Title: Sweet and a Little Bit Tangy
Universe: One Piece
Theme/Topic: Tangerine
Rating: PG-13
Character/Pairing/s: vaguely LuffyxNami, hinted at ZoroxSanji, with an appearance by Robin
Warnings/Spoilers: None I can imagine.
Word Count: 893
Summary: Luffy makes some obtuse associations.
Dedication: tokkichan- fulfilling the last request from my first ever het-fic meme. I might do families next, or something. That'd be fun. XD
A/N: Haha it's hard to write these two because Luffy is such an idiot. But still, I love them, somehow. XD
Disclaimer: Not mine, though I wish constantly.
Distribution: Just lemme know.

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The fruit from Nami's tangerine trees were always some of the best he'd ever tasted, and he'd tasted a lot, from all over and everything. Zoro told him Nami's tangerines probably tasted better because she only let the crew have a couple every once in a while even though she knew the lot of them could probably eat ALL the fruit off the trees in one sitting if she let them.

"Stuff you can't have always tastes better," Zoro explained. "That's what I hear anyway."

Luffy didn't really get that because he could have it and it still tasted good, even if it wasn't meat.

"It's not because of anything the stupid marimo said," Sanji told him matter-of-factly. "Because he's a stupid marimo and clearly doesn't understand Nami-swan's kindness and greatness and how well she grows fruit."

"They're good!" Luffy agreed, and clapped his feet together.

"Of course," Sanji told him. "You can tell just looking at the color. It's a deep, rich orange and uniform throughout. That just tells you it's going to taste sweet."

"Oh!" Luffy realized, and knew Sanji was the one to go to for these types of things.

"Che, what do you know, aho-chef? Even if you're right, I'm right too!" Zoro grouched, and glared at the blond.

"Well at least I can put it in terms he can understand!" Sanji bit back, and kicked Zoro in the head for the face he was making at him.

And Sanji had—Luffy'd understood the explanation very well, as far as the captain was concerned.

That particular color of orange meant yummy, and that was all Luffy needed to know.

That precious gem of knowledge thus digested, the leader of the Straw Hat pirates suddenly came to an epiphany of sorts, and eager to see if it held, marched right up to the lounging navigator.

"You're in my sun," she complained when his shadow fell over her, and lowered her sunglasses to look at him.

He cocked his head to the side, looking very uncharacteristically thoughtful. "Oi…Nami," he started, and reached forward.

She blinked. "Eh? What? What? Why are you touching me!"

He pulled her towards him then, looking at her hair. He studied it, carefully. "It's the same!" he exclaimed after a moment, and smiled broadly as he did.

"The same as what!" she demanded, impatient.

"The same color as the tangerines!" he told her matter-of-factly. "So then Nami tastes sweet!"

"WHAT!" Nami and Sanji shouted at the same time, the chef pausing mid-spin kick to Zoro's ribs.

"Sweet!" Luffy reiterated, before leaning forward and kissing her like he sometimes saw Zoro and Sanji do when they thought no one was looking.

"MMPH!" Nami exclaimed.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Sanji cried.

"Huh," Zoro grunted, and grinned.

When Luffy pulled back, he smacked his lips and grinned in satisfaction.

Nami stared at him, two bright pink spots very visibly blossoming on either of her cheeks.

"Didn't know she still had the modesty to do that," Zoro marveled.

"SHUT UP!" Sanji snarled, and followed through with the kick he'd paused in the middle of.

"Oof," Zoro grunted, and glared, before punching Sanji back.

"Hmmm, Nami tasted different," Luffy started, looking thoughtful again.

"Different?" Nami echoed, still too shocked to be angry.

"But still good," the captain allowed after a moment, and stretched his arms up over his head before turning to the brawling chef and first mate. "Saaanji, what's for dinner!"

"DON'T JUST CHANGE THE SUBJECT!" Nami and Sanji yelled, once more in tandem.

Zoro's grin broadened, the swordsman holding onto the leg he'd blocked to keep Sanji from kicking him in the neck. "That's cute; you two should take that little act of yours out on the road."

"SHUT UP," both the chef and navigator said again, to Zoro.

He chuckled and dodged another kick to the face.

"DON'T JUST KISS PEOPLE LIKE THAT!" Nami continued, opting to ignore the idiot duo and bop Luffy soundly on the head instead, fearsome even with her face still flushed pink like it was.

And then, because it had to be added, "AND DON'T COMPARE ME TO FRUIT EITHER."

Luffy pouted, rubbing the back of his head. "But fruit is good!"

Nami cleared her throat. "Well. It's still rude."

Luffy thought about this for a moment. "Then… Nami tasted like meat!" he corrected, feeling that if he compared her to his most favorite thing in the world it could do no harm.

She decked him in the chin. "THAT'S NOT BETTER!" she shouted, and absolutely, truly, one-hundred-percent disgusted, stormed back up to her quarters.

Robin looked up from the desk as the door to the room was suddenly thrust open and then slammed shut behind a red-faced navigator, the archaeologist smiling pleasantly despite the intrusion into her rare and precious quiet time. "My, what's got you so worked up, navigator-san?" she asked, completely innocent.

"Nothing," Nami responded quickly, and flopped down onto her bed with a huff. "ARGH."

"Well then, perhaps you should go see doctor-san, ne? You might have a fever," Robin continued helpfully, flipping a page in her book idly. "Best to look into these things early on, after all." Pause. And then, "Besides… tangerines can't possibly taste very good when they're all red like that, don't you think?"

Nami buried her face into her pillow and groaned.

Robin's gentle laughter bore her out.

END