Christmas in your heart
One Piece
Disclaimer: I own neither One Piece.
Made after chapter 400 in manga.
"Here!"
Nami could not help but sigh and take the present. Since the first time someone had mentioned the word Christmas, Luffy had been interested. And their luck had been awful since the next island had been full of celebrations as well.
He had been more excited than they had seen for a while, running around the cities listening to people and their stories with child-like wonder. Then he had run to her to borrow money.
She should have said no even if it would spoil his mood. But she had been weak and loaned him some money with interest. Not even to stop his madness had she been able to say no to a change to earn money.
She looked down the package wrapped messily so that she could almost see what was inside.
It was surprising. She had to admit that he must have really thought about what to get to her since what she found inside the wrapping was a new pen and paper for drawing maps. She had one set already, more expensive than this one but...
She appreciated it all the same.
"Thank you Luffy." She said with a smile and he chuckled before going to find his next nakama.
New
kitchen knives for Sanji.
A
sharpening stone for Zoro.
A
new set of glasses to his lab for Chopper who accepted them with
tears in his eyes.
Usopp
got himself a new set of basic repairing tools. Though rather than
use them to fix the ship, he would probably use them for his strange
weapons.
All in all they were surprised to get such fitting presents. Perhaps they were the easiest things to buy but still it showed some insight... Some.
But the hardest person remained. What had Luffy gotten for Robin?
When he took the last present from his bag they all knew what it was immediately.
A book.
For the first time Nami felt a bit nervous. Robin did read a lot but no one really knew her taste in books and what she had not read yet. Buying a book for her was a risky choice but she could not expect more from Luffy.
Well, it was the thought that mattered...
Luffy walked calmly inside the cabin to find her and Nami prayed that he had not bought something embarrassing for her.
---- ---- ----
Robin was reading. She had enjoyed it since she was a child and the amount of information she had learned from books during her life was enormous. It was something she actually took some pride in, being the most well-read person in this crew. Nami came in good second though.
"Rooobiiiiin!"
She raised her eyes from the book and smiled at him. "Here." She said and he soon appeared into the room. He was smiling and looking very excited. It wasn't rare.
"Here!" He extended a package to her.
Her eyes widened. She knew that he had been interested in the tradition of this island-group called Christmas but...
"For me?" She asked hesitantly. She could not remember when she had last got a present without any hidden intentions. She stared at the package, a book most probably and he nodded pushing it into her hands.
"Thank... you..." She said, hesitant as to how one should answer in this situation. He chuckled like he often did when he knew something he thought others didn't. Happy and free.
"You're welcome." Then he sat down before her. His eyes were staring at her, his feet hitting the floor impatiently. He was waiting for something as patiently as he could.
She directed her gaze to the present and slowly opened the wrapping. A book like she had thought. She had not read this one but that was because the title promised it to be useless.
Archeology for beginners was not something that would teach anything to her but the thought that he had chosen this for her, just for her, warmed her heart.
She leafed through it absentmindedly when she noticed that something was inside the book. A bookmark perhaps. The paper was old, folded in four to fit inside. She took it and opened the wraps.
The book fell from her lap. Her eyes widened and watered.
WANTED
Dead or Alive
Nico
Olivia
It was a wanted poster of her mother.
A tear slid down her cheek and her hands shook. She had never seen this nor had she ever had any kind of picture of her mother before.
"She looks just like you."
She raised her eyes from the poster to look at Luffy. The smile on his face was gentle and rare since it lacked all mischief usually hidden in there. He rose and laid a hand on her head for a while. "Merry Christmas."
Then he walked away without waiting for her to answer and she turned her eyes back to the image of her mother. He was right. She looked like her. The hair was different but eyes and face were very much alike.
She had never had anything to remember her by... Not any photo, not anything she might have used in her life... He had given her something she had longed for for 20 years. And she loved him for it.
Her throat felt tight but she managed to muster few words into the emptiness...
"Thank you... Luffy..."