He leaped quietly out of bed, ecstatic for the late night time between him and his current crush. He first questions if crush is a good word, she practically admitted to liking him in the same way so what would she be then? He doesn't really know how all this works, but he hopes she'd explain everything, if not then they'd go their own way. He happily walked down the same hallway he had for the past 4 nights. A slight bump had startled him, but they got over it fairly quickly after talking everything out. As foreshadowing as it sounded, it couldn't get any worse.

"What are you doing up?"

He froze, stiffening at the end of hall from the least feminine voice on this ship. He gulped and with sweat dripping down his face turned to the dark hall to see the strong armed Zoro yawning in a shirt and pants. Dread shot through him from head to toe, and just after they cleared up everything Zoro just happened to wake up on the one night they didn't have that problem.

"Uh… just Lookin… to take… a breather?"

He stuttered his way utterly lying blatantly to Zoros face. But Zoro only shrugged, going into the bathroom. He didn't even know what the hell had happened so just quickly got to the deck. Looking around he felt anxious, she wasn't here yet. And with Zoro in the bathroom he felt as though they wouldn't get the chance to be sweet tonight. But as he waited he came to realize, "Why would Zoro care?" In fact he thought "Why would any of them care about his and hers relationship?".

He figured Sanji might be the only one to have an issue with this with how much he's been kissing her ass since he got here, but besides him. Zoro wouldn't care, Usopp might be the same way if not be happy for them, and again Sanjis issue. Yea, nothings really stopping them from being like this. But just to make sure, he would ask her what her thoughts were on this. He recalled her asking him to never treat her like that in front of the guys, so he just kinda acted like his usual self, hanging out with them, sadly, more than her.

"Heya."

He heard, finally her feminine voice bless his ears. His heart thumps in excitement, yea they don't do much at night but just talking with her fills him with a rush. He smiled turning around to meet her cute smile as she had a blanket wrapped around herself. He walked up to her and just straight up hugged her giving her quite the startle.

"W-Whoa… did… did something happen?"

She said, hugging him back though a bit confused.

"Yea."

He said pulling back with a gleeful grin.

"I'm all good, just nice to see you."

She snickered with a faint blush.

"Oh my god, you need to stop being so corny. It isn't like you."

"But it's the truth…"

"I know."

She rolled her eyes with a charming smirk.

"Oh, here."

She took off the blanket and held it out to him.

"You left it out here when you scrambled to bed."

"Oh, thanks."

He sighed taking it, feeling how warm it was he put it on, to his surprise her shampoo and body wash had rubbed off on the fabric.

"Smells like you."

She groaned with a pout.

"Don't smell it. That's just creepy."

"But it's nice."

"Whatever!"

She sighed cutely.

"Just don't smell it in front of me…"

He smiled seeing her grumpy, but soon recalled his previous situation.

"Uhh… anyway."

He said softly in almost a whisper. She looked at him confused.

"So… Zoros awake."

She tensed.

"And I wanted to ask… do we… erm… I… can I… talk to you like this around them?"

He asked cautiously. She whined, twirling a long curl of hair around her finger as she hummed.

"I just don't get how this is a big deal? Zoro and Usopp wouldn't care much, but… Sanji might be grumpy for a while-"

"Luffy."

He stopped looking at her passionately stern eyes.

"No."

"No?"

"No."

"Why?"

She groaned frustratingly.

"Cause… l-listen… I'm not gonna use the excuse saying it's embarrassing. But… like you… I'm kinda… fresh… to all this. I don't just open my heart to anyone, it's… a process that takes time. I opened to you cause you let me in first. You even tried being sympathetic to me and supported me on a number of occasions. Not saying they haven't but…"

She paused, blushing as she bit her lip, glancing off before looking back at him.

"We… I mean… until you… say something… we're a lot closer with each other than them. I just don't… feel okay with them knowing yet."

She lowered her head with a pained look.

"I'm sorry."

He felt a bit touched, and he was so thankful he asked her first.

"It's fine, I understand. Until your ready."

He held out his pinky, she looked at it curiously before snorting and giggling.

"Pinky promise?"

"Pinky promise."

Their pinkies hooked, the two laughing after they pulled it apart. At the moment the two just looked at each other, it was only them, on the deck, in the dark of the night under a veil of stars. But a faint flushing echoed from the hall. The two hid behind the mast, she hiding behind him, the two waited for Zoro to come walking out. But nothing happened, hearing him yawn and walk faintly away. They both sighed in relief before looking and noticing how close they were.

He half expected her to move away with what she had said the night before but she didn't. He watched as she kept looking between his eyes and his lips. Her cheeks flushing red as she moved closer. He shivered feeling her breath brush against his cheek. She was so close and wasn't planning on moving anytime soon. He gulped as she nuzzles her nose into his cheek, mewling softly by his ear. Shivers ran down his back, just like that night he felt his body go on autopilot as he turned to face her, his back to the mast as she held onto his shoulders for support.

He didn't bother spoiling the mood by speaking, he knew he fucked it up by talking last time. He reached up to hold her hips making her gasp with shuddering breath as she practically hugged him, resting her chin on his shoulder.

"Sorry…"

She murmured close to his ear.

"I… went to far…"

He took a reliving breath. A bit startled she made a move like that before he did, but rubbed her back all the same.

"It's fine. If you kept going, I might've just let you."

She looked to him with such sensual eyes, a tinge of pain peeking through her loving eyes. Like she was holding back.

"Wanna lay down?"

He offered, she nodded a bit confused before he slid down the mast, sitting next to it, taking his blanket out from behind him soon patted his lap. She was a bit awkward at first before laying how he did lasts night, her head resting on his thighs, his rubber body under the fabric of his pants make for a good pillow, it was definitely squishy and soft. He didn't intend to get a view of her cleavage, but her laying on her back with her flimsy tank top, he say probably a bit more than he should've, especially with little peaks poking at the fabric. He soon turned away before he could think about them further.

"Your oddly comfortable thighs make for a good pillow."

She mentioned before getting covered in the blanket.

"I am rubber."

"Yea you are…"

The two sat in silence, the quietness together was nice and calming, even if he'd rather hear her voice.

"So… can you…"

She spoke anxiously.

"Can you stretch… ANY… part?"

She asked looking up at him. He made a confused grin, hearing her imply "ANY".

"Yea? My whole body's rubber, with probably the exception of my hair."

"Is that right?"

"Why?"

"No reason… just…"

She murmured the last bit so quietly he couldn't hear. But before he could ask…

"Do you sleep shirtless?"

"Yea."

"Doesn't it get cold?"

"A little. But that's what the blankets for. Unless it super cold, then I'll wear a shirt."

"Maybe you need pajamas."

"Like those onesies you wear?"

"Yea, but you don't fit in mine."

He rose a brow.

"We're the same height?"

"In width dude."

She groaned.

"Your flat with a masculine bod, and I'm quite curvy with a more feminine physique."

"You make it sound hot."

She deadpanned as she stared up at him. He blinked down at her confused as he watched her cheeks flush red with a cute embarrassing face.

"Shut up! Don't say stuff like that!"

He chuckles getting a soft punch to his gut.

"Sorry."

"Whatever… your lucky your you."

"Thanks?"

She closed her eyes as she relaxed, rolling onto her side. He felt tempted to run his fingers though her hair, but stopped himself as to not mess up her perfect locks.

"What part sounds hot?"

She asked catching him off guard.

"What?"

"Of what I said, what… part sounded hot?"

He slowly processed what she was referring to and he had completely forgotten what he said. He embarrassingly whined.

"It was… a… slip of the tongue! Yea… I… misspoke."

He didn't wanna answer that, she'd tease him if he admitted.

"Sure it was…"

She said sarcastically, rolling onto her stomach, her chin on his thigh.

"What sounded hot to you? You can tell me~"

She purred biting her lip as she evilly looked up at him. He groaned crossing his arms.

"You'll just tease me!"

"I don't do it often, only for those "slip of the tongues" you mentioned."

He sighed in defeat but was now just hoping to get a little reaction out of her.

"I… I mean. You… called yourself… curvy… and…"

She made a loud happy squeal as she covered her face with her hands kicking her feet out. He watched in bewilderment, having never seen her act so cute.

"I can't believe you said that."

"I know…"

"First you said "hot" now you said "curvy"? Your really maturing."

He groaned, not used to these dirty words he tried not to take her jabs to heart.

"Maybe stick to being cute and stoic."

"Stoic?"

"Yea, your pretty stoic."

"Am I…?"

"Anyway. Maybe save those "dirty" words for a special occasion in the future."

He felt like she was referencing something but soon saw her act all embarrassed. But he just looked up, the stars twinkled, millions of little white dots poked though the sky. He looked back down, seeing her sigh as she closed her eyes, enjoying the night with his as her pillow. He cautiously pressed his finger into her cheek, getting her to peek her eyes open and look up at him.

In an unexpected twist she turned her head to take his finger in her mouth. Between her soft kissable lips his finger was eagerly sucked on and licked clean. He didn't know how to react to this, but he felt majorly teased as she let it go.

"You… I thought…"

"Just teasing you, maybe trying to get you to that unbearable spot, but I'm patient."

She shrugs sitting up with a yawn.

"As much as I loved your thighs… as a pillow. I gotta go to bed. Grandline tomorrow."

His eyes lit up, another adventure.

"If things happen..."

She spoke up catching his attention.

"We might not be able to meet up like this for a while…"

He whined, he wouldn't know what to do without chatting with her at midnight.

"I promise once we get settled down over there, we'll continue this."

She smiled close to his face, before jumping in surprise as he leaned in and gently sucked her ear making her yelp. He slowly pulled back, holding his blanket over his shoulders as he looked to her with confidence.

"Now we're even."

He said before casually walking away, feeling a bit sad, the real journey is about to begin and he can't even chat with her for most of it. He sighed, he'll use this time to prepare himself, and he will get strong enough to say those words, after all her teasing and looks. But as soon as he got to bed he passed out.

She cautiously snuck in, crouching beside him she leaned down, giving a soft kiss to his forehead.

"A reward before the long wait…"


Sorry if the ending was rushed, I'm dead tired. Apologies.