Heavy Rainfall poured down onto the sturdy construct of the thousand sunny. Ferocious waves rocked the sunny all about putting the ship's integrity to the test. Thunder and lighting from menacing dark clouds accompanied these elements. Although nightfall had already begun since before the storm began, there was no sign of stars or a moon in the sky.
However, this was what substituted for normal in the grand line. The straw hat crew knew at least that much. Which was probably why said crew could be heard snoring loudly from the ship's interior. The men slept in their double bunks, and those who had their own rooms slept in them.
Amongst the men, there was usually one who stayed up in the watchtower in case of surprise attacks, abnormal fluctuations in weather patterns, or abnormal changes in the ship's course.
However, by Luffy's account all the men who most likely would be in the watchtower now either Zoro, Sanji, or Usopp, are sound asleep in their bunks.
This being the case, Luffy lay puzzled in his bunk, wondering who was up in the watchtower currently in substitution of the guys. Therefore with sleep somehow and strangely not coming to his mind even with all the meat he had eaten earlier and the weather conditions providing perfect opportunity for satisfying sleep, he decided to arise from his failed slumber and head towards the ship's watchtower.
With only a black shirt with a shark designed on it, boxers, and his treasured straw hat on, Luffy nonchalantly exited the interior of the sunny. Not minding the rain, he took a second to look up at the tower where he could see a dim light on and visible through the tower's windows, then made his way to the ladder of the tower.
Arriving at the ladder, Luffy stretched his arms to grab hold of the top of the ladder and pulled himself up to the top, in turn, skipping the majority of the trip up and also in turn saving himself a few seconds of climbing.
Now finally in the enclosed room of the tower, Luffy learned who was occupying the role of watchman on this stormy night.
Her long and vibrant orange hair was spilled over the desk and on said desk were many charts and notated maps. Her figure could be seen performing small movements as she inhaled and exhaled in unison with her soft snores. Her only clothing was a thin light blue sweater that extended down to about her thighs and neither was it fully zipped up.
It wasn't difficult for Luffy to come to the otherwise obvious conclusion that his one and only navigator had once again exhausted herself for her crew and her dream.
Luffy slowly made his way to the sleeping girl ahead of him and brought his hand to her shoulder in an attempt to wake her and take over for her as tonight's watchman. However, he stopped himself inches from contact.
Puzzled at his hesitation to perform such a simple gesture, Luffy brought his arm down and instead gave in to an intrusive thought that was raging in the back of his mind.
Luffy crouched down behind the left side of the desk, planted his chin onto his hands over the desk, and simply took in the sight of his soundly sleeping navigator.
The rain seemed to only pour down harder along with the wind as both earthly elements collided against the glass of the windows circling the circle-shaped room. The single candle at the far end of the desk was the only source of lighting in the room.
The light from the dancing flame of the candle bounced off of the sleeping Girl's features. Her silky smooth-looking skin, her soft-looking light pinkish lips. Luffy was never one for details or specifics but he simply could not take his eyes off of her. Although he thought there was just one thing missing.
Therefore Luffy removed his straw hat from his head and gently placed it onto the orange mess of hair in front of him.
The entire night Luffy for whatever reason could not fall asleep.
Until now, as his eyelids grew heavy his breathing and heart rate slowed. The last thing he saw before darkness swallowed him was, as best as he could put it, a beautiful girl.
…
With the consistent howling of the wind against the glass windows and the swaying of the ship against the ocean currents, Nami finally awoke from her accidental departure from consciousness. She had been working tirelessly on the maps and charts situated on the desk under her.
Therefore, Nami deemed it appropriate to leave the tower and have one of the guys take over as watchman and thus she unlocked her overlapped arms and stood up from her desk chair. However, just as she did she felt a slight weight on her head which caused her to pause and bring her gaze upwards where she saw a familiar yellow.
Woven straw. The straw hat.
His straw hat.
Nami wasn't sure whether her sleepiness was getting the best of her or it was that simple fact of whom the hat belonged to which filled her with unexplainable warmth.
With a small smile having formed from her lips, she searched for its owner for he would never be far from his treasure.
With no grand effort needed to be made, Nami found him, her captain sat down against the left side of her study desk sound asleep.
Once again Nami wasn't sure if it was the tiredness clouding her better judgment but she could not fight back the sudden questionable urge to take her place at her captain's side. Therefore she gave in to said urge and in turn found herself more giddy than a child as she couldn't keep a smile off her face when she did seat herself next to the boy.
Nor could she prevent the heat that was accumulating in her face. She dared not to think what the others would think should they stumble across the two of them together like this.
It'll only be for a little while. Besides…I'm lucky.
The redhead thought to herself thus driving away all other concerns and calls for caution. Then she followed up with a gentle hand placement on the left side of the face of the boy on her left in order to gently tilt his head onto her shoulder as if it belonged there.
Nami didn't think much after that, only about how adorable he looked sleeping soundly and innocently as he was. Only about how good this felt. This small and quiet moment.
She was happy. Content with this new world the sleeping boy had brought her into. She never forgot what he did for her on her darkest day and what he does for her and the crew every day. With his cheerful demeanor and unyielding will. Even if his recklessness often puts him right in the crosshairs of danger.
However, Nami felt reassurance in the fact that just as she was sure he'd be there for her no matter the circumstance, so would she be there for him no matter the danger he'd pull her into.
With that assurance once again, the thought of leaving to gather rest in her bed felt much less appealing than staying right here next to her captain and listening to his distinct snores and watching his chest rise and fall.
…
The minutes passed doing just that. And in those minutes Nami had taken Luffy's hand and interlaced her fingers in his. In addition, she had placed her head on the mess of black hair at her left straw hat on and all. Her nerves half asleep shielding her from any emotion of embarrassment with her current course of actions and current position.
With their breathing now in sync, warmth encompassing her entire body, her eyelids becoming heavier, and the volume of the rain and wind against the windows lessening, sleep was of expectance.
The last thought exhibited by Nami before everything faded to black was the simple wish for this very moment to last forever.