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Nami couldn't sleep.
She had been like this for hours, rolling around in bed, biting her nails and braiding her own hair in an attempt to distract herself.
Robin had even made her some tea in the middle of the night when she saw her still awake, pacing around the room.
And when she asked if something was wrong, Nami just laughed, shaking her head.
"I'm just excited to see her again, that's all."
It was partly true. She was. She was more than happy to return to Alabasta. To see Vivi again after all these years, to have that smile in front of her once more.
To hold her hand again.
But on the other hand, she was terrified.
It had been over two years since they last saw each other, and although they used to send letters, everything fell apart when the princess began to take on more and more responsibilities.
Nami didn’t want to be a burden.
So, she stopped. She stopped pestering her.
She stopped trying to hold on to something that probably only meant too much to her.
But maybe not to Vivi.
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She remembered it clearly — the sleepover they had after liberating the kingdom of Alabasta.
Luffy hadn't woken up from his deep sleep, the others were eating and regaining their energy, and the two of them were cherishing the little time they had left together.
Sharing an enormous princess-sized bed, surrounded by the scent of expensive perfume, covered in the finest fabrics in the country.
Nami had fallen deeply in love with Vivi from the moment she told them about her cause.
A strong, determined woman, and at the same time, terribly sensitive. With a heart of gold rarely found in people born into royalty like her.
People Nami usually despised.
But Vivi changed that view of the world for her. She made her realize not everything was black and white. She made her brave.
She made her willing to face opponents she had no chance against, just to protect her mission, to liberate the people she loved.
And she would do it again, over and over, just to keep that smile on her face.
That night, Vivi was trying on a dress for her speech.
Nami had suggested white, with light makeup and her hair down, and matching red jewelry.
Vivi agreed immediately.
"You really know about this stuff, Nami..."
"A pretty girl should always know how to highlight her beauty."
Vivi chuckled. —"I'm not a pretty girl."
“You are just being modest.”
"What? No, I mean," she said, settling into the sheets. "I'm nothing special—especially next to you."
"You're literally a princess, Vivi."
"That means nothing. I'm just a bundle of fine cloth."
"I bet you'd look gorgeous even in a potato sack."
Vivi laughed and thanked her, probably thinking it was a joke.
Nami meant every word.
"Lipstick?" Vivi asked.
"I usually don't wear it. But it might look good on you."
"You don't? But your lips look... kinda pink."
"They’re naturally like that," Nami laughed, with a spark of pride. "And they’re soft."
For some reason —impulsive, maybe— the princess wanted to see for herself.
She leaned in, brushing her soft fingers across Nami’s lower lip.
Nami froze.
"Wow, you're right. They are soft."
"I..."
"Do you use some kind of special balm?" Vivi smiled innocently, tracing her thumb along the cupid’s bow.
Well, she figured it out.
"Yeah. It's flavored."
"What flavor is it?"
"Come find out," Nami said, without thinking.
She froze the moment the words left her mouth. Her entire face flushed. She hadn't even tried to make it sound like a joke. It sounded real. Like an invitation.
She turned her eyes away, terrified of seeing disgust in the princess’s face.
What the hell did I just do?
She tried to recover
"Just kidding," she said with a forced chuckle, shifting on the bed. "It’d be a huge scandal if the princess kissed a thieving pirate, right?" she teased, giving Vivi a soft nudge on the shoulder.
Big mistake.
Vivi was staring at her. Blushing.
Even in the faint moonlight, her porcelain skin was stained with the most adorable flush Nami had ever seen.
And she melted.
She leaned in slowly, until their noses brushed.
"Why are you so red?"
"I'm not..."
"Am I making you nervous, princess?"
"...Yes. Yes, you do," Vivi whispered with a shaky sigh.
Nami felt her heart race violently. She could hear her own pulse thundering in her ears.
For a moment, she hesitated.
But then she saw Vivi's eyes, wide open, filled with nervousness and desire, with no sign of wanting to move away,
she closed the distance.
Their lips touched gently, like petals brushing together. It was a short kiss at first, trembling, full of uncertainty and hope. Vivi's lips were warm, soft, and tasted of mint with a hint of sweetness, as if she'd been sipping tea before bed.
Nami felt a shiver run down her spine.
Vivi didn't pull away.
Quite the opposite, she leaned closer, placed a trembling hand on Nami's cheek, and kissed her again, this time with more intention, more commitment.
Nami wrapped her arms around her, gently pulling her until they were completely together on the bed. The kiss became slow, careful, as if they both wanted to memorize every second.
When they finally broke apart, Vivi's cheeks were burning, a small smile on her lips.
"It tastes like cherry," she whispered.
"Wow," Nami smiled back, gently caressing her face. "You're a very clever princess."
"And you're a dangerous pirate," Vivi whispered, placing her forehead against hers. "But I'm glad you stole that kiss from me."
Nami laughed softly, burying her face in her neck.
The night she said goodbye, hours slipped by between kisses. Between soft whispers and promises of love—promises Nami desperately wanted to believe were real.
She had always known Vivi wouldn’t come with them.
And that was okay. Of course it was.
When Sanji asked what was going on while they fled through the desert toward their ship, she muttered some nonsense, and no one noticed the distant look in her eyes again.
But when she saw her for the last time, dressed in the outfit she had suggested, looking like a dream pulled from moonlight and memory...
She couldn't help but feel hopeful.
Then, through the loudspeakers that carried her voice across the entire kingdom, Vivi confirmed what Nami already knew: she wouldn’t be joining them.
Nami wasn’t surprised. But somehow—it still hurt.
“If we see meet again someday… will you call me your friend one more time?”
It felt like a knife to the heart.
And when she noticed the marines’, presence creeping closer, she resigned herself to walking away. To letting that be their goodbye. It was the only ending she believed she was allowed.
But their captain wouldn’t allow it.
He raised his arm high, and she did too—holding hers up longer than anyone, her body trembling with sobs until her chest ached and her lip bled from how hard she bit it.
Her only solace was knowing she wasn’t the only one who felt like this.
They all missed her.
But there was no time for melancholy. Not for long.
Soon a new crewmate joined, and the world spun forward.
A thousand things happened in such a short time—battles against self-proclaimed gods, stupid bets with rival pirates, and even declaring war on the World Government.
Moments loud enough to drown out the ache of missing her.
And still, amid all the chaos, Nami found time to write.
She poured herself into letters—every weekend without fail—writing about everything they'd done, every feeling she couldn’t say aloud. She sent them faithfully, like prayers in bottles.
Until, one day… the replies stopped.
Now, after all these years, they were returning to Alabasta.
Invited personally by the princess.
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The desert hit them like a familiar embrace: dry heat, golden winds, and the scent of spices in every breeze. Alabasta remained unchanged, yet older, more worn, as time always wears down proud things.
The royal guards greeted them formally, but they were soon led through the palace's grand halls, their footsteps echoing against the polished marble.
When Vivi finally appeared at the top of the stairs, the air changed. Nami felt it like a lightning bolt beneath her skin.
She looked radiant in a pale blue robe embroidered with gold; her hair, now longer, swept back in elegant waves over one shoulder, met Nami's own: large and glassy, as if she hadn't dared to believe this day would come.
Everyone around them stopped, caught by the sudden charge of the moment.
But they didn't run to each other. They didn't cry. They froze, frozen by the intensity of everything they couldn't say out loud.
Vivi smiled, perfect and polite.
"Welcome back," she said. "All of you."
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The formalities dragged on for hours: introductions, ceremonies, endless speeches about peace and alliance. But Nami barely registered anything.
She kept glancing at Vivi, who sat with such grace and serenity next to her father that it was hard to believe she was the same girl she'd once known.
When the guests were finally allowed to disperse, Vivi invited them all to a private room for drinks and conversation.
Zoro nudged Nami gently before they entered.
"Relax," he murmured.
"Easy for you to say," she whispered back. "You're not in love with a damn princess."
"Technically, he's a prince." Zoro muttered and simply stepped forward, giving her space.
Nami grunted. Okay, maybe Zoro understood her a little; they were both idiots hopelessly in love with people who felt out of their league.
Inside, it was all candlelight and velvety shadows.
At first, she just froze in place, not saying a word until she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"That's a nice dress."
Nami shivered.
She turned slowly and smiled awkwardly. "Thanks, you, you look nice..."
Vivi offered Nami a glass of wine with a familiar smile, and Nami accepted.
When no one was looking, their fingers brushed.
And Nami, for the first time in years, allowed herself to have hope again.
They caught up with each other amid soft smiles, sips of wine, and overly intense glances that led nowhere.
Not with everyone around.
Not where anyone could see them.
"I like what you did with your hair," Nami said, casually running her fingers through the tips of her hair.
Vivi's blush didn't go unnoticed. "Thanks. I like your long hair. Although—it was also quite short—I'm not saying you should cut it, it's... I mean—"
Nami let out a raucous laugh, the kind she only let out when she found something really funny. Vivi pouted, scolded her, but she kept laughing.
Finally, there was the nervous girl she remembered.
When Vivi said goodbye to go with her father to check on dinner, her eyes looked different, duller, almost unable to say goodbye.
"See you." She barely said, not meeting her eyes, once again acting strange.
Nami felt more and more confused.
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At dinner, when everyone was at the table, the princess stood up.
"I wanted to thank you all for coming," she said in a calm voice. "Your presence here means more than I can express."
"It's nothing, Vivi!" Luffy shouted, his mouth full of food.
She just smiled.
Before lowering her head, her gaze fixed on the table.
"I also wanted you to be the first to know. My father has... arranged my engagement."
Silence.
"I'm getting married this fall."
The words were like a slap in the face.
No one reacted too strongly. Chopper clapped. Usopp whistled. Sanji's heart seemed to break, and Zoro rolled his eyes at that.
Luffy was slow to respond, and for a second, Nami felt the captain's eyes on her. But she quickly looked away.
Everyone clapped and said, "Congratulations, Vivi."
But Nami...
She stood still.
Wine spilled over the rim of her glass as her hand trembled.
Only Zoro saw it.
Only Zoro noticed how her eyes didn't blink for a full minute, or how her shoulders tensed as if she'd been stabbed.
He signaled for her to pull herself together for a while, until dinner was over.
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After dinner, one by one, the Straw Hats dispersed to their guest rooms, tired from the journey, full of wine, distracted by the luxury that surrounded them.
Nami remained silent the whole time. She laughed when she should have, smiled when others looked at her. But inside, she felt like she was drowning.
She needed air-
As she entered the palace hallway, her heels clicking softly against the marble, she kept her gaze lowered and her breathing steady.
Then she heard the voice.
"Nami."
It stopped her in her tracks.
She didn't turn around. She didn't breathe.
"Nami, please wait."
Vivi's footsteps approached slowly behind her, hesitant, soft as guilt.
"I just want to talk."
"There's nothing to talk about," Nami said softly but sharply. She didn't turn around.
Vivi was silent for a second. "I... at least let me explain..."
"Not now, Vivi."
"Just a moment," the princess insisted, approaching carefully, as if afraid of scaring her. "Please. I want to talk."
"I have nothing to say." Her voice was sharper than she'd intended.
"But I do."
Nami turned quickly, eyes flashing, jaw clenched. "Talk? About what, exactly? The way you pretended I wasn't there?"
Vivi hesitated, her face losing all the diplomatic composure she'd been maintaining for hours. "It's not like that..."
She lowered her gaze, her hands tightening at the front of her skirt like an anchor. "I'm doing this for my kingdom, Nami. You know that. I've always given everything for it."
"Of course I know!" Nami exploded, her voice trembling. “I always knew you were going to choose your people. I understand, I really do. But no—” Her voice cracked a little. “You have no right to approach me like nothing happened. You have no right to look at me like I still… like you still owe me something.”
Vivi took a step forward, desperate. “I’m not asking for your forgiveness for loving my country. I just wanted—”
“What, Vivi? What did you want? A hug? A night? Some solace for your guilt?”
“No.” The word was a whisper, sad, broken. “I just wanted to know if I could still look at you without you hating me.”
Nami felt something break inside her, something she’d kept sealed for years.
“I don’t hate you,” she murmured. “I don’t have room for that. But I also can’t keep pretending that any of this matters. Because to me, it does. It always has.”
For a moment, only their labored breathing could be heard, the murmur of the wind entering through the high balconies.
Vivi extended a trembling hand. “Let me explain, please.”
But Nami stepped back, her throat closed, her eyes bright.
“Not tonight.”
And she left.
Without looking back.
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The hallway was dark and freezing, as if the palace had swallowed all the warmth from dinner.
Nami walked blindly, not knowing where she was going, just wanting to get away, to breathe, to stop feeling that horrible burning in her chest.
Leaning against the wall, as if he were waiting for her, was Zoro.
His arms crossed, his brow slightly furrowed. He said nothing. He only raised an eyebrow, and that was enough.
She stopped in front of him, trembling with rage, with sadness, with everything.
He looked at her for a second longer... and without saying a word, he pulled her into his chest and hugged her.
Nami clutched his jacket tightly, her lips pressed together, holding back a sob. She didn't cry. Not yet. But she needed to.
"Come on," he finally murmured softly.
And they walked together in silence to his room.
Zoro closed the door and pulled a small bottle from under the bed. Nami recognized it instantly: an expensive amber liquor she'd only tasted once in her life.
"Where—?"
"I knew something like this would happen. I stole it from dinner," he shrugged. "Your favorite, huh?"
Nami looked at him for a second, then laughed bitterly. "You're an incredibly thoughtful bastard, you know that?"
"I hear it often," he replied, pouring two glasses unceremoniously.
They toasted wordlessly.
The alcohol burned like liquid fire, but it was the kind of heat that burned away the bad first. Nami sighed long, leaning back on Zoro's messy bed while he sat on the floor, leaning against the wall with his legs stretched out.
"So, your incredible reunion with her... was it just as you imagined?" he asked calmly.
Nami swallowed. “No.”
They laughed. Sadly.
“What’s got you upset?” she asked, turning her head to look at him from the bed.
“I’m angry about what Vivi did,” he replied. “Although I understand. I suppose she wanted you to hear it from her and not see it in some newspaper.”
“So? Something else?”
“Sanji.”
“Sure. Who else?”
Zoro clicked his tongue. “He’s been acting like an idiot since we got here, with all those girls in short dresses everywhere…”
“You can’t expect much from him.”
They laughed again, louder, until Nami let out a tear she didn’t want to show.
Zoro said nothing. He just handed her another glass.
They continued drinking.
They spoke little.
Complaining about how unfair it all was.
Nami ended up sitting on the floor next to him. Then she leaned against his shoulder. Then she broke down.
She began to cry for real. Without shame. Her breath was shaky, her words choked. She brought her hands to her face, ashamed of how broken she was.
And when she simply whispered between sobs,
"It's not fair, Zoro. It didn't have to end like this..."
He bent down gently and picked her up as if she were lighter than the wind, more fragile than glass. He laid her gently on his bed.
Nami clung to his wrist.
"Don't go," he murmured.
"I'm not going to leave."
She fell asleep between still-shaky breaths, her face soaked in tears and her heart in pieces.
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Nami had woken up alone in Zoro's bed, tucked under a carefully arranged blanket. He was gone. Only the faint scent of liquor and an empty glass on the nightstand remained as evidence of the previous night.
She returned to her assigned room, took a quick shower, and seriously considered never leaving it again. But hunger finally won.
During breakfast, she ate in silence. Luffy and Usopp shared some nonsense about camel racing aloud, but it all sounded distant. Zoro, sitting across from her, didn't say much either. He simply handed her a cup of tea without looking her in the eye.
She gave him a small, grateful smile.
As she left the dining room, she naively thought the rest of the day would be peaceful.
Nonsense, really.
—Nami.
"Shit."
She saw Vivi approaching and immediately turned to leave, not even pretending to stop.
"Wait," the princess called again, gently taking her arm.
Nami tried to push her off, but found herself backed against the hallway wall.
Trapped.
Damn, how her heart kept leaping at the touch of her.
"Let me explain."
"There's nothing to explain," Nami said quickly. Her voice was calm, but her gaze was steely. "I understand. You're a princess. You have responsibilities: your kingdom, your people, your family—everyone but me. I understand. They're gone."
But her voice cracked, just barely, on the last words.
"Do you really think so?" Vivi whispered, her eyes wide with pain. "That you didn't matter? I waited for you, Nami. I waited, even when the letters stopped."
"You didn't say anything. That's the point. Not a word," Nami snapped, interrupting her. Her eyes burned. "You let it die."
Vivi looked down. Shame painted her face silently.
Nami took a deep breath, about to apologize, suddenly feeling bad. It wasn't really Vivi's fault, it's not like she could control it, but it hurt—
"I saw you leave Zoro's room this morning."
The words were soft, but sharp. Crude.
Nami blinked.
Then she laughed. Bitterly.
"Wow. Are you really doing this?"
Vivi clenched her fists. Her silence said it all.
"You slept with him?"
Nami blinked again, stunned, and then let out a laugh that didn't reach her eyes.
"Are you really jealous right now?"
There was still no response.
Nami's mouth curled into a grimace.
"You can't be jealous. You've lost that right."
Vivi's voice trembled.
"So no...?"
"Of course not," Nami snapped. "Zoro's my friend. He found me drunk and crying, and gave me a place to sleep. That's all."
She took a step closer, lowering her voice through the weight of her grief.
"He doesn't even like girls!"
Vivi parted her lips, stunned.
"Next time you want to interrogate me about who I spent the night with, remember that you're the one getting married."
And she walked away.
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Two days had passed, and there was still a whole week left in Alabasta.
Nami and Zoro were about to lose their minds.
"I'm dying of heat," Zoro groaned, lying shirtless on the cold stone floor.
"So what do you want to do, genius? Go out?"
They both looked at each other with the same horrified expression.
No. Not at all.
Going out meant risking running into Vivi again, and Nami wasn't ready for another conversation like that. The last one had completely exhausted her.
And Zoro had no intention of watching Sanji strut around like a lovesick idiot, especially now that the cook had found a new castle maid to woo. The thought made his jaw clench.
So neither of them left Zoro's room. They spent the days lounging around, drinking expensive liquor, playing leisurely games of shogi, and occasionally complaining about their respective romantic disasters.
By the fifth day, they were practically nocturnal and had developed their own system of nonverbal communication to avoid the castle staff.
"We're rotting," Nami muttered, her forehead against the wall.
"Speak for yourself. I've achieved inner peace."
"You haven't changed your pants in three days."
"Inner peace doesn't care about pants."
This continued until the sixth night. A knock on the door nearly killed them both.
Luffy's voice continued.
"Zoro! Nami! Let's go! There's a party tonight! The last one before we leave!"
Nami looked at Zoro. Zoro looked at the ceiling.
Luffy continued.
"I know you're in there! Do you think I didn't notice? They've been hiding like cave trolls!"
"We're not cave trolls," Nami muttered.
"Zoro could be," Luffy added with a chuckle, and Zoro stood up and opened the door, just so she could see his frown.
Luffy walked in, smiling brightly. "Come on, I've hardly seen you around."
The bitter expressions on both of their faces made Luffy's expression change, taking on a slightly more serious tone.
"Nami... I know what's going on."
Nami froze.
"It's obvious," Luffy said gently. "Maybe not for everyone. But I notice things, you know?"
She felt a lump in her throat.
"I'm not telling you to fix everything. I just think... maybe you should talk to her. So it doesn't end like this. Who knows when you'll see her again?"
She didn't respond.
And then...
"Ouch!"
Zoro groaned as Luffy elbowed him hard. "You too, muscleman. Clean up, put on something decent. You smell like three-day-old alcohol."
"You've been hugging camels all week. Don't talk to me about smell."
Luffy laughed, stopping in the doorway. "Just vegan, okay? It's our last night. Don't waste it sulking."
Then Luffy left.
And for a long moment, the room fell silent again.
"Do you want to go?"
"No."
Silence
"But I think I should."
Zoro nodded and stretched, groaning. "Okay. But I'm not dancing."
"No one wants you to."
They both spent a good time getting ready. More than a necessity, it was almost a kind of therapy.
Nami reluctantly opened her suitcase, and there it was.
The purple dress.
She had packed it so carefully, thinking of a special night. A night when Vivi would look at her as if the world had stopped for a second, as if only the two of them existed.
Now it was just another dress. The only clean one. She had no choice.
She put it on calmly, smoothing the fabric with her hands as she swallowed the lump in her throat. She applied light makeup: a bit of blush, subtle eyeliner. Nothing too dramatic, but enough to look... human. Present.
Zoro, for his part, was struggling with the buttons of a black shirt he never wore.
"Who invented this?" he grumbled. "The damn buttons are a trap."
"Come here," Nami said, half laughing, half sighing.
...
And then they went downstairs.
The celebration hall was spacious, lit by golden torches and paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling in warm tones. There was local music, tables laden with fruit, grilled meat, and wine. The bustle of laughter and toasts mingled with the cheerful beat of the drums.
Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.
Luffy's cheeks were already red from laughing so much, dancing with Usopp and Chopper. Robin was relaxed, sitting next to Franky, simply chatting.
Brook was part of the orchestra playing the music.
They both looked at each other with a little uncertainty, but finally, they went inside.
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When Vivi saw her, she gasped.
Her glass froze halfway to her lips. For a second, it was as if the entire party blurred around her. There was only her.
Nami, in a beautiful violet dress that made her look like a dream, had that calm, somewhat distant look, but she looked beautiful.
However, she didn't come closer.
Not yet.
She gave her space.
Nami noticed, of course. She felt the gaze like a touch on her skin. But she didn't turn around. Not yet.
"Nami-swaaan!" Sanji shouted, barely stumbling over his own steps as he approached with a drink in each hand, visibly drunk and euphoric. "I'm so glad you finally came out! You look dazzling... like a flower in the desert night... a heavenly vision under the stars of Alabasta!"
"Thank you, Sanji," Nami replied with a half smile, accepting the drink without much conviction, although her voice was soft.
Sanji then turned to Zoro, squinting as if he had only just noticed his presence.
"And you, Marimo... where did you get that shirt?"
Zoro looked at him out of the corner of his eye, his jaw clenching in annoyance. "Some problem with it?" he growled, his voice husky, barely contained.
Sanji raised an eyebrow, taking a step closer, close enough for the gesture to feel deliberate.
"God..." he blurted, shaking his head, "that's a damn compliment, seaweed. Relax."
Zoro opened his mouth to reply, but closed it. And lowered his gaze slightly.
Nami, who knew him only too well, noticed the slight blush creeping up his ears. She saw him clutch his glass more tightly than necessary and avoid Sanji's gaze completely.
"I don't know, Robin picked it out for me somewhere."
"Of course it was her, she has good taste." Sanji laughed that familiar drunken laugh, taking a step closer. "She even made an ape like you look good."
Sanji probably thought it was a huge insult. But Nami noticed the exact moment Zoro's ears changed color.
He looked like a tomato, and she would have laughed if she hadn't perhaps saved him from the embarrassment he was about to experience.
"...Marimo, are you o-"
She quickly excused herself to get a drink and dragged Zoro with her, leaving Sanji a little confused.
"You're pitiful."
"Shut up," the swordsman muttered.
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Vivi was about to lose it.
She'd tried to find the right moment, measured every step, every gesture, every glance. But drink after drink, her thoughts became disorganized. Her original goal began to blur, replaced by a simpler desire,
She just wanted to be near Nami.
That tight dress should be illegal.
But it wasn't just the dress. It was her. All of her.
Smiling with that calmness of hers, her eyes narrowed with laughter every time Usopp did one of his silly things. The slight blush that rose to her cheeks when she burst out laughing uncontrollably.
The way they'd stared at each other all damn night, as if they were searching for each other in the middle of the bustle and, when they found each other, didn't know what to do.
And every time, it was Nami who looked away first, with that confused and embarrassed expression.
Vivi had always been a woman of quick decisions. Of taking the plunge. She'd grown up with the fire of conviction in her chest. But ruling a kingdom trains you to contain tha fire.
She had an image to uphold, a people who looked up to her with hope. A life mapped out long before she took her first step.
And yet... she wished she could let it all go. She wished she hadn't spent so many nights cuddled by her pillow, convincing herself that everything was okay. That this was her place. That what she felt would pass.
But it wasn't enough.
Maybe she was selfish. Maybe she didn't have the strength to walk away from the woman who had haunted her dreams for years.
And now she was there. A few feet away. Within reach.
Looking perfect.
Anyone could approach her. Ask her for a dance. Ask her for more—
The alcohol made her head spin. The lights seemed dimmer, the music more distant. She leaned on the corner of a table, trying to control her breathing.
It was then that a hand gently rested on her shoulder.
"...Luffy?"
"Hey, Vivi."
She turned around, blinking.
"Oh... hi. Are you having a good time?"
"The food is delicious, no doubt." Luffy smiled with that simple, honest glow that always accompanied him. "But I'd have a much better time if my friends did too."
Vivi frowned, not quite understanding.
Luffy sighed, with that air of wisdom that sometimes peeked through his messiness.
"I convinced her to come. Don't waste your chance."
"You... how—"
"I know my crew," he said simply, and winked at her before walking away with his hands behind his head, humming the tune Brook was playing.
Vivi watched him walk away, her heart pounding in her chest. She took a deep breath. A very deep breath.
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Nami was leaning against the drinks table, her gaze slightly lost in her drink. Zoro had gone to the bathroom a while ago and hadn't returned.
She didn't notice Vivi's presence until her shadow fell across the table.
"Is that dress for me?"
Nami looked up, her eyes wide.
Vivi stood before her. Her expression was serene, but her voice had a barely perceptible tremor, as if she'd been holding back that question for too long.
"...No," Nami said, lowering her gaze. "It was the only clean one."
"Ah."
Silence. One of those tense ones. Full of everything that's never said.
"But I thought of you when I was packing it," Nami added, her voice low, almost inaudible.
Vivi closed her eyes for a second, as if his words had hit her gently.
"I thought about you too," she said. "Every night. Every damn night."
Nami looked at her, with no escape this time.
"You're drunk," she muttered.
"I'm not saying this because I'm drunk," Vivi replied, taking a step closer. "I'm saying this because I'm tired of not saying it."
Nami swallowed.
"What if you do?" she asked softly. "What happens next?"
Vivi didn't respond immediately. She just looked at her. With that mix of tenderness and storm that Nami had only seen once, that night years ago.
"I don't know," Vivi confessed, leaning a little closer; Nami could smell the alcohol on her. "But tonight, I don't care about anything but you."
Nami's heart pounded, getting louder, more unbearable.
"You... you're getting married."
"Does it matter now?"
The question hung between them like a taut string about to snap. Nami narrowed her eyes, her lips pursed. She felt like she was gasping for air.
"Of course it matters," she whispered, as if saying it out loud might break something. It matters because when you leave, I'm going to stay here, Vivi.
The princess didn't respond. Her eyes shone, and for a second, it seemed she was going to back down. But she didn't.
"I'm marrying someone I don't love," she said finally, her voice cracking. "Someone who sees me as a symbol. As a story to be told in the history books. And you..."
"And me?" Nami interrupted, her tone sharper than she'd intended.
"You are my most impossible reality."
The silence fell like a heavy wave, washing away the remnants of all restraint. Nami pulled away just enough to hold her gaze, searching for something. A lie. A crack. Anything.
But she only found truth.
And that was worse.
"What do you want from me, Vivi? For me to kiss you here, in the middle of everyone, and then pretend it didn't happen? For you to keep me as a secret?"
"I want one night," Vivi said. "One damn night. No thrones. No future."
Her words came out as a strangled cry.
"I want to know what it feels like to stop being a princess and be only yours."
Nami closed her eyes. For a moment, her mind screamed at her to walk away, to not fall under the spell of a promise broken before she was born.
But then Vivi touched her. Just her hand on hers. Firm. Honest.
"Just one night," Vivi repeated, almost pleading. "Afterward, you can hate me if you want. Just... don't let me regret not having you."
And in that instant, Nami knew there was no escape.
Because she, too, had been dreaming of that night.
And because, as much as it hurt, she loved her, too.
Nami said nothing. She couldn't.
She just nodded. Very lightly and quickly. As if she were afraid of regretting it if she stopped to think about it.
Vivi didn't smile. It wasn't a night for smiling.
She just laced her fingers firmly through Nami's and began walking. No one stopped them. No one looked twice. No one noticed.
They walked down a dimly lit hallway, where the echoes of the celebration turned into murmurs. Nami felt Vivi's heartbeat in the palm of her hand, racing, as if the princess's body couldn't contain it.
The door to the room closed with a soft click.
Vivi carefully let go of her hand. She didn't say anything. She just looked at it, as if she wanted to memorize it. As if she didn't know if she'd ever see her like that again.
"Are you sure?"
Vivi nodded. She walked until she was a breath away.
"I'm not sure about anything," she said, wrapping her arms around Nami's neck. "But if you leave tomorrow without this... I'll never forgive myself."
And Nami knows this will haunt her for years.
Vivi leaned in first, but Nami reached her first. Their lips met with an urgency that had been suppressed for years, but gently, as if they were learning the taste of regret and hope at the same time.
It was slow, deep. As if they wanted to savor every second that wouldn't return.
As if that moment were sacred.
Their hands searched for each other's shoulders, hips, arms.
Nami's fingers were quick to explore beneath the fabric of the princess's perfect dress, earning a breathy sigh in return.
She carried her to the bed with more urgency than she should have shown, but the other wasn't any better.
Vivi's legs opened almost automatically, giving him space between them. "Look at you." She whispered, trailing kisses down the princess's neck.
"What would people say if they saw you like this, Vivi?"
"I...uh-ah," she stammered, her nails digging into Nami's shoulder.
"With me?"
"I don't know... God, I don't care, Nami. Just let me be yours."
Nami's dress, the one that had tormented Vivi so much, fell to the floor.
And in that room, for a few hours, no one existed, only them.
Vivi, her back arching under the caress of someone who knew her better than anyone ever had.
Nami, breaking inside and rebuilding herself at the same time, with every moan she drew from the woman she had silently loved for years.
-
-
-
"Nami," Vivi whispered in the morning, as she watched her dress. "I'll write to you."
Nami was slow to respond, before placing a kiss on the palm of her hand. "I'll wait for it, princess."
And she left, with an "I love you" dying in her throat.