Substance

by kanaMV

Luffy x Nami. Luffy is exposed to an aphrodisiac, but it needs a trigger. Nami just so happens to be the trigger he needed. One night leads to confusion amongst two close friends. As they explore the wonderous world of intimacy, they come to learn the name of that emotion growing inside of them. They're actually in character...Crazy right?

8. Chapter 8

It was early, the sun hadn't even risen above the horizon when a certain pirate captain opened his eyes.

He usually sleeps about five hours a day with no fixed schedule but if he wakes up early, he can't go back to sleep. Once he's up, he's always wide awake and ready to get the day started. That applied to now as well.

Sprawled out on his back, he stared at the ceiling with a dazed look on his face.

It was super strange having so much room to sleep. He's used to the small space of his hammock where he'd fall on the floor if he moved too much. The bed was a nice change of pace.

From the ceiling, he turned his head to the right to get a glimpse of the bed's owner. That's right, his navigator.

Nami.

She was sleeping soundly, hugging the sheet to her body while breathing steadily.

So Luffy just stared, feeling a strong urge to wake her up but another part of him wanted to let her sleep.

Last night must've drained all of her energy but even so, Luffy wanted her awake so they could talk.

To get a better look, he turned onto his side, parting his mouth at the short distance between them.

It was then that he realized his heart was acting weird again. It sped up, spreading a warmth across his chest while also making it harder to breathe.

It used to be more mellow, but lately the feeling has been getting stronger. Harder to control. To tell the truth, it's kind of uncomfortable, but Luffy's learned to live with it. Even if he can't control his emotions, he settled for letting it go. The reason is because Nami seemed really happy about him feeling this way so he didn't mind it too much anymore. As long as she was happy.

Slowly, a content smile began growing on his lips.

She was furrowing her brows in her sleep, looking upset about something, so Luffy lifted his hand and moved it to her face. Without a moment of hesitance, he poked her in the center of her eyebrows hoping to ease her grimace.

Rather than relaxing, her brows furrowed even more which caused Luffy to chuckle.

From her brows, he moved to poke her in the cheek, laughing at her hum of disapproval.

Starting from her forehead, Luffy began scanning her face.

Gazing at her closed eyelids, he noticed how long her eyelashes were and thought it was kind of interesting. He then moved to her nose, studying the small arch of it with a smile. Then finally, his eyes landed on her lips feeling his heart clench at the sight.

The humor on his face slowly washed away as he gaped at her.

Using the finger he was poking her cheek with, Luffy slowly trailed it lower, moving it to the corner of her mouth.

He then dragged it over her bottom lip, swallowing thickly while lightly stroking the surface.

With hooded eyes he continued to study her lips, finding them oddly intriguing.

It was weird because before he slept with her he never had any particular interest in lips. He's never even thought about them. They were just another body part.

I mean, he knew what kissing was, but never found a reason for it nor was he curious to find out.

But…after that night with Nami, he found himself thinking about her lips a lot. It's strange really. How such a small part of her can bring him such frustration. Something he once found pointless became his addiction.

How ironic.

Continuing his motions on her lips, Luffy found himself gravitating towards her, lightly gripping her chin with want. As much as he desired it, he didn't dare place a kiss on her lips.

He didn't know if she'd get mad because he did it while she was asleep. He still wasn't sure what his limitations were.

He began to feel that Intimacy is really complicated for no reason.

But…

He really wanted to kiss her. So much that he began to bite his lip to resist.

With mild annoyance, he removed his hand from her face.

Sighing, his eyes darted back to her eyes.

"Nami." He whispered.

No response.

Lifting his hand towards her, he grabbed her shoulder and lightly shook her.

"Nami." He called again, still quiet but with a little more volume.

That seemed to work.

When she started moving, furrowing her brows as the dreads of sleep slowly left her, Luffy found himself smiling widely, excited to start the day with her.

He watched as her eyes slowly started cracking open, gracing him with the sight of her dark brown pupils.

As for Nami, seeing Luffy stare at her first thing when she woke up was sort of surprising, but she was still too tired to completely comprehend it.

"Luffy?" She questioned with a groggy voice.

His smile widened. "Hi." He said, already enjoying her company.

Sighing heavily, she turned onto her back, giving a small stretch. It felt nice for a millisecond before a shooting pain started running up and down her spine-a reminder of last night's strenuous activities.

She grimaced but tried not to make it obvious.

However, since Luffy was staring at her face, he noticed immediately.

His smile faltered. "What's wrong?" He asked, eyeing her stiff body.

The woman only offered a pained smile, turning onto her side to come face to face with him.

"It's nothing really, just some back pains." She lightly put, hoping he wouldn't ask anything else.

He squinted at her suspiciously, but was too happy to dwell on it.

She caught sight of his growing smile and found herself starting to mirror him.

With sparkling eyes, she relaxed her head against the pillow, feeling her heart swell. "What?" She mumbled.

That's right.

Last night they both confessed their love. That meant their feelings were mutual and they were finally on the same page.

Luffy's eyes lowered to her lips, never dropping his smile.

Nami caught sight of his gaze and laughed lightly, already knowing what his intentions were.

Moving her head closer to his, they made eye contact. The glee mirrored in each other's eyes filled the room with a cozy warmth, reflecting the atmosphere of their situation.

Luffy cheesed, moving in to plant a much desired kiss onto her lips.

They both smiled when their lips connected, but when he pulled away, she felt her chin tilting upwards, reaching for him again.

Licking his lips, he slowly gravitated towards her, tilting his head slightly to allow more access. Both of their hearts began to race, causing her breath to hitch.

Melting into the sheets, Nami hummed against his lips and it was then that he began to deepen the kiss, bringing a hand to her cheek to softly hold onto her. The action made her mouth part as she inhaled sharply.

He took a quick breath, but slowly moved in again, this time brushing the tip of his tongue against hers, pulling another gentle hum from her chest.

His soft caress left goosebumps across her skin and chills down her spine, one thought running through her mind:

"He loves me."

She still couldn't believe it, but there was nothing she could do but believe him. He may be an idiot and incredibly childish, but despite those things, her captain was not a liar.

With closed eyelids, Luffy pulled back, mouth agape as he breathed heavily against her lips, sharing the same breath.

Cracking their eyes open, they met each other in a heated stare. Before either of them realized, a large smile stretched across their faces and soft laughter rumbled both of their chests.

Using all the strength she could muster, Nami moved to lay her head on his chest, wincing as the soreness in her muscles made her body throb.

When his arm gently wrapped around her, resting his hand on her shoulder, she gave a content sigh. However, if he started squeezing her, she didn't know how happy she'd be then.

As her head rested right below his chin, Luffy stared at the ceiling above with a gentle smile.

It was nice, just kinda laying with her.

He never really liked staying in bed. But that was before he had a sleeping partner. Now he kind of looks forward to it.

"Luffy." She called out, turning his attention back onto her.

"Hm?"

Glancing outside, she felt like smacking him across the face. The sun wasn't even up yet.

"Why'd you wake me up so early?" She sang, mildly annoyed.

The man only smiled, stroking her shoulder with his thumb. "I was bored." He said, jolting to the right when she pinched him in the side.

"Ack! Hey!"

Nami moved onto his shoulder, arching her neck to 'smile' at him. "So you make me stay up until midnight, pushing my body to its limits, then wake me up early simply because you were bored?"

His eyes widened, sensing danger.

He recognized that smile.

It was not a look of happiness. In fact, that was the same smile she gave him when he spent all her money in water seven.

She opened her mouth to say something else but before she got the opportunity, he planted another kiss on her lips, distracting her from her anger.

Her brows furrowed upon first contact but when he started to gently caress her shoulder as he worked his lips against her own, she lost her train of thought.

Before she realized, her eyes fell shut and her hand came up to stroke his chest.

Luffy took that as a success, so he pulled away with a smile, hoping she'd let it go.

Releasing a heavy breath of air, she opened her eyes, softly glaring at her captain.

"That won't work every time." She defended, feeling heat crawl up her cheeks.

Luffy could only laugh in response, squeezing her tighter against him.

The pressure caused a low hiss of pain to escape her lips as she winced.

Luffy blinked at the sound, pulling her away from his body to get a glimpse at her stiff face.

"What's wrong?" He asked again, knowing it wasn't just 'some back pains.'

Sighing heavily, she arched her head up towards him, bringing her hand up to stroke his cheek.

This only caused his eye's to lower in a suspicious manner.

"Hmm." He hummed, moving her onto the pillow beside him as he began sitting up.

Laying on her back, Nami stared at the man gazing down at her with a little anxiousness.

She really didn't want him to find out about her pain, if he did, she already knew how he'd react. He'd feel extremely guilty and make it into a bigger issue than it was.

But…

Should she really be lying to him about it?

She caught his eyes trailing from her face to a different part of her body.

He cocked his head to the side, squinting at her shoulder. His eyes began to scan from one shoulder to the other, widening his eyes at the sight.

He then caught a glimpse of her neck. Arms. Breasts.

There were red marks all across her upper body, and he felt himself panic a little in response.

His hands reached out to her, but froze in mid air, unsure what to do.

Nami blinked at his reaction, looking down to see what had made him so worked up.

Catching the amount of red which covered her chest was kind of a shocker (hiding them would be a pain) but she knew they weren't a bad thing. It was only slightly tender if she pressed them.

Looking at the man above her, she saw him furrowing his brows.

Before she got the chance to ease his mind, he gripped the sheet which barely covered her large mounds, and peeled it from her body, moving it to her knees.

His widening eyes made worry creep up her spine.

He moved his head closer, eying her hips. There, he saw traces of his fingertips maring her perfectly soft skin. It was the same on the other hip as well.

No.

He did it again.

He tried his best not to grip her too hard but…it obviously didn't do much.

Moving his eyes even lower down her body, he swallowed a heavy lump in his throat.

More bruises. Both the top and sides of her thighs had them, leaving him utterly speechless.

Nami tried to catch his gaze, but he wouldn't look at her. All his attention was on the insignificant marks that she could barely feel.

Finally, he lifted his head to stare her in the eyes.

She only wished he didn't look so troubled.

"W-where else did I…." He trailed off, not wanting to voice it out loud.

Feeling a large responsibility to comfort him, she began to sit up, trying her hardest not to grimace. It was just a little back pain. Nothing she can't handle.

On her way up, Luffy placed a hand on her shoulder to help.

His brows furrowed even further. "Are you-"

Grabbing both of his cheeks, she was able to successfully shut him up. "Luffy." She sternly called.

Her captain stared at her with mildly wide eyes.

"I'm fine." She emphasized, hoping he'd actually believe her this time.

He did.

But he just couldn't shake this feeling of guilt.

Staring at her seriously, he said, "I didn't mean-"

"I know." She finished for him.

Of course she knows.

There's no way he'd intentionally put marks on her body.

He may be rough with others and seem extremely playful, but there's a delicate side to him too. He doesn't like inflicting pain, especially onto the people he cares about most.

Nami smiled warmly, removing her hands from his face.

It's one of the things she loves about him. The way he cares.

To show her affection, Nami placed her forehead onto his, shutting her eyes to bask in the close proximity.

Feelings of warmth, adoration and comfort spread throughout her body along with that familiar emotion. Love.

She found herself wanting to say it again.

Those three words.

But…even though they've already confessed, she was a little nervous to say those words to him again. It was just so… new.

One of the reasons being with him was so natural is because they were comfortable with one another. Nothing had really changed in their relationship except for the physical aspects of it. But now… now things feel different.

Now that he knows how she feels, is she able to voice her feelings clearly now? Should she not keep it to herself like she's been doing?

As she began overthinking how to tell him the same words from last night, Luffy sighed heavily, like a weight was being lifted off his chest.

Her words relieved him in a way only she could do. But then again, Nami always knew how his mind works. That's why she's the best navigator for him. Anyone else may have taken his ridiculous orders while she argues with him about them.

Placing his hand on her thigh, he began stroking it, enjoying the warmth of her skin under his palm.

Just when he opened his mouth to say something a knock resounded from the door, bringing them both back to reality.

They both turned to look at the door with subtle curiosity, a little upset that they were interrupted.

"What is it?!" Luffy called out, causing Nami's eyes to widen.

Turning to face him, she smacked his chest.

His brows furrowed as he met her gaze.

"Hey!"

She shushed him, looking at him as if he were crazy. "Why would you answer!" She whispered urgently.

He blinked. "Because someone knocked?"

Her eye twitched. "Congratulations. Now they know we were together all night."

…

As it finally dawned on him, his mouth made a small 'o.'

Nami sighed, moving off the bed to grab a fresh pair of clothes.

On the other side of the door, a woman with dark hair smiled coyly. "Luffy. Nami. There's an island in the distance."

Nami turned to look at her captain who had whipped his head in her direction, eyes sparkling with excitement.

Quickly, he zipped up his shorts and grabbed his shirt off the floor. He then dashed to the door, bouncing as he eyed her impatiently.

Nami pulled on her knitted, turtleneck sweater dress, effectively hiding the remnants of his kisses. Some of the bruises were still pretty visible though.

" Namii." He whined, gripping the door knob.

Laughing at his poor attempt of restraint, she trudged towards the door. "Let's go." She said, feeling her heart swell at the way his eyes lit up.

Before she realized, he was out the door, running towards the railing to see if he could spot the island.

As Nami walked out, she was surprised to see Robin still standing outside.

"Good morning." The navigator hummed, feeling light and feathery (slightly sore as well).

Robin simply smiled back, taking a quick glance at her friend. "You look happy." She teased, causing Nami's smile to grow.

Passing by her, Robin placed a hand on Nami's shoulder. "Tell me about it later?" She asked, causing Nami to give a nod in reaction.

Robin entered the room in search of a fresh pair of clothes and Nami took off towards the bathroom, sparing her captain one last glance before she left.

After she freshened herself up a bit, she headed back down, surprised to see everyone awake and ready to start the day.

Luffy was still placed by the rail, talking with Usopp about their predictions of the next island.

She didn't feel like interrupting so she walked into the kitchen, not shocked to see Sanji preparing a meal for everyone.

His back was to her, so she called out to him. "Good morning."

What she was expecting was an extravagant declaration of admiration and excitement, but instead he slowly turned around, appearing nauseous and dead inside.

"Nami-san. Good morning." He spoke, wobbling over to the stove top.

Her eyes widened as she rushed towards him. "Are you alright?" She asked, noting he looked a little pale.

"Fine." He said, eye wavering.

Just as he went to pour something into a pan, he started to fall.

Nami rushed to his aid, grabbing his waist and tossing his arm over her shoulders.

"Hang in there." She groaned, finding him to be a lot heavier than she was anticipating. "Can you walk with me?" She questioned, but got no answer in response.

She grit her teeth, pulling him towards the door. He started walking with her but his movements were unsteady.

Once she made it onto the deck, she was pleased to see Chopper running around with Usopp and Luffy.

"Chopper." She grit, catching everyone's attention.

Luffy was the first to notice, furrowing his brows at the sight. "Sanji?" He questioned, jogging up to them.

The cook made no sound, only buried himself closer to Nami, in which she sighed heavily in response.

"I think he's got a bad fever, but I'm not sure." Nami said, glancing at Sanji's heated face.

Chopper stared at the pair, eyeing his condition. It didn't go unnoticed by Nami that the reindeer looked a little scared.

"It may just be a fever, but considering..." Chopper trailed off, eyeing Luffy.

The captain blinked.

Shivering, Chopper turned back to Nami. "Um. After what happened last time…you know…uh, I just gotta make sure it's not something else." The doctor said blushing lightly.

Nami seemed to grasp what he was getting at and felt herself blush as well.

Turning to Sanji, Nami furrowed her brows. "Don't you try anything funny!" She chastised.

He only winced at the volume of her voice causing her to feel slightly guilty.

Luffy still couldn't comprehend what was going on.

He eyed the cook, watching as Sanji buried his head closer into Nami's neck.

Luffy's eyebrows rose slightly.

From there, he saw Sanji's arm wrapped around her shoulders, eyes lingering on the area where Nami held his wrist.

…

Luffy blinked.

Before he could comprehend it, he grabbed Sanji's other arm, wrapped it around his own shoulders and tugged the chef away from Nami.

The woman held on at first, but once she realized Luffy was taking him, she let go.

Sanji's head hung low as Luffy held him up.

Turning to Chopper, he asked where to put him.

"The infirmary." The doctor said and Luffy nodded, wasting no time to head in that direction.

As they disappeared, Nami sighed, rolling her shoulders to relieve the tension.

She really hoped it was just a fever.

Sanji ingesting a drug that induced sexual attraction could be deadly.

She shivered at the thought.

After a while, things were quiet. That was until she heard her captain's loud voice.

"EHH!?" He yelled, then moments later he came barging onto deck, scanning the ship for-

"Nami!" He yelled, stomping towards her.

Before she could get a word out, he gripped her shoulders, furrowing his brows with a frown.

"Don't go near Sanji!" He barked, catching the attention of the other crew members.

Her face scrunched up in utter confusion. "Wha-"

"Don't!" He repeated, gripping her shoulders desperately to show how serious he was.

"What's wrong with him?" Usopp asked. The sniper suddenly paled. "Is it a disease? Is it contagious?!" He questioned, causing Luffy to huff in annoyance.

Removing his hands from her shoulders, he turned to Usopp, upset.

"No. Chopper said it could be the same thing that happened to me! You know, with the barrel."

The ship went silent.

Brook cocked his head to the side, trying to deduce Luffy's reaction. Then it suddenly clicked. His signature laugh echoed across the ship as he placed his boney hands over his non-existent lips.

"Luffy-san, do you not want Sanji-san to…do things to Nami-san?"

Luffy's brows furrowed, taking in the humorous expressions of his crew members.

Finally he turned to Nami, seeing her stifle her own laughter.

"Well. If she stays away he won't do anything." Luffy said, feeling antsy just thinking about it.

If Sanji was experiencing what Luffy was, that meant he was already having thoughts of her that way.

Luffy's frown deepened.

What if Sanji managed to approach her?

Would Nami allow him to-

"Nami." He said, staring at her desperately. "Our promise. Remember?" He swallowed thickly. "Don't break it."

For a moment, she just stared at him, unsure of what he was saying.

'Promise? What pro-'

As realization hit, her eyes widened.

"You…don't want me…to be with anyone else?" She slowly muttered.

"Only me, ok?"

A blush washed across her face as she stared at him, stunned.

I mean…it was flattering that he didn't want her with anyone else, but she figured he'd know that she would never…

Then it hit her.

They may have confessed, but their relationship was never discussed. So technically, their relationship hasn't changed at all.

Nami sighed heavily, placing both of her hands on his shoulders. "I won't break it." She soothed, smiling when his muscles started to relax.

He soon began mirroring her smile, nodding in confirmation. "Good." He said, feeling some sort of relief pass over him.

For a moment they just stared at one another. That was until Usopp cleared his throat, annoyed. "We're still here." He groaned, finding the sight weird and unnatural.

Quickly, Nami pulled away from him, blushing lightly as she caught Usopp's eyes.

She laughed awkwardly, slowly backing away from everyone. "I should go chart our course. Gotta see how long it'll take to get to the next island."

Before they could question her any further, she disappeared.

Usopp turned to Luffy, whacking him on the chest to get his attention.

The captain furrowed his brows, smacking him in the exact same manner.

Usopp rolled his eyes, handing him a fishing pole.

As they sat on the railing talking about who had a better chance of catching a shark, Usopp felt a sudden curiosity bubble inside of him.

Side-eying his captain, he cleared his throat awkwardly, turning his attention back to the water.

"So uh, you and Nami eh?" He questioned, unsure of how to bring it up.

Luffy casted his line back out to sea, without a hint of surprise or embarrassment. "What about it?"

"Are you guys…like… together now?"

Feeling confused, Luffy turned his head in his direction, furrowing his brows in puzzlement. "We're always together."

Usopp should've known he wouldn't grasp it.

"No. I mean like…" Usopp rolled his shoulders back. "Her boyfriend."

…

Luffy held onto his pole with extreme confusion on his face.

"Her boyfriend? Of course. We've always been friends."

Turning his attention back to sea, Luffy shook his head at the strange question.

Usopp's sigh of frustration caused him to spare the sniper another glance.

"No you idiot! Are you guys dating? Are you in love? Romantic Partners? Geez."

Luffy seemed to understand that statement a little more. "I mean, I love her. She also said she loves me too." Luffy said, bobbing his pole up and down in hopes of attracting some fish.

That declaration nearly made Usopp drop his pole.

Whipping his body in Luffy's direction, his mouth fell open. "So you guys are really serious then!"

Luffy blinked at him. "Huh?"

Usopp got in his face, causing Luffy to furrow his brows. "Don't 'huh' me! So you guys are really dating now?"

The captain swears he's heard about dating before. He knows about it, but just can't recall exactly what it is. If he remembers correctly, he's seen people on dates. But…what did it mean?

"Hmm." Luffy hummed, not being able to piece it together. "I don't think we are."

Hearing that, Usopp felt a little surprised.

They love each other but they're not together?

Then it struck him.

Maybe he should provide a helping hand. Both Luffy and Nami seem like they could use one.

With shut eyelids, Usopp brought a fist to his mouth and cleared his throat. " Well, why don't you ask her out on a date?" He suggested, smirking at the way Luffy's eyes widened with interest.

"What exactly is a date though?" Luffy questioned, perking when he saw bubbles nearing his bobber.

Usopp began reeling his line in. "You know, take her somewhere nice-just the two of you-and you just kind of…have fun I guess."

Luffy paused, turning to look at the man. "That's it? Then haven't I already gone on a lot of dates with her?"

Usopp laughed. "Dates with the one you love are different from the ones with friends. I mean, compare what you do with her with what you do with Zoro."

Luffy nodded in understanding.

The sniper casted his pole, watching as his bobber resurfaced, bobbing up and down. "Just make it…hm, how should I put this." He paused in thought. "Make it… personal ."

Once more, Luffy's brows furrowed. "Personal?"

What did that mean?

"When should I ask her?"

Usopp shrugged. "We're almost at the next island. If it isn't dangerous then maybe do it there?"

Luffy nodded, feeling oddly excited about it.

He always liked hanging out with her. So doing that on a new island just seemed so exhilarating.

It's true he didn't fully comprehend exactly what a date was, but he figured he would learn as he went on.

So for the duration of his fishing session, he continued questioning Usopp about things he should do on a date.

Sadly enough, Usopp has never been on one, so he didn't provide much assistance.

While Luffy was off fishing, Nami took the time to fill Robin in about everything that transpired between them the night prior.

Whilst relaying the information, she was a complete wreck , blushing and giggling as she retold certain parts. It didn't help that Robin didn't hold back on the jokes, teasing her whenever the opportunity presented itself.

By the end of their conversation, Nami began asking for advice.

How should she bring up their relationship? Is it ok for her to tell him that she loves him now? Do they keep their relationship a secret?

There were so many questions that she needed answers for and Robin provided as much assistance as she could, telling her that she should be the bold person she normally is and discuss these issues with Luffy himself.

In the end Nami agreed. She just couldn't shake the feeling that it'd be difficult to convey all of these thoughts to her captain.

Very difficult indeed.

Around mid afternoon Luffy laid his cheek on the dining table, sticking his tongue out dramatically as if he were dying.

"So. Hungry." He rasped, hearing his stomach growl for the umpteenth time.

Nami's brow twitched as she seasoned the fish he and Usopp caught.

"Can't you wait a few minutes?" She snapped, feeling annoyed with his consistent groans and whines.

"I can't." He replied, feeling drained of energy. "Sanji didn't cook breakfast." He said, feeling hunger crawl up his throat.

Nami rolled her eyes at his dramatics, turning to place the fish on the skillet.

The sizzle of it made Luffy's body twitch. Flipping his head around, he stared at her back, watching her with dead eyes.

The scent began filling the room, making him even hungrier.

He inhaled deeply, groaning again in desperation.

" Nami. " He whined, not being able to stand the torture any longer.

A few minutes passed, filled with Luffy's constant moping and Nami's annoyed sighs.

She huffed, pulling two slabs of fish off the pan and putting it on a plate.

Digging through the cabinets, she found some bread and a few other sides. Quickly, she placed it onto the plate and grabbed a fork.

Once Luffy saw her turn around, he sprung upwards, nearly drooling at the sight.

She stood in front of him, lowering the food onto the table. "Try not to inhale it. There won't be more for a little while."

He nodded aggressively, licking his lips as the food was presented to him.

Nami watched with a small smile as he grabbed the fork and began shoveling it into his mouth.

Walking back to the kitchen, she poured him a glass of lemonade then placed it right next to his plate.

With puffy cheeks, he grabbed the glass then started gulping down the liquid.

For a moment, Nami just stood there, staring at him with warmth and adoration before she twirled to head back into the kitchen.

It felt nice making him happy. It made her feel happy.

Just as she placed a few more slices of fish onto the pan, she heard him slam his fork on the table, making a loud sigh of satisfaction.

Nami began to hum in delight, pouring more vinaigrette onto the fish with a content smile.

The captain smiled widely, turning to look at her back.

Jumping off the bench, he headed towards her, peeking his head above her shoulder to see if it was almost done.

"How much longer?" He asked, startling her for a brief moment.

She turned to look over her shoulder, smiling when she saw his dirty mouth.

Turning around completely, they were face to face, a lot closer than they would normally be. Lifting her hand to his lips, she used her thumb and wiped remnants of sauce off his face then brought it to his lips. "You missed some." She hummed, delighted by the way his eyes widened.

His gaze then flickered to her finger and he wasted no time closing his lips around it, using his tongue to wipe it clean.

Nami's heart raced as her eyes met his.

Well that felt a lot more intimate than she was anticipating.

Slowly, he opened his mouth, allowing her to escape.

For a moment they just stared at one another, something sparking in the air around them.

Nami did a quick inspection of the room before turning her attention back to him.

There wasn't anyone around…

He only blinked at her curiously, unusually quiet.

Before she could overthink it, Nami leaned in and pressed her lips against his, giving him a quick peck before turning around to flip the meat over.

Luffy's mouth parted, caught off guard by the sudden kiss.

Once he processed it, a childish frown tugged on his lips.

He moved next to her, bumping into her to get her attention.

Smiling cheesily, she batted her eyelashes at him. "Yes?" She feigned innocence.

Luffy's frown remained. "That's it?" He whined, referring to the quick kiss.

Turning her attention back to the food, she laughed. "That's it."

Grabbing a plate, she placed a few more slices of fish onto it, ignoring his pouty reaction.

Nami turned her body to face him, holding up another plate. "But I have more food." She negotiated, loving the way his lips instantly began to lift.

His eyes seemed to light up as he took the plate from her. Just as she went to turn around, he placed a quick kiss onto her lips, causing her eyes to widen.

Turning to look at him, he only shrugged in response.

"What? You did it first." He childishly put, causing a breath of a laugh to escape her chest.

Flicking him in the forehead, she smiled sweetly. "Eat your food." She demanded, and he had no objections.

It was then that she realized she still needed to cook for the rest of the crew.

Maybe she shouldn't have given him seconds already…

"Ouu!" Luffy howled, eyes sparkling as he took in the amazing scenery.

They had finally made it to the island and were now appreciating the gorgeous feel of it.

There were plants everywhere, flowers covering the floor and tree's towering above their heads.

It was nearly sunset, so the entire forest seemed to glow.

It was truly beautiful.

Everyone seemed to be in awe, just taking it all in and Nami was sure nothing could ruin the tranquil atmosphere.

That was until Luffy suddenly popped up in front of her, jumping up and down with childlike excitement.

"Nami! Let's go on a date!"

Even the enchantment of the forest couldn't stop the shock from coursing through her veins.

"What?" She said, eyes wide beyond belief.

Did he just-

In front of everyone?

"Right now!" He said, grabbing her wrist and dragging her away from the crew.

"Hey. Wait!" She cried out, but it was futile.

Usopp started to yell after them. "Wait when do we-"

He cut off, pausing when Luffy grabbed a hold of her and leaped onto a tree, disappearing from their line of sight.

The crew was left in the dust, staring as they wandered into the forest.

The long-nosed man deadpanned, finishing his earlier statement in a quiet mutter. "-Meet up?"

Franky blinked. "We didn't even explore first. What if there's something dangerous in there?"

Zoro yawned, heading back onto the ship. "He'll take care of her." He assured, sitting down against the rail to keep watch over the ship.

And it's true.

No matter what happens, Luffy won't let anything happen to her.

"GAHH! PUT ME-AHH!" She screeched as he launched them up into the air and onto another tree.

She was on his back, gripping him tightly to make sure she didn't fall.

He suddenly asked her to go on a date and before she could voice her opinion on it, he already made up his mind.

Now, with her legs wrapped around his middle and her arms around his neck, he laughed loudly as continued moving through the forest.

Just as he went to jump again, a huge slab of rock blocked their path.

Standing on a tree branch, he looked up to get an idea of how high up the rock went.

Stretching his arms up, he managed to grab onto the top of the cliff.

"Ready?" He questioned.

"Absolutely not!" She said, "Luffy, don't you d-ahhhh!" She screamed, pinning her head to the side of his face as they shot upwards.

There was a moment where they were just floating in mid-air before they began to fall.

Her heart dropped and she squeezed him even tighter.

When she heard his feet slam onto the floor, she assumed it safe to open her eyes.

Once she did, they continued to widen, taking in the magnificent view. Originally she planned to chastise him, but how could she? Not when she was seeing something so amazing.

She couldn't help the exasperation from escaping her lips in the form of a quiet "woah."

Luffy huffed, catching his breath a little as he stared at the vast forest that was somehow glowing.

Nami released her hold on him to stand by his side, gaping at the sight.

Luffy was too, just with less awe and more excitement. "You see that?" He questioned, referring to the colorful lights that were dancing on top of the trees.

"Yeah." Nami whispered, awestricken. "It's so pretty." She said, moving closer to the edge.

Luffy nodded, turning to look at her.

The gentle smile on her lips made his chest tighten.

She seemed pleased, so he figured they could hang out here.

With that thought in mind he took a seat on the grassy cliff top, looking up at her with a large grin on his face. "Let's stay here for a while."

Nami nodded, looking down at him with warmth oozing from her heart.

Not long after, she followed him, taking a seat on the grass with a content smile on her lips.

"So this is our first date?" She asked, suddenly very happy with the turn of events, even if it began with her fearing for her life.

He nodded. "Yeah!"

At his confirmation, she scooted closer into his side, chuckling when his eyes widened.

"Aren't you gonna put an arm around me?" She questioned, practically telling him to do it.

So he did just that, placed an arm around her shoulders as she nuzzled into his side.

It was peaceful for a moment, but she should've expected Luffy to become impatient.

"So…What do we do now?" He asked, not knowing if there were certain requirements for dating.

Nami stared at the setting sun, feeling comfortable in his embrace. "We do whatever we want." She said, toying with the material of his shirt.

As much as she wanted to enjoy the peace, them being alone was the perfect time to discuss everything that was on her mind.

"Luffy."

"Hm?"

Bracing herself for a much needed conversation, she gathered up her courage.

"Are we… together?" She questioned, hoping he didn't require clarification as to what that meant.

His brows furrowed.

That was the same thing Usopp asked him.

"We're together right now." He said and Nami deadpanned.

Of course he needed clarification.

"You know, boyfriend and girlfriend. Dating." She uttered, feeling oddly embarrassed by it. Those seemed like such foreign terms, but she couldn't help but yearn for them. After everything, that just seemed like the next step for them. Probably the last one as well. She knows Luffy has a strange opposition to marriage, so dating would be the final step in their relationship.

Well…as long as he doesn't have anything against dating. I mean, they're on a date right now, so she didn't think that was the case. But you never know with Luffy.

"Boyfriend…and girlfriend." He repeated, trying to make sense of it.

With question in his eyes, he pulled his head back to glance down at her.

She arched her neck to meet his gaze.

"Is it different from being friends?" He asked, causing heat to fill her cheeks.

Somehow, it was more embarrassing talking about this kind of stuff when he was looking at her.

"Yes. It's very different." She muttered.

His brows furrowed.

From his eyes, her gaze fell to the ground beneath them. "I mean…It's not much different than what we've been doing. When you date someone, you kiss them, hug, touch. You also-" Her head slowly lifted to catch his line of sight. "You also…love one another."

Her body began to heat up.

That's right.

They both love each other.

It was still crazy to think about.

Luffy blinked at her. "Aren't we already dating then?" He announced, causing her brows to shoot up.

"What?" She said.

' Just like that?'

"I mean, what you described is everything we do, so doesn't that mean we're already together? Or…uh what was it?" His brows furrowed. "That makes you my…" He raised his head to the sky. "My girlfriend then. Right?" He inquired.

Heat flooded her system.

Hearing him say that left her breathless.

Girlfriend.

Her heart skipped a beat.

His girlfriend.

The blatant fact that this was really happening left her feeling dazed. Fuzzy from all the emotions he just evoked from her.

I guess she was worrying over nothing.

As her heart pounded against her chest, she lifted her head to stare at him, mouth agape. "Then…" She whispered. "You're my… boyfriend? "

That word tasted so sweet on her tongue. Something she didn't know she craved.

Luffy only shrugged, grinning wildly. "Sure!" He said, causing a smile to slowly grow on her lips.

Squeezing him tighter, she tightened her lips in hidden exhilaration. "You could be a little more excited about this." She said, grinning with gleaming eyes.

His head tilted to the side. "But nothing's really changed right? It's just a title." He said scratching his face.

For a moment she agreed with him, but then she suddenly remembered he didn't really know the full implications behind that 'title.'

"Well that 'title' also means you can't do certain things Luffy." She spoke, gaining his attention.

He looked troubled as he stared down at her. "Huh?"

She raised her head. "Other women for example." She glared at him lightly. "You can't touch them or get too close." She said, recalling how much she loathed the sight of him getting so comfortable with Liya.

He looked at her as if she weren't making any sense. "Why would I wanna do that?" He said.

Nami looked off the cliff, pouting as she recalled the sight. "You were really close to Liya."

Luffy's face contorted, looking at her with confusion. "You're still mad about that? I already told you the secret."

Now that caused her to pause.

He already told her?

Whipping her head back in his direction, her brows scrunched together. "What? When?"

Scratching the back of his head he blinked. "Last night. When I said I loved you. That was the secret."

All the sudden, realization dawned on her.

That's right. He said that Liya taught him what love was. Does that mean-

She darted away from him, sitting at eye level once again. "Wait so…you and Liya…were talking about me? " Nami questioned, feeling her heart race in both embarrassment and flattery.

He nodded, unsure of the look of surprise on her face. "Yep. I had to be sure I loved you, that's why it was a secret."

The breeze picked up, filling the quiet pause with some kind of noise.

That makes sense.

It makes so much sense.

She slumped her head onto his shoulder, feeling immensely stupid for getting jealous over nothing.

She had to fight a blush.

With great embarrassment, she lifted her head to peek at him.

The captain only stared at her with wide eyes, unsure of what to do in this kind of situation.

Suddenly, Nami squinted at him. "So what made you realize you love me?"

She tried putting on a tough act, not wanting him to see how nervous she actually was.

It was still very strange talking to him about love. She barely learnt of her feelings a few days ago, so it's honestly terrifying discussing this so soon.

Luffy raised his hand to grasp his chin as he thought about it. "Hmm. I think…"

Nami swallowed thickly. Her heart was racing. A million thoughts were running through her mind.

Did he mistake love for lust?

Was he still not sure if he loved her?

It was questions like those that were stressing her out.

She watched as his eyes fell to the floor and he brought a hand to his chest.

"It was my chest." He said, finally sparing her a glance. "It always beats really fast around you."

Instantly, her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed with red.

Luffy continued. "I get really warm and everything just feels different. Kinda tingly." he explained, hoping he was making sense.

He was.

And Nami couldn't believe it.

"Really?" She uttered, slightly breathless.

Luffy only nodded, smiling sweetly. "Yeah."

There was a comfortable pause where they just stared at one another.

Luffy scratched his cheek as another reason came to mind. "I also like touching you." He said and Nami's mouth fell open in shock.

She hit him on the shoulder, a habit she's not sure she'll grow out of.

Seeing her reaction, Luffy couldn't help but laugh. She looked so silly.

As she began to protest, cheeks gaining more color, Luffy gazed at her with glistening eyes.

Yeah.

He definitely loves her.

That's something he can confidently say now.

Nami noticed his lack of responses and stopped ranting. With a deadpan expression, she poked him on the forehead. "Are you even listening to me?"

Luffy chuckled once again. "Nope."

Sigh. "Well now that that's done with, are we gonna keep it a secret?" She questioned, twiddling a piece of her hair between her fingers.

"Keep what a secret?" He questioned, feeling like he missed something.

Feeling a little timid, she shrugged. "You know… us? Dating?"

His brows furrowed.

More secrets?

"Do we have to?" He asked seriously, not liking that in the least.

"Well no but-"

Before she could finish, he sighed in relief. "Good. I don't wanna keep it a secret."

Nami whipped her head in his direction. "Eh? But won't it distract us?"

Once more he looked at her puzzled. "Huh? From what?"

"Y-you know. Our journey?" She said urgently.

He didn't seem to understand. "Why would it?"

Her entire body seemed to freeze.

Was she really worrying over nothing?

Luffy obviously hasn't given up on his dream to become the Pirate King and even them being in a relationship won't distract him from his true goal.

Why was she stressing about it so much?

Shaking her head at her ridiculous fears, Nami sighed. "Nevermind. I'm just worrying over nothing."

Luffy nodded. "Yeah, you always think too much."

At that, she couldn't help but be a little offended. "Well at least I have the ability to think." She retaliated, smiling when his mouth shot open.

Before they got into another one of their harmless arguments, she leaned into him, wrapped her arms around his middle and rested her cheek on his hard shoulder.

The captain was still pouting but hugged her back nonetheless.

"I do think." He mumbled, causing a laugh to rumble her chest.

"Right." She replied, basking in his warmth.

After a while, their position got a little uncomfortable, so Nami moved herself between his legs, laying her back onto his chest as he wrapped his arms around her.

Sunset was fast approaching, so they both stared in awe as the sun began to disappear behind the mountains.

Luffy suddenly smiled widely, feeling oddly at peace. "It reminds me of my village." He said, recalling the amount of years he spent in a jungle. Sure it was slightly different than a forest, but it had the same kind of feel.

Nami hummed in response, smiling warmly in his embrace. "Do you miss it? Home?"

There was a moment where Luffy tried to put his feelings into words. "I miss everyone there. I miss hanging out with Ace and Sabo. But it's just a village. The Sunny is my home now."

Hearing him say that made warmth bubble in her chest. She's never agreed with him more until this moment.

"I get it. I miss everyone back at Cocoyashi but The Sunny…that's where I'd call home."

Once those words left her mouth, Luffy's lips stretched, giving the cheesiest smile ever. Pulling her tighter against him, he buried his nose into the side of her head pulling giggles from the female.

Her giggles filled his ears making his chest warm.

Nami shut her eyes with mirth, trying to move away from his face that was brushing against her ear.

"That tickles." She laughed, unable to escape from his grip.

Enjoying her reactions, he used his fingers and began digging them into her sides, laughing when she began to thrash.

Her laughter increased in volume, tears building up in the corner of her eyes as he assaulted her.

I made something inside of him swell.

"Ok." She huffed in surrender, laughing some more.

To put a stop to the torture, she grabbed his wrists to prevent him from attacking her any further.

Nami breathed heavily, trying to catch her breath, while Luffy continued to laugh at her, tossing his head back as she laid limp against him.

"Your reactions are better than Chopper's." He teased, placing his head beside hers once again.

She continued holding his wrists with a wide smile. "Jerk." She spoke, pulling another chuckle from his lips.

When Nami removed his hands from her body and started to sit up, he found himself a little disappointed.

He really liked that position.

Suddenly, she stood up, smiling down at him with a warmth that he's grown to be familiar with.

She offered her hand to him and he gladly took it.

Even after pulling him off the ground, Nami continued to hold his hand and he had no objections.

"Wanna explore a little?" She offered, grinning at the way his eyes lit up.

Something within her was boiling with emotion, so much so that she needed a way to convey it.

Before he could voice his excitement, Nami grabbed both sides of his face and stepped closer to place a long overdue kiss onto his lips. Their first kiss as a couple.

Luffy's eyes were wide for only a second but quickly let them fall shut.

His heart thudded against his ribs as she slowly caressed his lips with her own. The sensation was heavenly. It made his mind hazy and his fingertips tingle.

All too soon, she pulled away.

Luffy didn't allow it though. With delicacy, he closed the distance once more, gently grabbing her by the hips and pulling her closer.

Her heart skipped a beat but she accepted it nonetheless, trailing one of her hands past his ear and into his hair.

His touch made her feel like she was melting, simply vanishing into nothing. The only thing reminding her of her existence was his gentle touch and the pounding of her heart.

The emotion that welled up inside of her caused her brows to furrow.

Her grip on the back of his head tightened as she pulled him even closer.

The man wasn't faring any better than she was. If anything he was doing even worse.

Her lips were so goddamn soft.

The way she pulled him in while also cupping his face.

Her scent.

Luffy wasn't sure why he was so drawn to her, but he's learned to stop questioning it and just go with his gut. And right now, more than anything, he just wanted to be with her.

He felt her pull away, gasping lightly to get air circulating through her body again. Normally he would have immediately planted another kiss on her but oddly enough, he was… content.

Rather than feeling desperate for more, he simply laid his forehead on her own, extremely overwhelmed with the pressure in his chest. The emotions were swarming inside of him, leaving him lightheaded. His chest was noticeably rising and falling due to his elevated heart rate.

As Nami caught her breath, she stroked the back of his head with care, squeezing her eyes shut with furrowed brows.

With a belated breath, she whispered, "I love you."

And she does.

She really does.

Slowly, his eyes began to crack open.

Those were just words. Simply a sentence for her to convey how she was feeling.

So why was it affecting him so much?

Luffy squeezed his eyes shut again, trying to snap out of whatever daze he was in.

Hearing nothing from her counterpart, Nami pulled away slightly.

Seeing his eyes closed and his brows furrowed, Nami stroked his cheek with her thumb causing his eyes to peel open.

His troubled gaze met her own and she studied them with worry.

"Nami." He said, a little groggily. "My chest hurts."

For a moment she thought he meant something bad, but she seemed to catch on.

Swallowing thickly, she nodded. "Because of… me?" She questioned, breathless.

With tightened lips, Luffy nodded back.

Suddenly, Nami wanted to see for herself. Wanted all of her worries to be relieved.

So she removed her hand from the back of his head and slowly placed it onto his bare chest, right over his heart.

Immediately, she felt it pounding against her hand matching the speed of her own. His skin felt warm and familiar, pulling another blush onto her face.

"You really-" She whispered, eyes widening.

Luffy's brows knitted together even further. "See. It'd be kind of hard to not notice how I feel."

Meeting his gaze, she stared expectantly. "And how do you feel? About me." She questioned, already knowing the answer.

Her captain stared at her seriously but couldn't help the smile that slowly began to creep on his face.

"It's love right?" He chuckled lightly. "I love you."

Those words brought a smile to her face as well. A large, cheesy one that caused her eyes to fall shut.

The expression caused his eyes to widen for a millisecond, yet he couldn't help but mirror her.

Their goofy smiles led to joyous laughter.

Nami removed her hands from his body, yet remained close since he hadn't released her hips.

As the laughter died out, she brought a hand to his face and wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. "Ready to get on with our date?" She hummed, loving the way he nodded enthusiastically.

Finally, he removed his hands from her hips, lifting one of them to grab onto her hand that was placed on his cheek.

Before she could question it, he backed away with a large grin, holding her hand firmly.

Without knowing, her feet began to follow him until they eventually started jogging, headed into the forest once more.

Time seemed to slow down.

She watched the back of his head in awe, eyes drifting to the strawhat dangling from his neck.

Remembering all the times that strawhat has calmed her down made a sweet smile grace her features and she found herself squeezing his hand a little tighter.

Who would've thought they'd end up here?

They continued running for a while longer, but slowed down eventually. After traveling a decent distance, Luffy turned to look at her with an open-mouthed smile.

"This place is so cool!" He announced and she couldn't help but agree.

The way the pine needles released some sort of colorful light made it mesmerizing to look at. Especially now that the sun was pretty much gone, only leaving slight coloring of pink and purple in the dark sky.

"It is." She said, unable to shake the feeling of warmth from her chest.

At her words of confirmation, he seemed to smile wider, dragging her further into the forest.

They paused to look at strange looking plants, eyeing them with deep fascination. Every now and then, they'd catch sight of an animal or two.

With each discovery Luffy was nearly bouncing with excitement.

A life full of adventure was truly meant for him. Nami couldn't imagine him anywhere else.

As they went on, they paused to look at a specific tree, noticing the trunk was different from the rest.

"It's white." He said, blinking at the strange sight.

Nami squinted at it with suspicion, wondering if they should stay away from it.

Before she could investigate further, Luffy began to sniff, drawing her attention to the man beside her.

His eyes were shut as he inhaled deeply, followed by a loud sigh of satisfaction.

" Meat." He hummed, feeling his mouth water.

Out of nowhere, he got serious, not even sparing her a glance. "Nami. This way." He ordered, dragging her in the direction of the smell.

"Meat?" She questioned, not being able to smell anything.

"It's definitely meat." He said, walking faster.

She shook her head at his ridiculous obsession, but followed without any objections.

Staring ahead, she began to see a different kind of glow. Getting even closer, sounds of bustling chatter filled her ears.

Luffy turned to her with raised eyebrows. "Is it a town?" He asked and Nami shrugged.

He squeezed her hand tighter but continued along the path. Only the slight light from the trees and what they assumed to be a town was lighting their way.

There was a hill that they had to cimb, but once they reached the top, both of their eyes widened.

It was a town surrounded by trees.

It wasn't small either. It was bigger than both of their hometowns combined.

Shops and houses were spread out and stone roads were distributed throughout the town.

Nami felt her heart flutter, feeling drawn to the place.

"It's so pretty." She said, moving closer to his side.

Luffy nodded in agreement. "It looks super cool."

It looked like they took the pine needles off of the trees and placed them in glass containers to produce street lights.

"Amazing." Nami uttered, barely aware of Luffy pulling her towards the entrance.

The entrance gate was built between two trees, towering high above their heads.

As they entered, an amazing smell wafted into her nose, causing her mouth to water as well.

She turned to see Luffy's reaction and wasn't surprised to see him smacking his lips in pure desire.

Tugging on his hand, she called out to him. "Should we get some food?" She offered, and he nodded aggressively.

"Yeah! This way!" He announced, pulling her down the road.

They were jogging down the street. Luffy was fixated on nothing but food but Nami just couldn't get over how much she loved the town.

The people seemed friendly and it just gave off such a cozy feel to it.

Before she could admire anything else, they entered a semi-full restaurant wasting no time to take a seat at a table, side-by-side.

He let go of her hand, much to her disappointment, but when he began drumming his hands against the table in both excitement and impatience, Nami placed an elbow on the table, resting her cheek in the palm of her hand with a loving smile.

Luffy seemed to feel her gaze because he turned to her with his eyebrows raised in slight confusion. "What?" He questioned.

Nami continued to stare, raising her hand to pinch his cheek. "You're cute." She said, giggling when his brows furrowed.

"Huh?"

She released her hold on him to stretch her arms.

Sighing contently, she said "nothing" just in time for the waiter to approach them.

Luffy's head whipped in the man's direction, ordering everything that sounded good, which was literally everything.

Nami couldn't help but stare at her captain with squinted eyes.

He did realize food wasn't free right?

Nami's eye twitched. "How do you expect to afford all that?"

Luffy turned to her, eyes wide in realization. "Right…" His eyes suddenly lit up. "You have money don't y-" He cut himself off, knowing damn well she wouldn't share her money.

The man sighed in disappointment and Nami found her chest aching in reaction.

'Dammit!'

Sighing deeply, she turned to the waiter. "Bring out everything he ordered. Every last bit of it." She demanded.

Luffy perked up, staring at her in shock.

"Are you paying?" He questioned, unable to hide the surprise in his voice.

It just seemed so out of place.

Nami sharing her money? Willingly?

Nami didn't look very pleased, but nodded anyway.

The smile he directed at her was filled with pure happiness and Nami felt her heart skip a beat in response.

Tightening her lips, she turned away from him. "You're paying next time." She declared, causing him to laugh in response.

"Yeah!"

After their meal, they wandered around the town with cheerful smiles and warm hearts, hand-in-hand.

"Ouu Nami! Look!" He pointed at a street performer who was breathing fire.

The captain's eyes started sparkling. "So cool!"

Nami laughed, pulling him in the direction of the fire-breathing man.

There was a small crowd of people watching as well, all had smiles on their faces.

Nami suddenly found herself in love with the atmosphere.

This was definitely a place she would be coming back to.

The serene feeling passed when something grabbed her leg causing her to yelp. She instinctively moved closer to Luffy's side and he immediately grabbed her protectively.

At the same time, they both shot a glance at whatever was at her feet.

And…

It definitely wasn't dangerous.

It was…a child.

They both blinked.

It was a little girl with tears in her eyes. "Mommy." She cried, causing Nami's heart to ache for the little one. "I can't find her."

The navigator released her hold on her captain to crouch at the girl's eye level.

"Do you remember where you saw her last?" She cooed, wiping the kid's tears.

The question only caused the girl to cry even harder as she shook her head 'no.'

Nami placed a comforting hand on her cheek and smiled warmly. "It'll be ok. We can help you look." She turned to look at Luffy. "Right?"

The captain shrugged. "Sure."

Out of nowhere, the child buried her face in Nami's chest, grabbing onto her as she cried.

Oh no.

Nami's got a huge soft spot for children, so seeing one cry their heart out made her chest ache .

Patting the girls back, Nami spoke calmly. "There there. We'll find her in no time."

Luffy just stood there watching the scene in front of him.

"What's your mom look like?" He asked, causing the little girl to shyly peek her eyes above Nami's shoulder.

"She's really pretty."

Both adults had a completely opposite reaction. Nami found it cute and chuckled while Luffy furrowed his brows in confusion.

Nami stood off the floor, picking up the kid and resting her on her hip.

Luffy moved in front of them both, staring blankly at the girl.

"Luffy." Nami chastised, noting how the child gripped Nami's neck a little tighter. "Don't scare her."

Sparing her a glance, the captain's brows shot up.

He didn't even do anything scary though.

To get a little closer, he leaned forward with a smile on his face. "What's your name?" He asked.

She seemed to relax, staring at Luffy with tears in the corner of her eyes. Just as one began trailing down her face, Luffy wiped it away. "Don't cry. Your mom would want you to be tough right?"

The little one nodded slowly, tightening her lips.

"I'm Tong." She muttered.

"Pffttt! What a weird name." He laughed, standing up straight as his chest rumbled with humor.

Tong blushed, furrowing her brows.

His laughter only continued to fill the child's ears causing her lips to tighten. "What's your name then!" She demanded, surprising Nami deeply.

Luffy cheesed. "I'm Luffy."

She puffed out one of her cheeks, turning her head away with a huff of annoyance. "You can't make fun of me when that's your name."

The captain's jaw dropped meanwhile Nami laughed, finding the child's personality quite entertaining.

"Oh yeah! Well-"

" Luffy. " Nami chastised, giving him a knowing stare. "Don't pick a fight with a child."

His brows pinched together. "But she-"

"Ah Ah." Nami called, cutting him off.

His shoulders slumped and a butthurt frown pulled on his lips.

As Nami began walking ahead, he caught sight of the little girl sticking her tongue out at him from above Nami's shoulder.

His jaw dropped and he swore he'd pay her back for it.

They walked around town for a while, looking for anyone that even remotely resembled her but had no luck.

At one point Nami had passed Tong over to Luffy which she quickly learned may have been a mistake. The two of them were arguing for a while but would randomly stop to chat about the cool street performers. It was strange.

However…

Nami gazed at the sight of Luffy with a child in his arms and felt a heart-wrenching ache in her chest.

No.

Turning away, she furrowed her brows.

That's bad.

She recognized that feeling all too well and it troubled her deeply.

Yearning.

A longing for something that she shouldn't even be thinking about.

Maybe the cozy feel of the town was giving her weird ideas, but Nami just knew in her heart that children were going to be a major wish of hers when she's older.

Right.

Not now, but when she's older.

'Not now.'

Then it hit her.

What if…what if Luffy doesn't want children?

Somehow…that terrified her to think about.

Nami's troubling thoughts were disturbed when Tong suddenly shouted, "Mommy!"

The name caused Nami's eyes to widen but later realized why Tong might've said it.

They both turned to see who fit the title of 'Mommy' and were happy to see a woman staring back at them with a relieved smile on her face.

Tong scrambled out of Luffy's hold and took off.

The mother ran as well and they met each other in the middle, embracing one another tightly.

As they reunited, Nami placed herself on Luffy's side, grabbing his hand while smiling at the sight.

Seeing Tong's mother brush her child's hair behind her ear as she inspected her face made Nami's smile turn pained.

Just the possibility that she won't be able to have that made her tighten her hold on him which drew his attention.

Luffy turned to her with a smile. "Ready?" He called out.

Dispelling the disturbing thoughts, she decided to not let that ruin their date.

Smiling, she nodded.

Just as they began to head off, Tong called out to them. "Nami! Luffy!"

They both turned around with curiosity.

Seeing a large smile on her face and a happy blush on her cheeks was a pleasant sight to behold.

The girl threw her hands in the air and began enthusiastically waving them off. "Thank you!" She screamed, causing a smile to form on the pirates' faces.

They waved back with equal enthusiasm, then went their separate ways.

As they walked down the road, Nami intertwined their fingers, smiling softly as she thought of their newest acquaintance.

"She was sweet." Nami spoke, causing Luffy to shoot her a disbelieving look.

"I wouldn't say that." He started to smile as well, recalling the interesting conversation he had with the kid. "She was pretty funny though."

Nami laughed. "Agreed. She made fun of you so much that I didn't have too."

She side-eyed him, giggling when she saw his jaw had dropped.

"Hey!"

Nami only shrugged innocently, squeezing his hand to show she didn't mean anything bad by it.

A little ways behind him, she caught sight of a clock. Her eyes bulged at the time.

"Luffy. We should probably head back to the ship."

Immediately, he frowned. "But why?"

She tilted her head in sympathy. "It's already midnight. They're probably waiting for us to make sure we aren't dead."

The look on his face was the definition of conflicted. He obviously didn't want to leave but he also didn't want to leave everyone hanging.

So Nami decided for him, tugging him back the way they came. "C'mon. We can still hang out on the ship."

That seemed to lift his mood a little.

"But this place is so cool." He pouted, walking beside her.

"Isn't it?" Nami sang.

Truthfully, she didn't want to leave either.

This place felt so comforting.

"You know, this wouldn't be a bad place to live." She said, making him perk up.

"Huh?" he said, looking at her with slight fear.

Nami only smiled as she observed the buildings, completely oblivious to her stressed captain.

"It's got everything. Gorgeous architecture, friendly people and endless resources. It's just so perfect. Plus the trees provide a great camouflage, so the chances of getting attacked are low."

Luffy stared at her wide-eyed, swallowing thickly. "Sure but, the sea is more fun. Yeah?" He questioned, actually scared that she wanted to stay here. Permanently.

The question made her turn to stare at him, a smile tugging on her lips. "Of course. I don't think there's anything better than sailing. Well, aside from money."

Hearing those words come out her mouth caused a relieved sigh to escape him.

He didn't know what he'd do if she suddenly decided to leave.

Before he realized, he was squeezing her hand causing her to give him a questioning glance.

"You ok?" She asked, noting how he looked a little strange.

Rather than answering, his face went oddly serious as he stared into her eyes.

His hold on her hand was tight, as he opened his mouth to announce his worries.

"You're gonna stay with me, right?" He questioned causing her mouth to part in awe.

Her brows suddenly furrowed, and she leaned into him to show how serious she was. "Of course I will." She reassured. "I've been with you all this time and that won't change."

Luffy's eyes widened as she continued.

"Even after you become the Pirate King, I'll be there." She proudly exclaimed, averting her eyes to the ground beneath them. "I mean…even the King of the Pirates needs a navigator, right?"

He seemed to get over the initial shock of her statement and began to smile widely.

His heart not only swelled with love but with pride as well.

"Yeah!"

As they continued their walk, the color of cherries dusted Nami's cheeks. "Idiot." She murmured.

'Why would I ever leave you?'

After another dreaded journey down the cliff on Luffy's back, they eventually made it back to the bottom of the island and were nearing the ship.

Now, with only a few steps left until they were out of the forest, Nami glanced at their joined hands, nervous about being so open to their friends.

That was until Luffy threw one of his dazzling smiles her way, unintentionally reassuring her that everything would be ok.

That's right.

She's not in this alone.

Solidifying her will, she held her head high as they took a step out of the forest and onto the flowery ground.

On deck, a small fire was lit and Nami caught sight of a few shadows walking around.

She eyed the Sunny for a long moment, still feeling a little anxious.

When Luffy released his hold on her hand, all of her attention went to him.

She then felt something winding around her waist and her life flashed before her eyes.

'No.'

Before she could object, Luffy already had an arm attached to the railing and leaped off the ground which sent them flying.

Nami screamed, burying her face into his chest as the wind nipped at her cheeks.

They came to a sudden stop and before she knew it, she was standing on two feet.

She was practically hugging him in the way she held onto his shirt.

Luffy was laughing as always but someone clearing their throat is what made her jolt away from him.

Quickly, she glanced around, eyes widening when she saw all eyes on them. All except for Sanji, Zoro and Chopper who were nowhere to be seen.

Usopp, the one responsible for the judgmental cough, eyed them suspiciously. "What took you guys so long?" He interrogated.

Luffy didn't catch on so he immediately began talking about their time together. Going over the town they discovered and the cool forest.

His excitement about it made Nami smile warmly as she gripped her wrist behind her back.

She's glad he had just as much fun as she did.

"Yeah! We also met this kid. She was pretty funny."

At this point, every straw hat was listening with smiles on their faces, glad to see their captain so happy.

After a few minutes of storytelling, Brook took a sip of his tea. "So are we supposed to pretend you guys didn't go on a date?" He lightly teased while also being genuinely serious. They were all talking about it earlier and didn't know how they were supposed to treat them.

Luffy blinked. "Huh? Why would you?"

Franky chimed in. "Because you guys have a weird, secretive relationship going on."

Luffy seemed to understand but just casually waved him off. "Nah. We're dating now so it doesn't have to be a secret."

…

Nothing.

That's what could be heard.

The silence was loud.

Brook had dropped his tea cup, Robin simply stared, a little surprised but had expected it and Franky just blinked. Many many times.

Usopp looked mortified and caught off guard all at once.

Even Nami was surprised.

Striding up next to him, she whacked him on the chest. "You couldn't wait for a better time?" She hissed, blushing as she felt all eyes on her now.

Luffy furrowed his brows. "When would that be?

Nami sighed heavily, not wanting to waste the time explaining it.

Usopp's mouth dropped even further. "S-so it's true?"

It went quiet once more as everyone waited for her answer.

For a moment, she wanted to revert back to her mindset of a couple of days ago, where she thought keeping things a secret was better, but suddenly…she just didn't want to hide it. She was happy with their relationship and wanted to make it known.

So…

Turning around, Nami confidently grabbed Luffy's hand and gave it a squeeze. "Yes. We're dating."

Although there were remnants of a blush on her face, she held her head up high, wanting everyone to see just how serious she was.

To the left, she heard someone fearfully say "huh," drawing everyone's attention to a sickly looking Sanji who had just emerged from inside only to hear one of his worst nightmares come true.

Chopper was at his feet, staring at the pair doe-eyed.

The cook began to stumble, feeling lightheaded.

"Ack!" Chopper screamed, changing his form to assist Sanji before he collapsed onto the ground. "Nami! He was just starting to get better!"

In a pained moan, Sanji began muttering Nami's name like a broken record.

The reindeer went back inside, his fading voice saying, "Stay with me Sanji!"

The Navigator deadpanned at the reaction.

It was to be expected, but it was still a little hard to watch.

The sight of her friend's long-nose caught her peripheral vision, so she faced forward to catch her friend standing right in front of her with a serious look on his face.

She was honestly a little curious as to what he had to say. Simply because, out of everyone, Usopp seemed to have the strangest reactions to them being together.

When he simply placed a hand on her shoulder then put another on Luffy's, she blinked at him.

Usopp sighed heavily, then looked between the two with slight awkwardness in his features.

"I'm…" His brows suddenly relaxed and he appeared less tense, followed by a gentle smirk. "I'm happy for you guys." He assured but then immediately tilted his head to grimace. "As weird as it is, as long as you guys are happy…" He removed his hands from them, then shot the couple a genuine smile, toothy and large, then placed his hands on his hips. "I'll get used to it eventually." He affirmed, drawing smiles from both Luffy and Nami.

Especially to Nami, those words meant a lot. It was acceptance.

It made her heart swell in thankfulness.

"Thank you." She spoke, trying to voice her appreciation.

Suddenly, Brook popped up over Usopp, laughing heartily as he eyed the pair. "Congratulations." He nodded at them. "Luffy-san, I'll try to refrain from asking to see her panties, but it may take a while."

Luffy threw his head back, laughing loudly at his exclamation.

Rather than laughing, Nami shook her head, playfully rolling her eyes at the skeleton. "Thanks Brook."

Robin was the next to approach them, smiling warmly at how happy they looked together. "I'm rooting for you guys." She said, making eye contact with Nami.

As the navigator stared into her eyes, she saw something close to, 'I told you it would all work out,' or something close to that.

Silently, Nami thanked the woman, nodding in her direction with gratefulness swimming in her eyes.

It was all thanks to Robin's guidance that Nami was able to, not just understand that she loved Luffy, but know that her feelings were not a burden.

She could never thank Robin enough for that.

Towards the other side of the ship, Nami caught sight of Franky, head cast to the ground.

He was unusually quiet which kind of stressed her out.

She then saw him start to shake. Moments later, his head shot up, chin raised to the sky, as tears poured out of his eyes.

The sight seemed so dramatic, but it was a normal occurrence for the cyborg.

Everyone turned to look at him when they heard his loud sobs.

His mechanic arm went into the air as he made a fist.

"Yeessss!" He cried, scrambling off the floor to stand up tall.

"Franky?" Luffy questioned, wondering about the random tears.

With urgency, Franky ran to their side of the ship, tears and snot streaming down his face.

"You-" He hiccuped. "You guysss! I've been supporting you all this time!" He shouted, causing Nami's eyes to widen.

"How long have you known about us?" She questioned, not even caring that she'd be exposing their secret to everyone else.

Franky trudged towards them, sniffling, then placed a heavy hand onto her shoulder. "No. I mean from the moment I joined." He hiccuped again. "I just thought-" His eyes squeezed shut as he arched his head to the sky. "I never thought it'd actually happen."

Nami's eyes nearly bulged out of her head as the shock coursed through her.

From the very beginning?

So…ever since they left enies lobby?

"That long?!" She yelled, blushing as she thought about Franky secretly wishing her and Luffy would end up together.

He nodded, removing his arm from her shoulder to wipe his face.

The captain blinked, not really comprehending what they were talking about.

"Huh?" He said, flinching when Nami's neck twisted in his direction.

"Nothing." She evaded smiling stiffly.

Franky sniffled again, this time staring at his captain.

Meeting his gaze, Luffy waited for whatever it was that Franky had to say. However, the man only shot him a thumbs up and smiled largely with tears still dripping from his eyes.

"Good luck on your relationship man. I'm all for it."

Those words rang deep within Luffy, but he simply shot his shipwright a large grin followed by a chuckle.

More questions were asked about how they came to establish their relationship and Nami listened with mild embarrassment as Luffy explained it to them in vivid detail.

Afterwards, they all gave them a few last words of support before heading off to bed.

Robin however, stayed behind to deliver a message to them both.

"What's up Robin?" Luffy cheesed, feeling overly happy after everyone's words of praise and encouragement.

The woman stared at him with a gentle smile. "Luffy, would you mind if I used your hammock?"

He shrugged. "Sure. What for?"

With a teasing glint in her eyes, she glanced at Nami for a second then flickered her gaze back onto Luffy. "To sleep."

He nodded but realized-

"Wait…then where will I sleep?"

She gave him a closed-eye smile. "With Nami of course." She took a step away from them, bidding them a goodnight.

A magnificent blush flooded Nami's face. "Robin!" She chastised, causing the woman to turn around with a knowing smirk.

"It's your first night as a couple. Best you savor it."

And just like that, she was gone, leaving the newly established couple completely alone, with the whole night to themselves.

Luffy turned to her with an excited grin. "I get to sleep in your room again?" He questioned, squeezing her hand for confirmation.

Her eyes landed on him, brows furrowing.

The cheerfulness in his smile made her forget her momentary embarrassment.

Taking a step forward, she buried her face in the crevice of his neck, groaning from the whirlpool of emotions she was put through from the moment they stepped onto the ship until now.

Luffy didn't even question the gesture.

With his free hand, he brought it to her back and held her against him.

"You ok?" He asked.

She nodded against him, causing him to smile.

"Wanna go to bed?" He inquired, in which she lifted her head to meet his gaze.

Close enough to where their noses would brush against one another, she squinted her eyes suspiciously.

She hummed. "It depends. When was the last time you took a bath?"

"A few days ago."

She gave a closed-eyed smile. "That's a few days too many."

He blinked. "Huh?"

Removing herself from his embrace, she made a small stretch. "No bath. No bed." She simplified.

He didn't seem to like that too much.

"But-"

She cut him off when she invaded his personal space, gripping his bicep to gently massage it.

When she brushed her lips against his ear, his small shiver made her smirk.

"If you take a bath, we can do a lot more than sleeping." She whispered, making sure her breath came out hot and heavy against his sensitive lobe.

Pulling away, she tried to resist laughing at the stupid look on his face. He was just standing there with wide eyes and his mouth agape.

A lot more than sleeping…

He only knew one other reason for being in bed and he just couldn't stop thinking about it.

" Luffy." She sang, pulling him out of his daze.

He shut his mouth, smacking his lips to get rid of the dryness. "Hm?"

"Better hurry up or I might fall asleep before you get back."

He nodded aggressively, dashing inside the ship to grab a few things then running towards the bathroom.

She chuckled at his silliness, eyes scanning the ship.

A light in the bird's nest caught her attention.

That's right. Someones on watch.

It had to be the one man she hadn't seen all night and she was glad she caught sight of him.

Really quickly, she grabbed something out of the kitchen then began heading up.

Peeking her head out of the hole in the floor, she saw her green-haired friend, lifting a ridiculous amount of weight with just one hand.

She wasn't even surprised.

"Zoro. Got a minute?" She asked, waiting for him to give her his undivided attention.

He did a quick glance, but immediately resumed his training. "I'm busy."

She smiled knowingly, climbing further up the ladder then raising a glass bottle into the air for him to see.

It was like he sensed it.

His head turned in her direction and he seemed more interested.

"How about now?" She questioned, swinging the fresh bottle of sake in the air.

…

"A few minutes won't hurt." He settled, causing her grin to widen.

'Too easy.'

She had brought a small glass for herself and was planning to give him the rest of the bottle.

He gladly took it, sitting on the couch while gazing at the sea.

Nami stared at the liquid in her cup, wondering how to bring it up.

Zoro grumbled, gritting his teeth as he went to take another drink. "What is it?" He said, sensing something was going on with her.

Nami shot him a glare but it softened immediately.

There was nothing she could do but come straight out with it.

So...

"I…no… Luffy and I…" She took a belated breath. "We're… dating ." She slowly spoke, turning her attention back to her cup with slight anxiousness.

Would he object?

Be against it?

As she sat there abnormally quietly, Zoro swallowed the liquid then turned to look at her. "Ok." He said, as if he weren't particularly interested.

…

Nami robotically turned to look at him, eye twitching. "That's it?" She grit.

I mean, two of his friends just got into a relationship. Wouldn't anyone be even a little shocked?

His face contorted in slight annoyance and confusion. "What do you want me to say?"

She only sighed, shaking her head at him. "Nothing I suppose."

Only because it was Zoro, she let it go. He's never really cared about things such as romance, he's a lot like Luffy in that sense, but she still expected more of a reaction.

There was a quiet pause and Nami debated whether or not to leave.

Luffy might've been done bathing by now, considering her earlier words of suggestiveness.

Before she could decide, the swish of his bottle drew her eyes in his direction and they widened upon the sight.

He wasn't looking at her, but he held out his bottle to offer a toast.

It was like he was congratulating her while also showing his support. All in an awkward, Zoro kind of way.

Slowly, a smile grew on her lips, reaching her eyes.

She looked away as well and connected her glass with his bottle.

They both raised their drinks a little more, then took a large swig.

Since she had such a small glass, the alcohol was gone with one gulp.

They both sighed afterwards, enjoying the kick of it, then sat in silence once more.

Feeling there was nothing else to be said, Nami stood off the couch with a mellow smile.

"Try not to fall asleep this time." She teased, enjoying the way he shot a glare at her. "Night." She cooed, then began heading back towards the latter.

Rather than playful, her smile was genuine. His subtle support meant a lot.

As she headed back down, Zoro went to take another drink, but paused midway.

As he thought of the news she delivered, the corners of his lips lifted.

Taking that drink, he thought back to the first time he met the both of them and found himself smiling some more.

Damn them.

Distracting him from his training.

With a subtle smirk, he lifted himself off the couch and got back to it.

'Damn woman.'

…

'Keep him happy.'

Walking across the deck, Nami felt relieved to know that everyone was accepting of their relationship. I mean, she still had to discuss it with Chopper and Sanji, but she's sure they'll accept it.

Well…

Chopper at least.

She didn't know what she'd do if they were against it. In fact, that may have been what she feared most and why she was so adamant about them not finding out. She feared that the people closest to her wouldn't support her. That they would feel she was getting in the way of something. To be honest, she feels guilty. Guilty that she ever doubted their kind hearts.

Their words of support meant so much, and now that she knew it wouldn't burden anyone…she wasn't worried about anything aside from the whole children thing.

Now she could go into this relationship with more hope than she had before. Now she won't incessantly worry over every little thing.

As she entered her room with a gentle smile, she immediately caught sight of a mop of wet, black hair sitting on the end of her bed. The lamp on her nightstand was lit, providing dim lighting in the dark room.

He whipped his head in her direction, furrowing his brows at her.

"Where were you?"

She approached him, eyes sparkling with love and adoration.

His eyes followed her as she moved to stand in front of him.

Grabbing the towel from beside him, she placed it on his head to softly dry his wet hair.

"I had a drink with Zoro."

He nodded. "I was freaking out. I thought you were trying to play hide and seek or something."

She chuckled at his ridiculous way of thinking.

As she rubbed the towel on his head, she stared at him with question in her eyes. Smelling a familiar scent, her smile grew. "Did you use my shampoo?"

She sniffed again.

Or was she just smelling her own hair?

He blinked. "Did I?"

She tossed the towel aside, lowering herself to inhale the fresh scent of his black locks. Sure enough, it was her signature fruity smell.

"Huh. No wonder." He spoke, catching her interest.

"Hm?"

Luffy laughed. "I was using it in the bath and felt like it smelt like you, but I just thought I was imagining things."

Imagining things?

Feeling a little playful, she placed both hands on the bed, one beside each of his thighs, and leaned in with a smirk.

"What kind of things?" She whispered, causing him to blink.

"Just-" He cut himself off when she placed her knee where her hand was, right beside his thigh. "Um Just-" He froze again as she lifted herself onto the bed, using his shoulders for support, and swung her other leg on the opposite side.

He swallowed thickly. "Uh…Just.." He exhaled shakily when she lowered herself onto his lap, straddling him.

He didn't expect her to be so forward.

His breathing came out raggedly, already knowing where this was headed.

Just to push him further, Nami smoothed her hands down the back of his shoulders, sliding her lower half closer to his.

The assertive yet gentle action made his body quiver.

Staring into her eyes, he swallowed thickly. "I took a bath." He stupidly stated, as if she didn't already know that.

Though, he only said it because of their agreement. If he takes a bath, they could do much more than sleeping and he made sure to remind her of their bargain.

The woman giggled, running a hand up his neck to toy with his hair. "Yes I know." She teased, tugging on his locks a bit sensually to keep him wanting more.

Considering he placed a hand on her thigh and began stroking it, it was obviously working.

However, his large hand rubbing her thigh brought heat to her own abdomen, crawling up her skin and showing on her face. A familiar burn that told her exactly what she was craving.

Licking her lips, she tugged on his hair to tilt his head back.

Surprisingly, it was truly a sight to behold.

He had an oddly attractive jawline and Nami found herself wanting to explore it some more.

Luffy's eyes flickered down to catch sight of her.

He didn't know why she decided to pull his hair, but he's learned to just wait and see what she has in store.

Seeing her nearing lips, a flutter of excitement bursted from within and all he could do was rub her thigh and wait in trepidation for her next move.

Truthfully, he was hoping she'd release her grip on his hair to plant a kiss on his lips, so it was a little surprising to feel that soft touch on his under chin.

Just the feel of her moist, plump lips had him swallowing thickly.

The woman's eyes widened when he did.

Somehow…it was hot?

How can a man swallowing be attractive?

She was surely losing her mind.

With heavy eyelids she held him in place then moved to lay another kiss on him, slowly trailing down the outline of his jaw.

Butterflies were swarming from within his stomach as his loins began to burn.

He wasn't prepared for the sudden dregs of lust to form in reaction to her kisses. He didn't expect it to feel good at all. It was just his jaw after all.

But something about the way she did it made him a little warmer, yearning for more of her touch.

She continued further down, now placing openmouthed kisses along his throat.

Luffy let out short breaths, feeling himself begin to harden underneath her.

The arousal suddenly made him keenly aware of everything. Her hand gripping his hair tightly, tugging on it to ensure he doesn't move. The feel of her thighs against his own and spread.

With a little more desperation, he palmed her thigh in a silent plea. A needy urge to grind against her passed over him but her not so subtle kisses suddenly started moving back upwards, this time moving past his jaw all the way up to his ear.

His eyes squeezed shut.

Parting her lips and giving a hot pant, she lightly grazed her lips along the shell of his ear causing a shiver to run down his spine.

"This is what happens when you're clean." She smirked, loving the way she already had him erect and desperate.

She kissed his ear a couple of times, enjoying his reactions, then started to move back down again.

"If you bathed everyday…" She trailed off, hoping he'd catch where she was going with that.

Even through his desired filled haze, his brows furrowed.

"But…" He huffed. "Bathing sucks."

She tried to resist lecturing him about the importance of hygiene, so to distract herself she sat up straight to stare down at him.

It was really empowering holding him by his hair, but she didn't really want that. She only wanted him and his passion.

Slowly, she released her grip on his hair, smoothing the area to ease any kind of discomfort he may have felt. I mean, it probably felt like nothing because he's made of rubber, but she still wanted to show her care for him in the action.

Having the freedom to move his head freely was something he's been waiting for because he could finally get what he's wanted from the start.

While one of his hands continued rubbing her thigh, he took the other and placed it on her waist to pull her closer causing their lower parts to rub against each other, dragging out hisses of pleasure and shock from the both of them.

He gripped her waist more firmly, staring at her with his desire-filled gaze, almost like he wanted to devour her.

Honestly, she'd let him do it.

When he looks at her like that, every ounce of decency leaves her body, replaced with pure lust and temptation.

The tension was heavy, weighing down on their chests and being reciprocated in their stare.

The atmosphere was finally catching up to them. How excited they both were. With the discovery, their faces neared, lips brushing against one another in equal desperation.

With a breath of a whisper, he spoke, "Nami," allowing his eyes to fall shut as he finally gave into her presence.

The woman nearly moaned at him calling her name, nodding her head lightly as their lips grazed against one another.

His bulge pressed so firmly against her. It was too much. Just one move and she'd be able to feel it in the place that was screaming for his attention.

Luffy wasn't able to wait any longer.

With no time to waste, he tilted his head, only a centimeter, then connected their lips.

The satisfaction of it caused him to grip her waist tighter and she reacted by jolting forward, rubbing against his bulge and making a strange whine in the process.

He wasn't prepared for the sudden attack, but he didn't pull away. The action only caused him to deepen the kiss with furrowed brows, shivering as he twitched within his shorts.

Nami wasn't faring any better.

Her hands were smoothing down the back of his shoulders then grazing his spine.

The quiet groan he released made her thighs clench around him, pulling another sound from his lips.

It wasn't enough. She wanted to have him repeating her name like a plea. Like he couldn't get enough. That way she'd know exactly who he desired.

To make the kiss even more enticing, she experimentally swayed her hips forward, fisting his hair as she rubbed his rod against her throbbing clit.

The man was in no way prepared, his mouth darted open and his hands gripped her a little tighter.

She gave a soft moan, taking advantage of his open mouth to slide her tongue inside his depths. He quickly reciprocated, consistently moaning against her lips, vibrating her tongue.

His chest was heaving.

She grinded against him again and again, obsessed with the delicious friction. Even through clothes it felt good.

Their tongues were fervently pressing together. Rubbing and twirling at times.

It quite literally took their breath away.

So to ensure she didn't pass out, Nami pulled away, gasping heavily with shut eyelids. Her head was arched to the ceiling, mouth agape as she continued her motions on his lap.

His back hunched as waves of pleasure coursed through his blood.

"Gh. N-Nami." He hissed, gripping her hips and pressing her even harder against him.

She responded by pulling his head into her chest, burying his face in her breasts as she thrusted against him.

Her cries wouldn't end. It just felt so good.

The man trembled, assisting her thrusts with his hands as his face was enveloped in her soft pillows. Everytime he groaned against them it made her twitch.

She slumped forward, hugging him tight as she continued her motions.

It felt good but…but it was far from enough.

"Luffy." She panted, feeling him dig his fingers further into her hips, pressing against the bruises from the night before.

The slight pain made her grind a little harder, uneasy about the amount of lust that burned inside of her from the feeling.

"I need.." Her eyes were sealed shut. The dampness of his hair was pressing against her cheek as she held him close. "I need you." She demanded, wanting much more than simple grinding.

He pulled away from her chest, panting heavily, and she cracked her eyes open to meet his gaze.

The heat of his stare made her lips part even more, needing him more than air.

Between her thighs was so drenched it dampened his shorts and her abdomen was flaring, searing her insides as if screaming for him.

Seeing her face so flushed and desperate had him swallowing thickly. His throat was tightening from the overload of emotions he was feeling.

To grant her wishes, he released his hold on her hips to slide them under her sweater dress. Gripping the hem, he began lifting it up, eyes darkening as her bare body slowly became exposed to his gaze.

She wasn't full on thrusting against him anymore but she was still slowly grinding which made him lightheaded.

"Y-you gotta stop doing that." He mumbled, dropping her dress onto the floor as he stared at her exposed breasts, still swollen from his touch last night.

Lowering his head, he encased one of her pert nipples between his lips, using his tongue to lick around the areola then pinch it lightly with his teeth.

Nami held the back of his head in encouragement, trembling from the sensations. His touch felt electric.

It didn't help that her chest was even more sensitive due to the amount of time he spent sucking on them last time.

He used his other hand to pinch the other one, and her hips jerked forward instinctively, pulling another groan from the man.

"L-Luffy." She moaned, fingering his hair aggressively. "You don't have to- ahh." She softly cried, feeling his entire hand grip one of her mounds tightly, digging his fingers into the plush skin.

He was groaning too.

They were so soft and intriguing so he couldn't help but enjoy touching them. Plus her sounds drove him damn near insane to the point where he could feel bits of precum dribble from his staff.

If she kept making sounds like that, he was sure to give in.

Continuing his motions on her breasts left her internally pleading for him. Her core throbbing for his long member. That's it. That's all she wants.

Him.

Inside of her.

Imagining him reaching deep caused a desperate moan to erupt from her chest which caused him to react as well, squeezing her tighter and furrowing his brows.

"Please." She whispered. "Luffy please." She moaned, arching into him as he switched to suck the other side.

She shook her head frantically. "No, g-go inside of me." She pleaded, fingers twitching in his hair.

Those words caused him to freeze, eyes widening as he slowly raised himself up to stare at her.

Her face was flushed, eyes shimmering and lips quivering.

The sight caused his throat to tighten as more blood rushed to his lower parts.

"Holy-" She cut him off, moving her hands to the hem of his tank and pulling it up.

Her desperation made his eyes widen even further but he complied nonetheless, lifting his hands to allow her to remove his shirt.

Not a second glance was given to the worthless item as she tossed it onto the ground.

Before he could react, her lips were on his chest, kissing right below his collarbones.

"Please?" She mumbled against his skin, licking the surface to show just how needy she was.

Pant. "Luffy." She whined wiggling her hips to get some sort of relief.

The captain found himself gritting his teeth, unable to think in such a situation.

Right.

He needed to move them further on the bed.

Grabbing onto her thighs, he lifted her up, swallowing heavily at the sounds she was making.

He turned around then placed a knee onto the bed to situate her in the center.

Immediately, she shuffled herself up to rest on the pillows, heart pounding in excitement at the sight of him removing his shorts, his rod standing tall.

It made her body roll slightly as the need for him grew to dangerous levels.

He was quick to crawl towards her, placing himself in the center of her spread thighs to hover over her.

The familiar feel of her wrapping her arms around his neck made his chest flutter.

The woman saw no other option than to kiss him.

Whiney hums of satisfaction vibrated their mouths, lips parted so much that they couldn't distinguish where their tongues were placed, teeth occasionally clashing.

Sweat was trailing down his skin, giving him a slight chill when the breeze from her open window wisped against his skin.

His hips involuntarily bucked forward a little, hitting her drenched underwear in the process.

She pulled away to gasp, fingers digging into his hair.

"Take them off of me." She whisper-yelled, urgency flooding her system.

"Yeah." he panted, wanting nothing more.

With ease, he pulled away from her grip to grab onto her lacey undergarments and finally pull them down her long legs.

Her slick left a string attached to the cloth when he began pulling them down, telling him just how much she wanted him.

She said that if she was wet he was making her feel good.

That means…

Luffy swallowed the growing lump in his throat, his dick throbbing, needing her shelter.

He flicked her underwear away with one quick motion, then gripped her knees excitedly, slowly parting them to catch sight of her dripping core, hot and waiting.

A low groan rumbled his chest as he found himself wanting to taste her again. However, Nami spreading even further for him reminded him what he wanted most.

Eyes flickering to hers, he caught her darkened gaze, feeling immensely affected by it. It was like her eyes were drawing him in.

That reigned true because he began moving closer to her in a daze, heart pounding from the atmosphere of it all.

Now with their eyes perfectly aligned, he felt something inside of him swell.

That's right.

He forgot about something for a moment.

Shes…

His girlfriend now…

Leaning in, he kissed her deeply, lowering himself to lay on her chest where they were both able to enjoy the heat of the other's skin.

Feeling her warm skin beneath his own will never get old. Being able to mold every piece of them together as they enjoyed the mindshattering pleasure, that is one of his favorite things about sex. Most definitely.

Nami bit his lip softly, drawing out a breathy grunt.

They both pulled away, mouths agape as their breath fanned into one another's mouth.

"I thought I told you to go inside." She whispered, trailing a finger along the side of his ribs.

He panted against her lips. "W-What if I can't stop?"

There was a short pause where they only stared each other down, lips brushing together once more. "Don't stop." She heaved, bumping noses with him. "I can take it." She voiced, pulling a soft moan from him.

She seriously had no idea what those words did to him.

When he began to move closer to her middle, she wrapped a leg around him, urging him toward her dripping center.

"Are you sure?" He grit, brushing his tip along her wet slit. An enormous tremble coursed through him as he felt the soft tissue.

"I'm sure." She panted, more desperate than ever.

Her confirmation was all he needed.

Moving in, his mouth darted open, breathing hot air into her mouth.

"G-gh!" He grit, squeezing his eyes tightly as her body sucked him in.

Her mouth hung open in a silent moan, finally getting what she's been craving.

"Ahh." She hummed, eyes shutting tightly in reaction.

He parted her flesh further, seething himself deep inside. It was so wet.

Luffy trembled, gasping for air and fisting the sheet beside her head.

"F-fuck." He cursed, drawing his hips back and nearly salivating as her skin massaged his nerves.
To pull him closer, she wrapped her hands around his torso and dug her fingers into his shoulder blades.

Luffy trembled again, thrusting his hips to hit her deepest parts once again.

Her moan had him already drawing back and slamming back inside. Repeatedly. Roughly.

"Aghh. N-Nami!" He swallowed thickly, saliva building up in the back of his throat at rapid rates.

She held him tighter, pressing his chest against her own as he drove into her.

Nami was a wreck. Arching off the bed to press his weight even harder against her.

It was phenomenal.

"Keep going." She chanted, her body quaking with every stroke of his hard length against her walls.

Her body was jerking upwards with every thrust, yet her hold on him kept her in place.

"Gah- ahh." He sucked in a soft gasp, cracking his eyes open to see her reactions.

Catching her already staring at him caused his hips to stutter, but he kept a steady pace.

Her eyes were glistening, and her face was red, flushed with desire.

With furrowed brows, he gazed into her eyes, making sure to reach as deep as he possibly could.

He angled his hips a little, trying to press upwards like she likes and he assumed he did it right when her fingernails broke the flesh of his back and her neck arched.

Upon feeling her scrape his back, he hissed, too overwhelmed with pleasure to really care.

"Luffy." She moaned, closing her eyes tightly as she felt him impale her, hitting the spot she loved. " Luffy!"

The man groaned.

His name sounded really nice on her lips.

" Nami. " He returned with a moan, rolling his hips against her own.

Hearing him call her name, Nami began lifting her hips off the mattress to meet his every thrust, chanting his name like a prayer on her lips.

" Luffy. Ah-I.."

The press of his scorching body matched the burning in her loins. A burn that only he could create.

He drilled into her, body trembling with each push, giving her life.

"Luffy." She called again, lowering her head to catch his gaze once more.

The way her heart pounded against her chest reminded her, not just of her desires but of her strongest emotion.

"I love you." She spoke against his lips, feeling her body jerk again and again.

"I love you." She whispered, feeling her eyes water. "I…I love you." She gasped, eyes wavering.

Luffy's brows furrowed, feeling his own heart clench in response. Their lips were lightly touching, tempting him to devour her lips.

Those words…

He really enjoyed hearing them.

Nami winced. "I-"

Before she could say it again, he nodded slowly, showing he understood.

"M-me too." He grit, breathing heavily as he bumped noses with her. "I- gh- I love you." He shut his eyes tightly, sweat trailing down his brow.

Nami's heart constricted in her chest, mouth shooting open as he went harder.

"Ahhhh! I love you!" She shouted, feeling her walls constrict in pure bliss.

The sudden tightness left him gasping for air, losing rhythm for a moment. He situated himself between her ear and neck, moaning incomprehensible words of praise with every push into her folds.

"N-Nami ah." He whined, fisting the sheet desperately while gripping her hip with the other hand. "F-fuck I'm! Ahh!" He shouted, causing her ear to ring. Not that she cared.

The only thing on her mind was the feelings her boyfriend was putting her through.

Her.

Boyfriend.

Nami gripped him tighter, fingers trembling as she scraped down the surface of his back.

His body rolled at the sharp sensation, but he didn't dare halt his motions.

There was something building up within him.

She was writhing beneath him, pressing her body against his own as he pounded.

Harder.

Faster.

"Nami!" He groaned, fingers digging into the sheets so hard that his knuckles turned white.

He grit his teeth as he felt that familiar feeling pass over him.

Nami arched her neck, eyes rolling to the back of her head as he pushed her over the edge. "Ahhh! I'm-" Her voice died out.

He kept his momentum, pushing in further, reaching deeper.

Him moaning out desperately was the final straw.

Her body locked up and she allowed him to enter her harshly.

The man huffed, pounding into her frantically.

Fuck.

He's so close.

She was unbelievably tight and she only seemed to get tighter.

Damn.

Every ounce of oxygen left his brain.

Before he knew it, he was giving short thrusts, shooting his desires into her awaiting core with deep grinds.

At that same moment, Nami's head dug into the pillows as she came undone.

The feel of him filling her up left her nearly screaming, yet her voice came out cracked and broken, too quiet for even her to hear.

Tears fell down the sides of her face as her body trembled from underneath his weight, seeing stars.

Luffy's grip on the sheet matched the tightness he had on her hip.

"Ahh! I- Shit-Gahh!" He grit, his load coming out a lot more than it usually did.

As he emptied himself, he began to slow down, giving a few more thrusts, through no choice of his own, all until he was spent, relaxing his muscles and laying breathless on his navigator. His cheek was resting on her breast as he tried catching his breath.

Nami felt her vision start to return to her as well as the ability to move. It was then that she realized she was holding her breath.

She exhaled heavily, stroking his back weakly whilst feeling his heavy pants against her chest.

Nothing was said for a moment, allowing them to fully bask in the afterglow of it all.

"That…was awesome." He murmured, slowly lifting his head up to stare at her.

Humor filled her body causing an airy laugh to fill the quiet space. "It was." She affirmed, smiling at him with pure love reflected in her eyes.

The captain found himself staring at her intently, his chest convulsing in reaction to her happiness.

When she removed a hand from his back to stroke his cheek, he was sure she nearly killed him.

He swallowed thickly. "Nami."

She hummed, tracing his scar contently.

"Is love safe?" He inquired.

I mean, it sure didn't feel like it.

Her brows furrowed in amusement and mild confusion. "Huh?"

Luffy's brows pinched together. "My chest was really hurting you know? I think you might kill me."

Rather than taking him seriously, Nami laughed, looking as if expecting him to be joking.

When he only stared at her with genuine confusion, she laughed again.

Oh my gosh.

He truly believed falling in love could kill you.

Removing her hand from his face, she shook her head with a smile. "Are you talking about your 'chest pains?''

He nodded.

She glanced at his source of 'pain,' his heart, and felt her own chest growing warm. "It's not meant to be a bad thing." Subconsciously, she pressed her hand against his chest then flickered her eyes to peer at him. "It's…it's a feeling that reminds you of your emotions. Kind of like when you say, 'I love you.'"

His mouth parted, making a small 'o.'

"I see. So, why were you saying you love me so much?" He blatantly questioned, bringing a massive flood of red to her face, embarrassed.

"U-uhh."

She was hoping he wouldn't bring that up.

Even she can't understand why she said it so many times.

Maybe she just wanted to express what she was feeling in that moment and those were the words that came out? She just can't tell.

"You see, saying I love you is kind of like…reassuring someone of your feelings."

The captain squinted, trying to make sense of it. "So, if I didn't say it back would you think I don't love you?"

The woman winced, trying to find a better way to say it. "Well, I'd know deep down that you still loved me, but it's always nice hearing it straight from them. Right?"

He nodded. That made a lot of sense actually.

At least he thinks it did.

He has a habit of misinterpreting things so who knows.

Staring at her, he suddenly nodded in a humorous yet serious manner. "I love you." He sternly said, catching her off guard.

Being so frazzled, she just stared at him with doe-eyes.

His eyes lowered in suspicion. "I love you." He repeated, bringing an even greater blush to her face.

"Wha.."

He suddenly cracked a smile, chuckling at her expression. "Why aren't you saying it back?" He teased. "Don't you wanna reassure me?" He laughed some more.

Hearing that, her jaw dropped, a smile of her own appearing in effect. She smacked his arm. "You caught me off guard, that's why."

He moved in closer. "I love you." He cheesed, causing laughter to rumble her chest.

He then buried his nose in the side of her neck speaking like a whiny child. " Namiii. I love you." He joked, causing her eyes to shut with mirth, gripping his shoulders as his nose tickled her skin.

"Ok!" She surrendered, giggling at the pure happiness she felt. "I…"She paused for dramatic effect. " Love… "

Luffy lifted his head, smiling victoriously at her.

She squinted playfully. "Money." She finished, raising her brows in a challenge.

He gave an openmouthed smile, moving to her neck once more.

When he started rubbing his face there, pulling loud laughter from the girl, he felt his heart warm up.

She…has a nice laugh.

"Ok! OK!" She cried, chest hurting from the amount of laughter.

Her captain didn't cease his motions though.

"What was that? Doesn't sound like 'I love you."

She shook her head at his antics, nearly dying from the amusement.

"I love you!" She shouted through her giggles and that finally got him to stop.

He lifted himself onto his elbows to meet her gaze.

"That's what I thought." He cheesed, moving to place a quick peck on her lips.

Nami's eyes gleamed with pure adoration, love and happiness.

Oh how much she wanted to stay with this man forever.

"You're an idiot." She teased, giggling some more from her earlier fit of laughter.

Luffy laughed as well, removing himself from on top of her to fall onto the mattress.

He paused for a moment, giving a large sigh of satisfaction before turning to face her.

"So is this how every date ends?" He questioned with an excited grin.

She turned onto her side, lightheartedly squinting at him. "That depends on the date. And if you've taken a bath." She added, smirking when he deadpanned.

Turning onto his side, he came face to face with her. "Why should I though? Bathing really sucks." He repeated his earlier statement.

Eyeing him, a sudden urge of playfulness passed over her. " You know …there are other things you could do in the bath." She suggested, eying him with a wicked smirk.

His eyes lit up. "You mean like, getting bars of soap and skating across the floor with them?"

…That was oddly specific.

It's sad that she wasn't even surprised by that statement.

"No no. I mean a bath with me. " She added, watching as he slowly pieced it together.

Just a little longer.

His brows furrowed.

Almost.

When his eyes suddenly widened Nami nodded.

There it is.

He jolted upright, staring down at her in shock. "You mean we can do this stuff in the bath?!"

Nami chuckled at his reaction.

'Cute.'

" Luffy, we can do it anywhere. "

Anywhere.

…

Slowly, his head turned to a different section of the room, eyes wide upon learning of this.

"Anywhere." He mumbled, amazed.

Still in shock, he began to lay down again, staring at the ceiling with wide eyes. "Man we gotta do it more often then." He insinuated, causing Nami to smack him on the chest.

He turned to her with a smirk on his lips.

That damn smirk.

Nami wasn't exactly sure how they ended up on this topic, but she smiled nonetheless. Every moment with him was one to savor. Moments she wants to store safely in her mind so she can revisit them at any given point. And she wants to remember every second.

Hearing him shuffle towards her, she refocused on the now, blushing lightly as the cool breeze blew in from the window causing her to shiver.

Luffy took notice and grabbed the blanket from the bottom of the bed, unfolding it then laying it over her shoulder.

Her heart skipped a beat at the action. Him doing things like that would surely be the death of her. If something as small as that made her swoon, what else would?

Luffy snuggled under the blanket as well, staring at her with hooded eyes. "Thanks Nami." He suddenly spoke, a hint of tiredness in his voice.

The coziness of the blanket left her feeling tired as well. "For what?" She murmured, smiling softly at him.

Staring at her face, his eyelids grew heavy. "For…today." He mumbled, then just like that, he was asleep. Lightly snoring as his head dug further into the pillow.

Warmth seeped into every fiber of her being.

"Why're you thanking me?" She whispered, brushing his bands aside to place a soft kiss on his forehead.

As she laid back against her own pillow, a content sigh escaped her lips and it only took seconds for her to slip into a world of sleep.

'No..'

'Thank you, Luffy'