After an emotional and slightly embarrassing dinner, most of the crew was headed off to bed. That is, except for me. I was too embarrassed to go sleep in the "girl's room" and too concerned to really sleep at all. I really didn't have any way to get home, and didn't have any way to think that I even COULD get home. So it was time to accept it and continue forward for now. Maybe somebody out there had a devil fruit ability that could get me home. I looked up to the sky, thinking about my home.
"Whatcha doin M'?" Luffy said. I jumped a little, startled by the sudden break in silence. I looked up at him and something just, snapped in my head.
"Hey, aren't you made of rubber?" I said as I reached up with both hands and tugged on his cheeks. To my astonishment, his skin stretched with my fingers just like rubber. I was so intrigued that I squished it back into place, making his face pucker and squish before stretching it again. "Wow, that's some real elasticity!" I murmured.
"Um, hey... so... do you mind?" Luffy mumbled, looking a little displeased with my experiment. I looked up at his eyes and blushed, quickly releasing my hold on his cheeks.
"Whoops, sorry 'bout that! My curiosity got the better of me!" I said, nervously scratching my head. "What are you doing out here anyways?"
"Guard duty" he said, rubbing his cheek and then sitting next to me. "What are you doing out here? Aren't you tired?"
"I am I just... I don't know. I guess I'm worried.... And maybe a little embarrassed about crying at dinner."
"Well it's not like you're a total crybaby or anything. I bet this is pretty weird for you."
"You don't know the half of it"
"Why, is there more?" He says curiously.
"Um, well..."
"If you don't wanna talk about it it's fine."
"Oh... well it's just a bigger adjustment than you'd think for me. I've never even been on a ship, so I guess I'm a bit shell shocked" And you are literally in 2D and you are from a different world but who the Hell is keeping track.
"Whaaaaat? You've never been on a ship!!! That is just sad. Glad you are here now, friend." Luffy smiled at you innocently making you chuckle. "That's weird though that you've never been on a ship and somehow just stranded yourself on one in the middle of the ocean."
"Oh? You think?"
"Yeahh you are weird. Heehee. I like you!"
You blush a little and giggle at his words. If anything, getting to meet Luffy and the crew was pretty awesome. "You're calling me weird? You're the one whose made of rubber!"
"Good point haha."
Just then, a strong wind blew and you felt yourself shivering. Damn, that's cold as hell.
"You cold, M'? Hang on a second" Luffy pulled the scarf off of his waist and offered it to me. I thanked him and obliged. After all I was super cold.
"Luffy... I have to tell you something... but you gotta promise me you won't tell the crew until I'm ready." Luffy raised an eyebrow at me. I knew telling this guy a secret was like asking for it to be spilled, but I couldn't bottle it in. I needed to tell somebody.
"Hit me with it" he says. Here it goes.
"I'm from a different world."
"WHAAAAT?!?! Like an ALIEN" Luffy exclaimed, looking up into the sky like he was looking for a ufo, his hat falling off of his head and hanging around his neck by the drawstring.
"No, Luffy, like an alternate universe. Where things are totally different."
The next thing I knew, I was pouring my heart out to a guy who hated long stories. But oddly enough, he listened with vigor, like he was on the edge of his seat. I left out him being a part of the world as a character. Though I was surprised he didn't ask how I knew about him.
"This sounds like a place I wanna go!" He then says, cutting me off. I went pale.
"N-no Luffy, you don't."
"Why not??"
"Um, well you see. There are no powers there. And the seas are boring compared to here. I just don't think you would like it..." That and you would absolutely raise Hell there. No doubt.
"Oh. You're right. That does sound boring. So then... why would you want to go back to a place like that?"
"I have my family and friends and my horse there, of course."
"Woahhhh you have a horsey??"
"Pffffft! Yes, I have a horse" I chortled.
"What's its name???"
"Appa." I said shortly.
"Why?"
"I named him after a flying bison"
"You have FLYING BISON???"
"No it's a made up character!" Or is it at this point? Maybe they all just exist in alternate timelines. Who knows.
"Aweee that's sad. I wanted to see a flying bison" he says, puffing out his cheeks and crossing his arms in exasperation.
"Hahaha I'll draw what one looks like for you at least if that helps"
"I guess that will have to do" He pouted. I giggled at his childlike antics.
I found myself laughing and talking far longer than I meant to with Luffy. I let him talk about his world as if I knew nothing about it and continued to talk about my world and compare them to each other. After a while, we both fell silent. I looked up at the moon. A sense of calm washed over me. I felt so at peace, letting it out.
I glanced at luffy, who was looking up at the sky too. I could see his breath as it left his nose. His chest rising and falling as my eyes lingered on his face. His eyebrows were raised ever so slightly like he was ready to say something. Heat pricked at my cheeks as I looked at him. His eyes met with mine for an instant before immediately shifting away and back toward the sky. Did I imagine that? I tried to pull my gaze away like he did but I couldn't help but stare at him. Something about him in this moment just made him seem so... special.
His eyes darted back to mine again and then he smiled his big toothy grin. The light of his smile shined so brilliantly that I actually had to look away. He chuckled at me, still smiling.
"What's wrong, M'?" He asked, my face now pricking with heat again.
I cooly leaned back and laid down, looking at the sky again. "I just feel at ease, finally." I said. He leaned back too, laying next to me, just close enough to touch elbows with me as he put his hands behind his head.
"Good, I'm glad." He said.
I felt my eyes flutter shut. Luffy had kept talking, but I couldn't focus on any of it. I think I was finally going to sleep.