Special Seat (Luffy and Aries #2)
Aries sat on the upper deck of the Merry under the foliage of Nami's tangerine grove, untangling knots in her fishing line. Her fingers worked quickly in the morning's silence. A light breeze rustled the leaf canopy over her head and carried the scent of Sanji's morning tea.
Suddenly the hatch by the main mast that lead to the boys' room flew open, the noise startling the girl.
"Yeah!" the unmistakable voice of Luffy sounded from deck below.
The sheep girl peered between the rails, watching the rubber man run towards the front of the ship, leaping into the air and landing on the ram figure-head. The dark haired boy stretched his arms above his head, smiling wide as he soaked up the early morning sunshine.
Aries smiled at her captain's ability to stay energized at all times. She wrapped the untangled fishing line around its spool and put in it back in her tackle box before standing up. She brushed off her legs and shorts as she made her way across the deck, towards the boy who was now laying spread-eagle on the ram head.
"Are you sure you wanna be that close to the sea, Luffy?" she asked gently, leaning against the railing next to his head.
Luffy turned his head to look at her, his grin never fading. "This is my special seat," he said simply.
The blonde girl smiled back at him, "I get that. But doesn't being that close to the water scare you? You are a devil fruit user which means you can't swim."
His face shifted from his bright grin to a thoughtful pout. He moved his gaze from Aries' face to the almost cloudless sky above them. A few silent beats passed until Luffy shot up into a seated position. He turned his body to fully face her, his legs crossed. He held out his hand to her, his eyes and smile now warm and inviting.
"Come sit with me," he said, wiggling his fingers.
Aries' eyes widened, her hesitation evident on her face. Her hands tugged on her green tank top, her fingers wringing the material in a nervous manner.
Sensing her hesitation, Luffy offered another gentle smile. "I promise not to let you fall."
Aries studied her captain's face and still outstretched hand before placing her hand in his. His rough, calloused palm felt warm against her skin. He held her steady as she climbed onto the white railing. He gently grabbed her other hand just before she hopped onto the figurehead.
The boy moved over, making sure to give the girl enough room to sit comfortable. He kept his hold on her hands as she sat down. She tucked her legs to the side, the smooth painted surface of the ram's head rubbed against her skin. Once she was sure she wasn't going to fall, Aries released one of Luffy's hands, and cast her eyes out to the uninterrupted view of the sparkling blue sea.
"Wow!" she gasped, unconsciously squeezing Luffy's hand that she was still holding. "This is both amazing and terrifying." She leaned forward slightly, watching the waves creep closer. She felt her balance begin to tip her towards the sea below, and felt panic set in. She flailed, flinging herself backwards, the force throwing her body against Luffy's.
He let out a cough before breaking out into his signature laughter. "Be careful, Aries."
He laughed harder as he watched the blonde's pale cheeks flush red in embarrassment. She pouted out her lower lip, knocking her knuckles lightly against his chest.
"Don't laugh at me, Luffy," she whined.
The captain tried to quell his giggles, but it took a few minutes for them to subside fully. After the quiet had once again settled around the pair, they looked at each other from the corners of their eyes, shared a smile, and looked out at the horizon.
"You can only sit up here if I'm here, okay?" Luffy said suddenly, still staring at the water ahead. "I don't mind sharing, but not all the time. It is MY special seat."
Aries giggled quietly at how simple the statement was. "Of course, Captain."
There was another stretch of comfortable silence, until a question struck Aries.
"Luffy, what are you doing up so early? You don't usually wake up for another couple of hours," she asked curiously.
His face pulled into a toothy grin. "Well, we should be getting close to the Grand Line! And I don't wanna miss of second of it!"
The sheep girl returned his grin. "I'm sure the Grand Line will lead us on quite the adventure."
"Straight to One Piece! So I can become King of the Pirates!" Luffy cheered loudly, leaping to his feet, and jumping into the air.
Aries cheered with him, laughing happily as the rest of the crew made their way to the deck for breakfast.
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