My Flufftober 2024 contribution for the prompt : Comfort Food.

I'm sorry for the mistakes, English is not my native language. I hope you like it.

Disclaimer : One Piece belongs to Eiichiro Oda.

Tangerine Heart

Luffy had been watching Nami all day. That's strange, he thought. Really strange. She was not like her usual self. He knew her well and he could tell that something was wrong.

He knew what people thought of him. That he was not very smart. But it did not bother him. He knew his strengths and weaknesses. He knew what he was capable of and what he was not capable of. And if he really wanted something, he would do everything to get it.

But there was one thing that people around him did not notice. When he had to, he knew how to observe. Especially when it came to the people he cared about. That was how he had quickly gotten to know Nami. He did not know why or how, but since the day they met, a special bond had been created between them. He had tried to talk to her all day, but every time, she would insult him more or less violently.

The evening had arrived, and so had dinner time. Luffy was hungry and he was eager to taste what Sanji had cooked. Eating had always made him feel good and he knew it would make Nami feel good. He entered the kitchen with Chopper and Usopp and they were making a real din. He sat down at the table, while Sanji served the dishes. He looked at the members of his crew and frowned. Nami was not there. He stood up abruptly and headed for the door.

"Luffy ? Where are you going ?" Sanji asked.

"I'm going to look for Nami."

"You should leave her alone," Zoro said. "You're going to get insulted once again."

"I'm sure that once she will eat, she'll be better."

Zoro shrugged.

"It's up to you," he said, drinking his rum.

Luffy went looking for his navigator. He passed the tangerine tree and a huge smile lit up his face. He knew what would please Nami. He stretched out his arm and picked a tangerine. He brought the fruit to his nose and inhaled its scent.

It did not take him long to find Nami. She was sitting on the deck. Her arms were wrapped around her knees, which were folded up against her chest. She was looking into the distance, as if the ocean was hypnotizing her. He came up to her and crouched down in front of her.

"You didn't come to dinner," he said.

Nami sighed, exasperated.

"Not now, Luffy."

But he did not give up. She was not felling well and he wanted to help her.

"I'm sure after eating, you'll be better."

She rolled her eyes and was about to insult him when Luffy handed her the tangerine. Nami opened her eyes wide. She took the tangerine with a trembling hand. Luffy sat down next to her. She had accepted his gesture and she seemed to soften. That's a good start, he thought. Nami closed her eyes and smelled the tangerine. A tear ran down her cheek.

"Today is the anniversary of Bellemere's death."

Luffy understood the reactions she had had all day. Even if he did everything not to show it, the day Ace died was still difficult. He brought his hand to his hat, took it off and put it on Nami's head. She looked at him, surprised. She smiled, peeled the tangerine and gave half of it to Luffy.

"Thank you," she said.

She was not just thanking him for the fruit, but for caring about her and being with her. He took half of the tangerine and smiled from ear to ear. He knew food would do her good.

The end