"Luffy's not here," grumbled Zoro.

He hated it when the phone rang during his afternoon nap. And he also hated when Nami called about Luffy's whereabouts like he was his guardian angel. Luffy sucked at keeping his phone charged and on his person. Zoro did not care that besides her that Luffy spent most of his time with him.

"I wasn't calling about that."

"Well, what is it then? Make it quick."

"I have something to confess."

"What?"

"I like Luffy."

"You what?"

"I li-"

"I heard what you said. So there really is a God... You're serious?"

"I don't joke about things like that."

Zoro was now wide awake and even moved to stand. This was ground-breaking news.

"You've liked him for a long time, haven't you?"

"No... I mean yes."

"Knew it."

Zoro mentally high-fived himself and made a mental note to treat himself to a beer or two. He was unable to prove her wrong ever since they met. She was smart. Not just book smart but street so to have her admit defeat was a call for celebration.

"So did you tell him?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"That's why I'm calling."

Zoro listened on.

"Has Luffy... When you two are together, does Luffy talk about me?"

"It's hard to get him to shut up."

"Really?" Came Nami's response. He couldn't decide if she was happy or distraught. Women took forever to make their minds up and Zoro found that particularly annoying.

"Nami this and Nami that."

"What exactly?"

"Where you guys went, what you guys saw and did. The usual."

"Oh okay."

"He calls you cute all the damn time."

Zoro sat on his bed and polished his collectable katana. He was a kendo student but there was nothing like holding a real sword compared to a wooden one. And boy was he obsessed.

"Yo Zoro."

Unfortunately, his best friend had paid him a visit and Zoro was so absorbed in his hobby that he forgot that he existed.

"Zorooo."

"What?"

"Look at these pictures Nami and I took during our walk on the beach on Monday."

"I don't care about-"

"Just look!"

Luffy shoved his phone in his face and Zoro was forced to watch a slideshow of random junk he had zero interest in. Birds, rocks, sand, feet?? You name it.

"Look at this one we took together."

Sure enough in the picture, they stood side by side with arms around each other's waists both ankle-deep in the water. Both were smiling. Nami's smile was the biggest. Her eyes were closed and her mouth had a smile that looked like it laughed a thousand laughs. The strong wind played with their free hair and the waves splashed up against them when they least expected it. They both looked like they were having a blast. A stranger seemingly took the picture for them. They rarely took anyone along during their escapades.

"Nice, huh?"

"I guess."

"Nami looks so happy here. And so cute."

He zoomed in on her face.

"See?"

"Yeah, yeah. So what?"

"She's cute isn't she?"

"Super."

'Shishishishishi'

Zollo rolled his eyes and felt a gag reflex coming on.

Luffy plopped down beside him. -Zoro moved his delicate katana out of the way -to have a longer look at the picture. Namely at Nami.

"Nami's not the only cute girl out there, you know. There's Vivi and Kaya and many more I can mention."

"Well, Nami's the cutest."

Zoro gave up. At least he tried.

"She looks so happy here too."

"Nami only smiles like that when she's with you."

"You really think so?"

"Everyone knows except you."

"Oh. That's good then."

Luffy smiled to himself and Zoro at this point wanted him to leave so he could catch up on some sleep.

"Here's some advice, Luffy. Are you listening?"

"Yeah. What's up?" Luffy placed his phone faced down and gave Zoro his full attention.

"Women are needy. They've got this internal clock thing that starts counting down when they reach a particular stage in life and they all want security and stability. Something they are sure of. Are you following?"

"Yeah."

"This doesn't go for all of them but Nami seems like the romantic type. She wants the house, the husband and the kids. A happy home and a stable future with someone who she can count on no matter what.

"You claim to be perfectly fine with the way things are between you but when the day comes when Nami decides that the clock is running out, she will have no choice but to put her happiness in someone else's hands. That someone else won't be you."

Luffy's brows knotted and his mouth was in the shape of an unsure frown. Zoro hated how hard it was to read him.

"You're fine with that?"

"Yeah. Why not? I'll just enjoy the days we have left."

Zoro wanted to give him a wake-up call but Luffy was not done talking.

"Nami said not to tell you guys anything but that last guy she dated was a real jerk. He made her life miserable and I swear that if anyone like him were to bother her again that I'll kick their ass a thousand times over."

"... So you don't think Nami is capable of finding someone she can have a real meaningful relationship with?"

"I didn't say that."

Zoro noted that Luffy was upset. It was hard to push his buttons so Zoro saw the opportunity and took it.

"Well, she most certainly can. She is the type to know what she wants."

"I know that."

"Well, if you really are her friend, support her and when the time comes do the right thing and back off. Things will not be the same between you two and that will be something you should be willing to sacrifice as Nami's friend for her happiness."

"Why do I have to back off? Why should things be different when things are going so well between us?"

"Easy," said Zoro matter-of-factly, "You're a threat."

Luffy scowled at his friend and left in a stupor of rage and anger.

They never spoke of that day again. Zoro had trouble deciding whether it was a dream or not but he was leaning toward the idea that it actually did happen. They did have that talk. Luffy did get jealous and Luffy also stormed off like a spoiled child.

You couldn't make stuff like that up. Especially not when it came to Luffy.

Zoro pinched the bridge of his nose.

"That's it?"

"That's it."

He thought it best to keep that little flashback to himself.

"Oh."

"Sorry I couldn't help."

"No, that's okay. You helped plenty... Look Zoro, I told him that I was going to start dating again. I don't know what I was expecting but him saying that he would support me, made me glad at first but later down, I can't help but hoped he would have said something different, you know?"

Nami's voice broke and the last thing Zoro wanted was to deal with her tears and complaints. That was Luffy's job. Not his.

"Luffy cares deeply about you. He doesn't want you to get hurt."

"I know. It's just that the last guy I dated was a complete jerk."

"Luffy told me."

"He did?"

"He didn't get into any details. He just gave me an idea. Said he made your life miserable."

"He did all that and more."

"If it troubles you so much, you don't have to tell me."

Zoro was sorry he wasn't there to skewer the bastard with his sword. Nami was Luffy's friend but at the end of the day, she was his friend too despite their shortcomings.

"I will tell you this: He was everything I thought I wanted at the time: money and reputation but those things did not make me happy. He was not someone I could go to to turn a bad day around. He was not someone who could wipe or tolerate my tears and concerns nor was he someone I could laugh and have fun with. He did not understand me and he did not care about me in the slightest."

"He wasn't Luffy."

"Yeah." Zoro heard the smile return to her voice. "He wasn't Luffy."

"Namiiii," Luffy whined, "Let's go already. I'm starving and we've been shopping for hours."

Said girl held up a button-up shirt to his frame and as if liking what she saw, she checked the tag and went in search of a different size.

"5 more minutes."

"You said that hours ago."

They were shopping at the mall for their trip. The plan was to check one store for swimming trunks but Nami decided to check them all, claiming that he needed casual clothes as well as dinner clothes. No amount of complaining from his end could convince her to go.

Luffy swore he counted 20 outfits which was madness since they would only be gone for a week.

"I have clothes at home and I don't think I can afford all this."

Nami only hummed.

It was his turn to pay for lunch and knowing his eating habits, he would not have any leftover for that many clothes.

"Let's go."

"Not yet."

Luffy's stomach revolted out loud and he slumped against the changing room door.

"I want you to look your best, Luffy. Don't you wanna look your best?"

"I guess..."

"Then this will take time."

"How many outfits are we deciding on?"

"All of them."

Luffy's face paled and before Nami could stop him, he fell on his knees and hugged her waist. He had his whole face up against her midsection and Nami had to stop herself from screaming. She was crazy ticklish and hated being embarrassed in public.

"Please let's go now, Nami. Another second more and I'll die of hunger!"

His warm breath on her stomach through her blouse was not helping.

"Let go of me and pull yourself together, Luffy! People are staring."

The distant whispers from the onlookers were enough to send her to an early grave.

"Not until you say we can go."

"You have 5 seconds to let go."

"No."

"5..."

Nami couldn't take it anymore, finding it more and more difficult to hold in her laughter, and hit him hard across his head.

"Ow! You jerk! That hurt!"

"If you hadn't been so stupid, I wouldn't have to hit you."

Just then, the store manager came and informed them that if they could not keep it down that they would have to leave and Nami profusely promised that they wouldn't make it happen again.

"This store's clothes are good quality plus they're having a sale. A lot of them look good on you so just be patient with me, okay? Please."

She glanced at him with doe-like eyes.

That did the trick because Luffy was quiet throughout the ordeal and had seemed to forget about his hunger. Well... almost.

When Nami heard his stomach growl again, she felt bad and strategically unwrapped candy from her bag and popped it in his mouth. She loved how his eyes lit up the moment she did.

"Got any more?"

"If you promise to be good and quiet, I can get you some more. What do you say?"

Luffy very much liked that idea and he was good as promised throughout the rest of it.

When they cashed their bags full of clothing, Nami left the sales representative red and hot in the face. She swindled him silly and he could not wait for her to leave.

Then she said that she would be back and he immediately wanted to change jobs. That woman was the devil.

When they put the bags in the car Luffy said, "Thanks for the clothes, Nami. I'll pay you back."

He usually got pocket money from his dad and coming September he had to decide on either pursuing a career at a university or getting a full-time job.

"Okay."

Nami smiled knowing full well that she got those clothes for little and next to nothing. Luffy did not have to owe her a thing but she gave him the benefit of the doubt.

"Where to next?"

As Luffy thought of a place to eat that both he and Nami would enjoy, his eyes went wide when she came to stand side him and smoothed her fingers in his hair.

"Your hair grew out again."

She stood so close and Luffy who was quite pleased felt his face warm like freshly baked bread. He very much liked when she played with his hair. It took him straight to heaven.

"Yeah."

"Is Franky still on vacation?"

"No. He's been back since May."

Nami gave him a questioning look and tilted her head. Because his barber went on vacation, she took it upon herself to be his substitute since he was in dire need of a haircut. She wasn't as good or skilled but she did a decent job.

"Did you already make an appointment?"

"No."

"What's keeping you?"

Nami took a hair tie from her shoulder bag and went behind him to gather his hair in a ponytail, leaving some of his bangs out to frame his face.

She rejoiced when it all fit. Had never seen Luffy's hair this long and she was intrigued, to say the least.

She smiled brightly at her work of art.

"You look like a girl."

"Hey."

She laughed at his dejection and leaned in to have a closer look at his face.

"Now that I think of it, you're cute. For a girl I mean. If I were a guy, I'd date you."

Luffy blinked into her teasing eyes and instantly pulled the band out and handed it back to her.

"I wanted you to cut it for me. But you never asked. I was waiting for a long time."

"Oh. Even though Franky's back?"

"Yeah."

"But I'll have to charge double given the circumstances and all."

"I don't mind."

"I'm not even that good."

"You're great."

"Really?"

"Yes. Do you have time today?"

"I guess."

"Then let's do that."

Nami bit her lip and swallowed nothing. She secretly loved it when Luffy called the shots. He did not like to inconvenience others but now she noticed he was becoming more and more capable of asking for what he wanted when he wanted it.

"Where should we go eat?"

"You know that restaurant we went to that had all that meat?"

"Yes."

"That's the one."

She forgot to back away after getting lost in his eyes and as he usually did, he pulled her in for a random hug and danced his nose along her hair.

Nami oozed with delight.

"Then we can go where you want to go after. How's that?"

The last thing Luffy said was a low murmur close to her ears and Nami quivered in his arms, making sure to appreciate the feel of all of him against her. If this was the moment she would die, she would gladly welcome it.

"Let's do that."

To be continued...