AN:あちゃ、戻ってきたんだ。(´･ω･) It's just a little bit of a LuNa one-shot. I haven't written anything in a while so I'm a bit rusty, but I hope anyone who gives this story a chance enjoys it :D
Additional Notes: No, I don't drink so I'm not well versed in the knowledge of alcohol, but since it's the world of One Piece I'm sure they have their own level of alcoholic beverages, right? And I'm just guessing that since Luffy is so honest with how feels sober, I bet he's actually a subdued drunk so he doesn't like to drink! Good theory, right? No:(
DisclaimerI don't own One Piece. Be glad because I could never even come close to painting the masterpiece that Oda Eiichiro does. 神様みたいな？
The First
By: Saikocho
Nami's life experiences as a thief had given her the ability to access the value of any treasure. Treasure wasn't limited to gold and jewels and neither was Nami's ability.
"What kind of person do you think he'd fall in love with?"
Nami had broken the silence just as Zoro had been raising the mug to his lips and couldn't help but let a bit of his precious ale slosh over the rim at her inquiry.
"Ha?" Had been the first thing he responded with due to the absurdity of the question, but soon his own followed. "Who are you talking about?"
They were in the midst of a island-wide party, as it seemed, at an outdoor bar just outside of the more lively activities centered around a large bonfire. Zoro was looking down at the table with his brows furrowed at the amber liquid now seeping into the wood of the bar top, then shifted his gaze over to Nami. She had elbows propped on the counter on either side of her drink, her fingers loosely linked together for her chin to rest upon as she gazed out ahead. Zoro followed her gaze and snorted.
"You mean you're lover-boy?" He asked, referring to Sanji who was currently engaged in attempting to court five different women at once. Most men would have been envious and grudgingly impressed by Sanji's skill, but Zoro only found it to be one of Sanji's greatest faults.
"No." Nami said without breaking her gaze. "Luffy."
At this point Zoro had managed only a swallow before the alcohol burned his throat more painfully he had ever remembered it to. He coughed and gasped as he struggled to remove the liquid that had manage to flow down the wrong passage, his eyes watering as he turned to Nami sharply, the mug hitting the counter's surface hard.
"HA?!"
"What the hell, Zoro?" Nami hissed as she raised an arm to block the spittle raining down from his coughing fit. "Turn around or at least cover your mouth, you idiot!"
"That's my line." Zoro managed to wheeze between breaths as he finally got his coughing under control. He cleared his throat a couple of times as Nami shot him a bitter look, grabbing a nearby napkin to wipe off the remnants of Zoro's ale. "What the hell are you on about?"
"What?" Nami frowned, dropping the napkin onto the counter top and then looking at her drink suspiciously. "You didn't cough into this too, did you?"
Zoro scowled as Nami shoved the drink over to Zoro and snapped her fingers in order to get the bartender's attention. "Another one, please."
He pushed away her glass of wine that she so humbly offered to him in favor of his mug, downing the contents in a single gulp in dread of where their conversation was leading to. He gave a nod to the bartender as he held out his mug for a refill.
"It was just a thought." Nami said after she thanked the bartender for her new drink. She removed the orange slice from its place on the rim of her glass and gracefully put it into her mouth to taste the sweet juices, her eyes rising up once again to take in the activities of the celebration.
It was almost to be expectedl. They went to an island, fought a battle that was never their's to fight and won. It was much more difficult and complicated than it sounded, but that was the basis of all their adventures since their crew had formed. For every island they went to there was the anticipation and excitement of what was yet to come, then there was the anxiety and fear of the outcome of the battles that were to be fought and of course, there was the end result as everything would wind down to a close. It had always been a victory up to this point, but it was never easy. There was always a time when it seemed that one of them were at the point of death.
They always did manage to barely get away by the skin of their teeth.
Although, in the aftermath of celebrations like this it didn't seem like the battle had been so hard. For Nami it was a bit nostalgic as it brought her back to the time where they had finally freed her home town after eight agonizing years. Now all that time seemed like a bad dream as her time with her nakama slowly washed away the horrible memories.
Zoro made no comment as he drank deeply from his mug, his gaze following Nami's as her surveyed the happily celebrating inhabitants.
Robin and Chopper were sitting at a table a fair distance away. Robin had put her book on the table as she enjoyed a glass of red wine, watching Chopper warmly as he shoveled food into his mouth in a manner he had seemed to have learned from their captain, as if fearing that if he didn't eat fast enough his food would disappear before his eyes (which wasn't far from the truth had he been eating with Luffy and the others). Just a few yards away from them was Usopp who had one foot on the table, his chest puffed out and his hands on his hips as he regaled many with his stories, pulling in anyone who was gullible enough to believe. Zoro couldn't hear them over all the noise, but he could only guess that the stories Usopp were telling were true to their travels, albeit embellished to show him as the hero.
Not that it bothered him.
The rest were at the center of the party, near the bon fire, bringing the most life to the celebration. Brook and Franky had their respective instruments and were currently setting the rhythm for the dancers which included Sanji, his many admirers, and their very own captain. Luffy had pieces of various meats in his hands as he waved them around much like a monkey would as he tried dancing and eating at once. Several of the party-goers found great amusement in his antics as his food flew from his hands, one lodging itself into Brook's afro, but the living skeleton took no notice as he only kept up the rhythm.
Zoro wasn't one to care about such trivial things, but the fact that it was Nami who had brought up such a topic out of the blue had him wondering what triggered it. For a short period of time he surveyed the others near the bon fire, the light flickering off their bodies to give a more dynamic ambiance as the dancing became wilder and brought the people closer together.
That was when he saw it.
A girl had managed to wedge her way passed the fast growing mesh of dancers and was now nearly bumping hips with Luffy. Luffy had a bone sticking out of his mouth when he turned to the girl. He was grinning from ear to ear when she held out a mug to him, both of them huddling closer together in order to avoid being too roughed up by the other dancers. Luffy seemed to accept her gift as he pulled out the bone and took the offered drink.
"Oh? And what brought this on?" Zoro questioned as he reached for his umpteenth mug of ale. It seemed to him that the girl is what had caught Nami's attention. The girl must have been watching Luffy for quite some time (and perhaps Nami had been watching her for an even longer time).
"He seems to be getting along with her." Nami swirled the remains of her drink with her straw, the ice clinking together in the empty glass.
Luffy was now downing the drink, but as soon as the mug had touched his lips, he turned and spit the contents onto the closest dancer. There was momentary outrage and excitement as Luffy was confronted by the dancer and the girl was profusely apologizing to both the dancer and to Luffy for the drink. It seemed the dancer had reluctantly accepted the apology as Luffy offered what was left in the mug and the party resumed without much of a hitch and the girl remained near Luffy.
"She's not half bad looking." Zoro commented as he gently swirled the contents of his mug, watching Nami out of the corner of his eye carefully.
"She's not good enough for him." Nami said quietly.
This had Zoro arching an eyebrow in response.
"Oh?"
"What about you?" Nami questioned as she held up her drink and shook it so the ice hit against the glass, calling the bartender's attention. "Is she your type?"
"What do I care?" Zoro grunted as he took the opportunity to refill his mug as well.
"Don't you have a type?" Nami pressed, thanking the bartender as she shoved another orange slice into her mouth, much less gracefully as before. "You said she wasn't that bad looking. You must find her attractive."
"I don't care for that kind of idiotic nonsense." At that Nami looked at Zoro incredulously.
"'Idiotic nonsense'-- are you telling me you've never--" Nami lowered her voice in an almost comical fashion as she leaned closer to Zoro. "--been with a woman?"
"Shut up." Zoro grounded out. "I'm telling you that you're thinking too much into it, not that I'm a goddamn virgin."
There was a pause.
"Well, are you--"
"You're annoying." Zoro sneered as he took another drink. Nami raised a brow.
"Well, if you are there's no shame in that." Nami grinned at him, one elbow propped on the counter as she leaned on it, smiling at him mischievously. "But, really, do tell Zoro."
Zoro felt the vein in his left temple throbbing, but chose to ignore her as he finished off his drink.
"What about your first kiss?" Nami questioned impishly.
"Shut up." Zoro repeated, growing tired of their conversation. "I told you those things don't matter to me."
At this Nami straightened up, her smile faltering.
"Really? You don't care about that?"
"What's one kiss from another?" Zoro frowned. "What does it matter? You're asking the wrong person if you think I care about that. You should be asking the perverted cook. I'm sure he counts them."
"You really don't care about things like that? Like love?" Nami pressed, her complete attention on Zoro as she found it hard to believe.
"I don't think about things like that." Zoro repeated with a shrug, realizing he was become sucked into a conversation he had no desire to participate in.
"Is that so?" Nami made a noise of surprise as she played with her straw, looking thoughtful. "Then I suppose Luffy has never been in love before. You're both so similar."
Zoro didn't know whether to take it as an insult or a compliment, opting to drain his mug instead of responding.
"Then again, he might have. Do you think he's kissed someone before?"
"What the hell do I care?" Zoro snapped, slamming his empty mug onto the counter top, ignoring the bar tender as he winced at the unnecessary violence behind the action. "What does it matter?"
"It matters." Nami said firmly, taking a sip of her drink. "It's valuable, a first kiss."
"If you're so curious, just ask him. Why do you think I would know?" Zoro scowled. "What the hell is with you tonight?"
Nami gazed out at the bon fire.
"I'm just curious."
"Like I said," Zoro grounded out. "If you're so curious just askhim."
Nami stared out at the bonfire and searched for the subject of their conversation. Luffy and the girl that was dancing with him had been pushed into Luffy's chest, both of them stumbling as Luffy used one arm to hold onto the girl and the other to find someone to stabilize their weight. Nami could see that they were both flushed and covered in sweat from the exertion of dancing and being so close to the fire. His laughter was prominent over all the noise in Nami's ears, but her gaze was focused on the girl.
"Do you think he realizes that girl's intentions?"
Zoro made no reply as he downed his refilled mug, choosing the best way to survive their conversation was to stay quiet and let her words pass over him. Her questions were ridiculous and of no interest to him, what was she worrying for? They'd be leaving soon enough and the girl would be soon forgotten.
"He wouldn't fall for someone like that so quickly." She didn't mind Zoro's tactics as she continued to speak to him as if he was paying attention to her every word. "That's right! Luffy doesn't care about those things either."
There was a slight change in her demeanor as she spoke, her words becoming more forceful as she let out a breathy laugh.
"He's such an idiot. He wouldn't realize a girl was hitting on him even if they threw themselves naked at him."
"Whatever happens happens." Zoro finally chose to speak as he leaned on the counter, raising his mug to call the bartender's attention. "It's his choice if he wants to get with that girl or not."
"I don't want that."
Her voice had become quiet and tight as she spoke. He glanced over at her, arching an eyebrow as he found her starring hard into her drink with her brows furrowed together, one of her hands tightening into a fist. It was almost as if she was unconsciously voicing out her own thoughts.
Perhaps she was. Nami seemed to break from her stupor, glancing over to see Zoro's hard gaze and felt herself flush in embarrassment.
"I mean," Nami began quickly, looking back down at her glass. "I don't think just anyone should get his first kiss. This is Luffy. He's worth a lot."
"If anything, I can sell the kiss of a man worth 300 million berries." Nami had straightened up, her eyes forming the signs of their currency.
Zoro said nothing for a moment, and then smirked as he picked up his refilled mug.
"Oh, so you're taking on the role of the big sister?"
Nami only grinned and opened her mouth to respond, but stopped as something else diverted her attention.
The girl and Luffy were now closer than ever. Her cheeks were flushed, even Nami could tell with the orange light from the fire flickering off her face and her eyes were focused on Luffy's. Her lips were parted and her tongue flickered out over them to bring some moisture to them. Even from that distance Nami could see the girl's hands tightening onto Luffy's vest. Luffy was still laughing, looking over at the person he managed to grab onto in his antics and his other arm was loosening from the girl. She was getting closer, her eyes were half closed and she was pulling on Luffy's vest.
Nami was up on her feet before she realized it, her glass tipping over and the liquid pouring out onto the counter and spilling over the edges. Zoro cursed as some of the liquid found its way towards him, backing away from the bar.
"Wait--"
And then Luffy turned and slammed his forehead against the girl's. Luffy felt nothing, only blinked in confusion as the girl who had offered him the drink had suddenly went boneless against him. There was momentary commotion as a few dancers had caught sight of the spectacle and were now quickly pulling the girl from amidst the party and to the closest infirmary, leaving a perplexed Luffy behind.
"Quite a show for someone who only wants to protect their little brother figure." Zoro commented off-handedly as he signaled to the bartender to give him a refill, who was still cleaning up the mess Nami had made, shaking his head. "What a waste."
Nami turned to him sharply, but she couldn't help but slump down onto her stool, filled with a sudden flood of relief. She was mildly embarrassed by her outburst and could only wonder what it all really meant as she looked back over at Luffy. He was still staring after the others in confusion until Usopp appeared from behind him, one arm slung roughly around his shoulders as he turned Luffy's attention to the festivities as Brook and Franky picked up the rhythm with a fast-paced song.
Letting out a heart felt sigh, Nami waved a hand to the bartender.
"Don't you have anything stronger?"
As Zoro had expected, they were soon setting off to their new destination and the girl was nothing but a memory fading from their minds. That is, for everyone except Nami.
Zoro eyed her carefully as Nami took another swing straight from the large glass bottle. Her face barely held any expression even as the bitter, burning liquid flooded her mouth and trickled out of the corner of her mouth. He had never seen Nami drink so heavily aside from the time they had encountered an entire island of bounty hunters and Nami had put up the farce of being drunk. He never thought he'd meet anyone who could drink more than he could.
"I don't care how much you say you can handle," Zoro began as they stood at the railing of the Thousand Sunny, looking out at the island they were slowly leaving behind. "You've been drinking like that since last night."
"We can't rely on a drunken navigator." He told her bluntly.
"This much is nothing. I can drink much, much more." Nami giggled, stretching her hands apart at an exaggerated length to emphasize her point. Then all traces of humor left her face as she spoke her next words. "Don't insult me. I know what my limit is. I'm perfectly capable of navigating this ship. Do you think I'd be selfish enough to put your lives at risk by letting myself become incapacitated by a little liquor?"
As quickly as her expression changed, her smile was back in place as she laid a hand on Zoro's shoulder. "I'm the world's best navigator, aren't I? You couldn't be in better hands."
"... Sorry." Zoro managed to mumble, slightly taken aback by her response.
"What's that?" Nami grinned, slapping Zoro on the back with much more force than necessary as she walked away. "Saying sorry so easily, that's not like you."
Zoro scowled, flexing the muscles along his back. As much as he hated to admit, that woman could hit hard.
"If it's still bothering you, you should just ask." Zoro mumbled under his breath, cracking his neck as he loosened the kinks in his muscles.
Nami made no response, her steps never faltering. She double checked to see that they were on course before slipping down to the lounge with the large aquarium, shaking the bottle of orange flavored vodka as she headed into the room. Usually someone would be in there, whether it was Robin sitting alone to read one of her books, Chopper studying to further his medical knowledge, or one of the boys marveling at their newest catch and addition to their collection. However, today it was empty.
Nami was glad as she sat down, sprawling onto one of the seats with the bottle slipping out of her hand and landing on the floor with a soft thud, rocking back and forth before settling on it's base. She let out a sigh, one hand over her eyes as she leaned back, stretching her other arm across the length of the couch. Zoro was right, she wasstill bothered by her thoughts from the previous night, but she'd be damned if she would admit it.
What bothered her the most was the fact that she was bothered at all. It was just as Zoro said, if Luffy found someone, what should it matter to them? If he were to kiss someone else, so what? But at that thought, Nami felt her face burn and her blood boil. It left a sinking feeling in her stomach as she imagined the girl from last night and placed both her and Luffy in a new scene, one where they were all alone and their faces slowly moved closer, as if magnetized by a hypnotic force.
Nami shot up, shaking her head and moaned as a wave of nausea swept over. Maybe she had had a little too much. It could have been that she hadn't slept the night as well, her thoughts plaguing her ceaselessly.
Nami groped blindly for the bottle, finding it after she gave up and pried open her eyes to locate it. Once her hands wrapped around the neck, she moved to unscrew the cap only to pause. It was probably not the best idea to drink anymore if she was already this exhausted. She chewed her lower lip before screwing the bottle shut and letting it drop onto the chair, standing up and turning her back on the liquor. A nap sounded absolutely heavenly, but after the spiel she had given Zoro, she knew it would be a long time before she could get any rest that day. Not only had she had no sleep the previous night, but tonight she was to keep watch in the crow's nest.
Nami headed back on deck and checked their course once more. Still on track, Nami headed to her study in order to focus on her own maps, hoping that the work would keep her mind focus and her exhaustion and nausea at bay. At dinner, she thought, she might be able to persuade someone to switch with her. For now, she had to focus.
"Eh? Why?"
"You have to do it tomorrow anyway. What's the big deal?"
"Because tomorrow is tomorrow and today is today."
"Just do it." Nami grounded out through clenched teeth. Then as if it were an afterthought she added, "Please."
"No." Luffy said flatly.
"You shitty rubber man." Luffy's face was now being crushed into the table as Sanji applied pressure to the back of Luffy's head with his leg. "Just do as Nami-san says."
"No! Why should I? Nami has to take watch tonight and I'm taking watch tomorrow." Luffy argued, his words muffled into the table.
"Luffy, we're just switching, it's not like you're doing a double shift." Nami shoved Sanji's leg off his head so she would be able to hear Luffy's reply. She ignored as Sanji complimented how wonderful she was as she placed a hand to her temple. "Please, Luffy, I'm not feeling well."
Luffy only pouted and Nami did well to avoid Zoro's stare.
I'm not in the mood for his smartass 'I told you so,' Nami thought as she tried to focus her attention on Luffy.
Luffy made to continue his argument, but Sanji's foot was planted onto his face.
"Just do it, you idiot or starve for the rest of the week."
At that, Luffy made no more complaints (not that he could with Sanji's foot in his mouth). Nami offered Sanji a smile, ignoring his reaction as he went into a frenzy of emotions and showered her with compliments, and stood up to excuse herself for the rest of the evening.
Retiring to her room, Nami put away her maps and her research, stacking them together neatly so that they were ready to go the next time she had time to work on them. She began to change when she realized that she had yet to take a bath. The idea of a nice hot soak sent shivers of anticipation down her spine and soon she had all the supplies she needed. She made sure to place a sign on the door before she set up the tub, resting her head against the porcelain rim as she let her hand fall into the pleasantly heated water, sighing blissfully.
The moment the tub filled and her body sunk into the water, Nami let out a sigh of appreciation as the tension of the day slipped away with all her aches and pains. Truly, this was heaven.
"Navigator-san. Navigator-san."
Nami awoke with a start at the feel of a hand gently shaking her awake. Nami stared at the hand through bleary eyes before jumping back with a sharp gasp, water splashing every which way, including on the hand that was growing out of the bath tub. Nami quickly calmed down as she realized it could have only been one person and quickly stepped out of the bath tub, wrapping a towel around her as she fumbled to open the door.
"Sorry Robin, did you want to take a bath too?" Nami bowed in apology as she cringed when she looked back at the mess she had caused.
"No, I was just worried about you." Robin offered her a warm smile. "Since you're not feeling well I brought you some tea, but you weren't in your room."
"Oh, thank you." Nami said gratefully. "I'm really sorry--"
"It's fine." Robin glanced at the bathroom. "Shall I help you clean up?"
"No, no." Nami shook her head rapidly and quickly regretted the action as the room began to spin. "Ah..."
"Navigator-san?"
"Ah, no, no. I'm fine!" Nami forced a cheerful tone as she waved off Robin's concern. "I was in the bath too long. I'll just drain the water and clean up, don't worry."
"I think it'll be much quicker if we work together." Before Nami could protest, Robin had already picked up a towel and moved to drain the tub. Nami watched her dumbfounded, before quickly hurrying to help, apologizing and thanking the older woman all at once.
"It's fine." Robin smiled. "It seems you've been feeling under the weather."
"You could say that." Nami agreed hesitantly, sighing deeply.
"And what is it that's really bothering you, Navigator-san?"
"Noth--" Nami paused in both her thoughts and her cleaning as Zoro's words came back to her.
"What does it matter? You're asking the wrong person if you think I care about that."
That's right, Nami thought to herself, surprised she had never thought of it before. Robin would probably be more sympathetic to her thoughts than Zoro had. Albeit, the woman was difficult to read, but in light of recent events Nami was sure that Robin would be able to provide some enlightenment to her situation.
"Well, you see," Nami hesitated as Robin looked over her shoulder at her. "The thing is..."
"Yes?"
"I was just... I mean..." Nami couldn't find the words. As the whole conversation replayed in her head, she felt her face burn as she realized how ridiculous it all had been. Zoro was right, why was she worrying about such trivial things? What did it matter? Why did she care? It really was none of her business--
"Does it have anything to do with Captain-san?"
Nami froze, feeling as if her whole body had become stone.
"Wh-wh-wh-what?" Nami stuttered, staring at Robin, horrified. "Wh-wh-why wo-would you say that?"
How did she know?!
"Just a feeling." She chuckled. "Is it?"
"No!" She automatically answered. Then, she looked down at her pruned hands, turning them over in her lap to clench into the material of her towel. "Well, I mean, it does, but... it's not important!"
She forced out a laugh, trying to brush off the conversation. It really wasn't that important...
"It must be important if it has you so distracted." Robin responded as she wiped off the excess water from her arms, standing up. "You should get dressed before you catch a cold."
"Ah, right." Nami looked up as Robin offered her another smile. "Um, Robin?"
"Hm?"
"I..." Nami slowly rose to her feet feeling foolish, but she couldn't stop the question from tumbling out. "Do you think love is a silly thing?"
"Love?" Robin repeated n mild surprise.
"I mean, not exactly love," Nami began to stumble over her words. "I mean, kisses, actually. Do you think they're just... well I mean, a first kiss is important, don't you think?"
"A first kiss." Robin repeatedly thoughtfully.
"I was just wondering if he--they've," She quickly corrected herself. "If any of them have had their first kiss before. Just a passing thought."
"If you're curious, you should just ask." Robin smiled.
That's exactly what Zoro said, Nami thought in despair. Perhaps Robin wasn't any better to talk to. Or maybe Nami was worrying about something much too trivial after all.
"I guess you're right." Nami half-heartedly agreed, smiling at Robin. "Of course. Thanks Robin. Well, good night."
With that Nami stepped out of the bathroom and headed to her room.
"Navigator-san."
Nami stopped and turned to Robin.
"It's not a silly thing to wonder about." Robin smiled, earning a curious look from Nami as she closed the door to the bathroom. "But I would think that it would be the last kiss you have that would be the most important."
"But I would think that it would be the last kiss you have that would be most important."
"Last kiss, huh?" Nami thought, finding herself in the kitchen with only a single lamp to illuminate the room and her previous bottle of orange flavored vodka in hand. She sighed, lowering her head in exasperation. "In a way that is true, but it's morbid, isn't it?"
You know what she meant.
"I do." Nami agreed quietly. That last person you kiss is more important than the first.
But what if that person is the same?
Like that's possible.
Nami laughed quietly, pouring the liquor into a glass before taking the entire portion in a single gulp, enjoying the burning sensation as it flowed down her throat and filled her stomach with a welcoming warmth. It was then that the door to the galley swung open to reveal her captain, the very source of her confusion.
"Eh?" Luffy began to sweat at the sight of her, obviously he had not expected anyone to be there, but soon his expression became that of confusion. "What are you doing here? I thought you're not feeling well."
"I'm not." Nami countered defensively. "That's why I can't sleep."
"Ah, is that it?" Luffy stepped in, letting the door shut behind him.
"And what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be keeping watch?" Nami frowned, leaning back so that her back rested against the counter, her empty glass still in hand.
"I'm just..." Luffy trailed off, realizing the peril he would be in if he were to say he was here to raid the kitchen. "Taking a break."
"You're a terrible liar." Nami shook her head when Luffy looked away, sweat beginning to form when he answered her. "You wanted something to eat?"
Luffy made no response.
"I guess it can't be helped." Nami sighed. "I can pick the lock for you and Sanji won't be the wiser."
"Really?!" The response was immediate.
"But it'll cost you." Nami sang out as she stood, pouring herself another drink as she grinned. Luffy didn't seem to be affected as he gravitated towards her, looking eager. "I'll get it--we can't have you eating our entire food supply."
"I wouldn't do that." He said indignantly, but at a look from Nami he grew silent.
"You can't be eating meat all the time either." Nami commented as she unlocked the food storage, using one hand to keep Luffy away as she took her time in deciding what to allow her captain to eat. "And we can't take too much or Sanji will notice."
In the end she handed him a plate with a mixture of meat, vegetables and fruit, giving him more of the latter two. Luffy made a face at the sight and Nami rapped a knuckle against his forehead. He frowned at her.
"Stingy."
"You better eat everything." Nami told him sternly. "And you still owe me."
Luffy's response was to shovel the food into his mouth at an alarming rate, but after traveling with him for so long Nami barely batted an eyelash as she proceeded to sip her drink.
"What're you drinking?" He asked, always the curious one, however his words came out in spray of food and spit.
Mildly disgusted, Nami felt her irritation build as she stood up to grab a handkerchief and a new glass.
"Vodka." She said simply as she wiped off the mess. She then paused before grabbing two glasses. "Want some?"
"I don't drink." Luffy said casually as he finished off his plate.
"You don't?" Nami looked at him in surprise, the memory from last night coming back to her of Luffy spitting his drink at the bystander on the island. "Oh, that's why. She gave you alcohol?"
"Who?" Luffy blinked at Nami in confusion.
"That girl."
"What girl?"
"At the party!" Nami snapped, starting to lose her temper once more. "You were dancing around the bonfire and spat out your drink!"
"Oh," Luffy grinned it realization. "Yeah. It tasted terrible."
"Did it?" Nami questioned as she placed down two glasses. "Some drinks are pretty good."
"Really?"
"Hm, I know." Nami smiled as she headed back to the storage, pulling out a mixture of things. Luffy only watched on curiously as she poured and mixed something out of his line of sight.
"Here." Nami offered him the glass. Luffy made noises of amazement as he looked over the blue colored drink, an orange slice hanging over the rim of the glass.
"What is it?" Luffy asked excited. "It looks good!"
"Just try it." Nami said shortly, tapping her foot on the floor with her arms crossed.
"Bottoms up!" Luffy said excitedly before downing the entire liquid. Nami stepped back as a series of coughs followed, her mouth turning up into a smirk at the severe reaction she got.
"My," Nami began innocently as Luffy coughed and gasped, the glass nearly breaking as it fell to the table. "You're a light weight, aren't you?"
"Wha--wha-wha--" Luffy couldn't even form a sentence until his coughs died down. "What the hell was that for?"
"At least you drank all of it, but really," Nami shook her head, "if you've never tasted it before don't down it like a pig, sip it. Small sips, idiot."
"Ho-how was I supposed to know?" Luffy snapped back, coughing every now and then.
"Okay, that was a little my fault." Nami smiled. "I shouldn't have made something so strong."
"Damn." Luffy mumbled, rubbing his throat with one hand and wiping at the tears that had welled up in his eyes with the other. By the time he had managed to recover from the unpleasant burning, Nami had set a dark colored drink in front of him.
"Try this."
"No!" He frowned.
"That's a first, you saying no to something you can digest." Nami smiled. "No, really, you'll like this."
"No!" He pouted, crossing his arms over his chest.
"I promise. It's like chocolate milk." Nami exaggerated a little, her eyes alight with mischief. "I swear, Luffy, if you don't like this I'll stop."
"Chocolate milk?" Luffy repeatedly hesitantly and Nami nodded. He looked at her, his eyes filled with suspicion, then over at the glass. With a frown, he picked up the glass.
"Small sips." Nami reminded him as he placed the glass at his lips. Luffy did as he was told, slowly sipping the murky liquid. He slowly pulled it away, swallowing hard.
"Well?" Nami asked after a few moments of silence.
"It's good." Luffy grinned, downing the rest of the liquid in a single gulp. "It's warm."
"I told you." Nami said as she watched him carefully, arching a brow as she gazed at his eyes.
Definitely a light weight. Luffy may not have realized it, but he was gently swaying in the slightest and his eyes were a little unfocused. He had silly grin on his face and some color was coming to his cheeks. Nami jumped when he brandished the cup at her, grinning madly.
"Another!"
Nami stared at the cup hesitantly. It probably wouldn't be best to give him another round, but...
"Say, Luffy." The boy in question bobbed his head at the sound of his name, grinning as he downed the drink in a single gulp once again.
"This is great!"
"Mmhm, Luffy." Nami pushed his hand away as he signaled for another round. "Before that, let me ask you something."
"Yeah?"
"Have you ever..." Nami trailed off, her words mumbled together as her eyes dropped to the table.
"Huh?" Luffy laughed. "I can't hear you."
"Have... haveyoueverkissedsomeone?" Nami rushed to ask in a single breath.
"Huh?" Luffy laughed again. "Nami, what are you--"
"Did you kiss anyone, is what I'm asking!" Nami hissed, all but shouting and stunning Luffy momentarily.
Then he was laughing.
"What are you talking about?" He gasped between his laughter.
"I'm serious!" Nami snapped, slapping her hand onto the table for emphasis, but quickly lowered her voice. She didn't want anyone to wake to their 'conversation.' The very thought of being caught and talking about something so embarrassing fueled Nami in her actions as she grabbed Luffy by his vest, using her other hand to silence his laughter by squeezing his cheeks. Even so his laughter continued, but at least she was able to muffle it.
"I'm assuming this means you haven't kissed anyone before?" Nami asked in exasperation.
"No way." Luffy managed to say, his laughter dying down to an occasional chuckle, signaling to Nami that she could let go.
"I see." Nami said, suddenly feeling light headed. Still, her stomach began to twist in knots, slightly different than her earlier when she had been dreading the answer to her question hours before. Now that she had her answer, she wondered why she had been so bothered earlier.
Because it would have been strange if he had said yes.
No, not just strange. Terrible.
"Terrible?" Nami repeated silently.
"Nami." Nami pulled away from her thoughts as Luffy held up the glass. "Another!"
"All right." Nami hesitantly took his glass. "Are you sure you want another?"
"Another, another!" Luffy grinned, his voice echoing in the galley, causing Nami to cringe.
"I got it! Just keep your voice down." She hissed as she made him another around. "You probably shouldn't have any more after this. You still have to keep watch."
"Stingy!" Luffy stuck out his tongue. Nami twitched; gritting her teeth together, but quickly shrugged it off as she placed the glass in front of him.
"Luffy?" Nami questioned as she sat back down, pouring her own drink as he contentedly drank his own, another concern coming to light.
"Mm?" He mumbled around his glass, liquid dribbling down his chin. Nami wrinkled her nose at the sight, pulling the glass away from his mouth and throwing the handkerchief at his face.
"Remember that girl from last night?" As she asked the question, Nami was unable to look at him. Instead she choose to look at her own glass, releasing his own as she did.
"What girl?" He laughed as he wiped the remains of his drink from his face.
"The girl from the party on the island." Nami touched the rim of her glass.
"Party?" Luffy repeatedly slowly.
Not again, Nami thought in irritation.
"Yes," Nami said firmly, bringing her eyes up to his unfocused one. "The girl you were dancing with. The one who gave you a drink by the bonfire--you do remember, don't you?"
"Ah--that girl." Luffy said it in a way that Nami was almost certain he still had no clue of what she was talking about. "What about her?"
Nami surveyed Luffy for a moment, her eyebrow arching in amusement as her captain held his lopsided smile, swaying this way and that with his head bobbing occasionally as he held her gaze with his own unfocused one. He glanced down at his drink, looking mildly perplexed to find it empty as he turned it over.
"Never mind." Nami said as she closed her eyes, draining the rest of the contents in her glass. It was then that she began to realize that despite her curiosity, she didn't want to know. She didn't want to know if he had fallen in love with a girl before. That sort of information would do her no good, but even as she tried to rationalize her reasons, her heart tightened at the very thought of Luffy ever being intimate with anyone.
It just doesn't make sense, Nami thought, her brows furrowing. There's no way he could--
"Another!" Luffy swung his glass in such a way that Nami was sure it would have gone flying out of his hand if she hadn't grabbed his wrist in time.
"I don't think that's a good idea." Nami told her captain who seemed to be beyond the point of inebriation. "I doubt you'll be able to keep look out for more than five minutes at this rate."
"It's fine!" Luffy sang out, louder than should have been allowed at such a late hour.
"So you say." Nami commented dryly as she stood up, taking the bottle with one hand and moving towards Luffy. The young man laughed when Nami grabbed his arm and placed it around her shoulders, nearly toppling over as the rubber man placed all his weight onto her, going as far to wrap his other arm around her waist in an attempt to steady himself. Or maybe he thought they were playing a game. "A little bit of fresh air might do you good."
Incomprehensible words tumbled out of his mouth, followed by his laughter. Nami said nothing, but pried his arm from around her waist, swinging it back over to his side as she helped Luffy out of the galley and onto the deck into the chilly night.
"Ah the stars!" Luffy pointed out, his arm swinging wildly, as if trying to pinpoint all of them.
Nami nearly stumbled at his wild actions, choosing to set him down somewhere in the middle of deck. It would probably be best to keep him from the railings in his state of mind. Now that she thought about it, she may as well take him to his cabin and take over his watch. It had been her watch to begin with, after all. It wouldn't do to have their intoxicated captain alone to stand watch; she'd never be able to sleep soundly.
What were you thinking?
In honesty, Nami didn't know.
You knew he couldn't handle it
"Luffy." Nami spoke up, trying to break away from her thoughts. "You should probably go to bed. I'll stand watch after all."
"No!" Luffy whined, stretching his refusal with a slight slur. "I don' wanna."
Nami said nothing as she brought the bottle to her lips, rolling her eyes. Despite his disagreement, she could already see that he was about ready to fall over. It would only be a matter of time before he'd be out like a light and she'd have to drag his sorry--
Nami sputtered as the bottle was snatched out of her hands. Nami coughed as she used the back of her hand to wipe away the liquid that had managed to escape her mouth and travel down her chin and onto her blouse. Luffy had managed to stretch out his arm and take the bottle from her and now he was staring at it curiously.
"Luffy, don't--!" Nami warned him, but to no avail. She could only watch in horror as Luffy brought the bottle to his own lips and downed the rest of her vodka--(her very expensive vodka)--which still had a good quarter of the bottle left. "Oh God."
To her surprise, Luffy did not sputter or spit out the liquid. Nami guessed that the previous drinks had probably numbed his taste buds--for someone who rarely drank it would probably have been too much for his system. She took some pleasure in knowing that in a few hours Luffy would be in absolute hell, but that would not bring back the money that had been wasted on her light weight of a captain.
"It's terrible." Luffy mumbled as the bottle dropped out of his hands.
"Of course, you took it straight." Nami snapped. However, her anger soon melted away as she watched Luffy's head fall to his chest, his hands becoming limp at his sides. "Luffy?"
Luffy only grunted in response, calling Nami's curiosity as she stepped towards him, crouching down in front of him.
"Luffy?"
Luffy made no response that time. Nami tilted her head to the side, reaching out to grab his chin only to jump in surprise when Luffy's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. Her heart beating a mile a minute, Nami could barely hold her own weight as Luffy slowly raised his head, tilting it to the side as it took more energy than he thought to keep it up.
"What's this?" Nami felt a smile form on her lips as Luffy's grip weakened and his head began to droop once more. She reached out again and held his chin so that his eyes found her mischievous gaze. "I see. You're a subdued drunk, aren't you Lu-ffy?"
Luffy opened his mouth, but the words that tumbled out were nothing but nonsense as he weakly shook his head.
"Nnmi." He mumbled, his eyes now half-hooded as he struggled to stay awake. "Nn?"
"Hey, Luffy?" Nami was smirking. "How are you going to repay me?"
"Mmmph?" Luffy eyes were unfocused. Clearly, he was no longer present.
"That vodka was expensive. Do you know how much it cost me?" Nami moved closer, her mouth close to his ear as she spoke. "How are you going to repay me?"
Nami pulled back at gaze at his face. His eyes were glassy and his lips were parted as he stared out ahead, then slowly his gaze focused on her own. His tongue suddenly flickered out, running over his dry lips and gaining Nami's attention. Their earlier conversation resurfaced in her mind, along with an idea.
"All right." Nami said as her gaze returned to his eyes, forcing him to use some will to keep focused. "If you don't know, I may have an idea."
"Ah?" Luffy managed to gasp out before Nami pushed him back onto the shoulder, his head slamming onto the wooden deck.
"You haven't kissed anyone before, have you Luffy?" Nami leaned forward so that all he could see was her face, blocking his view of the starry sky high above them. "I'll take your first one as payment."
"Ah." Luffy could only watch as Nami began to close the distance between them, an array of emotions filling him as his senses were overwhelmed by her very presence and the alcohol slowing his inebriated mind. "Nnmi..."
You're terrible
Nami stiffened. Her eyes were wide as she stared down at Luffy, but he was only staring back at her with his intoxicated gaze, barely aware of what she was doing or anything else for that matter.
You're the worst.
Nami pulled back slowly, her hands tightening into fists by Luffy's head.
It was her own thoughts.
You're taking advantage of him.
No...
That's why you pushed him. You're a terrible woman.
No... No! I'm just protecting him.
Laughter. Cold, bitter laughter filled her mind. What you need to do is protect him from someone like yourself.
Me? No, but I...
What makes you think you're good enough to be his first?
Nami was staring down at Luffy, horror and self-disgust filling her gaze as Luffy only stared back up at her. His hands were moving then and he reached out to her as if he could sense the turmoil that was filling her thoughts.
"Nnmi... ?"
"I-I'm sorry." Nami's eyes were wide. Unknowingly, the tears escaped from her eyes and a single teardrop fell onto Luffy's cheek, sliding down onto the wooden deck.
"I'm so sorry, Luffy."
She would have run if his hands hadn't wound themselves so tightly into the material of her blouse, pulling her back to him. Nami nearly lost her balance, her palms slamming onto either side of his head as she kept herself from completely collapsing onto her intoxicated captain.
"Luffy?"
"Ifisnnmi..." Luffy mumbled, his eyes hooded. "Isfine."
"Luffy?" Confusion was now replacing her penitence, unconsciously leaning forward as she tried to make out his words. "What?"
"If... it's Nami." Luffy spoke slowly, doing his best to keep the slur our of his words.
"If it's me," Nami frowned as she felt Luffy pulling on her blouse. "What, Luffy?"
"It's fine." Luffy murmured as he released one hand from her shirt, placing it behind her head. "Because it's Nami."
"Wait, Lu--"
Sanji was the first out the door, a jaw cracking yawn escaping him as he ran over the day's menu. He would have completely missed the presence of the sleeping boy if he hadn't stumbled into his legs.
"What the--" Sanji nearly slammed into the wall to regain his balance, taking a few steps before turning to find Luffy asleep just outside their sleeping quarters. "Luffy?!"
His brow twitching, Sanji lifted his leg in position to give his captain a rude awakening. He then lowered his legs, opting to place a cigarette into his mouth and lighting it before walking away. Even if Luffy had skirted his duties for the night, far be it for him to start a fight so early in the morning. Besides, he had a crew to feed and couldn't be wasting his energy.
"Ah, Sanji-kun." Sanji looked mildly surprised when he entered the galley to find Nami sitting at the table with a cup of coffee in her hands. "Good morning."
"Nami-san, you look as beautiful as always, so early in the morning!" Sanji couldn't help but compliment, but dropped the pretense as another thought occurred to him. "What are you doing up so early?"
"I started feeling better and took over for Luffy." Nami said simply as she nursed her cup of coffee. "I made some coffee, if you'd like. It's probably not as good as yours, but--"
"Don't say such things, anything made by you would taste heavenly!" Sanji swooned as he happily poured himself a cup. "By the way, Nami-san, what would you like for breakfast?"
"Anything's fine."
"Then I'll make the most delicious pancakes made with my undying love for you, Nami-swan!"
"That's not really--" Nami began, but Sanji was already pulling ingredients.
"Morning."
"Good morning."
Nami looked up to see Zoro stretching an arm over his head as he sat at the table across from Nami, followed by Robin, who chose to sit beside Nami.
"Good morning!" Nami greeted cheerfully, turning towards Robin. "Would you like some coffee?"
"That would be lovely." Robin smiled.
"Sanji-kun?" Nami said much like she would be ordering a servant.
"Right away, Robin-chwan!" Sanji was at Robin's side in an instant with a cup of coffee, before turning to glare at the swordsman.
"Ah, what the hell is the shitty swordsman doing up?" Sanji asked as he returned back to his cooking.
"Ah? What the hell did you say, you perverted cook?"
"Now, now." Nami's eyes narrowed. "I didn't sleep at all last night so I doubt you want to start anything now, right?"
Zoro only snorted, placing an elbow onto the table while Sanji swooned over Nami's threat and Robin merely smiled into her coffee.
"So, why is Luffy sleeping outside in the hallway and you're up?" Zoro asked as he got his own cup. "I thought you weren't on duty."
"I felt better." Nami said simply.
"Oh? Is that it?" Zoro arched an eyebrow once he returned to his seat.
"Why?" Nami narrowed her eyes. "What's it to you?"
"Oi, marimo, what are you agitating Nami-san for?" Sanji interjected, holding a spatula up threateningly. "Don't make me kick your--"
"Sanji!"
"It seems the captain is awake." Robin commented as Luffy bounded into the room.
"Break--"
"I know, just sit down!" Sanji said irately as Luffy obediently took a seat next to Zoro.
"Breakfast, breakfast, breakfast--"
"I know you shitty rubber man, now just shut up and wait!" Sanji waving his spatula once again.
"You're energetic as ever." Nami commented offhandedly. "You don't seem sick at all."
"Eh? Nope!" Luffy grinned. "I'm fine!"
"It's no wonder. What a lucky guy." Nami thought to herself, momentarily forgetting herself until she caught sight of Zoro's stare. "Ah, what?"
Before Zoro could question it, the rest of the crew was trickling into the room, all hungry and ready for the eager promise of food that would soon fill them up. Nami visible relaxed as she welcomed the distraction missing Robin's quiet chuckle.
"Really, you're such a light weight."
The only response was the sound of heaving as Nami rubbed her captains back as he spilled the contents of his stomach over the railing of the Thousand Sunny and into the sea. She looked up at the sky.
"It is a nice night."
AN: Hi :D I chose to leave in same things like -san since it doesn't seem to have the same feel to me when translated and nakama is always a big thing. For those of you who don't know what it means, shame on you :( You can't call yourself a One Piece fan if you don't know what it means! Comments and constructive criticism welcome :) Remember, I'm rusty!