A/N: Rated M for smut and gooey-ness. Very minor spoilers.

Sometimes, it was tough.

Nami had never been one to dwell on the past, having to put aside her emotions to get a job done when she was travelling alone, supporting and protecting herself. Countless times she had shoved people and memories aside to steal and deceive, no matter how much it hurt and tore at her soul. It was what she had forced herself to do to cope from day to day. If she hadn't … Nami suspected that she would have broken from the strain.

However, despite this, Nami was still human, and she had emotions. Back in that accursed Arlong Park, there had been nights where she spent the entire time weeping uncontrollably, muffling her sobs so she wouldn't alert the pirates below. Sometimes she would simply huddle underneath her covers and cry herself to sleep. The happy memories of Bellemere and Nojiko haunted her.

There were nights that she mourned the past and cursed the present.

During that time the future always seemed bleak and hopeless. Even if she freed her village from tyranny she had no place to return to. They hated and despised her for joining Arlong – or so she believed. Even if she lived with Nojiko, she wouldn't be able to leave the house and the constant reminders of Bellemere, and through that, her death, was something that Nami doubted she would be able to handle.

Nami was strong though. She would stand tall and do what she had to, even if it killed her. She was unimportant – it was the people she loved that needed to be free.

And then, like a tidal wave, her salvation came for her.

It was a total mishap, really. She had met the boy by accident in that one little town she couldn't even remember the name of. She saved his life because he looked absolutely pathetic in a cage, and she refused to murder someone.

She was no pirate.

It came as a shock when said boy told her that he was a pirate, and was searching for One Piece! He could have done anything with his life, anything he damn well pleased. He certainly had the determination. Yet he chose piracy, of all things.

He seemed to be a decent enough person (for a pirate), if a little slow. She accepted his invitation of partnership, intending to take advantage of such an easily fooled boy when she had the chance. After she milked him for all he was worth she would abandon him like everyone else and help her hometown.

Damn him …

She liked being with them. It was painful having to leave. She wanted to forget, like she had before, so that she wouldn't have to face the pain and regret that came with abandoning the crew that she suddenly found herself a part of.

Like always, they surprised her. They followed her.

She cursed and blessed them, but couldn't bear the thought of having to rely on them to save her. She was a strong woman. Her goal was in sight. She would not, could not, involve them. She hoped that someday they would forgive her.

Her hopes and dreams had been ripped to pieces by that corrupt Marine. That damned shark-man and his greed. His filthy greed. She cursed him, despised him.

Just as she began to fall to pieces her hand was caught, stopping her hand from stabbing her arm one more time. In her weakest moment, when she was in so much pain and misery, she let go of her stupid pride for one moment and put all her trust in one man – the man that had changed her life: Monkey D. Luffy.

He saved her, in more ways than one. He broke the shackles that bound her to Arlong, freed her from her past, vanquished her nightmare and gave her something that she hadn't had in a long time: a place to belong, because she was his navigator – his Nakama. It was almost too good to be true.

No one just walks away from Luffy, and definitely not without a reason. He was not someone to be pushed around. Even if it was said to his face he would see through the lies (even if told to protect him). He would hunt you to the ends of the earth and demand the reasoning for betrayal.

That's just who he was.

Nami let out a sigh as she traced the grain of the wooden planks on the roof of her room out of boredom. Memories and thoughts swirled around her mind, keeping her from sleep. The subtle rocking and occasional creak of the ship as it sat on the water didn't help at all either. It was just one of those nights when there was too much on her mind to sleep. One of those nights when she questioned reality and her luck – wondered if anything was real or if she was sleeping after all.

It felt like a sick joke that would surprise her when she opened her eyes.

Deciding that she needed some air and a reassurance that she wasn't actually dreaming, Nami quietly sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. With stealth that she would have laughed at on any other day, she slunk across the floor and out of the room. It didn't take long to find her way to the hatch down to the men's sleeping quarters. From there she simply propped it open and blocked the incoming moonlight with her body as to not wake them.

Snores and breathing drifted up from the room. She could hardly make out the dark forms of her crewmates as they easily slept. Zoro's heavy snores were by far the loudest, closely followed by Luffy's. Usopp was a surprisingly quiet sleeper, while Sanji's breathing was barely audible over the noise emanating from the captain and first mate.

Nami's scowl softened into a smile, and she quietly closed the hatch. She hoped to whatever god was up there that this wasn't some prank played by fate to bring her to her knees again. The Mugiwara's navigator had enough of that to last a lifetime. Irony was an old friend of hers.

After mulling it over Nami decided that she still didn't want to go back to her room and found herself by the railing. The uncomfortable churning in her stomach wouldn't cease even as she watched the calm lapping of the dark waves against the hull of Merry.

After the Arlong Park incident her nights become a lot calmer. Now she dreamed of Mikans and treasure. Her childhood dream was becoming a reality now that her goal to save her village had been accomplished. She looked down at her fingers – those fingers that she used to create, which would help people in the future. There was a droplet of ink still on her wrist – the day had been slow and spent drawing on the smooth surface of her paper.

A low creaking nearly gave her a heart attack, and she whipped her head around to see the hatch to the men's quarters opening steadily. Her breath nearly caught when the very man that had changed her life slowly (and as quietly as he possibly could) pulled himself up onto the deck. Had she woke him up by accident?

Instead of turning towards her, like she somewhat expected, the rubber boy started off towards the Kitchen. Nami fought the urge to smack her palm to her face. Of course it was late night hunger pangs. The boy seemed to eat five times as much as someone three times his size would have.

"Luffy," she drawled, intent on nipping the act at the bud. They didn't need to make an emergency stop to stock up on food supplies, again. That boy was the bane of her wallet.

Said boy froze in horror and comically turned towards her with an expression that mimicked a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar (or raiding the fridge). "Nami?" Luffy whispered loudly. He looked tense, as though ready to bolt at a moment's notice.

"Don't steal from the fridge, stupid. We won't have enough food to last us to the next port if you do," she drawled. It was a figurative slap to the wrist, a light punishment considering. She wasn't in the mood to beat the snot out of him – too emotionally drained.

Luffy pouted and joined Nami by the railing instead. "But I'm hungry," he whined childishly, and she rolled her eyes.

"You can wait until breakfast, it won't kill you."

A comfortable silence filled the quiet night, and both of them simply watched the waves roll by. It promised to be calm the next day. Luffy, being the impatient person what he was, turned to look at her before long. "Nami, why are you awake?"

The question half caught her off guard and didn't surprise her one bit, "I was just … thinking."

"About what? Money?"

Thunk! Her fist collided with his head. He pulled away, shooting her an annoyed glare as he gripped the large lump on the top of his skull. When she didn't yell at him as a follow up, his expression became one of puzzled concern. "I was … nevermind," she sighed, shaking her head and deciding that it was silly. The churning in her stomach had become a cold lump.

Intending to go back to bed and attempt to salvage a few hours of sleep, she made to step past him. His hand shot out and grabbed a hold of her wrist, causing her to startle. "Luffy, it's late. We should go back to bed," she said tiredly.

"Tell me what's wrong first," he looked over at her, eyes drilling into her soul, owlish and unblinking. Nami's mouth pressed into a thin line, while the rest of her stiffened. There was no escaping Luffy.

She relented, knowing that there was no other option, especially when he used that tone. So she let out another sigh (she had been doing that a lot recently) and complied, "I just wonder if this is all just a dream sometimes. Like it's too good to be true. Like … when I wake up I'll have never met any of you and I'll still be trying to save up enough money."

Luffy's eyebrows rose, "That's it?"

"Hey, I'm trying to be serious here!" she hissed, her pride wounded. Here she was pouring her heart out, and he wasn't taking it seriously. How rude!

He laughed, making her insides twitch. Blushing, embarrassed and mad, Nami raised her fist to hit him again, but he easily dodged the blow this time. "This isn't a dream," he chuckled at her, smiling his usual mega-watt grin.

She stopped, staring blankly at him for a few moments. Luffy's logic … while it baffled her, it made her pause. He was so sure, and she believed him, dammit! She'd follow him to the ends of the earth, to hell and back, and she trusted him with her life. There was no way it was a dream, and by god she deserved it. It was a waste of time to get upset over it, because there was no going back anyway. He changed her life and made sure that it was real.

"Yeah, you're right," she breathed, a small smile gracing her lips. Luffy truly had a gift. To be able to say just the right thing in such situations, to put his crew at ease, even if he was just being blunt and honest, was something that Luffy had an uncanny knack for. Nami relaxed, throwing away the doubts that had made her anxious. His smile was infectious, and she found herself grinning dumbly next to him.

Growl~!

"Shishishi, I guess I'm still hungry," Luffy laughed, sheepishly scratching the back of his neck.

Nami smiled fondly at her Captain, "Come on, I bet you're hungry."

"NAMI!"

Her breath caught in her throat, tears stinging in the corners of her eyes as she gazed at the lone figure standing atop the rubble. Blood and sweat coated his body, ragged breathing ringing out throughout the whole park. Villagers stood, shocked, at the winner of the most brutal fight they had ever seen in their life.

"YOU ARE MY NAKAMA!"



She cried.

She was pushed over onto the table, caught by surprise at the sudden action. One hand gripped the side of her shirt and the other slowly slid up her leg. Her own fingers threaded into his mess of black hair, head lolling back and ragged breath escaping her lips.

How this had happened, she wasn't exactly sure. One moment they were talking, laughing and sharing food taken from the fridge (in moderation so Sanji wouldn't have a fit), and the next moment she was shoving her tongue down his throat.

What on earth have I unleashed? Nami thought in a fleeting moment of clarity. That quickly vanished as her lips became occupied. A tongue swept through and explored every inch of her mouth. Their teeth gnashed together and left her with the taste of oranges. A warm buzz settled over her as her hand quickly slipped the buttons of his vest loose.

"Ngh … Nami, is this alright?" Luffy murmured against her lips.

It was a moment before Nami could answer, having the need to gather her bearings. Looking into the pirate's eyes, she really thought hard for half a moment (because she was a responsible adult!) before smiling softly, "Of course." Dear god she wanted him, right now.

A huge grin swept across his face, and she blushed madly. It mirrored the one that he wore whenever he was hungry, but the intensity of the eyes told her that he wasn't really hungry for food anymore. She finished with the buttons on his vest and quickly slipped it off his shoulders. Callused hands wandered over exposed skin, trailing over lean muscle and leaving goosebumps in their wake.

Her shirt, bra and shorts quickly joined his vest on the floor. Nami leaned back over the table, bringing the man that was ravishing her within an inch of her sanity with her. Skin slipped against skin, bodies already slick with sweat. Her nipples brushed against the tanned flesh of his chest – her breath hitched and she let out a small needy sound comparable to a whine.

He grasped and kneaded her breasts with the hands she knew could actually kill a man (not that she had seen it happen, but if he wanted to, he could), pulling little mews and moans from her throat. They bubbled past her strong façade; she was willing putty in his hands. He had always been able to do that to her, sway her and charm her (whether he knew what he was doing or not), breaking past the walls she had erected and let the sun shine through.

A finger slipped inside her. She gasped, clutching him tightly and burying his face in her bosom (a position she was sure he was rather pleased with, she would ponder in hindsight). Hot, wet trails coated her skin as his tongue skimmed her breasts and ribs. One hand continued to knead a breast while the other rested between her legs.

"God, Lu-ffy!" she groaned, arching her back and pressing her breasts into his awaiting palms. Heat pooled in her abdomen and core – a heat that completely and utterly replaced the cold feeling of sadness that had occupied her earlier. Her limbs and face felt warm as she clutched his hips between her thighs and held on for dear life. Involuntarily, Luffy grinded his hips into her own, and she let out a string of loud noises. It would be a miracle if everyone slept through their coupling, but she was past the point of caring.

When he finished suckling and kissing her breast he lifted his head to gaze down at her with half-lidded eyes. She had never seen his eyes like that before, and hoped she would be the only one to see them like: clouded in affection and desire, a tamed power boiling in his bones.

"Nami, I won't let anyone hurt you, ever," he said, honestly as he always did. Her eyes widened, her heart warming as she let any other barriers drop. She was bare before him, both literally and figuratively. He was her savior, her best friend, her captain and now her lover. He would protect her with his life; even die for her if he had to. She trusted him completely and utterly, willingly and unconditionally.

"I know," she replied softly, smiling and cupping his face in her palm. As if on cue, he once again lowered his head to her lips to kiss her. Another finger slipped inside her, making Nami squirm in anticipation. It felt like her body was hollow, and the firmness pressed against her inner thigh made her want double or triple. She needed him inside her, and she needed it now.

Her hand slipped from his neck to the button on his shorts. She fumbled with it, but eventually managed to slip the zipper down. At her tug they pooled around his ankles.

When her palm and fingers wrapped around him, he let out a high-pitched noise and let his head drop to her shoulder. Stroking lightly, she listened to his huffs and moans. It must have felt pretty great for him too.

"I'm ready when you are, captain," she whispered huskily, pressing an open mouth kiss the spot where his shoulder and neck met, biting lightly. He shivered in her arms, clenching his eyes shut and whimpering in helpless pleasure.

"Nami~!"

When he managed to regain some shadow of control his fingers slipped out and hooked around her panties. They slid down her legs as she closed her eyes in excitement.

She wasn't a virgin. Her life had been tough from when she was very young and when she got older she started to use her body to get what she wanted. Some bribery here or there, flashing unsuspecting peepers and charging them afterwards, seducing rich people and then cleaning out their vaults. However, she had never anticipated sex in such a way before, and it was exhilarating.

Nami hoped that Luffy could erase her previous experiences and teach her the difference between fucking and 'making love', not that she wanted to call it that – it sounded far too cheesy, but when it involved him she could care less what it was labeled. His hands spread her legs wide as his eyes scanned his work. A naked, panting, blushing Nami with her hair messed up and looking back at him with the same lust and adoration. They branded the other's image in their minds, hoping to never forget this experience as long as they lived.

In a not-so-gentle manner that spoke of his actual inexperience (having gone on nothing but instinct and vague stories that he had heard over the years), Luffy thrust into her in one sleek motion. They both let out a loud breath. He rested his forehead against her chest for a moment while Nami gripped him around the waist with her legs even tighter.

"Fuck ..." he muttered, gripping her hips in his vice-like hold. Nami impatiently rolled her hips against his own, urging him to get over his virgin skittishness. He seemed to get the hint, or it was just instinct, but he pulled out all the way to the tip and thrust right back in.

It was unsteady at first, sloppy as they tried to get the rhythm. When they managed to get it down they sped up until both of them could do nothing but hold each other tighter and let profanities (because they were pirates) and other inappropriate animalistic noises pour from their mouth, along with the other's name. He pounded into her, Nami lifting just slightly to meet him. The skin of their stomachs slid together and Nami's breasts pressed tightly against his chest. The table shook lightly with their rocking, even though they were trying to be quiet so they wouldn't wake their other three crewmates.

Sweat dripped down between her breasts as she clawed at Luffy's back, nails digging into his rubber skin. A thick coil of heat wound up like a spring in her abdomen as she urged him to go faster – to go harder – to which he eagerly complied. He took her in the kitchen, in the middle of the night, their half-eaten snacks and a mug of warm milk forgotten as they completed each other; filled with love and comfort so that her nightmares completely disappeared.

And when she came (he following close after), all she could do was cling to him desperately as her whole body shook, eyes rolling back into her head and screaming his name into his mouth.

It took a while for them to both calm down and separate their tired and sticky bodies, taking a few minutes to catch their breath. She slowly massaged his scalp with one hand, the other by her ear as they panted. His warm breath tickled the oversensitive skin of her chest, and a dull, but pleasant throb filled the space between her legs.

"Luffy …" she murmured, staring up at the ceiling. She felt him stir, nuzzling her bosom affectionately.

"… Yeah?" he replied steadily.

"Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me."

"I still want to," her hand slipped from his hair and rubbed up and down his back. He breathed a sigh of contentment. "You saved me, gave me back dream and a place to call home … I couldn't even begin to repay you."

He chuckled against her skin and hugged her with one arm, "Just be my Nakama, Nami. That's enough for me."

She smiled fondly at the man in her arms as she rubbed his back. It was so like him. The selfless, honest and loving man that she gave her heart to.

"I love you, Luffy," it came natural, as easy as saying 'good morning'. It felt right.

"Love you too," he hummed.

Tangled in each other, they simply rested until their heartbeats returned to normal and felt the rolling waves gently rock the boat.