"You're crazy. You've completely lost it," said Zoro. His captain bursted in the room in the middle of the night and started searching through his stuff. It caused him to wake up, which really pissed him off, since they hardly get any rest in the day, but it made him grow concern.

"You don't understand, I need to see her now," Luffy fired back as he searched through what he was going to bring.

"Why can't you just wait. You don't see I'm going through the same problem."

"But you're Zoro."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Just then, Shanks appeared at the door in his pajamas. Zoro had called him without Luffy's knowledge, and it looks like Shanks clearly ran out of his room without looking in the mirror.

"What's going on? Why is Luffy leaving?"

"He's being a stubborn bastard and only thinking of himself," said Zoro. His comment made Luffy drop the clothes he was holding and face his long time friend. The two glared at each other.

"You wanna say that again, bastard?"

Shanks had to step in to prevent any unnecessary damage to the room. It would cause him a whole lot of money.

"Think about it! What would Nami say when she finds out you left training just to be with her?"

"She wants to see just as much as I want to see her."

"Did she say that? Or is it just you making up excuses to go see her?"

"Why you-"

Luffy lunged for Zoro, but Shanks held him down. Zoro folded his arms. He didn't move from his spot for her knew he was right.

"Luffy! He's right, you're being childish," said Shanks.

"Nami wants you to win this tournament, not have you distracted by her. Now, how would she feel? She'll blame herself if you lose the tournament."

"Tch."

Shanks let go of Luffy once he feels he's calmed down. He was impressed. Not very many people can change Luffy's mind once he's dead set on doing something. Zoro was one of the few people who could. Then again, Zoro's known Luffy for as long as Shanks has known Luffy himself. A day after Luffy moved in with him and Makino, Luffy had already made a new friend, Zoro.

"Get to bed, both of you. If I hear anything from the both of you, I'll have you running laps in three in the morning."

The two angrily got into their respective beds without saying another word. Shanks shut off the lights and took one last look at them before leaving and shutting the door behind him.

The two boys didn't feel tired at all. After the incident, they were completely awake. Luffy had his back to Zoro. Zoro had his hands behind his head. The curtains were open where Luffy could see the starry night. Zoro only gazed at the ceiling.

"Funny. It doesn't look like you miss Robin. You hardly talk about her."

"Because I know if I talk about her, I won't stop thinking about her."

"So, you're shutting her out for the rest of the month?"

"She told me to, and I agree. If I want to win, I have to focus."

Luffy pulled off a fake laugh that caused a vein on the swordsman's head.

"As if. I think its clear who's winning this tournament."

"Of course I know, and its not you. You'll be gone in the first second, just like that stake you had for dinner."

"Challenge?"

"Accepted."

"First one out gets the usual punishment."

Luffy turned over and smirked at his best friend. When ever he and Zoro would get into fights, they never usually lasted long, but a challenge always pursued afterwards. Always.

-x-

Shanks nearly dropped his writing board when he came to the training room to find Luffy and Zoro already on the weights. It was only five in the morning and the rest of the competitors were still asleep.

"You're going down!" yelled Zoro as he did countless sit-ups with two fingers.

"No, you are! And you're the one going through the punishment, not me!" Luffy retorted while running at full speed on the treadmill.

"Go shove yourself between a building!"

"Get stuck in a chimney!"

Shanks facepalmed. Another batsu game was made between the two. But he had to admit, this was getting interesting.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Nami placed her hand on the side of her head to stop her hair from blowing. The window was rolled down for their long ride will be a long and hot one. One month had gone by quicker than she expected. The bar was a huge success with having over hundreds of customers everyday. Pleased with their service, Makino payed them a huge overload.

Summer was nearly over and it was just a few more days until Luffy will come back home. Other than feeling lonely without him here, she had a fun time. No drama went down between them and there was no sign of Foxy after the games ended. After winning Chopper back, it was as if the games never even happened.

Ace parked the truck in his house garage and everyone got out, unloading their stuff from the back. There was no way he was going to drop them off one by one, and it wasn't because he didn't know where most of them lived.

"Should we go back next summer, Makino-san?" asked Vivi.

"Of course! I'm always happy to have you there with me."

"I'm so sorry for leaving you. I promise, I'll be back as soon as I finish my studies," Nojiko apologized as she hugged her sister. "Call me when you need anything."

"I'll be fine. Don't baby me like you always do." Nojiko laughed and ruffled her hair. Ace interrupt and gave his girlfriend a big bear hug.

"Call me as soon as you land!" said Ace. Nojiko kissed him goodbye then got in the cab. Nami and Ace waved to Nojiko as her cab drove away. As Ace was about to head up to the entrance, he noticed Nami following him while carrying her luggage from the corner of his eye. After a whole summer in the sun, he was hoping for some 'Ace time.' Ace turned around and blocked the doorway. He eyed her.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"What? Don't you know?"

"Know what?"

"You know Nojiko's going on a field trip for a month.."

"Yea.. ?"

"Makino said I can stay here until she comes back."

"WHA-"

Makino wrapped her arms around her.

"Wouldn't it be great? I've always wanted another girl in the house."

Ace could see the horror of his future for the next month. It would be nonstop make out sessions with her and Luffy. She would constantly get on his nerves. Even worse.. she and Luffy could..

"Where is she staying?" asked Ace.

"Luffy's room, of course. I'm sure they're old enough to know not to do anything unnecessary."

Nami blushed while Ace was on the verge of laughter. He stepped aside to let her in while trying to maintain his laughter.

"Fe-Feel free to do as you please."

Nami glared at him as she passed by him. Makino followed behind while holding her own stuff. She was completely oblivious to the whole situation. Once the door shut, she could hear the booming sound of Ace's laughter from inside. She felt embarrassed and pissed.

"Let's get your stuff unpacked before Luffy comes back," said Makino.

"H-Hai."

Nami followed Makino up to Luffy's room. They paused at the door at the sight of a huge mess inside the room.

"Tch, I told him to clean up before he left. He and his brothers are so much alike."

Nami could've sworn she heard her say 'brothers', but she still must've been dizzy from the warm heat.

"Where should I put my stuff?"

"Well, with all his stuff out in the open, I'm sure he has some space in his closet. Don't be afraid to just throw out anything that looks out of the ordinary."

Nami laughed. "Okay."

Makino left the room while taking hold of a pile of clothes from the ground. Nami set her luggage on the bed when she saw a certain someone leaning on the doorframe.

"What?" Nami asked him.

"If you're living here, I don't want any funny business."

"By 'funny business', you mean..."

"No moaning, no groaning, no-"

Nami covered his mouth before he could say anything more. Makino was just down the hall and she might kick her out of the house if she ever found out what she and his son had done without her knowledge. She pulled Ace into the room and shut the door.

"There's no way in hell we'd do it when anyone's home. And that was one time! Don't make it sound like we're sex addicts!" Nami whispered loudly.

Ace chuckled. "You don't know how many times Nojiko and I have done it while anyone was in the house."

"Gross! I don't want to hear your sex stories with my sister!"

"And I don't want to hear any sex noises between you and my brother!"

"Ugh! Get out!"

Ace laughed as Nami pushed him out of the room. He then blocked their path by placing a hand on each side of the door frame.

"Oh yea. By the way, always after the first sex, always, you'll definitely turn into sex addicts."

Nami turned tomato red from his comment. Ace laughed hysterically at her reaction. Nami pushed him out and shut the door behind him. She placed her back on the door and sighed. She'll be tortured by him for the next month.

-x-

Ace walked in the room and saw Nami on the couch, watching TV and eating his favorite bag of chips. He ran over and snatched them from her.

"Hey!"

"Who said you could eat my stuff!"

"Makino said I can do what ever I want, and I'm hungry!"

"Too bad! Get your own food!" Ace stuffed a handful of chips into his mouth. Nami stuck her tongue out. As Ace sat down on the couch, Nami shut the TV off.

"Hey, why'd you turn it off?"

"Apparently there's a huge bus accident down on the other side of Tokyo."

"You think it's Luffy? That's impossible, Luffy's not coming back for another three days."

"Any news I hear about the other side of Tokyo, I can't help but think of Luffy."

"Well, think about your hunger, and the fact that you're not touching my stuff will make you starve and beg for at least the smallest crumb."

Nami glared. She stood up and tossed him the remote.

"I'm going to the store and buying my own food."

"Fiiiine. Oh, and don't be surprised if you come home and no one's home. You have the key, right?"

"Yea, and why wouldn't anybody be home?"

"Whitebeard's calling a meeting, and mom's out with some of her friends. We won't be back till later. Again, you won't starve right? I'll let you lick the bag."

"I'm good," Nami shut the front door behind her. She was already annoyed with his tactics. She couldn't understand how Luffy could stand him everyday, but she's always wanted a brother and a family. All she's ever had was Nojiko, and the times when she's not home, she could get really lonely.

As Nami scanned through the convenient store, she came across some.. condoms. She couldn't help but blush as the memory of their first time replayed in her mind. She quickly walked away. After checking out, she passed by the TV's on display of the neighboring store. It showed the bus accident she saw before she left the house.

Three Tokyo buses caused a huge collision and one of them was a bus heading from downtown Tokyo to where she lived. Nami felt very uneasy. She didn't understand why she had to. It's not like Luffy's in one of those buses. He still has three days until he comes home. Nami walked away to clear her mind.

She sat down on a bench and pulled out a popsicle she bought. After a whole month of nothing but water and sand, she had to admit, she missed the loud noises of cranky people and busy streets.

She felt her phone vibrate on her lap. She raised it and was surprised to see Zoro's number on the caller ID.

"What's up?" Nami answered.

"Have you heard from Luffy?"

"Luffy? What are you talking about? Luffy's there with you."

"Well, he wanted to leave a few days earlier so he went ahead on his own, and there's a possibility that Luffy's bus might be the one involved in the accident. I've tried calling him but he won't pick up."

Nami felt her heart stop for a second.

"I see you haven't heard from him. I'm heading to the bus station right now. If you hear anything, let me know."

The hand holding the phone dropped to her side. She held onto it tightly for she assumed she'd drop it. She stared at her phone as it went back to her wallpaper of her and Luffy. She looked up and saw the bus accident on every TV around her. Most of the passengers were injured followed by a few deaths. The thought that Luffy could be one of those people...

Nami dropped her popsicle and darted for the station. She needed to see for herself. She needed to see if he was all right. She dialed Luffy's number in hopes that he'd pick up the phone, but rather than ringing, it went straight to voicemail. She grew even more worried and concerned.

After finally getting her ticket, she sat on a nearby bench. Nami couldn't control her right leg for it couldn't keep still. She felt really uneasy. She waited at the bus station, with her ticket ready, for her bus to arrive. Unfortunately, she would have to wait another hour before it could arrive. All the other buses heading for the other side of Tokyo was full so she had no other choice. She had to wait, but she hated the suspense.

She looked up and saw that the final passenger for the bus before her's was about to board. Acting on instinct, she ran up to him and held onto his shirt.

"Please! Give me your ticket!" Nami begged.

"Wha..." the middle-aged man was startled. A nearby police saw and started to head for them.

"Please! I really need to-"

"Ma'am, is there a problem," said the police.

"You don't understand. I need to make sure Luffy's all right!" said Nami. She clung onto him tighter. The police tried his best to calm her down.

On the other end of the platform, a certain bus reached its destination by arriving at the bus station. As passengers began to depart, a certain passenger noticed a small scene happening on the departing end of the station. He didn't think it was a big deal until he saw a familiar face.

"Please! I beg you!" said Nami. Tears began to fall from her eyes.

"Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to leave the station," said the police.

"Nami?"

Nami's eyes widened. She turned around to find the 'supposedly dead' Luffy standing a few feet away with all his luggage. Nami quickly ran for him. Luffy was startled by her sudden approach. The passenger quickly ran inside the bus while the police rubbed the back of his head in confusion.

Luffy smiled and rubbed her head.

"You really wanted to see me this badly?"

Luffy cringed when, out of no where, Nami punched him in the arm.

"BAKA! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO RETURN THREE DAYS EARLIER?" yelled Nami through her tears. Luffy painfully held his arm.

"Huh? I've already returned just like I promised-"

"That way, you wouldn't have caused me to be so worried about you!"

"Huh?"

-x-

"So, you thought the bus involved in the accident was mine," said Luffy. "I was on the bus just before that one. And besides, there was only one death and it was one of the drivers. The passengers weren't that badly injured. They just said that on the news so it sounded big and important. But, I didn't expect you to be angry with me for returning early."

"S.. Sorry," Nami murmured.

"The reason I returned was because I had to see you. I actually finished all of my training last week. I was planning to see you after only my third day, but," Luffy chuckled at the memory of his bet with Zoro, "a deal was made, and I couldn't leave. But I'm here now."

"I know, but I really am sorry for today. I'm really glad you're here," Nami leaned down and rested her head on his shoulder. She had a rough day today, and she wanted to spend the rest of this day with the one person she really loved.

"So, what do you wanna do? Where do you want to go right now?" asked Luffy.

"How about we go to your room? No one's home, and we can have the house to ourselves."

"All right."

As Luffy and Nami set foot in the house, the atmosphere suddenly became awkward. Nobody was home and it was just the two of them. Nami decided to relieve the tension when she forgot to do something at the bus station.

"Welcome back," murmured Nami. Luffy's expression softened. He leaned down so his forehead touched hers.

"What's with you today, you seem very jittery."

"Its nothing."

Nami closed the front door. She didn't know why she felt so awkward when they're alone in the house. She's been alone with him millions of times, so what makes today so different?

"Oi, Nami, can you help me get my stuff to my room?" asked Luffy. He was carrying his largest bag up the stairs. The only ones left were his carry-ons. She lifted them up and followed him up the stairs. As soon as she set foot in his room, she heard the door close behind her. She dropped the bags when she felt a pair of lips on her neck. Nami relaxed herself. She missed being touched by him.

"Luffy..."

"I promised, remember? Thirty-eight kisses, but I want more than just thirty-eight kisses."

Nami spun around and placed her hand on the back of his head. She pulled him down for a proper and intense kiss. Nami felt his actions being too aggressive and needy than ever before, but she couldn't deny the fact that she licked it. She pulled away while breathing heavily.

Suddenly, what Ace said earlier popped into her head.

Oh yea. By the way, always after the first sex, always, you'll definitely turn into sex addicts.

Maybe he was right, maybe he was wrong. But this was only the second time. Not like it was the twentieth.

Luffy lifted her up and gently placed her down on his bed. He crawled on top of her.

"You really missed me that much?" whispered Nami.

"More than you think."

*sigh* do you guys know any good romance & school-life animes/mangas? Kinda like Kimi ni Todoke, Kaichou wa Maid-sama, Bokura Ga Ita, Dengeki Daisy and Strobe Edge. School's over in a week and summer's starting. I'm looking for some romance animes for the summer. Message me some animes that come to mind.

So so sorry for the lateness. This month has been filled with nothing but projects, presentations, SATs, and now I got essays and final exams to worry about. BUT school does end after this week, and I got a whole week before my online class starts, so I'll be focusing on this (and a new story *winkwink*) 24/7. I owe it to you guys (: