Author's Note: I finished this one fast, ne? X3 It's because I'm over my writer's block. I've decided to go ahead and finish this one before moving over to Forbidden Love. After all, I'm almost done with this one. It has maybe 5 chapters max left to it. Let's see if I will make it to 30 … XP Anyways, enjoy! XD

Genderly Challenged

Chapter 24: Dost Thou Realize That Thee Belongs To Me …?

Looking down to the ground, Luffy then sighed. Then he leaned back to stare up as more stars began to appear in the sky. Then he tilted his head as he watched them sparkle.

"Pretty, aren't they?"

"Mm hmm …" He agreed quietly as they both seemed to be staring up at them. Then he closed his eyes and sighed. "Okay … so maybe I am …"

"Ah?" Nami questioned as she rolled her head to the side to look over at him, her head still leaned back.

"Jealous … maybe I am …"

Blinking down at him for a bit, her lips then curved up into a smile. However, she then chuckled. "I had no idea until Robin told me …"

"E-h?!" He exclaimed angrily as he turned to look at her. "That's not fair!"

She continued to smile at him before turning her head to look back up. "But I guess I should have known you were attracted to me … I mean, you did show that you were back with my Happiness Punch." Throat clicking, Luffy blinked up at her as his face flushed a bit in memory. "I didn't really think anything of it though, since the others had the same reaction as you did …" She continued, the smile still there.

Face relaxing, he then turned his head and tilted it back to look up as more and more stars appeared as the sky darkened further. "A star …"

"Mm?" She hummed as she looked down at him.

"You're like a star …"

"Ha?"

"You … sparkle … just like a star, so pretty and bright …" He started in a soft and quiet voice before his arm slowly rose up to join his gaze. "But … no matter how much I reach … or even how far I stretch … I can never reach that bright and pretty star …" He said as his expression softened further before he slowly lowered his arm. "You always seem out of reach … just like that bright and beautiful star … You are that bright and beautiful … out of reach star …"

Nami gaped down at him, her face slowly staining a bright red from his words. Then she sucked in her breath softly. "Wow …" She breathed as she released that breath shakily.

Eyes widening slightly and then going back to normal just as quickly, he then shifted just his eyes to look at her. However, as he did, his cheeks then proceeded to match hers in color as he looked away again.

"Sorry …"

"No … It's okay …" She said softly as she continued to stare at him. "That was … really sweet, Luffy …"

His eyes shifted down to the ground quickly, the stain on his cheeks being just that … a stain. Slowly leaning down, she let her elbows rest on her knees as she continued to watch him.

"Do you really mean that?"

"Mm hmm … Guess I always have …" He replied quietly.

"It isn't true …"

Furrowing his brows, he then looked up at her. "Huh?"

"I'm not a star that's out of reach …"

He only blinked up at her. "Y-You're not …?"

"No … I'm not … because … even if I am up high … you can still stretch … There's nothing that you can't reach …" She said softly as she smiled and then held out her hand. "See? I'm right here. I'm not out of reach."

Lips parting a bit as he stared into her eyes, he then shifted his eyes down to her hand. However, the way he looked, he almost looked afraid the hand would be pulled away and out of reach once more.

"I'm not out of reach, Luffy. I'm right here … It's not Sanji … It's not Sanji that I was attracted to. It was you …" She whispered as she kept her hand extended. "Sometimes you seem like that star to me too, Luffy …" She continued as her smile warmed. "Are you out of reach? I can't stretch though … like you can …"

He continued to stare at her hand as he took a shaky breath. "I'm not out of reach, Nami … Not for you, never for you …" He whispered back as he took her hand, and as he did, she pulled him to her in a hug. "I would come down … if you'd just ask me too …" He said as he hugged her back.

She laughed softly as she buried her face into his hair. He smiled too as they remained that way for awhile before he pulled back, the blush still occupying his cheeks. Then, for some reason, at the same time, they both looked back up to the stars.

"They don't seem so far away anymore, do they?"

"Nu uh … They sure don't … Nami …"

Shifting her eyes down, Nami just smiled as she kept her head leaned back. The way he looked at the moment, he almost looked like himself again. His smile … his eyes, and his scar … Closing her eyes, she then turned her body to lean back against the bench's back. Looking down at her, he smiled wider at seeing her smile before turning as well to sit back. However, he then let himself slide down to lean against her, still holding her hand.

"Thanks …" He whispered as they continued to stargaze together.

"There's nothing to thank me for, Luffy."

"I still want to …" He whispered back as he let his head rest on her shoulder.

Turning to look down at him, her smile warmed considerably. "Then you're welcome … Thanks too …"

He released a really cute giggle, or so it was to Nami. "Nothin' ta thank me for, Nami … but you're welcome too …"

Then she turned to look back up again. They were silent for a long while, until Luffy finally broke the silence. "Ne … Nami …?"

She blinked a bit, for his voice was incredibly soft and almost inaudible. "Hmm?"

"Do you think … we would still feel this way … when we get turned back?"

Taking in a soft gasp, her eyes widened a bit, not having thought about this. Maybe they did only feel this way because of their genders being switched. She certainly hadn't felt this way before, right?

"I-I … I don't know …"

"Mm …" He hummed softly. "I really hope … that we do …" He whispered very softly now.

Blinking again, she finally looked down at him to see that his eyes were closed … He had fallen asleep. Eyes softening, she then reached up to cup the side of his face gently, letting her hand run down his hair and face.

"I do too, Luffy …" She whispered before leaning down to kiss the top of his head.

xxxx

Having sat at the bench for a long while, Nami had then decided it had been time to head back to the others. Not wanting to have to wake Luffy, she had instead shifted around until she could lift him into her arms. As soon as she had, he had cradled his head into the dip of her arm and chest. Now, on the walk back, she received curious stares, but didn't really care. She even received envious stares, but tried her best to ignore those. She was really glad Luffy wasn't heavy at all to her, or she might have had a problem.

As the hotel came into view, she continued towards it and walked inside. As she had figured, the crew and Tsura were nowhere in sight. Going up the stairs, with only a little trouble, she made her way down the hall until she came up to a door. Reaching up as best she could, she then knocked on it. It didn't take long before it was answered.

"Took you long enough you … Ah! Nami-sa-"

"Shh! He's asleep." She said quietly as she pushed past him to get inside, Luffy cuddling more into her.

"Ah …? N-Nami-san … Wha-What happened?"

"Nothing happened … We talked … and then he fell asleep." She said, fighting a massive blush as she approached one of the beds.

Usopp pulled the covers aside for her, and then she laid him down carefully, pulling them back over him. Her eyes softened for a split second before she walked away from him to leave.

"Eh …?" Usopp whispered softly to himself, having seen in that brief second her soft eyes.

"He wasn't too much trouble for you, was he, Nami-san?"

"Of course not …" She replied as she approached him again. Then she stopped to look back over at Luffy. "We just needed to talk …"

"What about?" Zoro asked from his place on the floor.

"About … my behavior …" She said as her cheeks flushed to that.

"Your behavior, Nami-san?"

"Mm … I've been … losing my temper a lot with him … and … for some reason … overriding his authority … I just … wanted to apologize for it …"

"Overriding his authority?" Usopp asked as he scratched the side of his face.

"Mm … I don't really know why either … I normally just do what he says, or go along with what he decides, but lately … it's like …"

"Male dominance."

"Eh?" She questioned as she turned to gape at Sanji, who was smiling at her.

"Is that right? You were feeling as if … you should be in charge."

"I … I guess … so … Now that I think about it …"

"Aa, it's your male side … wanting dominance. I think we all have to fight that sometimes. It is hard … at times … to remember that Luffy is the captain, because of how he can be sometimes. But he is the captain, and subordinance is what we promised him and something we live by."

"It is hard sometimes …" She started to agree as she looked over at Luffy. "But … I respect that he's captain, and his decisions, even if I hate the decisions he makes, and am sometimes mad at him for making them … I seemed to have forgotten that since being changed, and apologized for it. Even though Tsura has given us this lead … he was right about her from the beginning. She did lie about knowing Manny. He always was good at judging people upon first meeting them. Though, he did apologize for possibly ruining our chance to find her." She said before looking back at Sanji. "Speaking of which … what happened to Tsura?"

"She went home …"

"Did she tell you where to find this woman?"

"No … I'm afraid not, Nami-san … She said she only wanted to tell you …"

Nami groaned as she rubbed her forehead with her eyes closed. "I was afraid of that … What a pain …" She said before looking back up at Sanji again. "Did she say she would come back?"

"Tomorrow morning … She said she would show you where this woman was."

Nodding, she then turned to give Luffy one last glance. "All right … I'll see you guys in the morning then …" She said before turning and leaving.

xxxx

The next morning, Luffy was in a great mood, much to the crew's bewilderment.

"What the hell are you so happy for …?" Zoro muttered to him.

"What are you talking about? I'm always happy!" He said as he pointed to himself, his expression turning blank.

"You've been pretty moody lately though …"

"Mm …" He hummed as he looked away from Zoro. "I guess because we talked …"

"Mm …" Zoro hummed back as he kept a quirked brow on his captain.

"Anyways, I'm hungry! Let's eat!"

"Can't …"

"E-h?! Why?!"

"We gotta wait for Tsura-chan …" Sanji continued as he stared out of the window from where he sat.

Blowing raspberries in disapproval, Luffy then huffed as he crossed his arms. "I wanna eat … Can't we just stop somewhere to get something …?"

"That's up to Nami-san …"

Blinking, everyone realized Sanji's quiet mood. "You okay, Sanji?" Chopper asked as he waddled over to him. "Are you feeling sick?"

"No …"

"Then, what's wrong, chicken legs?"

"Nothing, why …?" He muttered as he continued to stare out of the window.

"You're quiet … You're never quiet … You always have something to yell about, or complain about …"

"No I don't …"

"Eh …?" They questioned when Sanji didn't turn to fight with Zoro's comments.

"Okay, something's definitely wrong with you!" Usopp exclaimed as he pointed a finger at him.

Blinking slowly with a click of his throat, Sanji furrowed his brows into a frown as he turned to look at them. "There's nothing wrong with me, you dipshits …"

"Ah … that's a little better …" Usopp said as he drooped in relief.

"Well, then what the hell are you so quiet about?"

"That's none of you damned business, overgrown lawn!" Sanji yelled in return before sighing and standing. "Let's just go down and meet with Nami-san since the shit for brains has woken up …" He continued as he proceeded to the door.

Blinking at his back, the others then got up to follow him. They made their way downstairs, where Nami and Robin were already waiting.

"Morning!" Luffy called as he waved at them.

Turning, a smile formed on Nami's lips. "Morning." She replied before turning back towards the door. "I hope she comes soon … or if at all …"

"I'm sure she will come." Robin reassured as she smiled.

Just as she did, the door opened and Tsura stepped inside. "Ah, Nalu-san! Good morning!" She said as she trotted up to Nami. "I-Is everything all right?"

"Everything's fine. I'm sorry about that."

"Oh, no! It's okay! It wasn't your fault!" Tsura said as she gave Luffy a displeasing and accusing glance, who only smirked back to the girl's surprise.

"It was my fault …"

"Eh?!" Tsura exclaimed as she stared up at Nami wide eyed.

"I shouldn't have lost my temper like that …" She said as she rubbed her head and shifted her eyes away.

"Oh … I-I see …" Tsura said before smiling. "Are you ready to find this crazy woman?"

"Mm, that's up to Luna …" She said as she turned to smile at Luffy.

"Eh? Up to her? Why?!" Tsura exclaimed as the two smiled at one another, feeling a heat rise inside of her as she frowned at them both.

Chuckling, Luffy smiled as he grinned at Nami. "Yosh! Let's find this crazy lady!" He exclaimed, before losing his grin and looking thoughtful. "Ah, but … can we eat first?" He asked with a bit of a pout.

Laughing softly, Nami then nodded as she turned towards Tsura. "Do you mind? We haven't eaten breakfast yet."

"Oh! Not at all!" Tsura replied with a forced smile.

"Great! Let's go!" Luffy exclaimed with a pump of his fist as he began to walk out.

Smiling to herself, Nami followed him out as well as everyone else. Tsura took it upon herself to walk beside Nami. "What are your favorite foods, Nalu-san?"

"Mikan!"

"Eh?" Tsura muttered as she looked ahead of her towards Luffy, who had answered for Nami. Pursing her lips, she then huffed as she looked away. "I didn't ask you!"

"In any case … she's right …" Nami replied nervously with a small smile. "I love mikan."

"Oh …" Tsura replied as a small flush appeared on her cheeks. 'Such a delicate fruit.' "I-I like mikan as well!"

"I love meat!"

"Yet again … I didn't ask you …"

The others trailed behind, Zoro snickering at Luffy's attempted to annoy the girl. Sanji only watched, his expression devoid of any emotion.

"Oi, Na-uh-lu! Can we go back to that place I got some food from last night?! It was really good!"

Tsura frowned in confusion, as it seemed the raven haired girl had forgotten his friend's name. "Whatever you want, I don't really care." Nami replied as she smiled at his back.

"Woohoo!"

Frowning further, Tsura turned to look back at Nami. Suddenly, she was being extremely compliant and nice to the scarred girl. Then she leaned over towards her.

"Why did you have to ask her if we could find this crazy lady?" She whispered quietly, so only Nami could hear.

"Because, it's his decision to make … I seemed to have forgotten that … over the past few days, and that's what I had to apologize for."

"His?"

"Ah! I mean hers! Haha!" Nami replied quickly as she laughed nervously. "Imagine that!"

"Eh?" Luffy questioned as he turned to look at them.

Tsura only blinked up at Nami before joining her laughter. Blinking as well, Luffy just turned back around. The others cleared their throats, glad she seemed to accept Nami's slip up. Tsura glanced at the others before looking back up at Nami. Something was definitely weird about the bunch.

"Why would it be her decision?" Tsura finally asked after awhile.

"Ah, well … maybe that's better left unanswered." Nami replied with another nervous smile.

"Here it is, Nalu!" Luffy exclaimed as he ran inside.

The man inside greeted them, and then proceeded to seat them. Luffy immediately sat next to Nami, and Tsura quickly took the opposite seat from her. Leaning over a bit with a smile, Nami then shifted her eyes to Luffy.

"You know … you're starting to get under her skin."

"Shishi, I know …!" He replied just as quietly with a snicker. "I realized there's nothing to be jealous about, because she's a girl …!"

Chuckling quietly, she then sat up straight with a smile. Next to her, Tsura fumed as she watched the two whisper and laugh with each other. What was their relationship? Did they already have something between them? Did that mean she didn't have a chance with Nalu? No! She would make Nalu notice her, and forget about this girl.

She wasn't going to lose to a disgusting girl, who picked her nose.

To Be Continued …

Author's Note: Fufufu! X3 So, what'd you guys think? Haha! Luffy's a smooth talker, yo! X3 Or at least I make him out to be … XP I hope you guys enjoyed this! But probably hate me for the lack of lovin'! X3 I has my reasons. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed! XD