Seasons are as unstable as the red thread that binds the two soulmates of our story. This knotted, stretched, tangled but unbreakable string had led us across a tiny glimpse of all the different universes in which they live; taking place in their own particular seasons of life. The first ones we met lived in their spring and the last ones in their blazing hot summer. Now we are making our journey into the autumn of another's life.
I suggest a soft pillow and a warm blanket to enjoy this one, as well as a nice steaming hot drink. The rainy weather on the other side of the window is quite an invitation, don't you think?
If we only thought in black and white, we could say that there are only two types of dreams: the ones one enjoys and the ones one does not.
Eighteen months training to be a soldier, Luffy was only twenty-one when the rest of the battalion was already over thirty. He was lucky that his older brother, Ace, was also with him. Both had joined the military to escape poverty and living on the streets. They were both born as fighters anyways. They were no pride in serving their country, it was only their dream. Their last hope.
Fortunately, against all odds, Aokiji was a very reasonable man, and when the parties were sent to the front, Ace and Luffy were sent together. War was not training ground.
Just one week in enemy territory had turned the once cheerful goofy little boy into a mindless, heartless killer. After five years of fighting for something they didn't even know they were fighting for, they returned home only to drift further apart.
Ace had started arguing with Luffy a long time ago, since their first year. Luffy had changed drastically. War did that, Kizaru had told Ace, but he couldn't understand how his once sweet little brother was now this observant slaughtering machine. Luffy had told him that war was not a game, and what started out as a dream of freedom for both brothers turned into an empty, dry relationship of two soldiers working side by side.
The final straw came when, on their next duty assignment, Ace discovered that Luffy had asked Akainu to separate them from the same squad. The night before their departure, they had had a very heated argument about it and how Ace wanted to keep his brother safe. They had said things to each other that they were unaware they could say to each other and, without further ado, the next day they parted into their separate squadrons to go back to war.
A war that Luffy would never forget ever again. The first three years had passed without much resistance, but little did they know what lay ahead. It was on the fourth year that they destroyed everything during the night, when everyone could not defend themselves. Ace immediately ran to where Luffy's party was. Even if they didn't talk anymore, he was deeply worried about his brother.
Everything shattered around Luffy's world when he found his brother unprotected shielding a load of gunshots that were aimed at him. He hugged his brother, screaming, as his brother was dying in his arms in front of him. Tears rolled down his cheeks. Pain and rage in every cry. His hands covered in thick blood. He knew he couldn't save him. He screamed his name, hugged him tightly, begged for forgiveness, told him he loved him; repeated the same things over and over again, while listening as Ace embraced his brother in farewell, reassuring him that the dreams of freedom were real and that he should pursue them. Luffy could not get over his astonishment, still holding his brother's lifeless body on his knees over his as he wept murmuring words of sorrow.
It all was over after a bunch of grenades exploded in the area they were in. Luffy was only thirty at the time, Ace thirty-five.
Nami was a new head nurse at the New World hospital. She had been at the East blue and Grand Line hospitals before and had a great track record in her field, so when she was accepted, she was very excited to start working at her new position. However, when she found out she was in charge of the entire fifth floor, she assumed she was going to face tougher challenges. And a bunch of people in a coma wasn't really a big challenge.
Kokoro-san was the senior nurse responsible for teaching her everything she needed to know about the hospital and her patients. Six out of the ten beds avaliable were occupied at the moment.
The first room was occupied by Roronoa Zoro. He had some very serious injuries but Doctor Chopper's prediction said he was getting better and better.
In the second room was another man known as "Sogeking" but as he was a homeless and compulsive liar they did not know yet his true identity. He had no injuries, except that he had fallen into a coma after a sudden breakdown. Nami was certain that this man was more likely to be in a mental health hospital than here.
In the third room was a large man who had survived a huge explosion. His name was Cutty Flam "Franky" and he was a famous mechanic in town. The explosion of one of his creations had knocked him unconscious.
In the fourth room was a man who initially frightened her due to his skeleton-like appearance. His name was Brook and he had a severe apoplexy. Dr. Chopper did not have the highest of expectations for this patient.
In the fifth room there was a blond man named Sanji, where she met another nurse who would be her partner, Robin. At that moment she was finishing cleaning the man and Nami blushed in surprise at the bulge in the man's clothes. Robin explained to her that he was a womanizer and that as a sort of twist of fate, that behaviour had led him there. Nami sighed hoping that the next and last patient would be a little more normal than the others.
In the sixth room she saw a man who was connected to a bunch of machines. She was surprised by the number of them.
"What happened to him?!" Robin laughed quietly and Kokoro-san did as well but in a louder tone.
"Monkey D. Luffy" Kokoro-san said handing Nami three huge folders which she took with difficulty "He's been here ten years" Nami gaped. Her eyes widened.
"Ten years?!" She dropped the folders on a side table "and wait, did you say Monkey D?! Aren't they the same-?" she was shocked.
"Yes, Nami-san, he is the grandson of this hospital owner, Monkey D. Garp, as well as the son of the leader of the revolutionary army, Monkey D. Dragon" Robin replied with a gentle reassuring smile.
"I thought he was dead" Nami said with a puzzled frown looking at him. He looked dead.
"Everyone thinks that" Kokoro-san laughed "But the boy is very much alive let me tell ya, even with all those machines attached to him and that pale face, all the brain scans we did on him showed us an amazing brain activity" As Kokoro-san said that, Luffy's face twitched.
"Here it comes" Robin said as Luffy began to struggle. That explained the straps holding his body to the litter, Nami thought.
"What's coming?" She felt frightened as Luffy began to wrestle more. He was moving his body and head sideways with a pained look on his face. "What's happening to him?!" She didn't know why but seeing him suffer was making her suffer as well.
"It happens at least three times every day since he came here... his nightmares" Robin said trying to calm him down and Kokoro-san went to give him a dose of morphine.
"The first few years were the worst, he was lucky we had Dr. Trafalgar D. Water Law here, he used to rip the skin off his own body. He was the one who put him under all those machines to keep him under control. Even after ten years we are all still waiting for him to wake up" Kokoro-san said. Nami approached him with a pained look on her face. She took his hand and he suddenly started to calm down. Both Robin and Kokoro-san watched it as if some kind of miracle had happened. Nami caressed his hand between hers and said his name in a whisper. It sounded so familiar on her lips. She looked from Luffy's relaxing face to them.
"How did he end up like this?" a new person entered the room and the three girls diverted their gazes towards him.
"He was a war soldier. He lost his brother in front of his eyes." A big man stepped in "Grenades destroyed the place. When I found him he was already unconscious but still clinging to his brother's corpse. He was a bloody mess." Nami swallowed nothing.
"It's good to see you here Jinbei-san" Said Robin "This is Nami, the new head nurse. She will be taking care of all the patients on this floor; including Luffy-kun of course" He nodded and shook Nami's hand introducing himself to her. "Jinbei-san was the person who brought Luffy to this hospital ten years ago and since then he's been a regular" Nami nodded understanding "He was Luffy's brother Ace's closest friend" Nami's small smile faltered.
"He'll wake up Jinbei-kun" Nami said with a determined expression "I'll make sure of it" Jinbei nodded with a dash of tears coming to his eyes.
The next month passed with a hopeful prognosis for all the patients. Doctor Chopper was very pleased with head nurse Nami's methods of helping heal their fragile patients. But in Nami's mind there was only one selfish thought: Fifth floor, sixth room. Luffy. She had grown very attached to him. She often talked to him, telling him about her days, her childhood, her life... somehow she felt a deep connection with him. She always held his hand, and lately she had begun to intertwine their fingers. In response, his nightmares were less frequent. Her touch seemed to soothe him.
The second month came in the blink of an eye. Spending most of her time with Luffy was making her increasingly antisocial, but she couldn't help it. On clean-up duty days, Robin would often let Nami clean Luffy up. The first few times she felt embarrassed while she did it but now it felt like a ritual. She had found all his battle scars all over his body, but the most impressive was the largest one on his chest in the shape of an "x". She caressed it. His body and muscles were lean, and she tried to imagine what he would have looked like in his military days as her face flushed.
She tried to calm down. He was an attractive guy, it was normal to have those thoughts. She ran her thumb over the scar behind his left eye and sat down beside him, sighing sadly, taking his hand. Ten years... He had been out for ten years after the most traumatic experience of his life. Even if he woke up... how would he react?
She tried to put herself in his place. She was in her forties too, but she tried to imagine being in her thirties and suddenly waking up in her forties after losing her sister in her arms. A shiver ran down her spine as she squeezed her eyes shut. That would be terrifying.
"Luffy..." She linked their hands together.
"That's something really dangerous" A voice from behind startled her, dropping Luffy's hand.
"Jinbei!" she cleared her throat "I wasn't expecting you today" He sat down next to her, watching Luffy as well.
"He's getting better, but that doesn't mean he's going to wake up or accept... getting any contact" She looked up at him. Her hands on her lap. He sighed "Everyone can tell how you feel about him... the way you look at him..." She tried to speak up blushing "...but you're in love with an illusion" She furrowed her eyebrows.
"I don't care... I won't leave him..." She stretched her hand onto his chest this time "I...I feel a connection to him Jinbei..."
"What if he never wakes up?" She shuddered squeezing her hand on his chest.
"He will!" she said in agitation.
Just as if the universe had heard her and had decided to perform a miracle, Luffy's eyes widened. He screamed squirming on the bed. His last thought was blood. His brother. He began to scream his brother's name.
As Jinbei tried to calm him down, Robin came running to help too, as well as Doctor Chopper.
Nami was shocked and didn't know what to do. She was breathing heavily and trembling. She felt as if she could sense his pain.
"Head nurse! head nurse!" She was still in a deep state of shock.
"Nami!" She shot her head back at the mention of her name "We need your help!" Doctor Chopper said trying to calm their patient. Luffy was still screaming in pain, saying he was bleeding, Ace was bleeding, his brother was dying; he desperately wished to be freed from the restraints.
"Let him go!" demanded Nami. They all looked at her in surprise "Do it now! Or his brain is going to collapse from a stroke!" They did as she said and Luffy was released and sat up weakly on the bed. He was far too frail. He tried to crawl out of bed many times, but couldn't until Jinbei helped him. He helped him walk to the door, where Nami stood.
Luffy looked at her and said nothing. He just stretched his weak arm over a single strand of stray hair she had. All her hair pulled back into a bun under her nurse's cap.
"Na-mi?" his dried up throat uttered faintly. Nami walked up to him taking his hand and he shivered. She put his hand on her cheek and smiled.
"Yes Luffy, I'm Nami, nice to meet you" He sighed, blinking.
"Have we met before?" everyone in the room looked at them in surprise. She smiled brightly.
"I keep on questioning myself that ever since I saw you" She replied and he quirked his eyebrows in confusion. Now soothed, Jinbei helped him to sit up on the bed. His stomach growled, "I think you're hungry, why don't we find some clothes for you and get you all cleane and nice up to go out and get something to eat together?"
"Nami, I don't think that..." began Chopper.
"Jinbei could come with us, I'm sure Luffy has a lot of questions and is tired of sleeping in bed" Robin laughed at the inside joke "What do you say?" he grinned. Luffy looked at Jinbei and he nodded.
"I say I could eat a whole cow right now" Nami nodded.
"But first let's pay a visit to the barber and find some comfortable clothes, shall we?" he cocked an eyebrow "You can't go to a restaurant in hospital clothes" He looked down at himself. Somehow he felt different, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was, so he went along with Nami's plan.
After a quick examination by Doctor Chopper, he allowed Luffy to leave, seeing that his vitals were stable enough. Jinbei put his large coat over Luffy's body to help him cover his hospital clothes to go outside.
Nami had also changed into her regular clothes. She wore a comfortable wool set in green and a beige cropped top with a pair of shoes in the same colour. Her hair was now loose and rebellious. Luffy's first thought was that it looked like raging fire, but for some reason it didn't trigger the thought of war, it was a different kind of fire. The kind that makes you feel warm inside.
When he looked at himself in the barbershop mirror he was finally able to put his finger on what was bothering him. Well, more than a finger, his two hands. He looked at his aged face, touching it with both hands and tracing the beard and moustache he had grown. Also his overgrown hair that now reached past his shoulders.
"What the hell?!" he looked at himself in the mirror in astonishment as the rest of the customers looked at him quizzically.
"He wants an average haircut, but not too short. Plus, he needs a good shave. He's a slacker" Nami said to the barber in a friendly tone grabbing Luffy by the arm and he looked at her puzzled. Everything seemed so different. The streets, their clothes, people... he felt like he had travelled through time or something. They cut his hair like he used to have it and shaved his beard just to keep it light since his skin was too sensitive to shave it down to zero. He looked at himself feeling like he was twenty years older. The only thing that kept him from snapping was Nami's hand on his. For some reason that gesture calmed him down. Jinbei paid and they left.
"Look at you, all clean-shaven and handsome!" She said with a smile and he blushed "Let's go find you some nice clothes now" she kept grabbing his hand so he could only follow her from behind just like Jinbei.
When they got to the place and she showed him some clothes he felt incredibly uncomfortable.
"You don't like it? What did you use to wear?" asked Nami kindly. He looked all over, not finding anything he liked.
"I don't know...everything is so different..." He touched his head "How much have I been out?" Nami then tried a more youthful touch. She grabbed some regular jeans, an oversized sweatshirt and a denim jacket.
" What about this?" she tried to avoid the question. He looked at the chosen clothes and picked them up. He seemed to like it "Oh, you'll also need underwear, socks and shoes" She said blushing slightly at the underwear part. She selected some vintage snickers and he smiled liking them. He was a kid. Also the socks. Meat socks? Really? But his smile spoke volumes, so when he pulled out the same patterned underwear, she couldn't help but giggle. In those clothes he didn't look like a forty-year-old at all. He looked like a teenager. Like a boy. He was smiling in his new clothes and she was more than happy to see him like that. His stomach growled again and they were finally able to go to a babecue restaurant as Luffy requested since he was a meat lover.
It was when he reached for the menu that he could see behind it on a newspaper: the full date of the current day.
"Luffy, what would you like then?" Nami asked in the same kind voice, but Luffy was stunned. It all made sense now. He started to panic and she noticed immediately "Hey, it's okay" He locked his eyes into hers "It's okay" She grabbed his trembling hand.
"What are we going to drink here?" said the waitress.
"I want some water" Nami's eyes and hands didn't move away from Luffy's. Jinbei coughed and answered for himself.
"And you, sir?" Luffy widened his eyes and Nami mumbled again that he was just fine. He looked at the lady a little pale and replied.
"Do you still have coke?" Nami smiled trying not to laugh.
"Yes sir, we have it-"
"I want the extra large one" He said abruptly "please..." The waitress nodded a little weirded out by the man's behavior and he sighed as she walked away. Nami laughed. Luffy scowled.
"Of course we still have coke, you moron" She said laughing.
"How should I know! I haven't had it for TEN YEARS. TEN!" She sushed him between laughs "What's so funny?!" he snapped annoyed.
"But isn't it great?!" She quit laughing and grinned "after ten years in a coma you finally woke up and you're alive" she grabbed his hands tightly "and we still have coke" she laughed again and he couldn't help but smile and start laughing with her until he couldn't laugh anymore.
"Fuck..." He looked at Jinbei scratching his head "this is crazy" Jinbei just nodded with a smile.
After ordering the food, Jinbei started explaining everything to Luffy, who was still in shock, but somehow was able to endure it thanks to having Nami by his side, touching his hand or arm. Having her there was so reassuring that even if something didn't make sense, he felt like he could handle anything.
After both Nami and Jinbei explained everything, Luffy sighed heavily, a huge weight lifted off his shoulders. He finished his fifth coke.
"So what the hell do I do now?" He hid his face in his hands. He felt exhausted "I don't wanna sleep anymore" he muttered to a chuckle "and I don't wanna go to the hospital either" Jinbei finished his last chicken wing.
"Where you used to live doesn't exist anymore, the only place you can go back to is Garp-san" Luffy almost choked.
"Are you fucking crazy?! Are you out of your mind Jinbei?!" Luffy jumped up. The aforementioned sighed "I'm not going back to my old man. I didn't do it in my teens, I'm not going to do it in my forties" Luffy sat back down "Can't I come with you? You were Ace's partner, weren't you?" Jinbei shook his head.
"Ten years ago yes" He pointed to the ring on his finger. Luffy opened his mouth "Life goes on... I have four children and... I don't need another one, thank you" Luffy scowled and Nami laughed lightly.
"How about you stay with me?" Luffy looked at her in surprise "I live alone, well, I have a cat but-"
"So, you're not married then?" Luffy said interested and Nami blushed deeply.
"I...once was... To an absolute jerk" She looked down "But not anymore" She looked at him with a smile. They looked at each other smiling and Jinbei could feel the tension building up.
"Anyway...you're going to have to ask for Garp's permission... he kept you alive after all" Jinbei said trying to change the mood and Luffy groaned a bit angry.
"I'll talk to him" said Nami without any concern. They both looked at her with wide eyes "What? I'm sure he won't mind" she smiled.
On the way back to the hospital Luffy and Nami walked together as Jinbei trailed behind them. He couldn't believe the chemistry these two had together. It was like they had known each other since forever. Luffy laughed at something Nami said to him and she smiled brightly. If he wasn't so adamant about beliefs he might even say they were made for each other.
When they arrived, Nami said she wanted to contact Garp but he was already there waiting for them to return.
"How come my grandson wakes up after long ten years and the first thing he does is run away?" Luffy was scowling "you wouldn't be my grandson I guess... you were always on the run."
"Gramps..." Luffy said dryly. The tension was rising up between them.
"Garp-san, my name is Nami. I'm the head nurse who..." Nami tried to introduce herself.
"Yes, you're the nurse who took my boy and took him out of here, I know that..." Her eyes flickered with concern "and the one who managed to wake him up from the coma" he finished gratefully and she sighed in relief.
"I wanted to ask you, Garp-san" he looked at her intently "could Luffy come live with me until he finds a place for him?" Garp looked at her and then at Luffy and started to laugh out loud. As he laughed she began to call out "What?, Garp-san?" He was walking away from them laughing when he suddenly stopped.
"Luffy, don't mess it up" He said seriously. Luffy also had a serious expression.
"I won't" He replied, and Garp walked off laughing loudly again leaving them behind.
Nami looked at Luffy, who still had a very serious expression. She took his hand and he softened, glancing down at her with a gentle smile. She smiled back. They intertwined their fingers.
They both said their goodbyes to Jinbei and Nami led Luffy their way home. She lived not far from the hospital, so the two walked as they talked with their hands intertwined.
"So... no boyfriend... no girlfriend?" Nami giggled blushing shaking her head.
"What about you?" she teased.
"Me? oh... I have a pretty one" He looked straight ahead with a blush.
"Oh yeah?" she continued to tease him "How is he?" He smiled. He loved her teasing.
"Ohhhh yeah. She..." He looked at her with a smile and she smiled back showing her teeth "She's great, you know, she's a little teaser but what she doesn't know is that teasers turn me on" She gasped with a jump and he laughed heartily.
"Monkey D. Luffy you're a...!" She couldn't finish because he had kissed her. It was a little peck but they were both grinning.
"Thief?" Luffy finished for her and she kissed him back gently.
"Yes... you're a thief... and a bastard..." She murmured touching his lips "...and I'm in love with you..." He smiled kissing her again.
"You know what's interesting?" He said after pulling away.
"What is?" She looked at him absolutely smitten.
"I'm in love with a girl I don't know but I think I know" She kept looking at him "She talked to me while I was with my brother...on the other side...she was very dummy y'know...she told me about her childhood...about her days...and the war around me started to fade away...I felt so warm with her..." She had a trembling smile, tears began to roll down her cheeks. He wiped the tears away with his thumbs "I'm in love with her...I'm in love with you Nami" She pressed her face against his chest hugging him with joy and Luffy embraced her back.
"Nami...every time I'll have a bad dream..." He began after a moment.
"I'll take you by the hand and bring you back...I'll always bring you back" She looked up at him and they kissed again as the autumn leaves passed between them. It was a promise. Of a lifetime.