Next chapter! Who knows what's gonna happen!? I don't! Let's get the show on the road and see what I come up with!
Soon, everyone came out of the crow's nest and Luffy and Nami waved.
"Oiiiii! What where you doing up there!? Did I miss something fun!?"
"Nope! You missed nothing at all!" Franky called down. Robin gave a small smile at the two and how close they were standing together; they didn't even seem to realize it...
"Oh! Ok! Well come back! I need a snack!"
Once they reached the deck Sanji brought out a plate of roast beef for Luffy and Nami (Since she asked too) and they went their separate ways, only with a group of crew members glancing at two certain someones on opposite sides of the ship. Franky couldn't take it anymore...
"Yo! Luffy!" Franky called out. Luffy looked up from his empty plate.
"Hah?"
Franky plopped down next to him with a smile.
"It must be hard to be a true man with a golden heart...ne?"
Luffy blinked.
"I mean...how awful must it feel to go through such agony for something that shalt never occur...am I right?"
Luffy blinked once more.
"How terribly heart-warming! I'm not about to cry! Idiot!"
Luffy blinked yet again.
"Ah...Franky...are you sick or something?"
"It's so tear-jerking to think that you've loved her this whole time!" Franky blurted out. Luffy raised his eyebrows.
"You know?" He gave a grin. "Ah! Nami told you! Shishishi!"
Franky stopped blubbering and looked at the grinning boy in surprise. She told him what?
"Yeah! She was really surprised when she found out too! But she's ok with it!"
"Woah...hold on bro...ok with what?" Franky asked. Luffy tilted his head.
"Didn't Nami tell you?"
"No..."
Luffy's eyes widened and he flailed everywhere.
"AAAH! THEY KNOW! NAMI'S GONNA KILL ME!"
"KNOW WHAT!? TELL ME!"
"THAT WE'RE TOGETHER!"
"WHAT!?"
"...SHIT!"
Nami perked up, hearing the commotion, and facepalmed hearing what they were shouting. That freaking idiot! Already!? She put her clothing catalog down. She should've know...
"Hold up! You two are together!?" Shouted Usopp. Nami groaned when she saw every single one of the Strawhats hounding a very flustered looking Luffy.
"I'm going to murder you..." Sanji growled.
"WOULD EVERYONE SHUT UP!?" Nami shouted, everyone turned toward Nami, Sanji still holding onto Luffy's collar.
"Nami..."
"Is it true!? Are you two..."
"Yes...for about ten minutes now..." Nami sighed. "And I THOUGHT I could trust Luffy to keep ONE secret...and he goes and tells it..."
"I'M SORRY NAMI! FRANKY PULLED IT OUT OF ME!" Luffy yelled.
"YOU TWO ARE IN A RELATIONSHIP!?" Everyone shrieked. Even Zoro had a shocked face.
"Huh...So...she really does have a heart..."
"OH SHUT UP ZORO!" Nami rubbed her temple. "Fine...now you know...now can you please put him down?"
Sanji let go of Luffy and gave Nami a hurt stare.
"Nami-San..."
Everyone else, however, had gotten over their shock and were cheering.
"YEAH! THEY'RE TOGETHER!"
"Luffy IS a true man after all!"
Luffy gave a laugh while Nami's ears turned red. She gave an embarrassed smile.
"Oh...stop it! We don't need compliments! Heh heh..."
Luffy pulled his hat over his face in half-happiness-half -embarrassment and gave a snicker.
"I told ya Nami!"
"You sure did..."
XXXXXXXXXX
Several hours later, mid-day.
"Oiiiii! Nami! Wanna fish!?"
"Again!? Is fishing all you ever do!?"
"C'mon! It'll be fun!"
Nami rolled her eyes, blushed a tad from all the glances in her direction, and stepped toward the figurehead.
"Fine."
Luffy gave a fistpump and stretched his arm down for her to grab. He pulled her onto the head and Nami steadied herself. Luffy handed her a fishpole.
"You already had a second one..." Nami chuckled. "How trusting can you be?"
"Oooooh! Look at that fish!" Luffy gaped. Nami saw the fish and gasped.
"Woah! That's huge!"
"I know! Maybe Sanji can cook it!"
"I don't think so...it's a rainbow color...that usually means it's poisonous."
"Awwww..."
They both laughed, and Nami tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"So...here we are..." Nami said, breaking the silence.
"Yep!"
"You know...I DID say that if you tried anything without my permission...you'd owe a hell of a lot right?"
Luffy gave a flinch.
"Even accidentally telling a secret?"
"Yep..."
"That's no fair!"
"And if you don't have the money, I'll have to charge you 300% interest...NOT including tax..."
"Namiiiiiii..."
"AND if you complain...I'll add an additional 400,000,000 to the whole thing..."
Luffy was a bit overwhelmed by the numbers, but then he seemed to get an idea.
"Do I have your permission?"
"For what?"
"To raise the money thingy even higher?"
"Well...yeah...sure...but why-"
"You sure I have your permission?"
"If it means more money for me then sure..."
"Are you sure you're sure?"
"Yeah! But wh-"
Are you sure you're sure you're sure?"
"YES! NOW WHAT IS IT YO-"
"Ok...If you are absolutely sure..."
"SURE AB-"
Luffy very calmly laid his head on Nami shoulder, and Nami stopped mid sentence. She tilted her head to look down at him, smiling contently, and softened her expression.
"So that's what you wanted..."She looked back into the ocean. "You don't have to pay for that..."
Luffy gave a small nod on her shoulder and Nami put down her fishing pole, enjoying the moment. This felt right.
"You know...I think I can spare the debt this time..." Nami said, looking at Luffy in the corner of her eye. Luffy nodded again. Nami paused for a moment, before looking back out into the ocean and laying her head on top of his.
Chopper was walking past the figurehead when he noticed the two. He gave a small smile. It was so weird to see them not bickering at each other! They seemed comfy, so Chopper felt bad when he had to call out "Dinner will be done in a minute guys!"
Both of them jolted up and looked back at Chopper. They both gave a thumbs up.
"Alrighty! Thanks Chopper!"
Chopper gave a small salute, then plipped to the kitchen. Luffy hopped off the figurehead and zoomed to the room, leaving Nami chuckling and running after him.
When she walked in, Luffy was sitting at his place with a fork and knife banging the table.
"FOOD SANJI! MESHI MESHI MESHI!"
"Are you even going to use those?" Brook questioned.
"Nope!"
"You're sure in high spirits today..." Robin remarked to Nami, Nami sat down, preparing for the whirlwind of chaos that dinner was going to bring.
"Heh...guess I am..."
Soon, the food arrived and it was same as usual. Luffy stole everyone's food and everyone screamed at him when he laughed. However, everyone was grumbling when they slowly turned toward Nami in unison, calmly eating a full plate, and blinked.
A pause.
"Oi! Why does NAMI still have her food!?"
"...nom..." Nami ate, emphasizing her bite on a piece of steak. They all turned toward Luffy, who was sucking in his lips with eyelashes and red cheeks.
Another pause.
"YOU ASSHOLE!" They all shouted, pelting him with pots and pans. Robin and Nami gave a laugh and looked at each other.
"I guess this whole thing's going well for you, ne Nami?"
"I guess so! I haven't had a meal to myself in months!"
Robin put her hand on her cheek.
"So...have you two done anything yet?"
"Like hell...Luffy said that if I just loved him he wouldn't try anything..." She stuck her tongue out. "Besides...I don't really think I'm ready for anything quite yet..."
"I get it I get it..." Robin chuckled. "I just like seeing you two together...It's quite cute..."
"Oi..." Nami warned. Robin stood up and gave a warm smile.
"But just saying...when a man...ANY man loves a woman for that long...there's bound to be SOME romance."
"Thanks for the tip..."
XXXXXXXXXX
Nightfall
"Ugh...I'm totally worn out..."
"EVERYONE READY FOR THE NIGHTLY TUNE!? YOHOHOHO!"
"OH GOD...NIGHTS TOO!?"
"SHIORI! HANKANCHI!"
"SINCE WHEN DO YOU DO NIGHTS!?"
After this episode, ending up in Brook getting pummeled by Nami, everyone retreated to their rooms (Excepting Robin who was on watch, not like she'd go to bed anyway.)
Nami was alone, and for some unknown reason no matter how tired she was, she couldn't go bed...She had way too much on her mind.
Where was this going to go?
Was Robin right?
What if this was just too weird?
Does she really love him?
Finally, she decided to get some fresh air and go outside on the deck. It was now purely dark and calm. She walked to the railing and looked out into the horizon at nothing in particular. She had to admit, this was strangely soothing.
She jumped when she heard a small sigh come from the opposite side of the ship. She squinted and could barely make out the figure of a bed-raggled looking Luffy, looking at the horizon and not noticing that Nami was even there. He had an odd expression...calmness...Nami never would have thought to see Luffy calm. She quietly stepped over to him, standing beside him.
"It's peaceful isn't it..." Nami whispered.
"Aa..." Luffy replied softly, almost as if in a trance. She softened a bit and put her hand on his shoulder, looking back into the darkness.
"But it's a bit too gloomy..." Luffy added. "I like the day better because it's brighter and happier. It makes me feel happy."
"But sometimes you just need a break from the craziness..." Nami stated.
"Aa..."
Luffy was strange like this. It was the side of him that came to after the two years. The part of him that grew up.
"But...I still feel happy tonight. It's like something has lifted out of my chest and left it full. I can't explain it Nami..." He turned his head to look at her with joyful eyes. "I've deducted that it's a mystery feeling. But it makes me really happy."
"Well, there's a song that Bellemere used to sing Nojiko and I about the night..."
Luffy gave a smile.
"I've never heard you sing Nami..."
Nami turned back toward the sea and closed her eyes.
"It's the night, past Twilight,
The sun has gone to hide,
Bringing silence to the joy-bringing light.
Time to sleep, little sheep,
Let's bring silence to the keep,
For if you venture lone, you'll be shrouded by fright,
.
Say my name, we're the same,
But one's frail and one's untame,
Coming when all's gone, I'm alone and in pain.
Don't you cry, my dear sky,
I'll stay and I'll watch you cry,
Until the darkness ends and the light comes again."
She opened her eyes and was surprised to see Luffy staring at her, mouth slightly open. Nami gave a chuckle.
"So...you really can understand things can't you?"
"Nami...you are the most beautiful person I've ever met..."
Nami blushed and zipped her head back to the railing, feeling rather embarrassed.
"Why was the sky sad Nami? Was he hungry?"
Nami snorted and covered her mouth. She cleared her throat.
"No Luffy. It was lonely, since no one's out during the night to keep him company."
"But we're here Nami..."
"I know we are." She gave a sad smile. "When I was little, I would sneak out at night and just sit on the grass, looking up at the sky to keep it company. Funny huh?"
"No..." Luffy said. "Nobody should be lonely, not even skies."
"True."
A moment passed and Nami noticed Luffy humming the song quietly to himself, giving a smile. This was Luffy...the innocent and childish mindset that was often hidden by his hyperness.
"Luffy..."
"Hmmm?"
"You are really the most amazing person I've ever met."
Luffy's eyes lit up and he gave a huge grin.
"Thanks!"
They both looked back into the sea, then Luffy placed his hand on the one on his shoulder. Nami gave a smile and didn't see Luffy looking at her until she glanced back at him. He looked down slightly and looked back up with a soft determination.
"Do I have your permission?"
Nami didn't know what he wanted permission for, but at this point she was so happy she didn't care.
"Yes."
Luffy seemed surprised, but he very softly turned himself facing Nami, holding her hand to his chest. He had very shy look on his face, then pinched his eyes shut and leaned himself toward Nami, gently placing his lips on hers. Nami felt a warmth go through her body, and didn't even think about being surprised. All thoughts had disappeared, and all that was left was warmth. It was in this moment, in the darkness, that Nami finally made up her mind.
She loved him.
Luffy let go rather quickly, whipping his head back down to study the railing, face obviously a bright red. Nami couldn't find any words, not one. And she did the same. After a long while of silence, Nami gave a chuckle.
"You know...maybe this is right..."
Luffy peeked up from under his hat.
"Maybe...just maybe...I've fallen for you too..."
Luffy mouth opened in obvious disbelief, but he quickly hid it again. Nami could see that idiot grinning madly under that hat though.
"You don't have to hide, Luffy-Turtle..." Nami laughed. Luffy lifted his hat in confusion.
"Luffy...Turtle...?"
"Well...you call me Nami-Tomato, so I should have an equally idiotic name for you too..."
Luffy gave a short laugh, and Nami frowned when she saw Luffy beginning to tear up.
"O-oi...Luffy?
"I'm so happy Nami...I'm happy..." He repeated, tears beginning to fall from his eyes. He hid once again, but Nami stopped him and made him look at her.
"You're happy?"
"I love you so much Nami...a-and I..."
"Shhh...Don't say anything else...Luffy-Turtle." Nami coaxed, comforting him like he was a small child, which Luffy really seemed to appreciate. Nami just put his head to her shoulder and stroked his hair, making Luffy feels like he was seven again. Part of him barked at him to stop acting like a crybaby wimp...to stop crying and burdening his Navigator. But another part of him said that it was perfectly alright, that everything would be ok and that Nami was there for him.
And Luffy cried, Nami holding him, and everything was alright in the world.
XXXXXXXXXX
Robin had seen all and heard all. She decided to stop watching, however, and give the two some privacy. After all, she owed a heck of a lot, the least she could do was leave them be.
Ok...did I just cry on my own writing? I don't cry while writing The Execution at Lougetown but cry at this? What am I doing wrong? ._.
Anyway, if you're a song fan, the song that Nami sings are my lyrics, but I based the actual music part off of Midna's Theme from Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
Also, I listened to Clannad OST: Snowfield on repeat at the end...just another tidbit of info. :P