A/N Feeling like a bit of a twit right now, sorry about the wait, I've been ill for a while now, stopping me from doing much writing, and on top of that I didn't realise that I wasn't adding the chapters I had done properly. Sooooo...yeah, I'm a noob.
Anyhoo, I've also not been adding a disclaimer and REALLY dont wanna get sued so... I don't own One Piece, that honour goes to Echiro Oda, not me.
Iron Petals – Part four.
Luffy ran through the forest as fast as he could, resisting the urge to scream his lungs out, yet making no less noise by crashing through the tree's the entire time, up until he ran into something harder than a tree. The shipwright turned around quickly to see what had hit him. "Atatatatat" he groaned rubbing at his now aching back "watch where you're going straw hat".
"Frannnkyyyy"! Luffy cried out grabbing the older man, who was more surprised to see the captain as scared as he was as he had been to have been hit by something that felt like a whale in his unarmoured back.
"Oi, oi, oi" Franky called to him "What's the matter with you, you look like you've seen the dead rise"? Realising too late the irony of the statement, considering their newest nakama.
"Nami's gonna hate me" he blubbered in response.
"What you done this time"? the cyborg asked with a smirk, it was a false smile in attempt to console the other man but in hindsight it was actually a regular occurrence she hit him for something, "stolen one of her mikans again"? He asked. Nami's treasures were those tree's and their fruits, well that and real treasure, and again this was a common occurrence on the ship. "She might not find out you know"?
Luffy came out with something then that hardly sounded human at all, more like the wailings of a cat being swung around by the tail.
"Calm down" he said seriously "I can't understand any of what you're saying".
Luffy sniffed loudly and took a deep breath "I was looking at Nami when she was bathing and Robin caught me" He blurted quickly.
Franky let that process through his head for a few seconds and then burst out laughing "Bwahahahahaha, is that it Straw hat"? Luffy looked up at the shipwright confused. "That's not that bad, that's a good thing it means I'm doing well in turning you into a SUPER pervert" Franky joked loudly.
"But Franky I was caught and Robin's gonna tell Nami and now she's gonna hate me".
That was when it hit the cyborg that maybe Luffy was worried because he didn't just like the navigator, it seemed highly likely that the captain LIKED her, as more than just nakama. Franky thought about that, at first with a grin but then he started to think what about if Robin does hate perverts, then he'd never have a chance with her. Enough about me, he thought, I need to help my captain.
"Luffy I can't help you without just saying there, there" He admitted "unless you answer me a question". He grabbed the other man and held his shoulders with his, admittedly, freakishly big hands.
"What's that Franky"? Luffy asked, confused by this sudden change.
"Do you like Nami"? He asked seriously.
"Of course" Luffy said matter-of-factly "Nami's my Nakama, the same as all of you".
Franky sighed "I meant do you like her as more than just one of your Nakama"? he looked into his captains eyes "Answer me truthfully" He asked.
"I" Luffy started, "I've always thought that no one should have anyone closer than Nakama" he stated.
"Ok I'll rephrase the question" Franky turned around wondering how he could explain it to someone as innocent, and thick, as Luffy. "Luffy, everyone should have Nakama, right"
"Yosh" Luffy answered quickly.
"Well do you not think that you feel different towards Nami, and Robin than to the other crew members"?
"Yes" Luffy admitted confused, "I would be heartbroken if I lost any of you, including Nami and Robin".
Franky sighed about to try again, He lived with bandits as a kid and never learnt about the birds and the bees? he thought, what the hell kinda baka bandits were they?.
"But" Luffy continued, much to the cyborgs hidden amazement, "if I was to lose Nami I would just be broken, I would just want to die myself and I wouldn't even want to carry on after my dream".
"So what you are saying is that she has a special meaning to you"? Franky urged.
"Yes, she does" Luffy admitted "But I can't truly explain why but I would do anything for her and expect nothing back".
"Then you love her" Franky pointed out "that's love" he smiled at his captain. "Forget what I told you before" The big man ordered, "It was me being immature and a pervert, which though I am proud of is of no use to us here" he grinned. "What you need to do is apologise to her and admit what you have done" he said "Then let her bitch and moan at you for a while and when she asks for an explanation, provided she does, you have to tell her".
"What if she doesn't"? Luffy asked, genuinely scared of the possibility "What if she just says that she never wants to see me again and tries to leave"? He actually had tears in his eyes Franky noticed, and being the person Franky is, a slave to his feelings, it made the metal man want to cry too.
"If she doesn't you have to tell her the first moment that the chance arises, if you have to jump in the sea to tell her, you have to do it and let nothing get in your way, don't worry I'll be there with you every step of the way, if you want" The cyborg promised.
"What if she says no"? Luffy whined, yet not in a pathetic way Franky noticed, but in the way of someone despairing.
"If she says no you will have to move on, but at least you'll know" Franky told him. "If you don't, you will never know and every single day of your life will be what if, if only and other thoughts that could get in the way of your dreams and hers too".
"You sound smart on this Franky" Luffy sniffed again, "Do you love someone"? He asked.
"Yeah" The big man blushed "I do, loved and I think lost, I missed the chance that you are at right now and I think the woman hates me now".
"Its Robin right"? Luffy smiled from ear to ear.
"How did you know" Franky asked, gobsmacked by his captains unexpected insight.
"You mean I was right"? Luffy guffawed "That was a complete guess".
"Ok Luffy" Franky growled, annoyed at his captains lucky guess, and his big mouth, "I've helped you here, haven't I"?
"Yes a lot Franky, and now I want to help you get Robin" He stated seeming to have completely ignored his comment about "missing his chance".
"No, Luffy" Franky threatened him with a steel fist, "I'm telling you, you can't tell anyone, not Ussop, not Chopper, not Brook, no one, got it, but especially not Robin".
"Ok, Ok" Luffy promised "but if you never ask you'll never know" he smiled.
"Baka" Franky grunted, he hated having to eat his own words.
The two men started slowly back towards the ship leaving the clearing empty.
A lone figure rose from a bush right next to where the two had been standing "Intriguing circumstances indeed, Yohohohohohohohoho".