Luffy stood in front of Relina's bed, She was shaking badly breathing in and out heavily and looked in a great deal of pain. 'Should I go call Chopper?' he wondered falling into a panic himself. "R-R-Relina!" he shook the girl that was shivering. "L-Luffy..." she stuttered, "Wake up Relina!" he shook her shoulder. "AH!" Relina woke up slamming her forehead in Luffy's with a ringing sound.
"Wh-What happened?" She asked on the verge of tears looking at the Luffy who was holding his throbbing head. "Lu-LUFFY!?" she cried, as tears started streaming down her face. 'HUH!?' Luffy was confused. Obviously! He didn't know why she was crying for all he knew she was having a nasty nightmare...But was it about him?
He was going to explain it all... How it was only a bad dream and that everything is okay... But in a flash he found himself hugging Relina as she kissed him!? She had her hands cautiously caressing his cheeks as if she was too scared to hurt him with the touch. Her lips were on his in a delicate touch.
She pulled away to look in his eyes, tears stopped flowing down her cheeks but her eyes gave a weird sparkle that indicated her pain. "I'm so sorry Luffy..." she started before hugging him, "I love you...I'll always listen to you..." she sighed, tightening her hug.
"What...Happened?" Was all he could manage, "You...Don't remember?" she asked pulling away. "No..." he started "You were having a nightmare...is all I know..." he explained pointing at the pillow. "Y-Y-YOU...I...We... That guy...All a dream!?" she asked flushing with every word. By the time Luffy nodded slowly she was a fine red.
'OH NO! I did NOT just confess because of a nightmare.' She thought her brain going shopping for the time being... "Um..." she couldn't talk...No. She had nothing to say she particularly said it all..But what will Luffy's reaction be? Will he laugh? Take it as a joke? Be serious!? 'UGH so frustrating!' was all she could manage realizing.
"I thought you didn't like me..." Luffy said looking rather normal not really too serious, not joking. NOT EVEN NERVOUS. But in fact he was just too shocked and overwhelmed to do anything or SAY anything. "I...OF COURSE NOT!" She shouted "I...I love you..." she mumbled looking to the side sadly.
"Then...You okay with me liking you!?" he asked confused, it was really hard on Relina because she felt like he was totally playing stupid. "No I'm not!" she glared. "If you're just going to like me...Then I'll be the only one...who's totally..." She looked in his eyes and bit her bottom lip. "Totally..." she couldn't say it really. She was too nervous and scared, it was her first time unable to predict what was to happen next.
Luffy's face turned red in a split second and he found himself flustered for the first time. "Uh..Um...You..." he couldn't find the words, but maybe that was good, maybe he could put it in actions? He smirked and leant in on her, "HUH!? What are you doing?" she asked nervously leaning away, oh was she scared of what he was thinking.
He was an inch away from her face, totally leaning over her. He grinned triumphantly. Leaning in he placed a kiss on her forehead. "I love you too." he said . Okay if smoke was coming out of Relina's ears then smoke WAS coming out of her head. Because that was the sweetest cutest gesture she has ever seen in her life.
Luffy moved away blushing slightly while she was tomato red, seriously even redder if possible, Was she glowing neon red? No she wasn't but she still couldn't believe it...She just confessed...To Luffy...Who has confessed before and was SERIOUS ABOUT IT! It was like the perfect dream and best foreshadowing of a nightmare, because she was scared, no, TERRIFIED. He was going to leave right?
"Hey let's go on a walk..." Luffy suggested out of nowhere. "What? Now? It's like 4 in the morning! Is the sun even up?" she asked in confusion but he just smiled. "Yeah let's watch the sunrise together!" He said with eyes glistering of adventure. 'He...He wouldn't be thinking it would be 'Romantic' would he.' I thought before scoffing and laughing so hard I fell from bed.
"Hey! What's so funny!?" He asked confused, 'It's not funny it's SUPER CUTE!' She thought. "N-Nothing, I was just thinking about how lonely it would be when you guys leave..." She settled down and smiled sadly, He scowled frowning "You're coming with us." he stated "HUH? Says Who?" she asked confused.
"Well you said you loved me, so you will stay by my side forever right?" he asked with an innocent look on his face yet there was also this puppy eyes sensation that makes you realize this is definitely blackmail 'Why can I see the dark side of that innocence...? He's obviously blackmailing me!' she realized 'How do I even say no to THAT!? Of course I want to stay by his side...' she thought. "But I'm kind of weak..." She mumbled, "No worries you can get stronger! I'll train you!" He grinned.
Relina's face paled at the thought of Luffy's training... 'I don't particularly like the idea but that would definitely make me stronger...' she thought "And...What about my family? I have to take care of them..." She exclaimed in realization. His face expression changed from happy to that of suspicion. "You wouldn't be talking about your fiancé, would you?" He glared speaking with a venom filled tone.
'Okay I DID NOT know he had that side to him...AND WAIT How the HELL does he know about my 'FIANCE'!?' She wondered in confusion and realization hit her 'NAMI!' she groaned inwardly. "Luffy..." she started "That 'Fiancé' of mine is also my cousin and practically a big brother...The story is... " too embarrassed to continue she gulped. "Julian and Jordan were too worried about me going to school since I always got into fights especially with boys, so they spread the rumor that I was engaged so people distanced themselves from me...When people saw me sitting ALL the time with Julian they only connected the dots...and...and...practically I've been living most of my life with people that have complex issues..." she hung her head in shame.
"I don't get it." Luffy said with a bam sound, "I don't have a fiancé it's just a thing I say to people!" She shouted in anger. "Why?" he asked raising an eyebrow, striking her like lightening she realized 'I never knew why!' "I was told to do so!" she said with confidence hiding her own confusion. "Ah." Luffy nodded as if he understood.
She sighed inwardly at that, "Well good then there is no problem. Now a walk! Let's go on a walk!" He cheered taking her hand and pulling her down the stairs and out to the icy cold streets, 'Okay too cold!' she shrieked freezing. The door behind them closed shut, "Hey Luffy, did you grab the key?" she asked, "What key?" he replied.
Silence flood between them as freezing wind blew beside them. "YOU IDIOT!" She shouted kicking him in the knee. "Not only didn't you grab some sort of jacket. You didn't grab THE KEY! Do you realize we're locked out side in this freezing weather because of you?" She scolded. Luffy took a minute before replying "Oh snow." He pointed to the ground. Slam. She hit him on the head.
"Ah so cold." he shivered. "Well no joke you ARE a genius." she grumbled ringing the bell, no one answered. Well of course no one would, not only was the wind's howling WAY WAAAAY louder than the bell, but everyone was sleeping.
"Dammit" Relina cursed, "Shit...No helping it... Luffy follow me." she grumbled stomping her way behind the building. "O-Okay." he said following her. She went to a set of stairs that went all the way to the top floor. They started going up the flight of stairs stopping to shiver, whine and fight every few steps.
Stopping by the heavy metal door Relina turned once more to glare at Luffy. "S-Stop glaring at me already!" He said in defense as his nose turned red. She grabbed a key that was in a strap around her neck and she opened the door. The smell of oil was instantly noted by Luffy's nose. It was a room filled with paintings and barrels of various of colors.
"We will have to wait here till morning, or till we hear someone wake up." she explained locking the door. "But how are we gonna hear them?" Asked Luffy "Guess we'll wait then..." she said shrugging and going over to a fireplace. She lit it and sat in front of it, looking sad as ever. Luffy went over and sat beside her, "You okay?" he asked, "Not really..." she replied in a low voice hugging her knees closer.
"This was supposed to be my grandmother's work shop, I'm not allowed in here till I become as qualified...says Jordan. But it's so hard you know, pretending to paint like someone else. Because painting is expressing your personality, all I do is copy stuff." she explained. Luffy pulled her closer as he wrapped his arm around her.
"Well you're still really good at it, maybe when you paint something you like, it will be better than anyone else's right?" he grinned, "Yeah..." she snuggled closer with a smile.
In a certain haunted house sat a bored boy pouting as he watched the scene with boredom. "Man How on EARTH can they be THIS SLOW!? I mean for real after all the stuff I do and I don't see any progress..." He flung his arm around, "Well what will a nightmare do?" asked another one with brown hair and a disinterested look.
"Well they kissed didn't they?" Grinned the boy triumphantly, "I don't get you Rei, Do you REALLY intend to keep that promise with straw hat?" asked Julian in disbelief, "Well dear Julian, I intend to get all the fun out of it, my last customer was the mother of this girl whom died like a decade or so ago." Smiled the boy sadly looking deeply at Relina's face.
"Here we go again." Julian rolled his eyes, "Make fun of me as much as you want, I still want to protect this girl...It's the least I could do..." Replied the boy seriously, "What about Aida?" Asked Julian "She was a good woman...A loyal friend...It's a shame she caught that disease..." said the boy twirling with his magic sphere where he saw everything.
"But who would have expected this? The boy that admires piracy falls for the little girl of his role model. INDEED this is Romance!" Grins the boy with so much mischief. "Forget I ever called straw hat an idiot...You're a moron." Glares Julian, "Messing with the balance of the world, who do you think you are? You don't have enough power to transform her to that world!" explains Julian.
"No I do!" pouts the boy, "I do and I will. Even if it costs me my life, after all just look at this..." he motioned the sphere where Luffy laid Relina on a couch as she fell asleep. "Just like her mother. So nostalgic I can even hear Meiko begging me to let her stay with that red head." he smiled. Julian scowled "Well yeah? What did you gain from that? Do you want me to tell how you ruined the life of not only this girl..." he motioned Relina "But everyone she ever knew INCLUDING ME!" he points to himself.
"No I didn't ruin anyone's life..." the boy objected calmly, "The world refuses no one but me and my lover..."he looked down sadly and Julian fell to silence. "I beg of you stop this madness and let everything go back the way it was." Julian said. "Impossible...It's too late." Rei shook his head "I will proceed with this...After all, the only ones I blame are myself and this world, I don't dare say this girl's existence shouldn't be...but so many died..." he frowned.
"That's because of YOUR mistakes not Relina's not Meiko's not anyone's." Julian said walking away "And please don't take your anger out on my little cousin she's rather fragile..." he glared and Rei scoffed, "Yeah bet she was nervous, that's why. After that dream she'll be even more confused..." Grinned Rei "Not funny." muttered Julian "Well in the end I DO plan to turn it ALL into a big surprise, so please wait in anticipation." said Rei.
"Do I have another choice?" Asked Julian not expecting an answer as he left the boy behind. Boy was this going to be a big day.