When I found out X Drake was only two years older than Makino, this seemed the reasonable next step.
Three weeks at sea and Makino still spent most of her days hugging the rails of the ship. At the beginning of the voyage, she'd been assured that she'd feel better once she got her sea legs, and the crewmen seemed to find it a little amusing at week two when she wasn't any better. However, after having to look at her utterly miserable face every day even as they approach their destination, they had nothing but sympathy and often asked her if there was anything they could do to help.
Each time she'd wave them away, preferring to suffer in private and figuring they had enough to deal with. With her out of commission, it fell onto them to take care of, entertain, and feed the energetic six year old that had taken to treating the entirety of the ship as his own personal playground. Even being on a Marine vessel couldn't lessen Luffy's excitement at being at sea, and since Garp would rather laugh and enjoy his grandson's frivolity, there wasn't much anyone could do besides pray they got the kid down from the rigging before he fell.
Makino loved Luffy with all her heart, truly she did, but the ease with which he adapted to sailing briefly made her want to toss him overboard. Of course the moment that thought crossed her mind she felt incredibly guilty and bemoaned the nausea and headache combo that she knew put her into an almost unheard of grumpy mood. She rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands and tried to focus on breathing in the salty air, but when a voice came through the speaker system, Makino thought she might actually weep tears of relief at the news of the approaching Gate of Justice which meant they'd be docked in only a few hours.
The seconds passed by far too slowly before a large shadow fell over her. She could barely stand to squint her eyes open but recognized a moderately concerned looking Garp with a grinning Luffy sitting on his shoulder and bouncing in place. It was hard to believe the boy who had whined about his grandfather's sudden decision take them on a tour of the Marine Headquarters - Makino is still unsure how she got pulled into it, though expected it was so Luffy would have a fully dedicated babysitter - was ready for their week long stay to begin, but she personally just hoped he could keep quiet about his pirate dream. She imagined the people there would be far less forgiving than Foosha.
Garp swept her up and cradled her in one elbow, and while part of the eighteen year old wanted to feel embarrassed, it was vastly overshadowed by the part trying to keep her seasickness under control. He had to take them to his office first - moving Luffy under his arm when the boy kept trying to run off - and even if she was sick, Makino could notice enough to be amazed at the way every white clad Marine they passed would click their heels together and salute the man carrying her. Of course she knew that Garp was a Vice-Admiral, a very high ranking officer, but she'd always known him as an eccentric old man with a fondness for flowered shirts and donuts. Now she was seeing the respected Hero.
He shut the door to his office behind him and casually dropped Luffy to the floor but set her down on the couch far more gently.
"How are you feeling, Makino?"
She weakly smiled up at him. "I'll be fine," she promised, already feeling better after being on solid ground. Garp patted her knee and eyed Luffy who had already managed to find a bag of rice crackers hidden within one of the drawers of the desk.
Sighing heavily but allowing his grandson to keep the snack - he was the one that taught him to eat whenever possible to keep his strength up after all - Garp said, "I have to go meet with Sengoku now that I'm back, but it should only take an hour or two. You both stay here." If his words were emphasized with a stern look at Luffy who was the obvious flight risk, Makino politely didn't mention it. She bid farewell to him and massaged her temples to work through the remains of her fading headache, meanwhile Luffy wandered the room in aimless circles while munching on his rice crackers.
"Makino, I'm bored."
"We can explore later, Luffy," she promised, hoping to appease the young boy. Still feeling a little lightheaded, Makino shut her eyes and leaned back on the couch. She expected Luffy to climb up next to her where he would most certainly hang upside down and moan about how he wanted to do something fun, but instead she heard a tiny click and then an all too quiet room. Squeezing her eyes tight for one calming breath and offering a quick prayer, she cracked one eye open and cautiously asked, "Luffy? You're still in here, right?"
The office was empty and the door still in the process of swinging open. Leaping to her feet with a gasp, Makino lifted her skirt so it wouldn't impede her legs and chased after him. She knew if she stopped she'd never catch up, so she didn't even pause when shouting at every Marine she ran past if they'd seen the little boy around. They pointed her down multiple hallways, and she pushed herself harder. Even though she knew Luffy was faster than her despite his size, it still amazed her that the tiny six year old could have gotten so far ahead of her.
When she finally found him, he was in a training ground. It was a wide open outside area, the ground covered mostly in dirt but bordered in neatly trimmed grass around the surrounding walls, but the most eye catching thing was the extraordinarily large dinosaur towering over Luffy. Makino's voice caught in her throat as she stared wide-eyed at the beast, at its tail sending up dust clouds as it whipped against the ground and the mouth of sharp teeth shifting far too close to the boy.
When the dinosaur took a ground shaking step closer, Makino broke out of her shock and screamed, "Luffy!" Running faster than she ever had, she skidded to her knees in front of Luffy and wrapped her arms around him, using her body to shield him from the danger. Every inch of her trembled and fearful tears dripped from her eyes onto the head of shaggy black hair she pressed soothing kisses to even as Luffy grumbled and half-heartedly pushed at her arms. As much as she knew he wanted to be the one protecting her with punches as strong as pistols, she could feel him shaking and held him tighter. Her heart raced faster and faster each second that nothing happened.
"Are you alright, miss? I apologize, it wasn't my intention to frighten you." The polite voice startled her, making her heart skip a beat, and Makino tentatively looked over her shoulder. Instead of the terrifying dinosaur, a Marine stood in its place with reddish-brown hair and an x-shaped scar on his chin. He had a stern appearance, but there was a soft regret in his turquoise eyes as he looked down at her. The man jolted when he saw her misty eyes, and he quickly offered a hand to help her up. Makino picked up Luffy and situated him on her hip, quickly wiping her eyes dry before accepting the kind gesture. He easily pulled her up after she slid her hand into his, but her knees protested the movement with stinging pain, causing her to stumble when she stood. The grip on her hand tightened while a strong arm curled around her side to catch her in case she fell.
Luffy tugged on her blouse and frowned. "Is Makino okay?"
"Don't worry," she assured. "I just banged my knees a bit." The boy didn't seem convinced, and it seemed neither was the Marine.
"If you're injured, please allow me to escort you to the medical ward. It's the least I can do," he entreated. Glancing between the two, Makino sighed and offered a dry smile since she was clearly outnumbered. The Marine offered her his arm. She placed her hand in the crook of his elbow and allowed him to guide them back inside.
"So does the kind Marine have a name?" she teased, seeing his cheeks turn pink as he realized he'd never introduced himself.
"Forgive me, ma'am. I am Chief Petty Officer X Drake. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," he said, briefly glancing at her before staring back straight ahead.
Giggling into Luffy's hair, she said, "Just Makino is fine, and this little guy is Luffy." Luffy laughed and scrambled around in her arms, ignoring her surprised, "Careful!" until she was barely grasping his legs while he leaned onto her shoulder.
"Hey, hey! Did you see the dinosaur?" Now that the fear of the moment had passed, it wasn't surprising Luffy looked back and only thought about the excitement. Makino admired that in him, as she herself couldn't quite get the image of large teeth out of her mind.
Drake looked down at the boy and corrected him, "I was the dinosaur. An allosaurus, to be exact." The stars in Luffy's eyes could not get any bigger.
"Marines can turn into dinosaurs?!" Luffy turned to grin at Makino. "Did you hear that, Makino? Grandpa never told me that!" She did, and she couldn't quite believe it despite the evidence that she was literally touching. Even though she vaguely remembered a kind Marine visiting Foosha and telling her all about Devil Fruits, even showing off his own, witnessing someone transformed into a dinosaur was a bit difficult to swallow.
"Maybe your grandpa can do it, too," she teased, hiding a snicker at the way Luffy's face immediately paled before he threw his arms around her neck and begged her to hide him from Dino Gramps. She laughed and hugged him tighter, promising to keep him safe.
"I can assure you that as far as I'm aware, I am the only one on the base with a dinosaur Zoan Devil Fruit," Drake offered awkwardly, unsure if their concern was serious or not. Luffy lifted his head from Makino's shoulder and stared wide eyed at the Marine with a thoughtful expression.
Knowing what was causing it, Makino leaned in and loudly whispered, "He means he ate a magic fruit, and he's the only one that can turn into a dinosaur."
"Oh." Luffy dragged out the syllable and relaxed against Makino with a snicker. "I almost thought Marines were cool." Drake gaped at the young boy who had the audacity to insult the Marines while literally inside a Marine base, and Makino was torn between amusement - it was such a Luffy thing to say - and mortification. She was about to scold him, but they had already arrived at the infirmary.
Drake walked them in and waited until a kind nurse ushered Makino to sit on one of the cots, but the moment she started pulling her skirt up over her knees, he flushed pink and turned on his heels to face the other direction.
"If that is all," he said a little too loudly to be natural, "then I must return to my duties."
"Of course. It was very nice to meet you," Makino replied, smiling despite her disappointment that the attractive man was leaving. She blushed at the thought and quickly distracted herself by making sure Luffy didn't destroy anything while the nurse treated the scrapes on her knee.
It was a shame they'd most likely never see him again.
However, Makino was proven wrong the very next day. She had passed the morning watching Garp train Luffy before dropping them off at the dining hall for lunch. Having already finished her meal, she was leaning against her hand and smiling fondly as Luffy ate enough food for a full grown man. There were many other Marines in the room looking on in shock and minute disgust, but Makino was well used to the boy's eating habits, though she occasionally spoke up to tell him to slow down or wipe a morsel off his cheek.
The two of them stuck out amidst the white uniforms of the Marines that surrounded them, but only one made the decision to approach. Makino looked up and was pleasantly surprised to see Drake smiling awkwardly at her with his own tray.
"Chief Petty Officer Drake, it's nice to see you again," she greeted, gesturing with her hand to offer him a seat that he accepted after a moment's hesitation.
"Drake is fine. I admit I didn't expect you two to still be around." He spared a glance at Luffy, who barely seemed to notice the new arrival, and turned back to the pretty lady.
"We'll be around for a few days before returning to the East."
"Ah, you're from the East Blue?" he asked in interest.
"That's right," she grinned. "Have you ever been?"
"I haven't. I hail from the North Blue, myself."
"What's it like? Is it beautiful?"
Drake was quiet for a moment. "It can be." His voice was stilted, and he changed the subject. "Are your knees feeling better?" Someone nearby snorted, and Drake glared in their direction, color rising to both his and Makino's cheeks at the unspoken insinuation.
Clearing her throat, she assured him that the scrapes were fine. "They won't cause any problems for today."
"Exciting plans?"
With a quiet laugh, Makino shook her head. "I wish." Her eyes slid over to Luffy who was still happily munching on food that she could have sworn hadn't been there before. "Luffy's grandfather got pulled away for work again, so we have the rest of the day to ourselves, but I have no idea what there is to do."
"Well there's always Marineford Town, but I'm partial to visiting the bay when I have the time to do so," he suggested. While undoubtedly large, the town wasn't really that interesting of a place to visit as it wasn't intended to be a tourist destination.
"The bay sounds nice." Makino pushed a lock of hair behind her ear and smiled up at him through her lashes. "Would you show us the way?"
Drake opened his mouth to answer when a loud belch interrupted them, and they turned towards Luffy who was patting his stomach in content. Dark eyes landed on Drake and widened as Luffy shot up and slammed his hands on the table. "You're that dino guy!"
"Luffy," Makino clapped her hands together, "Drake's offered to take us to see Marineford Bay. Doesn't that sound fun?" The unsure expression on the kid's face said no, but it immediately turned around when she added, "It'll be like a little adventure."
"Well, I didn't-" Drake trailed off in the face of the two excited visitors.
"Oh, go on and show the lady around, Drake. I'll cover for you." One of Drake's squadmates happened to be sitting at the next table and had turned in his chair, a wide grin on his face at his friend's obvious discomfort.
"Then that settles it." Makino stood up and brushed off her skirt. "Let's go, Luffy!" She looked expectantly at Drake who reined in a sigh and followed.
The walk was a fairly long one, even longer since Makino had to keep shepherding Luffy in the right direction, but when they reached the outside, a small gasp escaped her. It was a wide, open area that Drake introduced as the Oris Plaza. Pale stone curved around the bay like a crescent moon, and it provided an uninhibited view of the open sea. Farther off into the distance, she could make out the Gates of Justice that they had passed through on their arrival.
Luffy stuck his pinky up his nose, unimpressed. "There's nothing here." With a good natured roll of her eyes, Makino told him to stop picking his nose and let Drake lead them on.
They walked along the edge sparing more than one warning for Luffy to be careful. Luckily, the boy had always been easily entertained and was running around laughing. While keeping an eye on him, Makino was able to pull Drake into relaxed conversation. He wasn't very forthcoming about his life before joining the Marines, so Makino told him about herself instead. She talked about the small village she was born and raised in, full of cows and windmills and fields of tall grass - at this he admitted there was nothing but snow where he grew up - and about the bar she worked in and hoped to own someday.
He peppered in facts about the bay and the plaza, and when he noticed her visibly stiffen as he pointed out the execution scaffold, he moved them along towards what he considered the most interesting part of the Oris Plaza. The Ox Bell stood proud, and Drake launched into an exciting history lesson about its origin on an ancient warship, the Ox Lloy's, as well as the significance of when it gets rung at the beginning and end of the year. Makino listened on, enjoying how passionate the stoic man was getting.
As with all new things that interested him, Luffy shot forward, no doubt wanting to touch and ring the massive bell. One moment Drake was beside her, and the next he had vanished to appear in front of Luffy, snatching up the child before he could get within ten yards of the sacred object. "You mustn't mess with the Ox Bell," Drake scolded, "as its rings are also used to announce disaster."
Just as Makino caught up to them, Luffy flopped over to hang upside down off Drake's arms. He groaned, "This is boring!" Suddenly he raised up, "Hey, hey! Can you do the dinosaur thing again?"
"Luffy," she warned.
"Oh, uh, please?" Luffy glanced back and was glad Makino had an approving smile turned towards him. Giving in was inevitable, especially when Makino turned those large doe eyes on him, so Drake agreed. They had to go to one of the training yards to do so, though, and on the walk back, Makino asked Drake about what other history he knew which earned her a brief but charming smile that sent heat to her cheeks.
His transformation was still startling, but Drake assured them he had full control in his allosaurus form so she sat back and watched Luffy attempt to climb the large dinosaur. To be honest, he hadn't seemed the sort to like children, but he was showing an impressive amount of patience with Luffy - which, from experience, Makino knew wasn't always the easiest thing despite how much she loved the young boy.
The afternoon was enjoyable, and it seemed playing with a dinosaur could even tire out an endless bubble of energy like Luffy. They boy took a small nap before dinner time during which Makino asked more about Drake's Devil Fruit, wondering what it was like to transform into something else, and they conversed, sharing small smiles and quiet laughs until he escorted them back to the dining hall for dinner. He carried Luffy in one arm allowing the boy to continue sleeping and held out his other arm for Makino to take. Amused faces followed them the entire way as word spread of Drake spending his day with a young woman and a child.
He handed Luffy over to Makino just as he started waking up when they arrived and smelled the food. Unfortunately he couldn't stay to eat with them again and bid them farewell.
Over the following days, fate seemed determined for Makino and Drake to run into each other. Although he wasn't always able to escape his duties, he tried to make time to spend with her and Luffy. He took them into Marineford Town and enjoyed Makino's marvel at how much bigger it was than her hometown. She regaled him with stories of Foosha, and he couldn't help himself from buying her a copy of Brag Men after learning of her love of books.
Some days Garp was free to spend more time with Luffy, and on those days, Makino tried to give them alone time. Drake always seemed to find her as she wandered the halls of the base by herself and would show her his favorite spots with the best views, one time sneaking lunch onto a parapet to enjoy, where they sat just a little too close to each other.
It was all more fun than Makino had honestly expected to have when Garp first brought them there, but of course it couldn't last, and it was soon their last day. Drake took her for another small picnic by the bay, Luffy getting to join this time, before they had to be at the port ready to go. He walked them there, going a little slower than normal, and realized as they approached that he'd finally get to meet Luffy's grandfather.
They reached the line of ships, and Luffy ran off ahead to tackle one of the Marine officers there. Abrupt fear gripped Drake's heart when the Marine turned and was revealed to be Vice-Admiral Monkey D. Garp. He quickened his pace and snapped a salute before beginning an apology for the young boy's impertinence when Garp laughed and tossed Luffy up onto his shoulder.
"Is it time to go, Grandpa?" Drake felt as if the world was turning on its axle. While he'd gleaned that Luffy's grandfather was a fairly high-up official - why else would the two civilians have had free reign over the base - the idea that he was not only a Vice-Admiral but Garp the Fist had never crossed his mind.
"Just about, kid." Garp grinned and looked at Makino. "Are you all set?"
"Yessir," she laughed, giving him a relaxed version of the salute she'd seen many give him over the week.
Suddenly the Vice-Admiral's eyes fell on Drake. "And who are you?"
Drake lost his ability to speak, so it was lucky that Makino skipped over and grabbed his arm. "This is Chief Petty Officer X Drake. He's been taking care of us this week," she cheerfully told Garp.
"Is that so?" Being under the intense scrutiny of Vice-Admiral Garp was enough to make any man sweat, much less one who had spent days growing close with a woman who was apparently like family to him, but then the Vice-Admiral's frown broke into a boisterous laugh. Garp clapped a heavy hand on Drake's back, nearly sending the man falling forward. "I'd always hoped you'd find a good military man, Makino."
"Wha-" Makino flushed but denied nothing which only made Drake's turn bright red as well.
Without giving her any chance to argue, Garp said, "Now say your goodbyes. We've got to head out soon." Luffy looked up from his place on his grandpa's shoulder and excitedly waved goodbye "to the awesome dino guy" while Garp set off to the ship.
Makino hung back and wrung her hands together.
"So," he side-eyed her, "Vice-Admiral Garp?"
"Had I not mentioned that?" she giggled, playing with a strand of her hair. She looked up at Drake, admired the face she'd admittedly grown attached to over the trip, and her heart fell knowing she had to leave. "I, um-"
Whatever she planned to say was cut off when Drake grabbed her hand and bowed over it to pressed a soft kiss to her knuckles. Heat blossomed across her face and down her neck when his gaze connected with hers. "It was truly a pleasure spending time with you this week, Makino."
This stroke of boldness caught her completely off-guard and left her the blushing mess for once. "Y-yes. For me as well." And that was all either of them had to say. All they needed to say. Drake escorted her to the ship, his hand brushing along her lower back, and watched as she joined Garp and Luffy on deck.
Makino stayed by the railings until they set off, keeping her eyes on Drake until he was out of sight. Sighing softly, she stared at her hand, still feeling the sensation of warm lips against her skin.
It was almost enough to keep her distracted when the sea sickness hit. Almost.