The Game (luNa)

20

3 trolleys of food, 4 passed out nurses and an entire crew of shocked staff later, the pair were on the move. they had managed to find an old lady who wasn't even phased in the slightest, claiming to have seem it all in her time, who unceremoniously led them to a horse that was already saddled and awaiting their use. Nami helped luffy up, careful to make sure he didn't overstretch himself, and then clambered on behind him, wrapping one hand around is waste and leaning into his back. 

then they were off through the grassland, nami giving luffy instructions and luffy chatting away happily. the time passed much quicker than it had on their way to the damn place, and since it was still early in the day there didn't seem to be as many creatures lurking about the place. finally, everything had fallen into place.

the crew of the straw hat pirates were all very used to constant action, so the feeling that came with sitting by and waiting for a fate they couldn't change was an unfamiliar and entirely unwelcome feeling for them. and that was saying something because they had only been back for 15 minutes. if the captain had set out at the allocated time, he would have arrived before the rest of the crew, so the others had been secretly holding onto hope that their captains smiling face would greet them when they walked into that room. the fact that it wasn't put them on edge more than they cared to admit. though they had all met the strange boy in very different ways, all had come to love him dearly and would not bear it if something were to happen to them and they could do nothing. 

the silence ate away at them, until it became too much to bear and they all turned to the stack of barrels containing what could only be sake. zoro stood and poured the glasses. as they drank, they chatted about everything and anything, trying to take their minds off their captain for only a moment. it occurred to them then that a feat such as that was hard enough even without a cause for concern. that's when the door opened.

Luffy and Nami were now approaching the building they had set out from a few days before. it seemed like so long ago. the sign was there, same as ever, and the door was wide open. all they needed to do was walk right in. A man appeared before them, seemingly out of nowhere, as they slowed to a stop. he said nothing, but took the reins of the horse in his hands as they dismounted and led it away when they were safely on their feet. Nami hooked her arm around her captain's waste with the intention of holding him up. he hooked an arm around her shoulder and together they left the field and headed into the room, closing the door behind them. 

the woman, the same who had ushered them out all that time ago, sat at the desk and stared at them in disbelief. her mouth hung open and she stared at them as if they were some undiscovered species. after a few moments of stunned silence, she pulled herself together and stood abruptly, causing her chair to fall to the ground behind her. she paid it no attention as she scurried forwards, opening the door for them to go through and ushering them out. once again, she did not speak a word. eventually they came to a stop outside a rather large door, one they had not paid much attention to on their last trip through this compound. They pushed it open.

as the captain and his crew locked eyes with each other through the doorway, a silence so fragile it felt as though a feather could break it engulfed the room. in the end it was not a feather but multiple jugs of sake which had slipped from the grasps of various crew members and fallen to the floor. then there was chaos. chairs were thrown aside as the crew scrambled towards their captain, relief flooding them. just before they reached him, a net of arms stopped them in their track. robin stepped forwards at the same time that nami took a step in front of her captain, shielding him from the over excited crew members. they all quickly realised the reason for the girls actions and muttered their apologies, then switched to verbally greeting the captain. he grinned at them and stepped out from behind nami, placing a hand on her shoulder as he did so to show his appreciation for the gesture. 

sanji went off and sulked in the corner, robin stood quietly with an amused smile etched into her face, zoro went to get more alcohol, chopper began obsessing over luffy's injuries, usopp began lying about how he knew luffy would make it and eventually everything returned to normal. they regained their respective seats at the table, though zoro had to stand because he had broken his seat upon standing up, with nami and luffy joining their ranks, and they had their final mean on that damned island in their usual straw-hat-like fashion. 

the rest of their time in the town was spent convincing luffy to stay on the ship while the crew went and did their free shopping and then the completion of the shopping itself. pirates as they were, the crew could not help the happy feeling that came with saying hello to the open ocean and leaving the land behind. 

the seas were calm and the sun was shining. chopper had reluctantly let luffy out of bed arrest to lie on the deck and enjoy the day with the rest of the crew. all of them were content, with not a worry in the world. there were no storms, they were well fed, their supplies were all stocked up and they all still had each other. it was everything they could have asked for. 

Nami came out of the map room with ink stained hands, having insisted on documenting the island while it was fresh in her mind. she took a seat beside her captain and leaned her head on his shoulder, almost thoughtlessly. the captain chuckled and wrapped a rubbery arm around her waist, pulling her closer and resting his own head atop hers. it never occurred to them, this new thing that was between them, so foreign and yet so familiar at the same time. but even the air headed captain knew that it would be there for ever and ever, and he wanted it that way.