Nami's eyes slowly widened and she ceased her gentle caress, bringing her arm down to rest it back in her lap.
Did she just hear him correctly?
It was pretty difficult to hear anything over the incessant thumping of her heartbeat thrashing away in her ears after all.
"W-wha.." she trailed, barely more than a whisper before the words died in her throat.
She was in denial.
So much so, that she had lost all ability to even think. All she could do was merely stare at him with enlarged eyes and her mouth agape.
He's joking... right?
In attempts to reassure her, Luffy brought his hand up to gently brush her bangs aside and cradled her face, gingerly placing a chaste kiss against her forehead.
When he pulled away, Nami was completely lost in the dark abyss of his eyes. She quickly scanned his face for a hint of amusement, but she found none. His face was completely relaxed.
"I want you to be my girlfriend, Nami."
It took her a moment to fully comprehend what he was saying, but when it hit her, the corner of her lips began to tug upwards and the intense smile that was suddenly plastered all over her face was so wide that her cheeks began to ache.
His girlfriend.
She really liked the sound of that.
Feeling giddy, she threw herself at him and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck before erupting into a fit of mirthful giggles.
"Is that a yes?" he chuckled, tightly wrapping his arms around the small of her back in turn.
She settled her forehead into the crook of his neck and nodded furiously against it, the delayed blush now creeping onto her cheeks.
"Yes." she whispered, before retreating back to gaze at him. "Yes." she repeated a bit louder, smiling sweetly.
If you would have told her a few months ago that she'd be where she is right now, surrounded by actual friends and now in a relationship, she would have laughed right in your face.
But now... now she was unable to imagine her life without them, not just Nojiko anymore, but also her friends and her boyfriend.
The title was sweet music to her ears.
She melted upon seeing his hooded eyes that held a loving glint and his cheesy smile mirrored hers. His expression left her feeling inevitably fuzzy and her heart clenched, feeling overwhelmed by the swarm of emotions that welled up inside her.
Luffy gently bumped his nose against hers and already feeling deprived, he moved in, in attempts to draw more needy kisses from her to which she pleasantly obliged.
She engraved the sensations of this blissful moment in her brain. The feeling of his lips moving in perfect rhythm with hers and the way she melted into his strong arms that had become her tranquil shelter.
All of it.
She didn't want to forget.
And she wanted to always be able to go back and recall this moment with him because for the first time in a very long time, she found herself wishing that time would simply stop.
Within the bustling of the flooded corridors and the plethora of students, Nami found herself unaware of anything else other than one thing... him.
Her boyfriend.
It still gave her chills to think about it. Especially taking into consideration that Luffy was the first and only one she's ever had.
The pair leisurely made their way towards the group's usual meet up spot, sporting interlaced fingers, and she was appreciative of the firm grip Luffy held on her hand because in all honesty, Nami felt so light that she was sure she'd merely float away if he didn't.
When she broke the news to Nojiko that night after Luffy had left, Nami swore she had never seen her sister look that happy.
Needless to say, she got the living daylights squeezed out of her due to Nojiko's tight ecstatic hug and she received an excessive amount of praise, her big sister claiming she was "Absolutely proud of her."
Now they just had to tell everyone else.
Which Nami assumed wouldn't come as a shock to them at all.
At first, it was harmless teasing that would be thrown her and Luffy's way, but lately, most of them were betting with actual money on who'd make the first move between the pair.
Crazy, right?
Nami mentally giggled just thinking about it and peeked over at Luffy to catch him already staring at her with a warm smile, thing that made her heart start to thump.
"What?" she asked, her small grin growing wider on her lips.
"Are you happy?" he inquired, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.
"I am. Thanks to you." she replied, unable to shake the warm feeling spreading within her chest.
He seemed to smile wider upon hearing the confirmation and as she watched his eyes light up, her chest throbbed once more.
Man, it hurt so good.
Even though the aching feeling she felt in her chest whenever she even thought of Luffy had been going on for quite some time now, it was a feeling she definitely would have to get used to considering romance was a foreign subject to her.
And it's true, she was unbelievably happy, and now seeing that look on his face made her all the more enticed to always elicit these kind of reactions from him.
They exited the building towards the West Garden and as the two approached the circle of bodies, Nami greeted them to which they all responded casually, uttering back their 'Hello's'.
It was hilarious.
They all had their noses stuck so deep inside their text books in attempts to get some last minute studying done that they failed to notice the couple arrive hand-in-hand.
The pair nestled their way in to sit alongside each other within the circle, which wasn't unusual for them since Luffy and Nami were often times inseparable either way.
Now, as Nami began to rummage through her bag, Luffy's eyes instinctively settled on her lips which were still a tad swollen from the unplanned make out session they had the night prior and he swallowed thickly, feeling immensely troubled.
He reeeaaally wanted to kiss her.
Nami pulled out a bottle of juice from her bag and twisted the cap off to take a sip. When she retracted the bottle from her mouth, her top lip was left with a bit of liquid, making it glisten.
Luffy unconsciously licked his dry lips, noticing how delicious hers looked. They were taunting him in all their plump, juicy glory, and it made the man wonder what it would taste like if he kissed her.
"Luffy, are you okay?" Nami cooed, now gazing at him.
She asked a little more sweeter than she usually does which caused Usopp's ears to twitch and he snapped his head up, suspiciously squinting at the two.
Nothing ever gets past the observant long-nosed man.
Curiosity got the better of Luffy, so without a care in the world, he gently wrapped his hand around the back of Nami's neck and leaned in to quickly kiss her, savoring the taste of juice on her upper lip as he slowly pulled away.
He smacked his lips together and hummed. "Grape Juice?" he then asked her, with the most casual smile on his face.
Meanwhile, Usopp's jaw immediately dropped and he began muttering incomprehensibly.
Luffy eyed Usopp and could only tilt his head quizzically at his reaction while Nami gaped at Luffy with with a magnificent blush on her cheeks.
She was a flustered wreck and had half a mind to scold him for catching her off guard with the sudden PDA before their announcement, but she held off, because she had to admit-
...that felt really nice.
And suddenly, she found herself in a brand new predicament.
She realized that if a seemingly innocent kiss had caused her to completely lose her composure and want to pounce on him, she'd probably be in a heap of trouble as long as Luffy's involved.
"Usopp? What's wrong?" Chopper inquired, his eyes pried open at his friends sudden odd behavior and the rest of the group following suit.
"H-he... he... he..." he raised a trembling finger and pointed it in Nami's direction with enlarged eyes. "He kissed her!"
"EHHHH??" the group exclaimed in unison, now directing their attention towards the pair.
"Wait! Are you guys together?!" Vivi asked, her lips forming a beaming smile in trepidation.
Nami opened her mouth to reply but it was futile, Luffy beat her to the punch.
He wrapped his arms around her waist and swiftly pulled her flush against him, causing her to let out a small squeak before placing his chin atop her shoulder. "Yup! She's all mine!" he exclaimed with a dopey smile.
Smooth.
Their jaws dropped lower with the declaration and they turned to Nami, waiting for some sort of confirmation on her part.
Originally, she wanted to be a bit more subtle when breaking the news to them but all her senses seem to dissipate whenever Luffy is involved, and rather than wanting to feel embarrassed by the display of affection, she nodded firmly, letting herself indulge in the public claiming of one another.
"You heard him." she stated with a hint of amusement in her tone from their reactions and smiled, a slight dusting of pink began to spread across her cheeks when Luffy tightened his hold on her.
She was his... all his.
Vivi clapped her hands together, squealing in utter delight at the two.
"Nooooo, Nami-Swaaaaan why him?!" Sanji cried comically, now on his knees, bracing himself with his hands away from the group.
"It's about damn time." Zoro muttered lazily, taking a swig from his not-so-inconspicuous flask. "Oi, cough it up Robin." he commanded, holding his hand out.
"It was about time indeed." Robin's lips morphed into a smirk and she unwillingly reached inside her pocket to slap a bill atop Zoro's palm.
Usopp propped himself up on his knees and leaned in to place a firm hand on her free shoulder, then Luffy's. He glared at them for a minute, his eyes repeatedly flickering between the two.
"...I'm happy for you guys." he assured with a now noticeably genuine smile after a moment of nerve-wrecking silence.
Out of everyone in the group, Luffy was the one whom Usopp was closest to, therefore Nami felt her chest swell with appreciation hearing his words.
"Yeah! Congratulations you two!" Chopper outstretched his arms to form two thumbs up and gave them a closed-eye smile.
Her friends' words rang deep within her. She knew they'd be fine with their relationship but knowing her and Luffy had their unconditional support, made her feel even lighter.
It felt really nice.
The couple thanked everyone for their their words of encouragement and as laughter filled the air, and more questions were asked regarding the newly established relationship, a sudden high-pitched voice was heard in the distance.
"So it's true?"
Carrot slowly approached them and was standing a bit aways from the group, somberly looking at Luffy with quivering lips.
Now due to the awkward air, everyone peered back down towards their textbooks, feigning acknowledgement, except for Nami whom looked at her with enlarged eyes, and Luffy, who's lips fell in distaste, forming a visible frown.
"L-Luffy?" she called, her eyes wavering.
"Look, Ca-"
"-Carrot, right?" Nami cut him off and placed a hand on his shoulder to signify she'd handle it.
Carrot merely dropped her head in response.
"Can we talk?"
Nami trudged away from the group to speak with Carrot privately.
She was well aware of the fact that the girl wasn't owed an explanation of her evident newfound relationship by any means. Carrot and Luffy were merely friends, although even that was a stretch, and if Nami were any other girl, she would have made that known to her right then and there in front of everyone without a single shred of guilt.
But Nami wasn't that kind of girl.
The blonde took the lead, Nami trailing behind her, and they ended up under one of the towering cherry blossom trees before Carrot came to a halt, gripping her arm comfortingly before slowly turning around.
"Are... you and Luffy dating?" she asked hesitantly, eyeing Nami with a trickle of hope in her wavering chocolate eyes.
"We are." Nami confirmed, unconsciously gripping the hem of her mini skirt but standing tall nevertheless.
She wasn't good at confrontation.
There was a moment of soul-crushing silence before Carrot opened her mouth to speak.
"B-but...I..." She bowed her head low, and although Nami was unable to see her eyes due to the wispy bangs that covered them, she became aware of the trail of tears that began falling onto the ground.
"But you love him, right?"
Carrot snapped her head up and eyed Nami with enlarged eyes before nodding slowly in response.
Nami felt her gut churn. These past few months of drawing closer to Luffy and getting to know him as he is, not only as her best friend, but as her emotional anchor, made her realize something.
Something that in that exact moment, hit her like a ton of bricks, and it unfortunately took seeing another woman cry over him to make her realize it.
She loves him too.
So much.
She raised her hand to firmly press it against her chest and could feel the erratic beating of it when she began to think of him.
His strong arms and supple lips, or how he'd often make her giggle uncontrollably with his jokes that more times than not, weren't that funny, but the way he'd make himself laugh telling them, was.
She thought of his kind soul, his selflessness, his strong wit and courage.
The way he looked at her, like she was the only woman in the world and like she was the most precious thing he's ever laid his eyes on.
Those beautiful onyx eyes.
All of it.
There's no doubting that this was love.
She was immensely happy because of him, and she refused to find out what her life would be like if he wasn't in it. She wanted to be selfish.
No, she needed to be selfish.
"Carrot." Nami called sternly, using all the courage she could muster which caused the female to eye her skittishly.
"I'm sorry, but I can't let you have him." she formed a painful smile.
The blonde's lips began trembling violently.
"I know you love him..." Nami continued, tightly gripping the fabric of her blouse that laid over her chest, "But so do I... I love him so much that it's unbearable."
Carrot's face contorted, and she bit lip bottom lip to hold back her muffled sob.
The tension was heavy.
"He saved me, you know?" Nami stated, causing Carrot's brows to furrow in confusion.
"H-He saved y-you?" she asked shakily.
Nami nodded in response. "When I moved here from my home town... I wasn't okay. My life was heading in a direction that may have been detrimental to my sanity because of my mothers death. But Luffy... he taught me what happiness was. He showed me unconditional kindness time and time again. I can't imagine my life without him, Carrot. I love him and I'd do anything for him."
In no time, her own slick trail of tears began cascading down either side of her face as she began to recall the moments they've shared up until now.
Carrot's eyes were as wide as saucers and she looked away, gloom flooding her face.
"I... I didn't know about all that." she interjected.
Nami harshly wiped her tears and placed a gentle hand on the female's shoulder. "I hope you understand."
"I... I do. I just want Luffy to be happy. Even if that's with someone other than me." she sighed defeatedly before rubbing her tears away with the back of her hand. "Can you please just promise me you'll make sure he's always happy?"
"I promise." she squeezed the girls shoulder before pulling away. "You seem like a really sweet and loyal person, Carrot. I'm sure you'll find someone who will love you just as much as you do them. You deserve it." Nami smiled.
Suddenly, the blonde broke down upon Nami's words of encouragement then she was quick to move. In a flash she had her arms wrapped tightly around Nami in an embrace and there was no way she was letting go any time soon.
Nami blinked, a little taken aback by the action, but slithered an arm out between their bodies to amicably pat the girls back, attempting to soothe her.
"Man, I for sure thought Carrot would be hysterical by now." Usopp stated with a shocked expression as he eyed the two women hugging in the distance.
"I wonder what Nami told her." Chopper watched the scene unfold, just asked shocked.
"Whatever it was, it most certainly did the trick." Robin giggled.
"She's pretty amazing." Vivi stated, her mouth forming an 'o'.
"Yeah, she really is." Luffy smiled warmly to himself, and in that moment he felt his heart swell with an unusual sensation, not necessarily pride, but something else. It was pretty uncomfortable. His chest ached but it also felt good?
He wasn't sure.
All he knew was that Nami was the cause and he wouldn't mind tolerating it as long as it was for her.
The rest of the week consisted of arduous study sessions and a surplus of caffeine, not to mention pretty much no sleep. It was worth it though, because the entire group rejoiced eyeing the fruit of their laborious struggle when they passed with decent grades.
Saturday morning quickly came and most of the group had gathered near the platform, tickets in hand for an 8:30 am train ride to Kuri Beach.
"Are we all here?" Nami inquired, now walking towards the wooden benches by the tracks.
Sanji gave a once over of the group and from his peripheral vision he was met with an eyeful of vibrant green hair in the distance headed in the complete opposite direction of their assigned train.
"That dumbass..." he muttered, "OI MARIMO! OVER HERE!"
"Looks like we're all ready to go now." Robbin giggled, eyeing her now two bickering friends after Zoro's prompt arrival.
With the group all settled after a tedious headcount, they were all ready to go with bags in hand as the mirthful atmosphere caught up to them.
Luffy was completely overcome with excitement, he was probably the most angsty one there, and he pumped his fists in the air whilst his lips formed a face-splitting grin.
"Kuri Beach here we come!"
To be continued.
A/N: Beach trip chapter coming up next! Just a small heads up, I'm debating on adding a scene to the next chapter that may not be suitable for all ages, nothing explicit but it would be suggestive content. Let's see how it goes. I'll add a warning at the beginning if I do. Lol anywho, hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Let me know your thoughts of the story so far in the comments! I'm not big into AU stories so I hope this has been okay this far!
Until next time-