Category: Mild Romantic Fluff
Characters: Nami, Monkey D. Luffy
Requested By: xfangheartx (Tumblr)
Alternatum to A Canvas of Stars
A serene smile graced Nami's face as she stared through the glass dome of the observatory perched atop the Thousand Sunny. Beyond the smooth, bright surface of the curved window lie a beautiful expanse of indigo blue peppered with pinpricks of white. The stars twinkled jovially down at Nami in greeting as she climbed up the rest of the ladder and flipped the hatch closed. She strolled over to the semicircular leather couches on the other side of the room and eased herself down with a contented sigh. She grabbed one of the throw pillows to tuck it underneath her head and drew her legs against her body. Nami pulled out a small scrap of paper and inspected it critically before tossing it aside.
"All right, meteor shower! Grace me with your wonder," she chuckled softly and cuddled into the sofa. The atmosphere was peaceful and pleasant- a rarity aboard the pirate ship plagued by chaos and various shenanigans. The quiet nearly lulled her to sleep, but Nami stubbornly remained awake, eager to witness the splendor of the celestial phenomenon.
The navigator nearly jumped out of her skin when the trap door she had just entered through slammed open. A straw hat and fluffy black hair wormed through; Luffy's head turned in a circle, investigating the domed room, before his big blank eyes landed on the irked girl. Nami grimaced as a bright smile appeared on his boyish features.
"Oh! There you are, Nami!" he chirped. Nami sighed in defeat, rubbing her temples as she resigned herself to the fact that her night was to be ruined before it had even begun. The soles of the captain's flip-flops slapped against the rungs of the ladder as he climbed up; Nami winced as the room then rang with the harsh clang of the metal door banging closed after Luffy swung it shut with his foot. She tried to hide a disappointed frown as Luffy tromped over to her. "Whatcha doin'?"
"Well, I was going to watch the meteor shower that is happening in a few minutes," she huffed as she sat up on the couch. "What do you need?" she followed wearily. Perhaps Luffy's request was simple, and she would have a few moments to catch the tail end of the display. Luffy blinked slowly down at her before unceremoniously flopping down on the couch beside her. "Eh-? Luffy! What'd you come up here for?"
"We can handle that in a minute. You're really excited to watch this meteor shower or whatever, right? So, let's watch," he answered in a firm and authoritative voice. Nami's eyelashes fluttered a few times in shock. Wow, how… generous. Nami certainly wasn't going to argue, so she hugged her knees to her chest and stared out the giant glass window. The glittering night sky sparkled uninterrupted beyond, and several seconds passed. She was aware of Luffy fidgeting impatiently, but to his credit, he remained silent. That is, until a slight shiver gripped Nami's body. "Are you cold, Nami?" he immediately asked. His large eyes peered at her in the dim gloom.
"Huh? No, I-" He didn't wait for her to answer before he tugged a throw blanket from the back of the couch and unfolded it. It expanded like a rippling flag in front of him, and he took a few moments to shake out the wrinkles. Nami's cheeks brightened to a rosy hue as he shoved his leg behind her back, forcing her to scoot forward towards the edge of the couch. Luffy wormed his way behind her, and one of his arms snaked around her middle. He tugged her backward, such that her body was flush against his torso. Still holding the blanket aloft, he grabbed it by the edge and whipped it like a cape; like fluttering drapery, it descended over their shoulders to envelop them in cozy warmth. Nami blushed fiercer as the captain chuckled good-naturedly in her ear.
"There we go! All nice and warm," he hummed, clearly pleased. Nami had to admit that snuggling with the captain within the throw blanket was very cozy indeed. She coughed awkwardly, trying to will the fire from her cheeks, and muttered something acceptable in response. Luffy clicked his tongue in satisfaction before plopping his chin atop her head. "All right! Let's see these meteor showers."
As if on cue, a sudden bright light streaked across the sky. Nami and Luffy both released awed "ooh's" at the little stripe of white across the starry sky. Then, the air alit with multiple small streaks. Nami's brown eyes glittered as they beheld the wondrous array exploding beyond the wide window; it looked like someone was flicking a white pencil across the inky landscape to create little silvery marks. They existed only in brief flashes, lasting mere seconds, before they faded into the shadows. She felt Luffy's arms wind tighter around her waist, and warmth bloomed against her back where his front pressed against her. A smile slowly formed on her lips.
"Aren't they beautiful, Luffy?" she murmured. His chin rubbed against her waves of tangerine hair as he nodded.
"Yeah. I can see why you were so excited to see them," Luffy answered quietly. Nami wasn't sure if he actually was awestruck, or if he simply wanted to be polite for Nami's sake, but she liked to think the former. The sky was streaked with dozens of the falling objects now. They blazed bright white as they burned away in the atmosphere to rain stardust upon the Earth. Nami marveled at the beautiful display in silence, warmed by Luffy's body heat as it diffused through the small bubble the blanket created.
A blush formed on Nami's cheeks as Luffy shifted so that his cheek pressed against the top of Nami's head. It was odd, yet not uncomfortable, so she didn't admonish him. Desperate to diminish the awkward tension stretching inside of her, Nami fumbled for a topic of conversation.
"Sooo… Luffy, why were you looking for me earlier?" Nami asked. The boy neglected to answer for a moment. She thought perhaps he was still admiring the meteor shower, but in fact, he was staring at the ceiling, apparently searching for words.
"I just wanted to see you, I guess. I like being with you, Nami." The childlike honesty sent ripples of confused happiness pulsing through Nami's body. She felt her skin growing hot, and suddenly, being wrapped in the blanket and Luffy's embrace bordered on stifling. Yet, she liked the way his arms secured her body against his; she liked the little circles his thumb traced into the junction of her hip and waist. Feels nice… she thought absently. She could feel that he was smiling by the stretch of his cheek against his scalp.
"Oh. Well… I like being with you too, Luffy," she responded simply. His chest rumbled with a pleased chuckle. Nami smiled sweetly as his arms crushed against her torso in a firm yet not painful hug. "You know… I'm glad you happened to come up here and watch the meteor shower with me." Although she planned to enjoy the celestial phenomenon alone, she had to admit that enjoying it with her beloved captain was actually preferable. Luffy chuckled lightheartedly again and nuzzled his face into her bright orange hair.
She turned her face once more to the giant window. The meteor shower was winding down; with every second that passed, fewer streaks of white appeared in the sky. It was remarkable how a few minutes of her time could make such an impression. Nami knew that she would treasure these few moments for a long time. The brilliant meteor shower… The coziness of the blanket and her captain's sturdy arms holding her close… They were memories she would look back upon fondly. Nami was not ignorant of the implications of the kinds of things she was feeling right now. A blush had made permanent residence upon her face, and she peered up through her bangs to see the brim of Luffy's straw hat gently shifting as he adjusted his perch atop her head.
"Hey, Luffy?"
"Nnnh?" His voice was groggy; apparently, the captain was attempting to fall asleep using the navigator as a pillow. Nami wriggled her shoulders to nudge him about until he bleated a couple of grumpy mutters. "Whaaat?" He remained sluggish as she tilted her body to the side, and his head plopped down on her shoulder. "Hey, I was comfortable up there…" He protested half-heartedly. Like a cat, he immediately sought the heat of her body and thus snuggled up to her next. An odd shiver traveled up the length of Nami's spine as his breath puffed over her pulse point. She then rolled her eyes when Luffy released a very unflattering snoooork! Suppressing chuckles, she forced his face away from her neck by cupping his cheeks. As she squished the pliable flesh, he pouted at her through narrowed eyes and pursed lips.
"Nami, why're you so mean? I wanna sleep," he whined.
"You can nap in a second. I just wanna try something first," Nami laughed. Luffy blinked curiously at her. Before he could inquire, Nami leaned forward to peck him on the lips. Luffy's eyes blew wide at the small romantic gesture, and remained rigid as she pulled back to flutter her eyelashes demurely. After a second, he sucked in his cheeks to wiggle his lips like a fish's.
"That was interesting." He said after he popped his cheeks back out. Nami giggled at his cute childishness. His dark eyes flipped down to his lips to hyperfocus on them, bringing a red flush to her cheeks. "Can I try?" The simple question made her heart flip-flop in her chest, sending a peculiar rush of panic and excitement through her veins. Before she even registered the motion, she nodded. Luffy continued to stare intently at her mouth as he closed the distance between their faces. Nami parted her lips slightly on reflex. When his mouth met hers, she hummed in satisfaction, because she had the oddest sense of coming home.
One wouldn't imagine Luffy as a romantic fellow, but Nami had to admit, the boy had some pretty good instincts when it came to kissing. His mouth moved gently against hers, adjusting to the natural flow of the soft skin melding together. Nami's hand trailed up the bulk of his forearm to rest on his bicep. When Luffy pulled back, Nami was still enveloped in the pleasurable haze and so chased his lips as they retreated. Luffy rewarded her with another light peck on the lips before firmly putting a hand on her chest to bring her back down to solid ground. Nami's eyelashes fluttered as she returned to reality; when she did, she blushed darkly. A silence settled between them, for neither of them knew what to do next.
"It's late," she finally murmured. Luffy blinked before glancing out the window at the night sky. Though the meteor shower had ceased, the stars still gleamed in the inky blackness, like thousands of curious eyes watching the new romance unfold with fixed rapture. When he looked back to her, he had that childlike glitter in his big round eyes.
"Nami! You wanna sleep with me tonight?" Though she knew Luffy's intentions were purely innocent, a blush still overtook Nami's body from her toes to the tips of her ears. Without waiting for an answer, Luffy bundled her up in the blanket and flopped onto his side. She fell against the couch alongside him. He curled around her with a happy purr, hooking one of his legs over hers and hugging her waist tightly. Nami knew that Luffy would immediately release her if she expressed any discomfort and hesitation, but Nami didn't feel the need to voice such, because she was far from uncomfortable. Nami craned her head as Luffy nosed at her ear, and when she presented her neck to him, he immediately dove in to snuggle once more into the junction of her throat and shoulder. Her heart sung with joy as she felt his lips curl into a smile against her skin.
"You smell good… Like tangerines and stardust," he mumbled foggily. Nami snorted in laughter, because she had no idea what stardust would smell like- sugar, maybe? Regardless, Luffy inhaled her natural scent with enthusiasm, and she wriggled close to him as he released the breath over her neck. "G'night, Nami," he yawned. Nami chuckled and ran her fingertips over his arms, tracing the patterns of the constellations into his arms.
"Good night, Luffy." The boy was already asleep, evidenced by his deep, even breaths and lack of response. Nami cuddled into him as the starlight streamed in through the giant window, and Nami fancied that stardust glittered on her skin as it gleamed in the white light. Tangerines and stardust, she thought dreamily as she drifted into the twilight of half-sleep. And somebody I love, she mused with a big smile, plucking the straw hat from Luffy's head and setting on the floor to tease her fingers into the surprisingly soft strands of his dark black hair. She held Luffy tenderly as she drifted off to sleep.
I'm glad I didn't end up spending the night alone…