Romance Dawn (ON HOLD)

CHAPTER FIVE

EVERYTHING AROUND them was green. Trees, grass, moss. Zoro's hair. Nami closed her eyes for a while, saying that she has been there before. As she held out her arms, a chill was sent to her spine. The wind that brushed against her skin made her shiver a bit. She looked at the horizon. The moon kissing the line of the blue sea. Even if she was annoyed, she cannot help but admire the scenery that she was seeing before her eyes. Everything looked...different.

"We're in Green Gables," she simply stated, turning her head to the rest of Luffy's crew and him.

They decided to set a fire on the shore with the logs Zoro cut from the trees. Each slice and break of the logs made Usopp tremble. The thought of Zoro cutting him up for heat gave him stress splinters. Luffy helped by carrying some more as their benches around the bonfire as Nami sat on one. She had been hugging her knees for some time now, not noticing that she wasn't even doing anything.

"Earth to Nami?"

"H-Huh?" she turned around abruptly to see a messy-haired boy wearing his trademark straw hat, dropping a bundle of wood into the blaze.

"I said 'are you okay?'," he scratched the scar beneath his left eye. "you seemed quiet. Sorry for bringing us here. It's weird the mirror didn't take us to Neverland, though."

"I'm just....worried,"

"About what?"

"Mistress..."

"I told you, we're going to get you home before she comes back, aye? So stop whining or I'll cut your tangerine hair."

She raised a fist. "Just try."

He laughed before laying down, removing his hat and placing in beside him. His head was cushioned by his arm that he put underneath. On the other end of the log, his feet were crossed on the edges and one of his sandals were on the ground.

"Where's Zoro and Usopp?"

"They went to find more wood,"

"And you're here doing nothing?" she called herself out.

"I did the most work," Luffy pouted and furrowed his brows. "all Usopp did was stare at the logs being cut down with horror."

"And Zoro?"

"Obviously, with three swords on his possession you're asking that?"

Nami giggled. "See? He did the most work, not you."

"Fine, fine. But I carried the most."

Wind blew, making the lit fire blaze up much more. Nami's eyes caught some dirt and she squinted until she got rid of it.

"What's the deal with that mistress of yours?"

"She said -"

"-you don't have to answer," he cut her words off. "I don't care about whatever's going on, but everybody deserves freedom. And by that, I mean an unlimited one. Not just a trial or something."

The words struck Nami. Hard. Her heart ached for she felt like Luffy was trying to break her. She just didn't know why. She avoided the glare he had, even though his eyes were shadowed by the messy hair on his head.

"You don't get it,"

"Yeah...I don't."

Before Nami could even say something back, the two returned with a bundle of wood on their shoulders. They dropped it to the ground near the fire, but not too near. Zoro sat on one of the logs set by Luffy as he laid down as well, staring into the dark sky above them. Usopp sat on the ground, his head leaning on the log behind him.

"Aren't you going to sleep?" Luffy looked at Nami's brown eyes.

"I don't really sleep easily," she retorted, and yawned.

"Good," he huffed. "can you hold this for me? I don't really let anybody touch this but it seems like I have no choice."

She accepted the hat he raised to her and looked at it. A red band was miraculously not looking weak, and so was the hat itself. As she shrugged her shoulders and glance at the hat's owner, she heard a loud snore from the other log. Zoro was already fast asleep, it was a surprise Luffy and Usopp managed to get some rest that easy. She felt jealous. Nami had always dreamed of a good night sleep.

The morning came and they already went to the town of Green Gables. Shops opened, people buzzing around and gossiping about various topics. Luffy's stomach growled at him, though he wasn't the only one who had received the same treatment from their stomachs. All of them were hungry. Luckily, Usopp had some money and it literally saved them from a day of hunger.

"Thanks for the food!" Luffy exclaimed as he burped after finishing the steaks he bought.

Zoro was, again, walking in front of them just to make sure he would not get lost. Nami didn't even have too much trouble keeping her hair in tact, though Luffy and Usopp offered some help that she happily accepted. She silently told herself to live this day to the most high. She only have two days left and she was dreading to spent every minuted of it doing things she haven't done before, although getting out of her tower was already out from the list.

"You know what," she said to Luffy. "I think you're right."

"Hmm?"

"I should really have my hair trimmed,"

"I was just kidding," he retorted. "besides, what would you tell Alvida with your hair being cut?"

He had a point. Without it, she cannot pull her up the tower anymore when she returns.

Luffy then had an idea.

They headed to the underpass, where a lake quietly flowed. He instructed Nami to sit down on the grass whilst he and the two other boys looked at him with puzzled expressions. Zoro sighed.

"What are you doing, Luffy?"

Moments later, Nami's loose hair was pulled into a thick braid. A messy one. It looked like vines, though she thought it might work since carrying her hair was too troublesome. She thanked Luffy for coming up with a smart thing as they returned to the streets. With she and Luffy walking behind Zoro and Usopp, Nami tried her best not to worry about returning to her tower.

Luffy nudged her arm. "You alright?"

"Y-Yeah," she breathed. "why do you keep on asking me that?"

He scratched his cheek. "Uhmmm...because you're quiet all over again?"

She chuckled, reassuring that she was fine. Ahead of them the two boys stopped and Nami bumped into Zoro's back. Usopp bent down to pick up a penny.

"Watch it," he called.

Nami regained her stance. "What's going on?"

On the street right before them, a familiar figure exited a shop, carrying a bag of unknown materials. Nami pulled Luffy and Zoro to the alley right next to her as Luffy stretched his arm to grab Usopp's and pull him into where they were. Her heart started pounding faster and faster. The adrenaline was making her paranoid as seconds pass by, for she didn't know what to do. She turned to Luffy, with one hand on her chest.

"Luffy...I want to go home."