"Who're you texting?" asked Nami coming into the seating room wearing her burgundy satin bottom-up and shorts pyjamas. She had stayed up to shower and managed to do her nighttime routine. Letting what happened like the last time was out of the question.

She didn't drink as much but that last shot she had made her light-headed.

"Zoro."

"Oh... Your turn, Luffy."

Luffy cocked a brow. Upon close inspection, he already had on his bedclothes.

"Go shower."

"Don't wanna."

"Why not?"

Luffy shrugged. Daily showers weren't exactly his thing.

"Tomorrow."

Room service had changed the sheets and Nami was perplexed. What was better than a warm shower in the middle of the night?

She smelled his hair and though he didn't smell bad, he was a little sweaty. Sweat and clean sheets didn't sit right with her.

"Fine. Have fun sleeping on the couch then."

Saying that was meant to encourage him but Luffy didn't necessarily mind.

"Can you bring me my pillow?"

Nami on her way to the room stopped in her tracks.

"You're serious?"

"Yeah."

Instead, Nami returned and sat beside him.

"I'll sit here for a while..."

Luffy blinked and matched her stare the instant she turned around.

She stuck her nose in the air and leaned on the opposite side of the sofa's arm but moved around too much. It was hard getting a comfortable spot.

She was tired. The clock was pushing midnight.

"Go to bed, Nami."

"I will."

"Suit yourself. When you fall asleep, I'll just carry you to bed."

"Will you shower then?"

"Nope."

Nami pouted and frowned.

Luffy so happened to turn on his back with his eyes glued to his phone and his heart drummed at his best friend curling up on his chest.

She got there fast. He didn't even see her move.

She smelled his neck and Luffy's typing stopped as he squirmed at the hair that tickled his skin.

She slipped between him and the chair and Luffy rubbed her shoulder as she sighed sleepily, barely fighting to stay awake.

"The bed's a lot more comfortable," Luffy said, but all Nami did was hum dismissively.

"Good night," she muttered and yawned.

"Good night."

He turned to her and Nami blinked away the tiredness to stare back.

"We're not in bed so..."

She nodded and closed her eyes at the press of lips to her forehead and glowing cheeks. Opening them to see him skinning teeth.

"I love you, Luffy."

"Yeah. I know."

"Say it back."

Nami's cheeks were puffed out and Luffy snickered to himself.

"I love you too.

"I'll carry you to bed when you nod off if you want."

"You idiot. I want to sleep beside you. That's why I'm here."

"Oh."

Luffy's stomach got all fluttery and he smiled to himself.

"Why didn't you just say so?"

"It's embarrassing."

"You don't have to be embarrassed around me, Nami. There is nothing to be ashamed of. You can tell me anything, okay?"

"Okay..." Nami looked unsure but said again:

"I love you."

Luffy's smile fell away and he pressed his phone to his chest.

"I love you too... What's gotten into you tonight?"

She shook her head and buried her face in his chest and arm. Even the way Nami looked at him was a cause for concern.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. I'm okay. Just tired..."

And with that, she fell fast asleep.

Luffy waited 2 minutes to pass till he heard her soft snores to call Zoro.

"Nami's being weird."

"What took you so long?" Zoro had been left hanging mid-text.

"She fell asleep right beside me. We're on the couch."

They were talking about the day. Just casual talk. Zoro learned about Carrot and the moment he did, he wanted to smash his head on his keyboard.

"The bed isn't good enough for her?"

"It's fine. She said she wanted me at her side, is all."

Luffy smiled to himself and played with Nami's frizz. Every time he smoothed it down, it bounced right back up. And he thought his hair was unruly.

"Ne, Zoro. What does it mean when someone tells you that they love you twice in a row?"

"It means they love you, dumbass. Take a hint. Nami clearly sees you as more than a friend. The thought of her with someone else, anyone else but you, Luffy just doesn't sit right with me.

"Don't you want forever with her?"

"I do."

Zoro paused and waited but nothing more was said. Truth be told, he did not expect a direct answer.

"But...?"

"But I can't take care of her, Zoro. Nami deserves the world."

"You are her world."

Luffy gulped and shivered.

"And that Carrot girl?"

"What about her?"

"She is after you, Luffy. And Nami knows it."

"We're just friends. Carrot's nice."

"Keep telling yourself that."

Nami stirred then and brushed lips against his and Luffy almost dropped the phone.

The drumming quickened and Luffy absentmindedly licked the brim of his mouth in hopes to mimic her touch but it was not the same.

He studied her parted lips carefully and before he caught himself drawing closer, Zoro made himself known again.

"You there?"

Luffy blushed hard at what he was about to do and dismissed the thought. His mind went back to the time Nami called him a pervert. What he was just about to do placed him right in that category and Luffy hated being there. He was Nami's friend.

He had permission to kiss her but that time he had ventured to kiss her on the mouth, had him banned for an entire week. It wasn't worth the risk.

"Yeah. I'm here."

"What are you afraid of?"

"I'm afraid... that things would be different between us."

"Is that really a bad thing?"

Luffy blinked.

"The two of you can finally be honest with your feelings for each other. Nothing has to change for the worse. It can only get better."

"Better?"

Luffy thought back to Nami's lie concerning her friend from school. That was another thing she was good at, better at. Lying. He knew when she lied. All the time. Very rarely he called her out but he knew the reason for her bad habit. It wasn't to hurt or mislead him. She lied as she said to protect herself. And he knew that all along yet he didn't mind calling her his friend. His best friend.

It wasn't obvious at first but he learned how to point it out with time. She would get all rigid and she would scarcely look him in the eyes. She was getting better at it but it put her on a spot. You notice a lot of things when you spend a lot of time with a person.

"Feelings are scary."

"Damn straight. I wish I could reach into the phone and wring your neck but I can't and that's hella frustrating."

Luffy snickered.

"I'm serious, Luffy. The sight of you two together at times makes me gag but I admire one thing. That's that you trust and care for each other. That isn't necessarily bad so when I think about the both of you with other people, I doubt they would be able to understand either of you just the same. I'm being selfish, I know, but don't make Nami go far away, Luffy."

Luffy panicked, eyes widening and throat closing up as he wrapped Nami in a squeeze.

"God alone knows what that would do to both of you. Do you understand?"

Luffy nodded.

"Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Don't disappoint me. Don't disappoint Nami."

Luffy nodded again without thinking.

"I'm going to sleep."

With that, the call ended and Luffy abandoned his phone.

Nami woke to his tight grasp and drowsily wrapped an arm around him.

"Luffy? Is something wrong?"

"No." His voice cracked. "Go back to sleep."

To be continued...