A/N: And here is the next chapter!~ sorry if it took so long OTL you know how school is... but here it is :D
and i am sorry for a ton of things, and one, im sorry if the characters seem rather ooc here /imma crey, second, sorry if there are tons of errors in this chapter... i was too lazy to proof read OTL
but anyways... enjoy!~ :D
[UPDATE: not really important but i finally proof read it and changed some mistakes...]
It was almost noon and Nami hasn't returned at all. Nojiko even planned on looking for her sister, but thought against it. She knew that Nami was old enough to take care of herself, and at the same time, she can't just leave the stall without anyone managing it.
For some strange reason, she had this feeling her sister was safe.
Nojiko sighed and told herself that maybe this was a good opportunity for her sister to relax, or keep her head away from work. Seriously, Nami was just too caught up with work, earning money and all that stuff. Her sister needed a break.
"LUFFY!" Usopp yelled as he walked down the grassy field.
"We were so close to seeing him again." Chopper sulked.
"Tch. We lost him." Zoro complained as he stood from his spot with his arms crossed.
Usopp felt dumbstruck as he heard what his friend had just said. He knew that Zoro was one of the reasons why they lost Luffy, heck the green haired man actually ran the opposite way from where Luffy was running off to!
"We're never going to find Luffy!" Usopp yelled, "And worse of all, we're lost in a place we don't even know! WE MIGHT EVEN DIE!" obviously Usopp was once again exaggerating things
"D-DIE?" Chopper screeched. The brunette was too gullible for his own good.
"Whatever, let's just keep on searching for Luffy." Zoro yawned
Zoro then started walking to who knows where hoping that this stupid goof chase for their squad leader would be over with.
The other two then saw the swordsman walking away from them without even taking into consideration where he was going to. Usopp and Chopper on the other hand ran after him in hopes that they don't lose sight of the man with the worse navigational instincts. It was already hard enough for them looking for Luffy, and if they lose Zoro now as well, that would mean more searching thus more work which is bad. Not to mention, the two took into consideration that if Zoro got lost to who knows where, who would protect them if they got into trouble?
"Zoro! Don't leave us, you might get lost!" Chopper yelled as he tried to catch up to Zoro.
"Seriously, are these guys really belittling me?" Zoro muttered under his breath as the two finally caught up with him.
A few hours had gone by since Luffy took off with Nami in his arms.
The raven haired boy had walked around carrying the irritable girl. The two went through a crowded town, passed by a dock on the other end of the town, walked by the shore, and entered a forest leading to who knows where.
"UUGH. When are you putting me down!" Nami growled as she crossed her arms while being carried away by Luffy. "Where are you even taking me!?"
"We should be near." Luffy hummed, as he leapt over rocks, and avoided the branches obstructing their way.
Nami just gave an annoyed sigh by Luffy's humming. As much as she didn't want to be carried off by some stranger whom she just met a few days ago, she couldn't do much seeing that struggling against him was futile. No matter how much she fought against him, the raven haired boy would just tighten his grip on her making sure he doesn't drop her at the same time walking at a faster pace to get to their destination as soon as possible. So in the end, Nami couldn't do anything but give in on the stupid boy's wishes.
The girl then gave out another sigh, but this time much calmer. She closed her eyes and opened them as she looked up at sky which was slightly blocked out by the branches and leaves of the different trees. Some birds flew by, and some were resting on the branches singing unknown tunes that calmed her nerves.
Soon her gaze was transferred to the man who was carrying her. His dark hair which was mostly covered by his ragged straw hat, then Luffy's eyes which were filled with joy and innocence, at the same time familiar. She didn't get it, but it was as if she had gazed upon them a long time ago, yet it was hidden behind him. Then her sight went to the scar under his left eye. She could see how badly treated it was, and it made her wonder how he got the scar in the first place. Then it made her remember that he was part of the military, so obviously he would get some scars right? It somewhat made her feel stupid for wondering such a thing.
She kept her gaze on Luffy for a while which for some reason made her feel so relaxed. She felt so at home being carried away by his arms, feeling his warmth with hers, and just him being with her. Everything, the feeling, the moment, and him, it feels just like how she was with that friend of hers 12 years ago.
Nami suddenly went back to reality and realized what she was thinking. In fact, WHAT WAS SHE EVEN THINKING?! She scolded herself through her thoughts, and at the same time shook her head to erase all those stupid ideas that came to her. It was stupid of her, stupid that it made her irritated.
Luffy saw how Nami suddenly shook her head and wondered by her sudden actions, was something bothering her? He didn't know, and decided not to pay much attention to it and kept walking.
Suddenly, the faint sounds of crashing water was heard from the distance which brought out a bright smile on Luffy's face.
"We're almost here!" He shouted with glee.
"Huh?" Nami wondered
In an instant, Luffy rushed towards the direction of the sound, while Nami on the other hand held on to Luffy hoping that he doesn't drop her with his sudden change of speed.
"AAAH! YOU IDIOT"
Luffy had finally came to a stop, but Nami still held on to Luffy tightly, still frightened that she might fall off of his arms.
When she realized that they had really stopped moving, she slowly loosened her grip around his neck and saw him looking at her with that stupid smile on his face.
"We're here!"
Luffy then gently let go of Nami, finally letting the girl stand on her own two feet. But when she was finally able to stand on her own, the orange haired girl suddenly slapped the back of Luffy's head.
"OW! WHAT WAS THAT FOR!" Luffy yelped.
"FOR KIDNAPPING ME! IDIOT." Nami growled at him.
Nami then prepared herself to give the boy another hit on the head, but halted by the sound of running water. The girl loosened the fist that she was about to hit Luffy with and took into notice their surroundings.
She was in sudden awe by what she saw in front of her. A wonderful and well preserved grotto was right in front of them. She saw the beautiful rock formations which were embraced by vines and moss, some trees still surrounding the grotto. Then she took into notice how she could feel sand touching the sides of her feet. There was also a lake in the center of it all, and a waterfall that fell from one side of the rock formation.
The place was like a dream to her, paradise. Nami walked towards the shore of the lake, knelt down and dipped her finger on the crystal clear water. It was really like a dream, yet it wasn't. This place wasn't just a dream, but a far off memory.
This was the place where she would always meet him, and this was also the place where he had left her 12 years ago.
Nami bit her lower lip and brought her hands to cover her face. She wanted to remember, yet she wanted to forget as well. She didn't know, she was lost, that after 12 years of holding it in she was finally losing it.
'Make it stop'
She tried telling herself but she could feel the tears slowly forming, thoughts of fear slowly clouding her mind. Her greatest fear slowly creeping up to her and surrounding her thoughts, fear that was connected to that friend of hers. That fear wasn't about him not coming back home, no it was something worse. It was the fear that he could have died during a mission of sorts, and she wouldn't even know about it. That all this time that she was waiting, she was just waiting for nothing, and the thought haunts her each passing day.
And in an instant she was snapped out of these thoughts by the touch she felt on her shoulder and a voice calling out to her.
"H-hey Nami... You okay?"
Nami slowly placed her hands down to her lap and saw worried and anxious eyes looking right at her.
She looked away, but she could still feel his gaze upon her and his hand still on her shoulder. The orange haired girl then took a deep breath and let it out. She tried to clear her head first before she gave her reply.
Seeing that no words could come out of her mouth, she looked back at the raven haired boy still looking at her. She gave him a slight nod and a reassuring smile saying that she was fine.
Luffy saw her response, and finally let go of her shoulder and plopped down on the sand while his feet touched the lake.
"Phew. I thought you were mad at me for a while." Luffy laughed out the thought.
Nami then stared at the boy by his sudden remark.
She sighed, and removed the sandals that her feet wore and placed it beside her. She then stretched her legs forward letting the lake's water wash the sand off of her feet and lied beside the raven haired boy.
There was a moment of silence as the two watched sky which was much more visible now compared to what she could have seen in the forest.
"Hey Lucy..."
"Hmm?"
"Why did you bring me here?"
Luffy jerked up from his spot letting his straw hat fall off of his head. He didn't really expect Nami to ask such a question and ended up scratching his head.
"I dunno really" Luffy gave out forced laugh as he looked away.
'I'm lying dammit. Please don't let her notice...' he told himself as he printed this stupid look on his face.
"Oh..." Nami replied.
Luckily she didn't see through Luffy's lie seeing how she was too preoccupied by her own thoughts.
The girl then sat up from her spot, now looking at the crystal clear lake in front of them. Images of the past were playing right in front of her.
Luffy then looked at the somewhat disoriented girl beside him not knowing what to do to make her feel better.
Maybe it was a bad idea to bring her here, he thought to himself. Then again, it was already a bad idea when he had to carry her all the way here seeing how she struggled away from him halfway through the trip.
Luffy then tried to think things through, think of ways to cheer the girl up, but it was an utter failure. It ended up giving him a head ache causing some imaginary steam to come out of his head.
His concentration was suddenly broken when he heard a sigh.
"I used to go here a lot before."
Luffy's eyes suddenly widened by what he had just heard, his mouth slightly open due to the shock. He looked at the girl beside him, her eyes were reminiscent, yet calmer compared to what he witnessed a while ago.
"R-Really?" Luffy asked as he scratched his cheek with his index finger. Sweat was sliding down his face.
"Yeah... but I stopped eventually around 12 years ago." Nami told the boy as she tried to force out a laugh. She didn't actually know why she was saying this to some total stranger, and a stranger who actually kidnapped her and brought her to this place.
"WHAT! WHY? DIDN'T YOU LIKE THIS PLACE!? I MEAN-" Then Luffy realized he was gonna blow his cover.
"U-uhm..." Nami looked at the raven haired boy beside her.
"I-I mean why did you stop? You know... look pretty lake with water...falls..." real smooth Luffy. He was practically sweating hard right now with that dumb lying look on his face.
Nami then looked at the boy awkwardly and suspiciously, but just shrugged it off. He was really weird anyway.
"Yeah, this place really is pretty, and special." Nami told him as she took a good look at her surroundings then continued, "but I just wanted to forget some things, or at least try to let go of..."
She couldn't bring herself to continue. She could feel herself holding her tears back, but she won't let them get to her, not now.
"I just wanted to forget... a friend of mine 12 years ago."
Luffy felt a sudden shock to what he had just heard. He felt pain, and at the same time guilt and he didn't even know why. Was it because of what Nami was feeling inside her? He didn't know, but he definitely won't let her think of such things. Not with him around.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN FORGET!?" Luffy yelled as he stood up from his spot, and Nami suddenly looking at him with pure shock of his sudden outburst.
"YOU CAN'T JUST FORGET YOUR FRIEND LIKE THAT! DIDN'T I—" Don't slip now Luffy "DIDN'T YOUR FRIEND EVER TELL YOU THAT FRIENDS ARE FOREVER!"
"W-What..?" Nami gaped with utter shock by what he was saying, and some of it even sounded a bit childish.
Luffy then took a good look at her and her shocked expression. He tried to catch his breath from the sudden shouting. The more he looked at her the more he lost his breath and he just doesn't get it.
"UUUGH!" the boy then turned away from her and started scratching his head nonstop not understanding what he should say next.
"L-Lucy...?" He was getting weirder by the minute.
This time Luffy was walking in circles, then rolled on the sand, then jumped up and down. He was practically moving nonstop and she didn't even know why. Then it hit her.
She couldn't help but giggle. His tantrums reminded her a lot of her friend before, and most of all his stupid little speech about friends. Maybe this was some stupid coincidence.
Luffy then pouted and looked at her when he heard her giggling.
"W-What are you laughing about? Nothing's funny."
Nami shook her head in response and looked at the man beside her who was once again sitting down.
"Hmm?" Luffy tilted his head.
Nami then smiled at him.
"Well... You just remind me a lot of my friend from 12 years ago."
Luffy's eyes then lit up.
"You could say we used to hang out here a lot..." Nami's eyes then turned away from Luffy, and gave off a distant look. "Which is why I stopped going here once... once he left."
The light it Luffy's eyes suddenly faded.
He then saw Nami looking back at him, but this time he felt like the world just fell upon him.
Nami had tears streaming down her cheeks, yet she tried to give off a smile to assure him that she was just fine.
Luffy wanted to reach out for her, but what will he do once he does? This just wasn't his thing, but before he could make a move, Nami started talking again.
"You see, we would always meet each other here, in this very spot, this very shore once we were done with our chores and everything." Nami wiped some of her tears away and continued, "We would play tons of things, and talk about a lot of stupid stuff, and we would tell each other anything... anything at all."
Luffy stared at Nami as she went with her story.
"One time he even confessed to me you know!" she gave out a little laugh, "I didn't even think he would have feelings like those you know, and his confession was an utter failure."
Luffy's cheeks suddenly showed a tint of pink.
"Instead of saying I like you, he said, I will crush you! And I got so mad at him that time cause I took it literally that I hit him and ran away. I didn't see him for a week." A small smile started tugging Nami's lips, "Then when I grew older, only then I realized what he had meant, and I felt bad for what I did..."
Then there was a moment of silence.
"But what sucks is that... When he left was the only time I realized I liked him too... I guess." The girl started combing her hair with her fingers. "I mean it might have just been a kid crush, but it still won't change the fact that I might have had feelings for him... and might still do..." but she only whispered the last few words hoping that the boy won't hear her girlish confessions.
Luffy on the other hand was feeling this strange warmth all of a sudden. His cheeks were now red, and his heart was beating heavily.
He heard what Nami had just said, that she used to like him before, even though it was only a kid crush, but it didn't change the fact that she did feel something for him. He heard something after those words though it wasn't clear seeing that she only whispered the last few words.
Curiosity was taking over him, he wanted to know something. If it was still possible even after these years, even if he can't tell her who he is, he had this stupid urge to know.
"D-Do you still like that guy?" Luffy asked with a pout.
Nami was shocked by what the man had just asked, in fact she didn't even expect him to listen at all.
She then gave some thought to what he had just asked trying to get her feelings on the right track, the she gave out a sincere smile and finally gave her reply.
"Maybe!"
A/N: So what do you guys think? OOC? i know im really sorry about that OTL
anyways thanks for the reviews as well~
and yes pls review cause it motivates me and helps me a lot improve my writing ;A;
