My Flower: Lilly
By: Kuroi Neko-kun
Summary: His own crew does not know his past but what if a part of it comes to them, with a secret that she tries to keep from the straw-hat boy?
Disclaimer: Don't own them. Wish I did. I DO own a Shanks figurine, which I treasure dearly.
Author's Note: This happens after the Arlong Arc. I mean we've seen everyone's past by now, why can't we see more of the hero's?
---
Chapter 3: Avoiding the Inevitable
---
The bar was packed that night when she entered. The men that sat in the bar admired her beauty, most whistled. One unfortunate one tried to slap her bum, only to receive broken fingers. Idiots, she thought, sitting at a corner table. She placed her order to the sweet waitress and waited. As she did so, she took out several slips of paper. One particular piece, one she kept ever since a bounty was put on the pirate's head, made her smile. Thirty million berries? That's not enough for this guy… The waitress placed her order on her table.
"Are you a pirate hunter, love?" the waitress asked bluntly. She did not take it as an insult. The title gave her some respect.
"What makes you say that?"
"Your guns and all those wanted posters. I assumed much." She smirked.
"No, I'm not. I just have a score to settle with one pirate and meet the other."
"So you're a pirate then?" She shook her head.
"I'm just a vagabond," she said, taking out a few coins. She sat at that corner table and ate her meal.
~~~
As she stepped out of the bar, she took a deep breath enjoying the smell of the still night air. It was quiet, but not too quiet. She walked away from the bar enjoying the quietness. The village was a port village much like Fuchsia. She could see the many masts of different ships from far. A particular mast caught her eye. The picture on its vast sail had skull and crossbones. That was not what she was absorbed in. It was the familiar hat on the Jolly Roger that struck her. Could it be…? Is Luffy here? I can't see him now… I'm not ready… She was so deep in thought that she did not hear the commotion that was happening behind her.
~~~
Meanwhile…
"This is all your fault, weed head," Sanji muttered, carrying a mended bag of fruits and vegetables. Zoro, on the other hand, was trying to keep his anger down. They had to find their overexcited hyper captain because the lovesick cook, who Zoro had asked to watch Luffy as he went to look at some swords, went chasing skirts. And so, Luffy was lost. And with all frustration in his head and heart, he pounced on the blonde and a fight ensued. Now, after resolving that a fight was not going to them any good, both nineteen-year-old pirates decided that they spent their energy on finding the straw-hat boy.
"It isn't my fault that I could not watch MY captain for five minutes. I was not the one chasing skirts!!" Zoro pointed out. Sanji rolled his eyes.
"Pointing out mistakes now won't do us any good. We still have a missing captain." Zoro was now grinding his teeth, keeping his anger down. Only this idiot can cause him to act the way he does.
"How can you act like it's not your fault??" He blew smoke at the face of the swordsman.
"I didn't say it wasn't." The evil psycho cat grin was on Zoro's face now. He was at the verge of killing this fag smoking cook.
"Kono yaro…" he muttered, deciding it was not worth it. He walked on.
~~~
"Come back here, stupid kid!" the bar owner shouted, waving a broom angrily. The straw-hat boy ran, with a large piece of meat in his hands.
"I'll pay for it! I swear I will!" he shouted back.
"That isn't gonna cut it! I'm not kind with bilkers!"
"But I'm not going to bilk!! I need to get back to my sh—"The broom connected to Luffy's head, breaking it [the broom, not Luffy's head]. Being Luffy, it barely hurt. He kept running and was about to pass a brunette lady when he fell hard on his face. He realized the lady had tripped him. "Ite… What did you do that for?" The girl had his back turned on him. She stopped the bar owner. She tossed him a small bag of gold.
"I don't know how much he owes you but that should cover it."
"It's not your business, lady. That kid doesn't deserve the sympathy!" She lifted her brow.
"Everybody does. And go before I decide that I shouldn't sympathize and just kill you." She placed her hands on the guns strapped to her belt. Gulping, the bar owner left. When she turned, Luffy had stood up and was now staring at her, gaping.
"Lilly?" he mumbled.
"Luffy-kun?" their expressions were now mirrored. But her shock was not of meeting him, but of realizing that her plan of avoidance was in vain.
"What are you doing here?" the boy asked, grinning," I thought I'll only see you when I become King of Pirates." Lilly forced a smile. She could not tell him her real agenda. No, she could not face it.
"Well, since you and Ace are pirates, I decided to do a little exploring," she answered, in a happy-go-lucky voice that she herself had not heard in a long time.
"Hontou? Maybe you can tell me all about it!"
"How about some—"Before she could continue, Luffy had wrapped his rubber arm around her. "Luffy-kun, what are you doing?"
"I want to show you my ship!!" Catching wind of what Luffy wanted to do, she panicked.
"Can't we just walk?" The laugh that came after scared Lilly, no matter how close they were.
"This is much faster!" He declared, still grinning.
"But I—"Lilly knew her protest was in vain.
"Gomu gomu no—"He stretched his arm, gripping the mast of his ship.
"Luffy-kun!!"
"ROCKETO!" They flew in the air.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
~~~
They landed on the crow's nest. Luffy was laughing, enjoying his little ride. Whatever anger Lilly had for the boy, faded off when she saw him like that, still the same. She smiled and hugged the boy, surprising the boy slightly.
"It's great to see you again, Luffy-kun," she whispered.
"You two, Lilly," he mumbled, placing his arms around her. They stayed that way till…
"Oi, Luffy! If you want to bring a girl over, you could at least introduce her to us!" Usopp shouted. That instantly broke the two apart.
"Yeah, Luffy… You can't just rocket her here without us noticing!" Nami added. Lilly blushed. Luffy, on the other hand, was laughing, oblivious to the taunts.
"Sou da na!"
~~~
"So you and Lilly are childhood sweethearts?" Nami said, clarifying with Luffy's story of explaining about Lilly. The brunette was blushing at the word 'sweethearts'.
"Not really sweethearts…" Lilly mumbled, "Just childhood friends." The orange-haired girl nodded a sly grin on her face. Did she know?
"So Lilly-san, was Luffy always like this when he was small?" Usopp asked.
"He's never changed, not a bit," she said, smiling at the boy. Before they could continue talking about Lilly and Luffy, the two other crew members returned to the ship.
"Nami-san! Luffy's…" Sanji raised his brow at the sight of Luffy standing beside a brunette girl," missing?" Zoro's confusion was not hidden on his face.
"What's going on here? Who is she?"
"Oh, this is Lilly," Luffy said. Sanji, with hearts in his eyes, dropped his bag and gave a flower to the girl.
"Lilly-san, you are as beautiful as the flower itself. I am Sanji and always at your service."
"Thank you," she mumbled, taking the flower," and you are nice, Sanji-san."
"Ah~! She thinks I'm nice…"
"But someone told me once that I was much more beautiful than a field of lilies," she mumbled, smiling at Luffy. At an instance, Nami and Usopp turned to the straw-hat boy. The other two boys did too, their confusion was now mirrored with Luffy's.
"Nani ya?"
~~~
Lilly sat at the bow, staring out at the vast ocean. Luffy had persuaded her to stay, at least to their trip to the next island. He did not know that she was planning to check that island out. It might lead to her ultimate target.
"Seven guns," she heard someone mutter. She turned to see Luffy smiling warmly at her. He pointed to her guns.
"Yeah, seven."
"Why do you need so many guns, Lilly? Is it that dangerous out there?"
"Luffy-kun, I don't have devil fruit powers like you. I need the protection," she explained.
"Sou ka? I guess that's true…" he scratched his head. Seeing Lilly again felt different. Half of him was happy to see him. The other wished he never did. He was afraid that Lilly would think differently after knowing about the bounty on his head and knowing what he did to get it. She touched his hand. Blood rush to his cheeks as she did so. He did not understand it but it comforted him. And at that time, Sanji came by with a dessert in his hand.
"Lilly-san, this is for you!" Lilly blinked before accepting it.
"Arigatou, Sanji-san…" she mumbled. She took a bite of the dessert, finding it delicious. "This is very good. I'm sure everyone in this ship would not mind having some."
"I'll get on that right away." With that, he left.
"Does it taste that good?" the straw-hat boy inquired. Lilly smiled before feeding him some of it. "Oishii…" he mumbled, smiling at her.
~~~
Three days had passed since Lilly came aboard the Going Merry. She sat with Nami, who was drawing up maps under the sun. Lilly, on the other hand, was mending Luffy's red vest. Apparently, the boy does not change very much. They were talking about Luffy. Nami told her what he did so far and Lilly told her stories of little village boy Luffy. They laughed a lot and some made Nami smile. In all those stories, Luffy was the apple in Lilly's hazel eyes. The girl could tell every time the brunette told her about Luffy that she loved him.
"Lilly! Is my shirt done yet? I can't stop Zoro and Usopp from trying to pinch me for long!" the boy complained, sitting cross-legged between both girls. Lilly secured the stitch with a knot and smiled.
"Here you go," she said, passing the vest to him.
"Wah! You really improved Lilly!" he exclaimed," You never pricked a finger!" Lilly smiled and helped him put it on in a motherly fashion before letting him have fun on the ship again. As he left, Nami noted the smile on Lilly's face.
"Luffy's parents died when he was seven. The village mayor took care of him then. I'm the mayor's niece and quickly became his friend. We were never apart… until now." She sighed, still looking at Luffy. "He will be King of Pirates, Nami."
"Weirdness of it all, I think so too."
---