Title- Patience
Author- kawaiichiisaikitsune (pirate-kiari)
Rating- K+
Pairings- LuffyxNami, NojikoxOC (may be more later on)
Summary- 'Balls weren't really what everyone said them to be. At least, to this young girl they weren't.' A story about a royal family, a farmer boy, a series of balls/dances, and everything in between. AU, LuNa

This took longer to finish than Kiari-san had expected. She blames it all on the AIMs Writing practice essays. They're murder! Well, enjoy! C:

Disclaimer- She don't own One Piece. All copyrighted of genius Eiichiro Oda-sama.

Patience

-Chapter Nine: Green-Eyed-

Again that night, Luffy stayed over again upon the princess' own request. When she awoke, she found him sprawled out on the soft, carpeted floor with a smile on his face. He was still garbbed in the same clothing as before and his hat rested on the same pillow she'd found it the morning before.

Apparently, he'd fallen off the bed.

Nami couldn't help herself a grin as she picked herself from her bed. He was like a child most of the time; cute, excentric, and lovable. She couldn't think of anything more as she dressed herself in the day's dress, basking in the late morning glow. The fact that she'd been waking up much later than usual also grazed her mind.

Within a couple hours, the orange-haired artist shook awake the sleeping farmer. "Come on, wake up Luffy." It was a while before he reacted and slowly groaned awake. "Don't you want breakfast?"

The boy had fully awaken at that point and shot up with a grin. And before Nami could say anything, he raced out the door with no direction, only popping back in once to grab his forgotten hat and to tell her to hurry. She gave a cheerful laugh and did as told.

The dining hall was not empty at that time. All three of the Kororo family were sitting at their spots when the two entered. Their plates were near clean and they all turned when they heard the door open. The cooks scurried back into their kitchen at that same time and Nami froze.

"Nami," Niwa was first to say anything, slight annoyance lacing his voice, "Care to introduce us to your friend who, I assume, spent the night here?" He motioned at the scarred boy she was keeping from sitting down at the long table.

"I suppose I should," she replied nervously, smiling weakly, "This is Luffy, a farmer from the hut on the hill. Luffy, this is the King, the Queen, and the little Prince."

"It's nice to meet you Luffy-san," the King greeted with a smirk, "Good to see Nami's found a nearby friend." He earned an elbow in the ribs and a stern look from Nojiko.

"It's very nice to meet you Luffy-san," she smiled more pleasantly, "I'm Nojiko, Nami's older sister."

Luffy happily greeted them in return, a large smile gracing his childish tan face. Then the two took their seats at the table and were served a short breakfast as the others stayed to keep them company. Niwa was trying to keep Kenji from becoming restless at the table while the Queen looked to be studying the guest.

"I've seen you the other day, I'm sure of it. You were walking down the second hall," she said at last, seeming satisfied.

"Mm, yeah," he replied around a mouthful, looking back at her, "I was looking for the bathroom."

"I told you there's a bathroom in my room," Nami reprimanded.

"But Nami," he whined, "You were using it."

She blushed, answering in a hoarse whisper, "I said you could still use it, just knock before you come in."

Now it was his turn to blush and stuttered, "I... I didn't want to..."

The blue-haired lady laughed in amusement, having heard the whole thing despite their hushed voices. "You two have only met a couple days ago and you're already so close. It's sweet," she cooed, earning a couple odd looks; "You will stay for tonight's ball, won't you, Luffy-san?"

The farmer looked up from his clean plate and flashed that toothy grin of his. "Of course," he chimed, before glancing over at the princess, "If Nami doesn't mind..."

"Oh, of course not," she said as though coming out of a trance, "Please stay."

"Okay!" he cheered, grin growing wider yet.

II

Luffy's stomach twisted up and in itself, giving him an uneasy feeling as he watched himself in the reflective glass. His slacks had been unrolled, his shoes adorn and a new black vest present. His suntanned skin looked pale in nervousness as he fidgeted in his suit. He didn't know what to do but stand there in silence with himself. Nami said she'd return shortly.

It seemed like hours before the orange-haired princess stepped back into her room. She was dressed more elegantly than he'd ever seen her. Her dress was long and flowing, cascading down smooth legs in ripples of white silk. The top hugged her torso in a flattering way, two thick bands lopped over and around her shoulders and the neck shaped like the top of a heart. The design was simple; pink bands traveling around the material and crossing each other at even angles. Her skin looked smooth and fresh, as though she'd just finished a bath and her eyes glistened in all their chocolate-colored glory. Short, vibrant orange hair was brushed through and done up in pigtails with diamond bands while uneven bangs still framed her face. Ruby charms littered her neck and chest with chains of silver and platinum and bracelets dangled on her wrist of the same material. Pink and clear diamonds hung from her ears on silver strands and her face was colored in the softest touched of modest enhancement.

Luffy couldn't seem to bring his obsidian eyes away as his heart began to race in his chest, his stomach began to flip, and color rose to his cheeks. When the other had noticed his stare, her face darkened in her own blush. "Too much?" she asked nervsouly. He had no idea how to respond.

"N-not really..." he finally said with a stutter, much to the other's relief.

"Good! Then let's get down to the ballroom," she grinned and started out of the room with him right behind her.

Nami and Luffy passed multiple maids and servants in the hall, all of which gave the princess a compliment the other frowned at. He couldn't really seem to figure out why he wasn't fond of the rightful comments she was receiving. Was it because he couldn't find the right thing to say when it had been his turn? Was he jealous that others could compliment her so easily while he couldn't? What was that gnawing, grinding feeling in the back of his head that had his stomach twist inside and out and his blood heat? Was that true jealousy? If so, he didn't like it much.

"Nami-swan!" a well-dressed man suddenly chimed from the doorway of a kitchen, "You look phenominal this evening. Might I escourt you to the ball tonight?"

"Perhaps, Sanji-kun," she smiled warmly, making him dance with pleasure, "But now I'm being escourted by Luffy." The farmer was surprised at this, but soon grinned a hundred times what would be assumed humanly possible.

The cook looked disappointed, but quickly perked up when the two started leaving. "Then I shall see you there, my dear," he called after her, waving with a flourish.

Once the pair had some distance on the other, the orange-haired artist smiled a purely genuine smile at the straw-hat boy. "That was Sanji-kun, one of our cooks. He's quite efficent in his work, but can be easily distracted at times." She breathed a sigh, "We'll be seeing him later tonight, I'm sure of it."

There was a slow silence between them after that, making the halls seem tremendously long. So Luffy spoke up, asking a question out of the blue; "Do you like him?"

Nami was taken aback a bit. She didn't expect such a question to pop up and fidgeted under his curious gaze. "Well, yes, I suppose I do like him..." His face fell. "But not as if I'd want to marry him. I like him more in the sence of a friend; nothing more."

He looked utterly pleased at her answer, but there was still that one little question buzzing in the back of his mind. "And me?"

"You're a friend too," she replied more confidently and grinned, "Nothing more, nothing less." Again, his face fell. It was much less noticable than before though, and she never noticed as they continued to the ballroom.

Hours later found them in the richly decorated ballroom littered with entertainment and guests as the ball had begun some minutes earlier. The room was cluttered with fancy dressed women and men of royal status either talking or dancing to the melodic music that whaffed about the closed-in area. Luffy remained near a wall, seeming very shy as he watched the couples that glided around the marble floors to the slow beat of the instruments. He even saw Nami pass once or twice, but didn't call out to her like he normally would. He did know a little about manners, even if he didn't usually choose to use them.

Uncharacteristicly, his mind was clouded with multiple thoughts that didn't want to leave him alone. They buzzed in his ears left and right until he literally shook his head free of them. He hated thinking too much and strolled quickly over to the only princess he knew that was talking with a couple others. She looked pleased to see him and he was glad.

She offered that they dance and he was more than pleased to comply, despite the fact of his "two left feet." If anything came from that, it was the realization that he indeed have some sort of emotional feeling towards her. And he wasn't afraid to admit it; to himself or anyone. There was just one detail to smooth out. Was this feeling love exactly, or something else?

Luffy watched with a twitch of unusal annoyance as a certain blonde cook was permitted a dance with the lovely orange-haired girl of his desire. He couldn't seem to look away from the two waltzing around the cluttered dance floor. He also couldn't seem to ultimately understand the horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach that made him want to shout out in pained anger. It was understandable enough that he'd never felt such a thing before though and that was what was confusing him most.

"Luffy-san?" Someone interupted his thoughts much to his relief. He turned with a small smile to greet the grinning king and his wife. "Has Nami abandoned you?"

"She's dancing with..." he paused to try and remember the man's name, but failed; "Curly eyebrow."

"In other words, she did," Niwa lighted good-naturedly, earning a giggling jab in the ribs.

"She did not," Nojiko disagreed, "Sanji-kun's been badgering her about one dance for the past couple days of balls. She's just finally getting him out of her hair, so to speak. Though I'm not so sure it'll work; poor dear. At least she's got you, Luffy-san, hasn't she?"

"Me?" he asked surprised. He received no answer.

Instead, the king laughed; "Sanji-san does come on rather strong, doesn't he? But he does that with most the women he sees. He's not to be taken seriously much. I suppose I do feel a bit sorry for Nami though."

"It's not much of a laughing matter," the queen frowned this time. There was a pause as the music died out for the next piece to begin. She smiled to the farmer who still looked slightly baffled at them, "We'll leave you alone now then. Come, Niwa dear, shall we dance?" The two left together with loving smiles on their faces.

The scarred boy watch them off a second or two before refocusing on the object of his thoughts. Her dance partner and her had finished their waltz due to the fading of the music, but they weren't quite separated. Sanji had bowed in a very gentleman way, taking up her delicate hand and softly kissing her knuckles. Had he known any better, she looked to be giving a giddy laugh at it. This happened to disturb him enough to walk over to the two with a frown.

"Luffy? What is it?" Nami asked, startled as he took up her other hand and nearly pulled her away from the blonde and brought them to the other side of the dance floor.

"I... I just wanted to dance," he replied with a stuttering frown. He tried to assume the dancing position he'd been told a couple times before and let all the bad emotions fade far away, but she wouldn't let him.

"No, you're much too mad at something to just want a dance," she gave him a thin-lipped look that soon melted into concern, "What's wrong?"

Luffy paused. "I don't..." he hesitated, "I don't like curly eyebrow."

"Sanji-kun? You barely know the man. How do you know you don't like him?"

He didn't want to answer, but she gave him a look that said he'd have to. And so, his voice raised slightly in as much angry defiance as he'd ever be able to muster towards her. "I just don't."

"That makes no sense, Luffy," she answered in a voice as equally loud, "Give me a real reason."

"He kissed you!" he boiled with embarrassment and rage.

"He kissed my hand. He does that all the time. Sanji's a harmless flirt. It is nothing to get upset at, you know."

"It is!" he argued loudly, making them both angry. Heads were beginning to turn.

"Why?"

"Because..." his voice dropped and he began to hesitated.

"Because?" she urged, succeeding in angering him further.

"I LOVE YOU!"

-TBC-

--Review Replies--

-Chapter Eight-

Urainium235, thanks for your review. Mwa haha! Kiari-san feels so devious now. There are more clueless people in the world! XD Glad you're enjoying!

God'sAngel, thanks for your review. Did you enjoy? She had a feeling you might. And she's very glad you like her dancing scenes, seeing as there was another one. Shorter though, she thinks...

lunalove101, thanks for your review. Yay! Cookie!! She hopes you liked this one as much then. Oh, and she already has a Chopper plushie and a Luffy plushie. What she needs now is a Nami plushie, an Usopp plushie, a Zoro plushie, a Sanji plushie, a Robin plushie, a Franky plushie, an Ace plushie, a Shanks plushie, and an Eneru plushie (since he's her fave bad guy)!! XD

beamz, thanks for your review. You're right on two accounts, but she won't say what they are. XP And there probably will be a bit drama. Glad you're enjoying!

Flames are ignored, constructive criticism is highly appreciated, and praise is great for Kiari-san's ego.