Promise? |Luffy x Reader|

Chapter 15

That night, Zoro was the one to try to talk some sense into Luffy. He knew how upset Luffy was, but that didn't mean he can't hear the truth. The harsh truth. Zoro walked into the infirmery, he saw Luffy still by Y/n's unconscious body. Luffy looked a wreck. He thinned up from not eating, there were heavy bags under his eyes, his hair was a disheveled mess. He could only tell because Luffy had set his hat down beside of Y/n. Zoro sighed before speaking.

"Dinners ready. Not that you would be interested, but they forced me to come tell you anyway." Luffy did not answer him, his eyes never left Y/n. "Luffy, you can't keep this up forever. The crew needs their captain, without one they're directionless. You need to stop acting so selfish." Luffy side eyed the green haired man. "Selfish?" Luffy asked. "Yes, selfish. Just how do you think the rest of the crew feel? We haven't moved forward at all since you started acting like this. Do you plan to stay in this one spot forever? Some king of the pirates you'll be if you do that."

Finally Luffy snapped. "I can't become king of the pirates anyway, not without Y/n! I'd be the same if it were any of you!" Zoro didn't flinch at his harsh tone. "I have feeling that's not entirely true."

"You-" Zoro cut Luffy off as he kept talking. "We all care about Y/n, we all want her to wake up. But you, you want it the most. And I know exactly why, even if you're too dense to realize it yourself." Zoro crossed his arms. "But my point is, Y/n wouldn't want you to do this. She would want you to act like the captain you are instead of being so pitiful all the time. That's not the captain Y/n or any of us swore to follow."

Luffy was silent, he knew that was true. But...he couldn't just leave Y/n. "But, what if she wakes up, and I'm not here?"

"She won't go anywhere. She'll still be here, waiting for you when she does wake up. You hear me, when, not if." Zoro turns to walk away. "I'm not going to tell you what to do. But I strongly suggest you get it together. For her sake." With that, Zoro walked away, leaving Luffy alone with Y/n once more. Luffy turned his attention back to Y/n.

"I don't want to leave your side Y/n, not ever again. But...I can't be a captain, if I keep this up." Luffy placed his hand in Y/n's. "I promise, when you wake up, I'll be here. Just wait for me, ok?" Luffy stood up and walked away from Y/n, but before he left the room, he turned to look at her one last time. Maybe...if he waited just a few more seconds...

But, nothing. No sign of movement, just like before.

Luffy drooped his head before leaving the infirmary for the first time in a week.

• • •

Things slowly started to go back to normal after that night, the crew was finally able to set sail again with their captain to guide them. But, it wouldn't be entirely normal, for one of the crew was still not with them. Even though Chopper had informed them all that she was not dead, the slim chance that she could die if she didn't wake up soon, weighed heavy on all the Straw Hats. But none worse than Luffy.

Y/n meant a lot to him, she was his friend, but he couldn't help but feel like there was more to it than that. Over the years, Luffy and Y/n had grown close as friends. Every island they'd land on, Luffy and Y/n would always team up. Anytime there was a fight between the Straw Hats and some foe, Luffy and Y/n would always have each other's backs. Luffy would even go as far to share food with each other or bring Y/n up to his special spot on top the Sunny's head. Which no one was allowed but him.

That's not to say Y/n didn't feel the same way, because she did. She cherished her friendship with Luffy above anything else. She loved that she had grown so close to her captain. She loved everything about Luffy, in fact. But Luffy just couldn't figure out why she meant so much. Or why he felt this way, knowing that he might never see her again. To ever hear her laughter again, to see her smile again, to feel her gentle touch on his hand again.

The ship had just docked at a near by island, they needed to restock on food and supplies before they ventured any further. Luffy almost debated staying behind, but he didn't want his crew to think he was going right back to square one again, staying inside the ship all hours of the day. So, reluctantly, he went with the crew.

An hour later, something happened.

Y/n stirred in her sleep, for the first time in a week, there was some movement from her. It was like trying to lift dumbbells with her eyelids. Her body was stiff as a board. And after what felt like forever, finally, her eyes opened.

She groaned as she sat up, blinking a few times to let her eyes adjust to the light of the room. She moved her hand, it brushed up against something. She looked down to see Luffy's hat beside her. "Luffy's hat, what's it doing here?" Her voice was rough and scratchy from neglecting to use it. She then gasped as she remembered the events of that fight between Luffy and Woodward. She remember stepping in so Luffy wouldn't be killed. And in the end, she was nearly killed.

She put a hand to her chest, bandages, is what she felt. That, and soreness. But she ignored it as she picked up Luffy's hat with shaky hands. "I almost died..." She muttered. "And Luffy, is he ok?" She swung her legs over the bed and stood up, nearly falling trying to find her footing. Once she was steady, she hurried out of the infirmary, she looked around everywhere for the crew, but they were no where to be found.

She looked off the rail of the ship and saw an island. "They must all be there." She quickly found her shoes before heading off the ship and into the island, in hopes to find the crew.