Charm Everlasting Chapter 10, an one piece fanfic

Chapter 10

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Letting go of her waist, Naku clapped his hands softly and looked eagerly into Nami's eyes.

"You are a natural," he praised as he gave her an enormous grin.

Nami panted but was beaming from ear to ear.

"That was fantastic, Naku! I'm so in love with our dances!" she exclaimed.

Like Luffy and Lucille, the duo had finished their routines for the night. Although none of their dances were more than four minutes long, they were chock full of quality that would surely wow the judges. Naku was very impressed with how well Nami adapted and she was impressed that he was already a skilled dancer. He had learned how to dance at some island during his travels and demonstrated for her. What impressed both of them was the fact that he did not faint once while they touched. Nami was expecting that to happen but Naku had succeeded in keeping his emotions under control, especially with one particular dance that required a whole lot of sensuality.

"We are definitely ready," he replied happily. "I think we're going to be the best dance couple tomorrow."

Nami grinned but secretly, she was thinking about Luffy and his dance routines with Lucille. She wondered how their dances compared to hers and Naku's and if they were possibly better.

"Luffy hasn't danced with another girl before," she said aloud.

"Hm? Luffy?" Naku asked.

Nami realized she said that out loud.

"Oh, y-yeah," she chuckled. "I was thinking how Luffy is going to perform. I don't think he's much of the partner dancing type. He's danced a lot by himself but he's never danced with a girl."

"That is something to think about," whispered Naku. "But, I'm sure he'll be good. He's Monkey D. Luffy after all, the future Pirate King."

Nami let his words sink in. Luffy, the future Pirate King. She knew that he would become just that in years to come. Luffy was always full of surprises. He could be the very highlight of the entire tournament. People would surely believe just as she had that Luffy wouldn't be a good dancer just because of his careless and reckless behavior. However, Luffy always possessed a quality of aptitude that not many people could know about but her and the rest of the crew. A naturally hard worker, Luffy would go all out for the tournament. He wouldn't lose easily.

"Luffy is always a goofball," Nami stated. "But you're right, he won't go down easy. Luffy's tough, that's for sure."

The thought of Luffy's monstrous power gave Naku the shivers.

"Just how strong is Luffy? He's worth so many berries, but I've never seen him in action," said Naku. Never in a million years would he ever think to fight Luffy in a real match. He would lose in a heartbeat.

"Luffy has so much potential," she began. "I think it's because he's so rash that he's so strong. I've always thought of Luffy as a monster. He can turn volcanos to ash, swords into dust, pillars into powder…"

Her voice trailed off as she imagined Luffy busting down buildings, turning everything around him into nothing. His amazing strength had always baffled her, but she knew it was because of his rigorous training and fierce determination.

"But…" she whispered. "He has another side to him. A much softer side…"

"Softer?" asked Naku. He watched the fire from the fireplace dance in Nami's golden brown eyes. Her face was calm and still.

"Yeah…believe it or not, Luffy has a soft side. He can be gentle when the time calls for it. When I'm hurt and afraid or feel helpless…I tend to look towards Luffy," she murmured. She didn't know why she was saying this, but it was what her heart wanted, so she continued on.

"I know I can trust him. It's not just because he's the captain, it's because he's protective. I know that I can put my life in his hands. And I have," she smiled.

"You have?" he whispered. Naku wasn't at all saddened that she was speaking of Luffy like this, he was actually fascinated. He was always curious about the Straw Hat captain. He heard so many stories of him. One particular story about Arlong, the Fishman, made a huge impact on him.

"Yeah," she replied. "And I never gave it a second thought. I have doubts of course, but I've proceeded even with those doubts. Only because I trust Luffy so much."

Naku turned his focus to the fire. The way the flames cackled made him smile for some reason. The way they moved along the wooden logs reminded him of the time he and Nami spent in his house. How she had trusted him at the time had transferred over to Luffy's responsibility. His eyes widened as he had just realized something huge.

"Luffy, you really are amazing," she whispered this time to herself.

Naku was so busy staring into the fire he didn't hear her anyway.

"Nami," he said. He brushed his orange hair behind his ears and then placing a finger on his chin.

She turned to look at him, although his gaze was still at the fire.

He faced her and grinned, but she could see that his eyes were not matching his grin. Something about his facial expression seemed off.

"You mentioned something earlier about the clothes we would wear for our recitals. Let's go into town and see w-what we can find," he said, his voice a little shaky.

Nami wondered why he switched the subject, but she smiled as she remembered that was a good point.

"That would be awesome. We'll need some flashy outfits of course," she hummed in delight.

Naku nodded and walked over to grab Nami's jacket. He helped her into it as he did before. She thanked him, but he said nothing. His eyes diverted back towards the flames.

"Naku?" she asked softly. "Are you okay?"

Naku's head slowly went up and down as he turned and gave her a meek smile.

"Yes, quite alright, Nami," he said. "Just need a little air."

"Air?" she sounded concerned. "Naku, are you sure everything's alright?"

Naku forced his smile wider to prove he was okay.

"Just some air, Nami," he assured her. He placed his black hat on his head and let it cover his eyes.

"…Okay," came her response. She was certainly sure something was bothering him.

Naku opened the door and let Nami out before taking one last look at the fireplace. Instead of putting out the flames, he would let them crackle for a while longer.

"It all makes sense."

A small frown came from under his hat as he slowly closed the door behind him.

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Lucille lifted the tuxedo up to Luffy's body and tilted her head from left to right.

"Lucille," whined Luffy. "I'm so hungry. I thought we were gonna meet everyone back at the ship and eat."

She nodded and muttered as if she was paying attention as she brushed the sleeves of the black coat on Luffy's arms. She liked how the sleeves were perfect in length, but she didn't like how the tuxedo wasn't accompanying Luffy as a whole. He just looked silly with the tuxedo. Sighing, she placed the tux back on the hanging rack. This was just about the tenth suit she went through. They weren't supposed to be in the rental store in the first place, but it caught both of their attention while walking back to the Thousand Sunny.

"I just don't know what suits you best, Luffy," she mumbled. "Everything in this store is a contradiction to what you represent."

"Huh?" he asked.

"It's just, I can't find anything that really works for your image. The tuxedo looks like a straitjacket on you," she moped.

"Luffy!" called out a voice not too far away from the two.

Luffy twisted his head around and grinned.

"Zoro!" he yelled happily, waving a hand. "Robin!"

And there they were, joining them.

"So I guess we've got the same idea," said Zoro, glancing at the colorful array of tuxedos around him.

Lucille smiled. "Luffy and I are looking for some suitable wear for the tournament. I already found all my outfits, but nothing seems to like Luffy."

Robin touched the tuxedo Lucille had placed on the rack.

"This one looks nice," she suggested.

Luffy chuckled. "Nah, Lucille doesn't think that one's any good."

"It just seems off," Lucille dully replied.

Robin walked over to a red suit with a rose and picked it up.

"And this?" she asked.

Lucille tapped her lip. "That one seemed the best out of all the outfits here."

"I think it looks pretty nice," came a feminine voice behind everyone.

Once Luffy realized who it was, his mouth parted slightly.

"Nami," whispered Lucille. She then noticed the orange-haired man behind her.

"Naku," whispered Luffy. He tilted his hat lower.

Unlike other times before, Naku wasn't displaying his normal, cheerful smile. Instead, he was glancing around at all the outfits, wondering what would suit him and Nami best. The ends of his lips were pointed to the ground as if he were sad.

"I agree," said Robin, bringing back Nami's earlier comment. "It is his favorite color after all."

"His favorite color?" asked Nami, turning her attention to her captain. She remembered a few days back that she instinctively knew red was his favorite color after he had pointed out Naku's ship and said it was painted with her favorite color. She smiled, proud she was right.

"That's what he told me, right, Luffy?" Robin enquired at the rubber boy who was not paying the slightest attention to the apparel.

"Hey, Luffy," said Nami a bit louder. She waved her hands in midair.

Luffy sucked in part of his cheek before focusing his eyes on Nami. For some reason, her face had an expression that read, 'Are you okay?'

"Y-Yeah?" he hiccupped. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, slightly flushed.

"Don't you think this would look great on you?" she asked him. She pointed to the red suit Robin was holding.

Luffy tapped his chin, letting his eyes glide across the suit in Robin's hands.

"I like it," he said with a smirk. "Red is my favorite color."

Robin smiled at Nami. "See?"

"I had a hunch," Nami replied with a small grin.

"Well, that makes one," sighed Lucille, taking the red suit out of Robin's hands. "I'll go search around for the rest of your outfits, Luffy."

"I'll help too," offered Nami.

Lucille shook her head. "You don't have to, you should look for your clothes."

Nami brushed her hair behind her ears and began to shuffle through the outfits behind her.

"I'm really good with clothes," she insisted. "I know what looks great on Luffy, trust me."

Lucille didn't respond back because she was actually willing to let Nami have a go at it. She wasn't able to find anything good, but was willing to see other options that Nami had in mind. Lucille turned around to ask Luffy what to do next, but he was already gone, along with Naku and Zoro. They must have wandered elsewhere. Robin was going through a pile until she saw nothing of interest and moved on to the couple's section near the back of the store. Feeling out of place at the moment, Lucille gathered their outfits together and went off to find Luffy and even perhaps continue looking for his outfits.

Nami was mumbling to herself, placing one tuxedo next to another when she felt a hand touch her shoulder. It felt soft, yet strong so she knew it had to belong to…

"Luffy," she said, surprised to see him there behind her.

He had his hat somewhat lowered to his eyes but he didn't wear a frown like he usually did when he stood like that. Instead, his lips were formed in a straight, horizontal line. His expression was detached and aloof.

"Hey, Nami," he whispered, his eyes never leaving hers.

Nami gulped a bit, knowing that the last time they had come face to face, it was at the restaurant where things had gotten kind of awkward. Especially because she agreed to enter the contest with Naku and she knew it made him sad.

"L-Luffy," she stammered, taking another small gulp.

She couldn't find any words to come out. She wasn't sure if it was his Haki, because for some reason she felt intimidated by his stare.

"We are alone now," he replied quickly, his voice stagnant. Boy did that sound creepy.

This time she gulped harder. She looked around the store. Luffy was right, they were alone. The rest of the crew had moved to another location, and Lucille and Naku were nowhere in sight.

"Y-Yeah," she squeaked, brows raised, mind confused.

"Yeah," he mimicked her.

When he said that, she noticed his lip curled. She took a deep breath and held it in.

A few seconds passed by.

Nami looked left, then right before looking straight at him.

"Um, Luffy?" she asked, exhaling pinned up anxiety.

"Nami," he said plainly.

"W-What's up?" she asked casually.

She knew why he was standing before her. He had said earlier that day that he wanted to talk to her in private, and now here they were, totally alone. She was waiting for him to make a move.

Luffy began to clear his throat, raising a fist towards his mouth as he did so. She could see his knees slightly bending as if he had to use the restroom. His lower body was even shaking a little. He was sure acting nervous.

"I…I see we are alone," he said, pointing out again the obvious.

Nami was feeling a teensy bit restless.

"We're alone, right," she confirmed. "You wanted to talk to me alone when we had the chance. You can talk to me now, Luffy."

She wanted him to spill out what he was holding inside of him. It was killing him and also killing her. She wanted to know why he was acting so strange lately and why he was acting so strange now. She had a definite hunch, but she wanted to hear his words. What was he hiding from her?

Just as Luffy opened his mouth, Nami felt another tap on her shoulder. Judging by Luffy's frown she knew exactly who it was.

"I found these dresses, Nami," said Naku in his regular happy voice. "They look absolutely splendid."

Nami and Luffy both studied the dresses Naku had picked out. The first dress was blue and had white crystals decorating the front and side of the seams. It was a long dress that was slightly cut near the bottom so that legs could move freely. The second dress was very similar to the first, but it was pink instead of blue and had green gems scattered in a star pattern on the bust area. The third dress was milky white, a frilly dress, not as long as the other two. It was a simple dress with no gems but it definitely looked comfortable. Nami was enthralled by his choices.

"These are beautiful!" she exclaimed. Never was there anyone in the crew except for Robin who had any clue about fashion. Brook and Sanji were fairly close, but this was impressive.

Luffy pouted and crossed his arms. He was not at all impressed.

"You messed up," he commented.

Nami and Naku halted. The orange-haired captain began slightly sweating.

"What do you mean?" he asked nervously.

Luffy picked up the three dresses and spread them across the table. He shook his head.

"None of these are orange," he said, disappointed. "Nami's favorite color is orange. She needs an orange dress. It wouldn't be a show if Nami wasn't wearing the color that suits her best."

Naku's mouth opened but it was nowhere near as far as Nami's. She felt her heart beat faster and her body go numb. His childish mind was far from witty, but for some reason, his words were sweeter than anything she ever heard.

"O-Oh, okay," Naku stuttered. He was somewhat embarrassed. Although he knew Nami's signature color was orange, he never thought of getting an orange dress.

"I had already found the perfect one," Luffy said with a grin.

"Oh?" whispered Nami and Naku at the same time.

Without even thinking, Luffy reached for her hand and snatched it, taking her towards the back entrance where Lucille and he had entered instead of using the regular entrance. Naku stayed where he was, discomfited. He began to slowly place the dresses on their hangers.

"Luffy!" Nami exclaimed. "Slow down!"

He laughed as he hurried her to where he saw the dress he couldn't keep his eyes off when he came into the store. He thought it would look absolutely genius on her.

Luffy finally stopped as Nami was thrown off balance and into his chest. He chuckled as he faced her frontwards. Nami brushed the hairs away from her face and immediately, her mouth fell.

In front of her was a dress like nothing she had ever seen. The dress was bright orange on the top, but halfway down was a darker shade. It had light orange crystals sewed on the bust area as well as the bottom tips of the dress. It was strapless and feeling it, she observed how silky the fabric felt. It was certainly sexy and much more tasteful than she'd expect from Luffy.

She beamed at him.

"Luffy…it's…it's beautiful," she whispered.

He grinned wide.

"I thought it'd be good," he stated. "When I saw it coming in I was like, 'Oh my gosh, Nami has to wear this!' Of course, I wasn't sure if it would fit you, but I like the color and it has you written all over it."

Nami was beyond impressed. Had Luffy always had good taste?

"I love it, Luffy. It looks wonderful," she chirped, giving him a warm smile. "This will definitely be my outfit for our last dance."

Luffy cocked his head and raised his brow.

"Our dance?" he inquired.

Nami choked on her words, realizing her mistake.

"I-I mean, Naku and me. I-It'll be for our final dance routine, that is, if we make it that far," she corrected herself. She felt herself blush.

"Right," Luffy murmured. His eyes went to the floor.

Nami was about to touch his hand and thank him, but she saw Naku walking towards her with the other three dresses. He walked next to her and followed her gaze to the orange dress Luffy had picked out.

"My word," he exhaled. "This dress is stunning!"

"Absolutely," she agreed, turning to Luffy. "Thank you."

"Yeah," he mumbled as he began to walk away.

Nami reached out for him, but he was already going full speed ahead. Naku followed Nami's outreached hand and sighed. He watched as Luffy trudged in an unknown direction.

"Nami," he said, still keeping his eyes on the Straw Hat captain.

She looked at him.

"I found my four outfits, assuming that we'll make it to the finals," he said, showing her the neatly tucked layers of clothing hanging on his forearm.

She nodded and peeked at the tag that was hanging off the orange dress. The measurements of the dress were miraculously her size.

"And now I have my fourth outfit, thanks to Luffy. It's exactly my size," she whispered.

He smiled weakly at her. "He nailed it."

"Well," she sighed, glancing where Luffy ran off to, "I guess we should go back to the Sunny. Would you like to eat dinner with us?"

Naku gave it some thought but he kindly declined.

"That's alright, Nami," he replied. "I'm sure Sarah will be making something for the crew."

Nami gave him a soft frown.

"Are…are you sure?" she asked, worried about his melancholy demeanor. She still couldn't figure out why he was acting so sad.

"Positive," he confirmed, forcing a grin. "I guess we can meet in front of your ship tomorrow and then walk together to the Common Grounds. An announcement will be made around ten-thirty."

Nami nodded her head slowly.

"Sounds good, Naku," she whispered as she watched his eyes. He didn't make eye contact with her nor respond back. Instead, he carefully picked up her orange dress and placed it on top of the other dresses and outfits he still wore on his arm. Tipping his head, he made his way to the check-out counter where she could now spot Zoro, Robin, Lucille, and even Luffy.

"Th-Thank you," she stammered.

Feeling completely confused, Nami began following Naku back to everyone else. She halted when she saw the red suit that she thought would look great on Luffy. It was on top of another stack of clothing, undoubtedly picked out by Lucille who also had other outfits for Luffy. She was happy he would wear that. It was apposite for him. Then her eyes caught sight of the orange dress Naku had on his forearm. That too would look perfect. She could only wonder what it would be like for both of them to be wearing those outfits while dancing together. She frowned, knowing it wouldn't happen. She was beginning to think if dancing with Naku was such a good idea. Voices inside of her head were telling her not to, but she was ignoring them for some reason. Taking in all the air around her, she exhaled and threw her arms by her side.

'Why oh why did I enter this tournament?'

The employee picked up her orange dress and priced it, adding it to the other pile of dresses.

'Did I do it because I wanted to dance with Naku? That's what I thought.'

He conversed with Lucille and then Naku, pointing at the other suits and dresses on the counter.

'And I thought Luffy was the only one who acted recklessly.'

She watched as Luffy picked up his red suit and place it next to her orange one. He looked up at her and they made eye contact. Nami felt her face heat up as she quickly looked at the walls.

'Luffy…why did you enter this tournament…why?'

The clerk accepted a sack of money from Naku and punched some buttons on his register. She could hear the rest of them thanking him.

'I need to talk to Luffy. We need to have that alone time.'

"Hey, Nami," called Zoro, waving a hand. "We're done."

Nami glimpsed up at the group. She could see Naku nowhere in sight. In fact, Zoro was holding her dresses and not Naku. She hurried over to them.

"Where did Naku go?" she asked. "Did he leave?"

"Yeah," Zoro answered. "He left immediately saying that he had something to do on his ship."

"He seemed like he was in a hurry," Robin added.

Nami looked woefully at the store's exit.

"He was acting so different," she stated. "He wasn't acting like himself when we finished our dance routines."

Luffy glanced at Nami.

"Maybe he's sick," suggested Zoro.

"Or tired," Lucille commented.

"I hope he's not sick," said Nami. "He might, however, actually be tired. Yeah, that makes sense."

Luffy rubbed his head and looked downwards.

"Well then, let's head on back. Gotta get some rest before we do this nonsense," yawned Zoro.

"Don't you love your outfits, Zoro?" asked Robin. "I think they will look great on you."

Zoro's eye twitched as he snuck a peek at the combination of suits that lay perfectly in a plastic bag. One of the suits was noticeably a striking green.

"Yeah, yeah, fabulous," he grumbled.

Robin giggled.

With that said, the crew and Lucille collected their bags and headed back to the Sunny. Luffy stayed a fair distance away from Nami, but he really wanted to scoop her up in his arms and take her far away from everyone else.

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"Not bad," mumbled Zoro as he continued to gulp down more of Robin's cooking.

"Delicious!" exclaimed Chopper.

"You really outdid yourself, Robin," Nami praised.

Robin was all smiles.

"Thank you," she chuckled.

Despite being silent for much of the evening, Luffy couldn't help but dig into the feast Robin had prepared for everyone. Sanji was not present and hadn't returned from Naku's ship so his cooking was unavailable.

"I guess the cook is still with his woman," Zoro sang as he chomped on some ribs.

Usopp and Brook quivered at the thought of Sarah.

"Probably," Nami said, munching on some more meat. "But Sarah is very kind, I'm sure they're having fun. Sanji-kun finally gets the girl he's been looking for."

"I don't think that's it," mumbled Usopp.

"Those panties," Brook shivered.

"That manly stubble," muffled Franky.

"Be nice," snapped Nami. "She's very sweet."

While they continued to chow down, Luffy continued to look up and over at Nami from across his seat. She wasn't directly in front of him this time, but he was still looking for the opportunity to talk with her in private. Lucille was also watching Nami, but her purpose was much different from his.

When everyone had finished, the nightly procedures commenced as usual. Nami raced up to claim the shower while Lucille and Robin chatted about tomorrow's tournament. Lucille did not speak of what she had learned about Luffy, even though she really wanted to. However, she was feeling tired and didn't want to get into a debate that late.

The males had gotten into their pajamas and were sounding off for their slumber. However, one of the male crewmates was far from being tired. In fact, he felt wide awake. As he lay in his bunk, he listened carefully for the sound of Nami's footsteps from the shower room above. He waited for about a half an hour until he got his wish. Not only could he hear her footsteps but he could also sense her presence from outside. He listened as the footsteps moved from the grassy deck and then stopped. Luffy moved his head towards the door and waited. He could sense her aura. She wasn't moving, in fact, she was staring straight at the men's room. Luffy stayed looking at the door for another minute before turning his feet towards the side of the bed. Maybe this would be his chance to get her all alone.

Right when he was about to step down, he sensed Nami walking back to her room. Luffy sighed and thumped back down. The sound of his male crewmates snoring confirmed they had fallen asleep. Meanwhile, Luffy could barely get his eyes to close. He was dying to talk with Nami. He was dying to tell her everything. He twisted left and then twisted right. He stared at the Chopper's bunk above and then turned on his side again. He watched as Zoro snored and scratch his head subconsciously.

Finally, just when he was going to get up to grab a little snack from the fridge, he felt his eyes drift and then close.

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"What do you think, Luffy?" asked Nami, her pearly white teeth flashing brilliantly in the sun.

Luffy gulped and rubbed his raven hair.

"I…I think you look beautiful, Nami!" he responded with a nervous chuckle.

Nami pulled on her orange dress, the one Luffy had chosen for her and twirled around in a circle, laughing as she did so. His hunch about the dress was right after all. It fit her figure perfectly. The two shades of orange complimented her hair like nothing else. Everything about her at that very moment was mesmerizing.

"Thank you, Luffy," she said slyly. "But that compliment doesn't really sound right. And do you know why?"

Luffy tilted his head and crossed his arms.

"Why does it sound wrong?" he wondered aloud.

Nami raised a hand to her lips as she giggled.

"Why don't you ask my husband," she suggested, giving him a mocking wink.

Luffy's jaw dropped.

"Husband?!" he screeched.

Nami's eyes narrowed.

"But of course…you've met my husband…right?" she whistled. She pointed a finger behind him.

Luffy froze as he slowly turned to face her extended digit.

"N-No," he stammered. "No!"

"Why, hello, Monkey D. Luffy," said the captain of the Lucky Pirates. His grin was spread farther than the vast sea.

Luffy ticked his head towards Nami as sweat began to pour down his face.

"Nami…no…no…" he moaned.

Nami winked at him again. She reached for Naku who gladly accepted her in his open arms. When he pulled her close, Luffy felt a strong jolt in his heart. It felt as if he had just gotten a heart attack.

"Argh!" he roared as he clutched his chest.

"What do you think, my love?" she asked Naku, pulling him closer. Her face was only centimeters from his. Naku's eyes glowed as he stared lustfully in her gaze.

"Why, I'd say you look as radiant as the sun," he replied jubilantly. "Perfect as always, my dear."

Luffy felt something penetrating his heart. It was thick and sharp, almost like a knife. He grabbed his chest and dug his fingers into it. He began to pant hard.

"N-Nami…N-Nami…" was all that he could say.

"Don't worry about me, Luffy. I'm going with Naku now. I'm taking a little vacation," she informed him. She licked her lips. "And, if things get even better, I'm going to stay with him for the rest of my life."

"Sounds good to me," Naku agreed, adjusting his black hat. He wrapped his arm around Nami's waist.

"Nami," Luffy gasped. "You promised…you…you said you'd never leave me…"

Nami stuck out her tongue and pulled Naku's face even closer.

"Silly boy, you'll never be anything like Naku. He's a hero. My hero. Unlike you, you're a selfish brat who only cares about meat," she mocked.

"That's…that's not true!" he wheezed. "I care about you, Nami! I love you!"

Nami threw a hand in the air and began to laugh. Naku joined her.

"He's really your captain?" Naku cried. "The biggest joke in the world!"

"I know, I know," Nami snickered. "He's says he loves me. Yeah, right!"

"I…I mean it…I love you!" Luffy screamed, his heart beginning to rip apart. Blood began to drip from his chest.

"Keep dreaming," laughed Naku. "She's mine, rubber man. She always has been and always will be!"

Luffy reached his hand in the air, trying desperately to stretch his arm and pull Nami away from Naku. However, she only sidestepped away from his grasp.

"Pitiful," she scoffed.

"Let's leave this fool to the floor, it suits him," reasoned Naku.

"So long as I'm with you," whispered Nami into Naku's neck.

Luffy punched the ground and steadied himself, but once Naku placed his thumb and index finger on her chin, he felt that agonizing pain once again.

"Get…get your hands off my navigator!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.

"I'm not your navigator, Luffy," she informed him. "I'm happily married now, and I no longer have to deal with your idiocy."

"I…I can prove to you that you mean the world to me," Luffy panted. "I…I love you…"

Nami smirked and placed a hand on Naku's cheek.

"Too late, dummy," she whispered as they both leaned in for each other's lips.

Luffy clenched his teeth, digging his nails into his heart, squeezing desperately.

"NAMI!"

Slowly, very slowly, their lips traveled towards each other…

"NO!"

Luffy sat up from the bunk bed, soaked in sweat. He began huffing as he stared into the darkness in front of him. He checked the clock on the nightstand which read two-twenty three. It was still the middle of the night. Luffy scanned the bottom floor of the room and noticed immediately how none of his crewmates woke from his outburst. They were still snoring away peacefully.

Luffy clutched his heart and quickly pulled up his nightshirt to see if any blood had exited. As he thought, none had. It was all a nightmare. In fact, it was a nightmare he had before, only this time, Nami was garbed in the orange dress he had picked out for her.

He pounded his mattress.

He didn't want to have the same nightmare again. Only this time, it was a lot more vivid. Luffy wiped his forehead and attempted to move his feet to the ground but as he did so, he felt his hands shaking violently. He clenched his hands together, but that only made his arms shake.

"Dammit!" he cursed silently, trying best not to wake the others.

His feet began to do the same thing. He tried pinching his skin but that only worsened his condition. He thought of waking up Chopper to help him, but instead, he decided to grab something to eat. Maybe that would calm his nerves.

He steadied himself as best he could as he tiptoed towards the door. He took one last look at the guys before silently slipping through the door with only minor creaks. The air outside was quite chilly. The moon was high in the sky as well as a few dark clouds. A very eerie but peaceful night.

Luffy scampered to the kitchen where he opened the door. Hands still shaking, he fumbled closing the door behind him. He also had trouble opening the fridge until he managed to control his fingers. Sanji was still on Naku's ship so Luffy wouldn't have any problems sneaking a late night snack. He grabbed some fish and beef patties, stuffing them all in his mouth.

Strangely, his hands were still shaking.

He grabbed some sausage and potatoes and threw them in his mouth.

His hands continued to tremble.

Luffy flushed everything down with a jug of juice. Still, his hands and now his legs, were quivering uncontrollably.

The rubber boy groaned inside the dark kitchen as he rested on the sofa for a while, letting some of his nerves simmer down and letting out some belches. After a few more minutes, he decided to try to go back to sleep. As he walked back into the cool night air, his focus accidentally locked onto the girl's room. A crazy thought wandered inside of him. He paused, unsure. He took a deep breath and turned away and began back to his room.

"Luffy."

He swung his head back at the girl's room. He looked left, then right, then behind him and back at their room. He could have sworn he heard Nami's voice calling him. He swallowed hard as small beads of sweat trickled on the back of his neck and down on his shaking arms. He trotted towards their room, nearly tripping over his own sandals.

He stared at the doorknob. He wasn't sure if it was a good idea to proceed on with it, but since he came this far and heard Nami's voice he decided to go on. He tried his hardest to control his unsteadiness as he fumbled with the knob. He slapped his hand on his wrist and gripped it, doing his best to stop shaking. When he did, he turned the handle counterclockwise, slowly pushing through. He had to stop occasionally in order to keep the squeaking to a minimum until he reached enough space to squeeze through. As he stepped forward, he realized how dark it was inside. However, this would only be a minor issue because his Haki would help guide him. Letting his senses take over, he could feel Lucille's presence coming from the floor in the corner and Robin on the left hand side next to her. Nami's energy was coming from the right side in the opposite corner. Unlike the men's quarters, their room was completely silent without any snoring.

Total silence.

Luffy clenched his fists and continued towards Nami's bed.

About halfway there, he grasped his own stupidity of not knowing what to do once he reached her bedside. He had no real clue why he was in her room in the first place other than hearing her voice and having the need to see her. Sighing, he progressed on forward.

His eyes had finally adjusted to the darkness, so well that he was able to actually see Nami's serene facial expression and the side view of Robin. Stretching one leg out, he felt the other half of his body shake and was forced to place his foot down. Luffy exhaled softly and tiptoed quickly, eventually reaching the side of her bed. He froze, unsure of what to do next.

Ten seconds went by.

Luffy began to feel his hands moistening and his palms quavering.

One minute went by.

He still had no idea what he was doing. Things were getting stranger and creepier by the second.

Ten minutes went by.

Luffy felt his entire lower half of his body go numb. His rubber arms felt like sagging to the floor. Sweat was now covering his chest and his back. It was cold and his entire body was steadily shaking.

After another minute, Luffy crouched down and leveled himself so that his face was next to Nami's. She hadn't changed her position at all. She was still snuggled up with her face resting on the side of her pillow. Her lips were slightly opened with light breaths exiting occasionally. For some reason it looked as if she was smiling.

Luffy studied her face in the darkness. She looked absolutely adorable while she slept.

'This is what she must have looked like when we slept together.'

Luffy raised his finger to her lips. Inhaling softly, he ever so gently pressed his finger against her lower lip and quickly pulled back. Nami didn't budge an inch. She continued her soft breathing.

Luffy felt his heart pound against his chest and his hands began to shake at full capacity. He could no longer hold in his anxiety.

"N-Nami," he whispered. He patted her arm.

Nami didn't move. Instead, she stayed sound asleep.

"Hey, Nami," he whispered again. He still had no clue what he was doing.

Nami subconsciously cleared her throat and turned her body so that she was facing the ceiling. Luffy nearly stumbled backwards, surprised. He kept it together and stood up, leaning forward and over her body. He moved his face close to hers.

"Nami, hey," he said as quietly as possible. "Please, wake up, I need help."

His hands were shaking still as he lightly shook her arm. This time she stirred as she grimaced from his touch.

"Nami," he almost whined. He continued to shake her while his own hand shook with her. Nami began to moan.

He was about to tap her cheek when she began to smack her lips together.

"Nami?" he questioned, a little louder. He moved his face close to her mouth so he could hear her better. He raised an eyebrow and lifted a hand to his ear.

He was about to turn his head to the side, when, to his greatest and utter surprise, Nami leaned forward, unintentionally pressing her lips gently against his.

Luffy stayed completely frozen.

His hand dropped to his side, no longer shaking. His body ceased from anymore trembling. His eyes bulged as his pupils danced in the darkness of the room. His face was hot. His arms were hot. His entire body was hot. The universe stood still as he felt Nami's soft lips over his.

Just when he was about to close his eyes and hold her cheek, Nami's mouth pulled away from his as she slumped back on her pillow. A smile emerged on her face.

Luffy felt a sudden joy replace where there was pain in his heart as the sound of angels filled his ears. He nearly jumped straight through the ceiling, his mind jubilant and his hands shaking, this time from the excitement. He came into her room with no particular reason and was given the best reward possible.

Luffy felt himself blush as he tried his best to stand up without falling over. Completely flabbergasted, he wanted to leave so that he wouldn't collapse from the wonderful experience.

Giggling like a little boy, Luffy stumbled over to the door, nearly waking Lucille and Robin in the process. He glanced over again at his sleeping navigator. She still wore a smile on her lips.

"Nami…Nami!" he nearly cried. He clutched his beating heart, his trademark smile returning to where it belonged.

When he turned around he could hear Nami smack her lips again. He looked over his shoulder one last time, before slowly closing the door behind him.

As the waves of the sea slowly rocked the ship in its lullaby, Nami slowly adjusted her body on its side. Unknowingly, she licked her lips, resting her arms above her head, as she nuzzled the side of her pillow with her cheek.

She opened her mouth slightly as she starting twitching from her own dreams. A smile displaying noticeably, she was in total peace.

"Luffy," she whispered into the darkness, still very much unconscious.

The waves were gentle as the fresh air Luffy let in made everything seem so real yet so peaceful. A very eerie but peaceful night.

"Luffy," she said again with a smile, "I love you."

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I definitely pulled this one out of the pocket. Wasn't expecting it, but I got lost again in the direction of the story since it got revamped. Eh, needed some LuNa I guess. Anyway, you know what's coming next. Buckle up.