could make a noise, and the archaeologist smiled and held one long finger to her own lips. The hint was taken, and with the copious amount of food available and Robin's gently threatening smile, quiet ruled the deck of the usually boisterous pirate ship.
Below deck, well-massaged and warm, Nami slept deeply. It really was good to have another woman on board.