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Pinwheel
the only one that sees it
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Usopp finds a bag of two-year-old water-balloons hiding in the bottom of his locker in the men's cabin.
He can't remember what he originally wanted them for, but "Waste not, want not," right? So he spends an hour in the bath filling up these balloons, and initiates the 1ST ANNUAL STRAW HAT WATER-BALLOON FIGHT by tipping one of the wooden buckets - he has six more already prepared - over the rail above the galley, where Luffy, Nami, and Brook are standing, enjoying the warm sunny weather. The water-balloons are all red, each easily twice the size of his fist, and while they haven't lost their elasticity, the dye leaks; the balloons burst in a waterfall spray of pinkish-red, thoroughly drenching the three below.
Nami shrieks, ducking against the wall; Brook stands there, gaping, water dribbling through his jaw and into his cup of once-black tea; and Luffy howls with laughter, stomping his feet and splashing the water on the deck. He beats down some of his excitement to help Usopp carry the remaining buckets down to the lawn, so everyone will have a decent chance, and the resulting commotion draws Chopper and Franky eagerly into the fray. Sanji joins in to dutifully guard Nami~swan from any wayward, watery missiles, and Nami is perfectly content to stand behind him and hurl balloons at Usopp for dying her hair the color of pink-lemonade with his stupid balloons.
Robin is reading in a chair on the forecastle deck, near Sunny's figurehead. So she is (by mutual, unspoken agreement) off-limits, and Zoro is safe, as well - only because he is snoring strategically against the balustrade behind her.
It happens right in the middle of the fun - Sanji is preoccupied with cracking Brook's skull for his inquiry about when the 1st Annual Straw Hat Wet T-shirt Contest will begin, and Nami is laughing, retreating toward the mast for cover while her human shield is busy. Luffy is apparently thinking the same thing, toting an armful of water-balloons across the lawn. When he is halfway to her, though, Franky shoots several balloons at him in rapid succession (that he can adapt his shoulder rocket-launchers to accommodate balloons is something Nami will forever puzzle over) and Luffy stops to shield himself, his arms thrown up to cover his straw-hat.
Usopp and Chopper are attacking the cyborg's right flank, so he turns his frontal assault on them, next, laughing loud and mechanically just to hear the delighted (manly) squeals - and Luffy straightens up. The balloons in his arms have fallen to the lawn and some of them burst, but others only bounced a little, and Luffy, laughing, reaches down to pick them up. He pauses, though, one hand extended, and Nami is the only one watching, so she is the only one that sees it.
She notices, with growing dismay, the way his posture stiffens, and the slow way he turns his hand over.
Luffy stands there, looking down at his hand, the dyed-water running in red rivulets down his arm, across his palm.
He shakes - the smallest, slightest tremor - and for one brief second he looks like he's going to a bad place. Nami has no word for the expression on his face because she has never seen it before - she has probably made that face herself, but not Luffy - never Luffy. Wrecked is the closest thing she has for it.
Wrecked, and sad, and broken.
Luffy is wrecked and sad and broken, for all of two seconds (or all of two years) and Nami does the first thing she can think of: she grabs the bucket sitting on the bench circling the mast - she filled it herself (well, made Sanji fill it), to wash the dye off later - and she slings the water at Luffy. The force of the water makes him stagger, but it does the job. The red washes away, diluted and slipping across the grass, forming clear puddles tinged with pink around Luffy's sandaled feet, and he chokes and sputters, and turns to look at her.
She can still see the edges of that look on his face, like he is wholly surprised to see her there, and she flashes him a desperate smile.
"Got you, Luffy," Nami says, and tries not to sound as breathless as she feels.
Her heart hammers in her chest.
Brook and Chopper choose that moment to run, screaming, in between them, "Augh! This water stinks! It smells like Luffy!" and "Please don't, I worked fifty years on this complexion! Yohoho!" - and Luffy takes off running with them, laughing louder than the rest. Franky and Usopp are hot on their heels, raining water-balloons down on their opponents with their superior targeting systems and throwing arms, heedless of their cries for mercy. Nami, slowly, sinks down onto the bench, hugging the bucket, but only shrugs up her shoulders and offers a smiling excuse when Sanji comes over, dripping wet and frowning with concern as he loosens his tie, to ask if he can get her something.
She just doesn't feel like playing anymore.
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-BobTAC