WARNINGS: Cross-Dressing, YOAI (boyXboy) Shanks X Luffy, and wide age differences between people in a relationship.
Don't like, don't read. You've been warned.
'…' what they are thinking
"…" what they are saying
Disclaimer: One Piece and the name Doctor Dracula belong to their respected owners.
Being a Girl
Chapter 6: Complicating Things
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"Er… Tanya, Rully, you don't by any chance know which way we're suppose to be going?" Shanks asked.
Tanya almost fell off Shanks' back, "We've been going in a random direction this whole time!?"
"Pretty much," Shanks answered.
"Hm, well I don't know where we are." Luffy laughed. It wasn't bothering him that they were lost.
"I prefer stores to parks, so I don't know the layout either." Tanya said, "There are maps you can take in front of every gate leading into the park, but obviously you didn't see them." She nuzzled her nose against Shanks' neck. "Funny though, because the mayor had just finished putting up big signs to draw attention to them, so that visitors didn't get lost."
------30 minutes later-------
"You must be really strong," Tanya said, breath sliding over Shanks' ear, "You've been carrying me for a while."
The only reaction to this was a deep frown from Luffy.
Things like that had been going on for the last twenty minutes, and Shanks had learned to ignore it. Though the younger boy was having a bit of trouble doing the same.
Tanya, arm wrapped around Shanks' neck, slowly stroked his shoulder. Her thin hand trailed to his neck, and she made imaginary circles on it with her thumb.
Luffy made a sort of growling noise. But Shanks had to laugh; it sounded more cute then frightening. "Doing worry Rully," he said, "You're the only one for me." Luffy grinned, cheeks turning light pink for a second.
Tanya smirked, 'That's what you say now…'
Shanks turned his neck slightly to tell the girl on his back something. "Tanya-"
"Yes love?" She interrupted his sentence, leaning in so their faces were in closer proximity. Luffy looked at the girl, eyes narrowing. Tanya returned his look.
Shanks signed, 'Is she trying to pick a fight with Rully?'
Suddenly, Tanya jumped off Shanks and stepped in front of Luffy. The boy put his hands up, ready to block any attack. The girl didn't attack though, she touched Luffy's shoulder and fingered the material of the shirt he wore. Tanya's eyes widened, 'This is…' "Rully.. Can I talk to you in private for a minute?"
"Um-" Luffy started to say, but didn't get to finish before Tanya grabbed his arm. She pulled him off the path, behind some tall bushes, and out of earshot. Shanks was left alone, waiting and hoping nothing happened to Luffy.
"You're not a girl, are you?" Tanya looked Luffy in the eyes.
"How'd you know?" Luffy blinked.
"YOU'RE REALLY NOT A GIRL!?" Tanya's mouth dropped. "I was just guessing. I had seen that shirt you're wearing in a store. It was guaranteed to make it look like someone had nice curves. Even boys."
Luffy laughed, "What a cool shirt!"
"It's not about the shirt!" She yelled, "It's about the fact that those are fake!" She grabbed his boob and shook it. She could move it up his shoulders and down to his stomach. "Do you have any respect for real females?"
"He probably does," An orange haired girl stepped out from behind a short bush, "I'm the one who made him dress up like a girl."
"Who are you?" Tanya stepped back, letting go of Luffy's fake bust.
"Hi Nami! How'd you get here?" Luffy grinned.
Nami cocked an eyebrow, "I've been following you for the last ten minutes. When you didn't come back to the ship I thought you might be lost in the park… or… doing something else."
"Something else?" Luffy said tilting his head.
Both girls looked at Luffy as if he were dumber then a spoon. Tanya then turned to Nami, "Are you a guy too?"
"Nami's a guy?" Luffy said amazed, "No wonder she can hit so hard."
"I'M NOT A GUY!" She slammed her fist over Luffy's head.
The poor boy was on the ground in a heart beat, eyes spinning.
"Wow," Tanya said, "You do hit hard."
"There's no other way to keep guys in line." Nami huffed.
Luffy got up, hands gently feeling the bump on his head. "Ow!"
-----On the pathway-----
Shanks stood wondering what the two were talking about when he noticed something. The person who he had realized was following them was no longer there! Shanks ran to the place Rully and Tanya were, hoping the stranger didn't go to attack them while they were alone. He burst in to where the group was standing "Rully! Tanya! Are you ok?"
Nami just barely had enough time to adjust Luffy's crooked chest before Shanks saw him.
"Hi Shanks!" Luffy turned to smile at the man.
"We're fine." Tanya said. 'So Rully's fooling Shanks too. How horrible. The guy thinks he likes a girl, but it's really another guy!' "But you need to know something... Rully's actually a b-" Tanya began to say before Nami grabbed her neck and started to strangle her.
"Don't you dare." Nami managed to whisper before she was pried off by Shanks.
"Who are you?" The red-haired man looked down at the girl.
Luffy grinned proudly, "That's my navigator, Nami!"
"A navigator of a ship? You sail, Rully?" asked a curious Shanks.
Not liking where this was going, Nami intervened, "-Are you guys lost?"
"Yes," The three said in unison.
"I know the way. We're actually not too far from the exit." The orange haired girl motioned them to follow her.
----6 minutes later-----
They had walked in silence, amazed at how Nami could navigate through the pathways and trees until they reached the exit.
The group stepped onto the sidewalk surrounding the park. It was the middle of the night and the area was deserted.
"Oh!" Tanya said clapping her hands together, "I know where we are! Around that corner," She pointed ahead of her, "and a block down is my dad's place."
"But that's where the Marine base is." Nami said.
"My daddy's the Marine Captain."
Shanks, Luffy, and Nami stiffened. 'No Way!' Little beads of sweat could practically be seen falling from them. "Lets not go there!"
"Well, I can see why you wouldn't want to," She pointed to Shanks, "Don't think I didn't recognize you. You're a pirate." She smiled, "But I won't tell my dad if you let me walk around on your ship."
Shanks looked at Rully and Nami; they didn't seem surprised that he was a pirate. 'Maybe they recognized too?' Shanks signed, "Alright, it's close by."
They happily turned their backs to the base and walked toward the pirate ship. A few seconds after Shanks asked, "If your dad's a Marine Captain, why didn't he have the Marines looking for you? For someone of that rank they would use more then fliers to find a missing kid."
Tanya was silent for a moment, wondering if she should tell them or not. "I… I ran away." She swallowed, "I ran away at night, and while I was wondering the dark streets Doctor Dracula sneaked up from behind and kidnapped me. Dad must have thought I was just hiding out all these days. The way he is, he'd just wait for me to come back on my own. The posters must have been because of Mom…"
Nami looked confused, "Doctor Dracula?"
Luffy laughed, "This weird old man with a spring head. I knocked him out!"
"Okay…" Nami was use to Luffy logic.
---------14 minutes later-------
Not too long after, they reached the ship.
Luffy looked up at it. It was strange seeing something that was the same as it had been all those years ago. The figurehead seemed to look down at him, its aura was still that of the pirates who call it home. Strong, yet friendly. Just like Shanks. If Luffy had never seen this ship before, he would still know it belonged to that man.
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