Thanks to Minimini123 on AO3 for the prompts that had to do with decorating the Christmas tree! Hope you enjoy :)

The sharp smell of fir permeated the Polar Tang. Usually, Law wouldn't have minded, but it was giving Penguin a headache and thus he did mind. A lot.

"No."

Nami stood with arms akimbo, feet firmly planted in front of her tree.

"Yes."

Law folded his arms, using his height to his advantage, towering over the shorter pirate who did not care one iota.

"It. Stays."

"And I am putting the wellbeing of my crew before your holiday feelings. The tree goes."

Nami's brow bunched as she geared up to what looked to be a telling off of the century.

And then her shoulders dropped in sudden defeat.

"Fine."

All air had left her, even her voice sounded flat and calm.

Each step away from her tree took away something, diminishing her and whittling away at her spirit. Even her hair, usually electric and lively, moving around her in spirited waves, hang limp, hiding her features.

And Law saw, to his consternation, the wet tracks on her cheeks as she passed under the night light.

"Nami."

His voice stopped her in her tracks, but she still stood turned away, the slope of her shoulders the only visible sign of her spirit.

Law wrapped his arms around her, leaning his head against hers. Her warmth was countered by icy fingers wrapping around his forearms as she leaned into his touch. He could feel her uneven breathing against his chest, her breaths ragged and irregular.

"Christmas trees are… important for me," Nami finally managed to say, tears lacing her voice. "I just wanted it to be a surprise. It's… it's what Bell-Mére used to do for me and Nojiko when we were small and- and-"

The rest of her sentence was cut off in a wet hiccup.

"And then I started doing it on the Sunny but now I'm not there, so- so I- so…"

Law felt his heart clench.

Of course.

"I understand. But Penguin is allergic," he said, stroking her hair soothingly, feeling the hiccups course through her as she tried to reign in her tears.

"I- I didn't know," Nami admitted in a tiny voice, her hands tightening on his arms. "I just wanted to surprise you."

Law pressed a kiss to her temple. "Is it the tree or the surprise that's important?"

"Both. It's the smell and the surprise and the- the whole thing."

"Since Penguin will not be able to breathe, we'll have to figure something else out instead of having a whole-ass tree."

Nami laughed, a sad and soggy sound. "It would be a damper if he went into anaphylactic shock from a tree."

"He would have done that already if his allergies were that severe," Law hummed against her, tightening his grip for a moment and feeling her steadying heartbeat in his grasp. "But he will appreciate not having to spend the holidays wrapped in soothing bandages or coughing his lungs up."

"How about hyacints?"

"Nah, Bepo can't have them. He had one once and talked to a wall the rest of the day."

"Wait, he eats them?"

"You eat bread, but do I comment?"

"Speaking of bread, what about gingerbread?"

"Celiac. No bread."

"Lussebulle?"

"After the latest fiasco? No, siree."

"I tried! I even bought some gluten free flour!"

"You shouldn't have asked Zoro to buy it, now should you?"

Nami's laugh was brighter now, nary a trace of sorrow left. "Sorry. I really thought the third time had been the charm."

"It's fine," said Law. "But the tree needs to go."

Nami nodded in understanding, tightening her grip around him for a breath. "Thanks, Law."

Law smiled and pressed another kiss to her forehead.

"Go to sleep. We'll figure it out tomorrow."

Nami merely nodded and sniffled one last time before giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

Law watched the slight figure disappear down the hallway towards their cabin. He waited until he heard the door open and close in the distance before he teleported into the cockpit, where Hakugan and Bepo were on night shift.

"Bepo, call the Sunny. We need to meet up."

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