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: I do not own One Piece.

Author's Note: Wow, my record of most reviews for one chapter doubled in Stage 7! Thank you to each and everyone of you! Your comments and support is greatly appreciated. :)

Hahaha, Loreto W perfectly guessed what would happen later in the story. :D (And you all somehow knew Luffy was going to get rejected. -.-;) I can't have my plot guessable though! I'll have to give it something unexpected… like killing Luffy off... Or better yet: Having Shanks kill Luffy!

Being a Girl

Chapter 8: Breaking Up

-------------

Everyone stared at Luffy, not knowing what to say. Luffy looked at Shanks. After a painfully long silence the red-haired man spoke. "So.. You're a guy?"

"Yeah."

"And you decided not to tell me?" His voice was hard, "How long were you planning on lying to me?" The man felt betrayed. All this time, he had really been having feelings for another guy!

"Shanks…" with distress in his voice Luffy stepped forward, "I liked how you were treating me, and I thought that if I told you who I really was, it wouldn't be the same. Because, I've met you before… a long time ago."

"Who are you?" Shanks moved so that they were face to face.

Both of them were the type of people who didn't turn and run from their problems, but face them head on. And so they did, staring each other down.

As Luffy looked the older man in the eyes, unwavering, he decided to be completely honest. This, Luffy would think later that day, might have been his mistake. "I'm…" The boy used one had to push off his blond wig as the other wiped the cover-up from under his eye. "Luffy." He took his straw hat from his bag and placed it on his head with a fluent motion.

Shanks stared dumbfounded. That black hair, that scar, and that all-to-familiar hat. "Luffy…" He said the boy's name, and it stung at his tongue. Looking at the person he had kissed and cheek he had caressed, and seeing in the light of truth, who it belonged to. That little kid from the far-away island. The one who had looked up to him, and wailed in his arms. That Luffy. "I…" Shanks said, "Can't love you."

The straw hat hid Luffy's expression, but underneath the man's words stabbed at his heart. With stinging eyes and a low voice he said, "I still love you."

Shanks frowned, though he wondered if he should take back his words. 'No, I can't love this little kid, this boy… But even though he tricked me, I don't feel mad. She-He's someone to stick up for, but nothing more.'

Luffy looked into the older man's eyes, seeing the sternness of the man's words reflected there. Luffy turned away from him and slowly, stiffly, walked toward the ship's railing. When he reached it he spun around. "Shanks… I'm still going to keep my promise to you."

"?"

"I'll come back again when I'm pirate king, and give back your hat."

Shanks gave a small smiled and nodded in agreement; this was it, their goodbye.

Luffy put his hand on the railing and swung his legs over the side. For a second Shanks was worried that he fell into the water, but then remember that the ship was facing the dock on that side. The man let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding, and looked at the spot Luffy had stood in only moments before. Taking another breath, he noticed his crew had taken on the role of audience. None of them had thought their captain could be involved in such drama. "Oi, guys, stop gaping."

Those words seemed to break the silence. They all rushed to him, talking loudly.

"You shouldn't have let him go, captain!" Lucky's voice was heard above the rest.

Shanks stared, "You already knew it was Luffy."

"Uh…"

"Captain, you should go after him." Ben stepped in.

"And why it that?!" Shanks uncharacteristically snapped at his first mate. "We parted on good terms."

"You really like him though."

"NO I DON'T!" Shanks shouted while stomping into his cabin, slamming and locking the door behind him.

"Captain!" Some of his crew members called as they crowded around the door.

Tanya looked on calmly, standing well away from the group. She sighed, "Aw, there wasn't even any crying. But, I guess it's just how those two are." She put her hand on her cheek. "I'm right again…. All men are the same." She smiled sadly to herself, remembering her not-really-that-sad past.

-Flashback

"Tanya, you must understand that you're just not cute enough."

"But…" Tanya said, tears flowing from her eyes, "I love you! You told me last night that you loved me too!"

"I don't." The man turned away cold heartedly.

The next day Tanya had seen a couple walking hand-in-hand. She sneered at their happiness, doing everything she could to steal the guy away. After only two days she succeeded. Of course she'd dumped the guy right away, and laughed at the other girl's tears. It made her feel better, knowing that she wasn't the only one to lose her love because she wasn't attractive enough. Tanya bitterly thought that looks was all that guys looked for. Time and time again did she prove her theory correct.

-End Flashback

When Tanya had found out Luffy was a girl, she devised a plan to make Shanks find out. It was easy finding the knife in the ship's kitchen, and the rope lying around. When she had revealed the boy's secret she didn't even have to wonder how the other man would react. Since men only liked girls for their looks, when he found out that it was a boy, the man would surly loose interest. She was right.

Tanya smiled to herself, not noticing Lucky walking up to her.

"There's no place here for a girl to sleep." The chubby man took bite from the rack of meat in his hand, chewing slowly. "It's late. If you want I'll take you home."

Tanya smiled evilly, 'I know what I could do…' "Are you sure? You're not mad at me for making your captain upset?" She said in her most innocent voice.

----------45 minutes later, on the Straw Hat Pirate Ship------------

"Luffy… are you sure you're ok?" Nami walked over to her captain who was sitting on the figurehead, eyes still shaded by his hat. "It doesn't have anything to do with me stealing a bit of Shanks' treasure, does it? I only took a little!"

Luffy laughed half heartedly, "No, it doesn't." Their was silence while Nami carefully studied her usually cheerful captain. "Has the log pose set?" The boy asked.

"Oh yeah, it did an hour ago. About when I got back to the ship."

Luffy turned in his seat, lifting his head and revealing a happy expression. "Everyone! Lets go to the next island!"

"Aye!" The straw hat crew had been standing around on deck thinking Luffy must have caught some horrible virus, to be acting this way. They were happy to see that their captain was somewhat back to normal. He was excited to get to the next island, though not grinning as wide as usual.

Zoro pulled up the anchor, and the sails filled with wind as Nami gave Chopped steering directions. They all knew, or at least hoped, that Luffy would soon be back to normal.

-------17 minutes later-------

Nami walked on deck, taking in the fresh night air. As she stretched her arms, she caught a glimpse of something to her right. Walking over to the corner and picking up the object, the girl examined it carefully. Her eyes widened.

Briskly she walked to the front of the ship. Just as she hoped, Luffy was sitting on the figurehead. "Shanks found out, didn't he?" Her captain turned around as she held up the ripped shirt he had tossed in the corner earlier. She could imagine how Shanks must have reacted if it had Luffy leaving the island in the middle of the night. She felt horrible, since it was her idea to have the boy crossdress. "When… When Robin left us, you chased after her. Shanks might have said he didn't like you anymore, but you should have chased after him, too!" She grabbed his shoulders, "It's not like you to run away! It's so obvious that you two love each other!"

"Nami…" He blinked at the girls sudden burst of emotion, "It's not that I've given up on Shanks. The reason he rejected me is because he still sees me as a kid." He took a breath, continuing, "I'll become pirate king to prove to him that I can be strong! I'll come back to him again, and when I do maybe he'll see that I've grown up… maybe then he'll like me."

Nami silently looked at Luffy. She smiled, her captain may seem thick on the outside, but he's really been thinking about this the entire time. He's found his solution, and even if it's not going to give a quick result like usual, he won't give up.

-------On the Red-Haired Pirate Ship---------

"Captain," Ben said as a sullen-looking Shanks walked out of the cabin. "As pirates, we've done worse things than falling in love with people we shouldn't have."

"Hn." Shanks continued walking, Ben coming up beside him.

"Even if he's a kid, and it's not accepted by most people, it shouldn't matter."

"Why Ben, do you think I actually love him?!" He grabbed the man's shirt with his hand. The only thing he thought surely, was that he couldn't love Luffy. But his first mate, who knew him the best, was telling him otherwise.

"By the way you acted."

Shanks stormed back into his cabin, riled up, and for some reason, angry.

---------

Author's Note: Not to bad, right? It was hard deciding on how Shanks would react.

Also, I updates my profile so that it shows what the next posted stories will be.

In the next chapter: Luffy has left the island! Will Shanks ever be able to see him again? Will it be years later, after Luffy has found One Piece? Find out in the tragic Chapter 9!