Chapter 2: A Interesting Evening

I do not own One Piece! That will always belong to Eiichiro Oda!

Two and half months passed since Arlong and Nami started their relationship. They of course, had their ups and downs like all couples do. Keeping their relationship on what Arlong said had to be the professional level aka him still being the nasty bully toward Nami proved to be a challenge when she was scheduled to work. There a few times he had gone a slight tad too far bringing Nami was close to tears would he be quick to back off and the mere moment they were alone even if it was a few seconds, he would apologize for overdoing it. Other than that they took their relationship nice and slow.

~~.~~.~~

"So when are you planning to tell your family?" Arlong asked Nami one night.

"I haven't really decided yet," she said.

They were relaxing on the couch in the apartment Arlong shared with his big brother, Tiger. The apartment was a good size with 2 good size bedrooms, one of which had a master bath that Arlong had claimed, a huge living room and a decent-sized kitchen along with a balcony that had a beautiful view of the bay. Nami had to admit that Arlong did have a good sense of taste when it came to the furniture which was what one would find in a normal modern home. His taste in clothing...well, she was still working with that. Tonight Arlong was wearing a Hawaiian Aloha shirt that was black with pastel leaves that for once was buttoned up halfway up and natural-colored cargo pants.

Arlong shifted his attention to the girl who was resting against him and couldn't help but ask something that had been on his mind. "Your reason wouldn't be because you're ashamed of me, would it?" he asked.

She sat up with large innocent eyes that reflected the surprise in them. "I can't believe you would suggest such a thing?"

"Nami, we've been seeing each other for close to three months and you are still avoiding telling your family," he said looking at her with what was referred to as his serious manner. "What am I supposed to think?"

Before Nami could answer Tiger walked through the door with an armload of pizzas. "You two behaving?" he asked.

Now Nami thought Arlong was tall, 6'7" to her 5'7", but his big brother was taller. Tiger was 8'2" tall and he had a long rectangular face with wide lips with slight peach fuzz, a thick dark beard, and sideburns, and he had long, curly hair. He wore a camouflage-patterned bandanna, simple white A-shirt paired with plain pants held up by a belt and simple sandals. He had a broad and muscular physique with thin long legs.

Arlong looked at him. "Uhm, what is with all the pizza?"

"Do not tell me you forgot the guys were coming over to watch the game," Tiger said as he walked into the kitchen.

"The guys," Nami looked worried. "As in Kuroobi and Chew?"

"And what game?" Arlong was not looking very happy.

Tiger calmly walked out a bottle of water in his hand. "Yes and I told you like a week ago," he answered them.

Arlong was close to losing his temper. Nami knew this because being around him for so long she learned the signals and they were starting to show from the change in his breathing to the clenching of his jaw. She knew it best to get Arlong somewhere where he could just let lose his temper and some of them could get pretty nasty. Like the one he had a week ago that was a bad one.

A week ago...

"Who the hell does that rat faced-,"

Nami had just stepped in the kitchen area to hear Arlong just starting to lose it. She quickened her pace to the office where he was pacing like a caged animal arm above his head, unclenching then clenching his fists. The entire kitchen staff was staying clear being they knew how Arlong got when he lost his temper having witnessed a few times.

"Arlong, calm down," Nami said gently as she placed a hand on his chest. She felt the wild beating of his heart. "Come on, you need to calm down some."

Kuroobi dared to take a peek and was pretty sure Nami was dead since he and Chew both knew Arlong since they were kids. "Girl, you're-,"

"Kuroobi, I'll handle this," Nami said giving the man a warning look. "Just keep working and let me handle this!"

'She's so fired after this,' Kuroobi thought. 'Arlong won't let her get away with this.'

The moment he was gone Nami focused on getting her man calmed down. "Arlong, you really need to calm down."

Arlong knew he was about to lose all self-control. "Nami, just leave me alone," he said his breathing almost coming in loud huffs and he was starting to get some painful headaches.

Nami had seen him lose it a few times and it costs a few repairs too. "No," she said, taking him by the hand. "Outside."

"Nami..."

"We're going outside where you can lose your temper."

Once outside the back entrance, Arlong just lost it. Nami sat on the concrete steps not leaving him not when she knew he needed her. A few trash cans went flying, but what made Nami really panic was the moment Arlong punched the wall of the brick building that next Arlong Park. He just stood there his shoulders slumping and he staggered back a few steps, blood dripping from the knuckles of his right hand onto the street.

"Arlong," she was up and down the steps as she rushed to him, grasping his bloody hand. "We need to get this tended to."

He looked at her his expression blank and he allowed her to lead him back into the restaurant to his office. He sat there silent as he watched the young woman clean his bloodied knuckles and bandaging the hand. The moment she closed the first-aid kit did Arlong wrap his left arm around her waist pulling her close to him. "I could have hurt you," he said. "Nami, if I ever did-," He couldn't finish the sentence.

Nami wrapped her arms around him stroking his hair. "You didn't," she whispered.

~~.~~.~~

"Let's go," Nami said, taking his hand into hers. "We can go somewhere else."

Leave? He was not doing that just because Tiger had the guys coming over. He was not having their evening ruined. "Wait right here," Arlong said. "I'll be right back."

He went into the kitchen right to the counter where Tiger placed the pizzas. "Eight large," he said as he went through the pizzas picking out two and setting them aside. "Down to six large now." Arlong grabbed a couple of plates, cups, napkins and a 2 liter of soda. "Now to finish up our evening."

"Whoa," Tiger said seeing Arlong carrying two of the pizzas. "What are you doing?"

"I'm planning on finishing my evening with Nami and I think it's fair if you pay for our dinner," Arlong said. He looked at Nami. "Can you get the door?"

"S-sure." Nami's face was flushed as she opened the door to Arlong's room.

Arlong took notice of how nervous Nami was which actually surprised him the moment he set the pizzas down. "Hey," he said resting his hands on her shoulders. "Why are you so nervous?"

"It's just-," she looked around at the room they were in. "This is your room."

The room which was a bigger than her bedroom especially with a master bath in it had a king-size pure black platform bed which was placed at the window, two 2-drawer washed black nightstands to which one that had the pizzas on, a black six drawer dresser that had long linear handles that a 43 inch HD tv sitting on top along with the newest blu ray player and just behind that was a hi-fi entertainment system that had the Bluetooth connectivity. Along the wall nearest to the door were three black mobile steel bookcases that were filled with various movies and tv shows that were either on DVD or blu ray.

He couldn't help but smile at her innocence before he kissed her lightly on her lips. "Nami, do you not trust me?"

"I trust you," she said.

"Then you know I would never force you to do something you are not comfortable with." he moved his hands to wrap his arms around her waist. "Let's enjoy the rest of the evening."

It was enjoyable with only a few headaches which were only when Tiger, Kuroob, and Chew got a little too loud at certain points and Arlong had to remind them to keep it down for the sake of their neighbors. "Lucky I haven't caught hell from the landlord for that," Arlong muttered.

Nami had been quietly looking over Arlong's little collection of movies there a few sharks themed ones not that surprised her when one caught her attention and she picked it up. Arlong peeked over her shoulder and a groan escaped him at the very title: Sharktopus.

"You know what it sounds like," she said with a small giggle.

"Yeah I know," he grumbled. "Tiger's idea of a joke for my birthday a few years back. The movie sucked and you can tell it was cheaply made."

"When is your birthday," Nami asked.

"I thought you knew," Arlong said, taking a seat on the bed. "It's May 3rd."

Nami nodded as she pulled out her cell, marking it on the calendar and took notice to how late it was, "Belle-mere is gonna kill me."

Arlong found it odd that she referred to her mother by her name and made a mental note to ask her about that later. "Just call and say you forgot because you were having a good time," he suggested. "She should understand. I mean you certainly are not a little girl anymore. You call and I'll take care of the trash."

~~.~~.~~

"Nami, do you know how late it is?"

"I know and I'm sorry. I lost track of time," Nami said. "I'll be home."

"Well if you want you can stay at your friend's place," Belle-mere said.

Along had just come back as Nami's eyes widened. "I really can come home and besides I don't have a change of clothes."

He gestured to put the call on speaker so he could listen as well. "What is going on?" he mouthed to Nami as she hit the speaker button.

"Nami, I'm sure your friend won't mind lending you something for the night," Belle-mere said. "Just make sure you come home in the morning before you leave for work. You don't need that ass bastard you work for giving you hell."

Nami was quick to put a hand over Arlong's mouth before he said something. "Arlong had mellowed some and I think we have an understanding of each other, but I will be home in the morning."

"Good girl," Belle-mere said. "See you in the morning. Love you."

"Love you too. Night." Nami said hanging up.

"Ass bastard," Arlong said with a hmph. "Is that you called me before we started seeing each other."

"Now you see why I haven't said anything yet," Nami said. "And I called you a lot worse, but that was then."

"Arrogant jerk was one of them if I recall right."

She looked at him before shaking her head. "How do you want to handle the sleeping arrangements?"

"Nami, I think we can share the same bed," he said. "Unless you prefer I take the coach in case you think I can not behave with you."

"You have so far when we are alone," she said wrapping arms around his neck. "I'll take the chance to share."

"You will have to tell your mother about us though."

"Arlong?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up and just kiss me," Nami said.

He grinned more than willing to do as asked. Their private moment though was interrupted by the unexpecting opening of the door and the stun and shocked expressions on Kurrobi and Chew and it was harder to say who was more shocked because of poor Nami looking like a deer in headlights.

"What the-." Chew started to say.

"-hell," Kuroobi finished it for him.

"Hi guys," Nami said nervously wishing at that very moment she could disappear.

Arlong gave a frustrated sigh. This was not the way he wanted his childhood friends to find out especially with Nami being in his room.

"So you and Nami are seriously dating?" Chew asked the moment the truth literally sank in.

"Chew, I think that is pretty obvious," Kuroobi muttered. "Wait, have you guys been sleeping together?"

If Arlong had not been holding Nami, he would have murdered Kuroobi right then and there. "What the hell I do with my girl is none of your damn business," he snapped. "Tiger, I thought you guys were watching the game?"

Tiger stood behind the guys looking actually amused before his expression turned embarrassment. "We are," he said rubbing the back of his head. "We ran out of beer and I went to get some more."

"And you couldn't take them with you?"

"Dud, I had to take a serious piss," Chew said.

"Don't say in front of Nami," Arlong snapped at him. "I don't even need to know."

"Maybe I'll just go home," Nami said. "This looks like it will require your attention."

"No!" This came out of Arlong, Kuroobi, Chew, and Tiger.

"Why don't you get cleaned up," Arlong whispered in her ear. "I'll get a shirt out for you." He turned his attention to the two still hanging around the doorway of his room. "You two. Kitchen. Now!"

"Arlong, go a little easy on them," Nami said. "Please."

He gave a rumbling sigh that sounded more like a growl. Nami was asking a lot of him since he really wanted to hurt both Kuroobi and Chew. They were lucky that she had asked him not to hurt them but it wouldn't stop him from giving a damn ear chewing. He nodded to her request before glaring at his friends. The message was pretty clear. Out. Now.

"We're screwed," Chew said as he closing the door.

"Wow," Kuroobi replied. "What was your first clue?"

"Not the way I wanted them to learn about us," Arlong said still upset as he opened the dresser drawer and tossed her a T-shirt. "Will this do?"

Nami looked at the charcoal-colored shirt which featured a skull and crossbones. "It will," she said.

"Good. Now to tend to the other matter," Arlong said.

~~.~~.~~

"So how long have you guys been seeing each other?" Kuroobi asked the moment his boss/ friend stepped into the kitchen.

"Almost three months," Arlong said.

"Wow, and you haven't had sex yet," Chew said surprised.

"What is it with you and damn sex?" Arlong said.

"Dude, we know you and how it is when it comes to you wanting-," Chew started to say.

"Jeez, will you shut up," Kuroobi said. "I don't even want to know about his sex life."

"Nami and I haven't yet, okay?" Arlong was getting more and more frustrated. "Look I was going to tell you guys. I really was."

"So just how did you and little miss-," Kuroobi stopped the moment gave him a warning look. "So how did it happen between you two?"

"Argument and we ended up kissing," Arlong said keeping it nice and short. "And don't even ask who kissed who. I don't need another round of that."

"Yeah, had enough with me asking him," Tiger said chuckling as he opened a can of beer.

"Shut up," Arlong said.

"So who else knows?" Kuroobi asked.

"Just you guys."

"Wait," Tiger said. "Nami hasn't told her family or friends yet?"

"No."

"Girl is probably gonna wait until the wedding," Chew said with a laugh.

"Hey," Arlong said. "Don't be jinxing me here."

"Yeah especially since they haven't done it yet," Kuroobi added.

"I really hate you at times Kuroobi," Arlong said.

"So are we cool here or what?" Kuroobi asked. "I missing the game and I don't want to lose the bet I have with Chew."

Arlong shook his head. They were idiots at times but they had stuck by him through thick and thin for a long time. "Go ahead. Just keep it down."

"Yeah yeah," Kuroobi said grabbing a beer himself.

"We don't want to hear you two if you decide to have a little 'fun'," Chew said with a snicker.

"Keep going and I'll have you doing Nami's job for the next two months, smart mouth."

~~.~~.~~

Nami was already asleep when Arlong came into the room. He was a little surprised that she was but after the way, their evening had just ended it wasn't surprised. He grabbed a pair of sweatpants before he stepped into the bathroom to get ready for bed. Slipping carefully under the covers not wanting to disturb his girl's sleep he tucked a strand of orange hair behind her ear before lightly kissing her cheek. I hope your family and friends take the news better whenever you decide to tell them.

I will admit that this was a challenging chapter to write. I hope I portrayed Fisher Tiger right as a human as well as the interaction between Arlong, Kuroobi and, Chew. Read and Review as always.