Luffy's smile fell. I didn't like making him unhappy, but I couldn't very well say yes, either. Forget that there shall be no romance amongst the crew and I've already been breaking that rule left and right. But I'm not from here!
"What? Why not, Misaki?" He whined.
"Luffy, I know you can be a little dense but come on! I may have been distracted a bit, but we are still keeping an eye out for a way for me to go home at some point!"
"Why would you even want to go home? Don't you like it here? Aren't you happy?" More than you would even believe.
"This isn't about being happy. What if I just don't belong here?" I huffed. Slowly, I realized these were fears that I had, myself. "What if I just get sucked back into my reality one day? What, are you gonna come get me?" I scoffed.
"Yeah! If that's what you want!" Luffy yelled back. I staggered for a moment.
"What if I don't?!" I stabbed back.
"Why wouldn't you?!"
"That would be horrifying!"
"Horrifying?!"
"Yes!"
"Me coming to take you back would be horrifying?"
"YES!" I exclaimed. Luffy let out an annoyed grunt that bellowed deep in his throat.
"With all the stories you have told me about your world, not once have you ever said you were happy there. Not once!"
"What if I don't belong here?"
"You were miserable there."
"I have family and friends there!"
"You have that here too!"
"Luffy, stop!"
"You are happier here!"
"Who are you to decide that?!"
"What's there that's missing here?"
"Luffy!"
"You can do whatever you want here!"
"Oh yeah? Can I talk to my family?"
"You know that's not what I meant!"
"Luffy, stop!"
"You are free here!"
"Then don't make me choose right now!" I screamed. The entire sea fell silent, aside from the sound of the waves hitting the hull of the ship. I continued, quieter. "I'm not free if I have to choose. I might have to make a choice in an hour, or in ten years. I don't want to make one now. I want to cross that bridge when we get to it. Don't make me choose."
Luffy stood there, contemplating for a moment, his hat casting a shadow over his eyes.
"Ok. I'm sorry I asked, Misaki." He said, his hat still casting its shadow. "I just thought you wanted to be here with m— with us..."
I didn't know how to put it. I wanted to be here, but a part of me couldn't let go of my past life. I still had things I cared about and missed about my old world. "It's not simple, Luffy... It's scary... to let go... and I don't know if this is enough to do it..."
I walked away. I couldn't have that conversation any longer. As I was walking, I saw Zoro appear in front of me. His eye bore straight through me. Into my core. I kept walking, bumping shoulders with him as I went to the girl's room to pout.
_____________________
(On the deck)
"Man, what the Hell is wrong with her?" Luffy pondered, scratching his head and sighing dramatically.
"Oi, Luffy!" Zoro said, striding up to him and placing his hand on his shoulder.
"Not now, Zoro." Luffy said flatly. A tinge of resentment edged on his lips.
"We need to talk about Misaki."
"You mean about you kissing her?"
Zoro cringed at his Captain's way of bringing about the topic. He wanted to tell him sooner, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it.
"I guess she told you, huh?"
"Yeah."
"Is that all you're gonna say?"
"No." Luffy said shortly. And in that moment, something came over him. Something burning - seething - through his body, making him grit his teeth and clench his fist. Luffy glared up from the ridge of his hat and struck Zoro right in the jaw. The force pushed Zoro back a bit, but he had been ready for it, using his armament haki to protect himself. It still hurt like a son of a bitch, but at least it didn't break his jaw. Luffy took a deep breath and looked at the ground. "Sorry, Zoro. I don't know why, I just felt like punching you."
"It's ok Captain. Is it ok that we talk now?" Zoro said, rubbing his jaw. Luffy nodded.
They went into the crows nest to talk. It was the best place to keep private. (Maybe a bad choice, considering it's also where everything went down with Misaki, but that's neither here nor there).
"I don't understand Misaki. Firstly, she acts all... I don't know... nice with me and then she gets all mushy with you... and then last night there was this... I dunno.... I thought for a minute... I don't know. And she tells me about you and her... but then I think that... ughhh I DON'T KNOW!"
"Not much of that made sense, Captain."
"I know!" Luffy said, throwing his hands in the air in defeat. Zoro waited for Luffy to relax before speaking.
"So, you know we kissed, but I know why we kissed."
"Because you wanted to be mushy."
"No... there were a couple reasons to be fair, but there is one she won't admit."
"Oh yeah? What's that?"
Zoro sat down and crossed his arms. This was a lot more serious of a conversation than he expected to have. "Misaki is scared to face a very real dilemma. As you now know, she is afraid of making a choice. She wants to go home, but her time here is impacting her in ways she wasn't expecting."
"Well yeah, she is happy here."
"But she has bonds there."
"So? She has them here too!"
"But there is nothing like the bonds of family in a place you've known your whole life. Familiarity. It's easy."
"Zoro I'm not really good at riddles."
"Misaki has feelings for you, Luffy."
Zoro said it. It left a weird taste in his mouth, but it was true. Luffy sat there for a moment, something fluttering in his stomach. Why did that keep happening to him lately? But then, he shook his head at Zoro.
"She kissed you, Zoro." Luffy said.
"She kissed me because it was easier."
"Easier than what?"
"Easier than you. Easier than admitting to a deeper bond that would tie her here."
"Why would she-?"
"-because then her choice would be absolutely impossible for her to make."
Leave the person she loved and the new bonds she formed or leave the world she always knew, and everything in it. This was the choice. Either choice was good, but which one was right? Maybe if she just sabotaged it. Maybe if she never pursued the one she was falling for, then her choice would be easier. But how easy would it be to resist the one she was falling for?
"That's stupid!"
"Stupid or not, she is getting pulled in two different directions. Only a true catalyst would bring her to a decision. Hell, even that may not do it. The best we can do is be there for her and let her come to that decision when it arrives. And you pushing her to make one sooner will only make it worse."
"I say what I want"
"Then why don't you actually do what you want to do then?"
"What the Hell is that supposed to mean?"
"Oh, I don't know, Luffy! Why did you punch me for kissing her?"
"Cause I don't want you to kiss her!"
"Why not?"
"I don't know! Cause I don't!"
"But why?"
"Cause I don't want you guys to kiss!"
"Why does it matter?"
"Because it does!"
"Why do you care?"
"I don't care!"
"Oh really?" Zoro retaliated, venom in his voice. "So you don't care that I pushed Misaki up against this wall and kissed her?"
Luffy took a sharp breath in and shut his mouth. Binding his lips together with full force.
"You don't care that I put my arm around her waist and pressed my bare chest against hers?"
Luffy shut his eyes, placing his hands over his ears. "Shut up, man!"
"Do you care that she put her hands in my hair and kissed me back?"
"Damn it Zoro! Why are you telling me this?!" Luffy pleaded, still holding his ears firmly.
"Because you care!"
"Fine, I care!"
"And you are jealous!"
"Fine! I'm jealous!"
"You don't want her kissing anybody else!"
"No!"
"And you don't like this feeling, right?"
"I hate it!"
"Then fix it!"