It started with inside jokes, which then formed into hand holding, which further led to deep, late night, philosophical discussions while cramped onto the corner bed despite the large vicinity of the room. Each laugh that slipped past your lips were muffled by Nami's warm palm as her rich brown eyes ingrained this angle of you deep into her mind, already full of fond memories you two shared. Nami's laugh was loud, and what some would describe as 'ugly' or 'unladylike', to you, however, it was like a music to your flushed ears.
What you hadn't expected to happen (although you were not complaining), was Nami and you to be hand-in-hand, spluttering and sprinting across the large, humble village you had docked in two days ago.
Nami had practically begged and pleaded with you to come shopping with her, grasping your hand as she grinned in delight.
"Come on!" She dragged out, her smile wide enough to almost see your own reflection on her pearly white teeth.
Only to, a few hours later, find yourself down a cobblestoned street mere feet away from bounty hunters, and violent ones at that. With fresh bounties above both your's and Nami's heads, they caught sight of you in an instant.
"Shit." You had gasped. As if on natural instinct, reaching for Nami's hand and squeezing it three times, an unspoken action you two shared. Nami, already seeking out for a suitable hiding place, dragged you behind her, throwing a glance over her shoulder to make sure you were alright.
"We're in the clear." She mumbled, catching her breath after running continuously for twenty minutes. "Are you okay?" Orange wisps of hair flooded your vision as Nami bent her head down to rech your crouched level. "Don't go passing out on me." She teased, flicking your rosey cheek. Your back pressed against the cold, stone alleyway wall, hands stabilising yourself on your knees.
"Please. It'll take more than a weak chase to knock me out." You smirked, tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear.
"I'm glad! Don't know what I'd do if I lost you." At Nami's vunerable words, you peeked your head up, meeting her toothy smile and freckled cheeks, and something inside of you seemed to snap.
In an instant your hands were smushed against her cheeks as your lips slotted against hers, thumb stroking just below her under eyelash. You expected her to pull away, call you disgusting and never speak to you again, or be within a certain reach from you. What you definitely thought she would not do was kiss you back, with the same passion and love pouring from her lips like that cheap sake you drink during dinner.
Her sweaty palms running up your body to your chest, planting themselves right above your heartbeat, hearing it thump against her skin. Eyelashes fluttering against your thumb as she shut her eyes, the pair of you savouring the moment, only focusing on the way your pink lips slotted together almost perfectly. Everything, in that moment, was perfect.
"(Name)..." Nami whispered, pulling away as a string of saliva tied you two together like string. At her whisper, you peeled your eyes open to meet her gaze, her face falling as if remembeing some vivid, horrible dream.
"I'm not a..." Nami swallowed, looking down gulitly, ashamed at what she'd just done. "I'm sorry. I really am, but I don't..."
"Oh." Was all you could say, the only words that would squeeze past that awful, uncomfortable lump in your throat. Choking down tears was all you could do, tearing what once was a gaze of adoration away from her and instead towards the strings of your top wheee your fingers absentmindedly picked at. "It's fine. I didn't– I wasn't thinking, and I'm... I'm sorry." Shame coaxed your body. what on earth were you thinking?
"(Name), I–"
"It's fine, Nami. I'm really sorry, please forgive me."
"I didn't know you thought about me like that. I didn't mean to string you along I prom–"
"It's fine, Nami." You repeated, a choked sob cracking through as you spoke. Furiously blinking back any tears that threatened to fall past your, already, glossy eyes. "I think I'm gonna go help Sanji, anyways. He can't carry all the food back to the ship by himself!" You tried to make a joke, despite it coming out as pathetic as it could be.
Silence lingered in the air, a rather uncomfortable, torturing silence that only made your body hotter and hands clammier. Finally, with one last sparing look to Nami, you cleared your throat and pushed your body off the wall. Your body ached, not just from the running, but from the fiery passion of the kiss, and the humiliation... and as you walked out, shirt slightly ruffled and strands of hair sticking to your sweaty forehead, all you could feel was embarrassment, and the sadness of losing the one friend you felt most happy with.