>> continued ● @maddmuses ( TORU )
Toru often didn’t get to spend much time with Nami, but his occasional bouts of shore leave gave them an opportunity to visit, so long as they remained largely discreet about it. While the marine captain’s own crew were very accommodating towards that, willing to keep secrets for their leader, he was admittedly nervous about the idea of a destination “vacation” for the both of them.
But it was the East Blue, and thereby less likely for them to get outed by the locals. And the pirate had assured him that the villagers in her hometown were able to keep a secret for her.
Stepping off of the catwalk of his own ship, The Dragon’s Jewel, Toru was weighed down with some heavy sacks. Nami’s naturally.
Though he wasn’t as physically strong as Nami’s typical companions, or at least not as strong as the ones she usually used to mule these things around, with some intricate balancing acts and shaky legs, he managed to get down the dock towards his lover in a reasonable amount of time.
Inhaling deeply, as he relied on the mastery of himself to keep the balancing act up, more than his own might, Toru apologized curtly, “Sorry.” As one of his own Warrant Officers followed with several smaller bags, and yet another held Toru’s own baggage, which was actually just a knapsack.
“So where are we heading then?” Toru asked once they managed to catch up to the orange-haired beauty, hopeful that they would get a spot to stop soon, but not realizing yet that Nami’s childhood home actually was situated outside of the village.
Pirates aren’t known for their patience, and when promptly met with the Straw Hats, more so is the red-headed cat burglar. However, there was no sign of impatient aggressiveness from Nami. On the contrary, her restlessness mostly came from her eagerness to show Toru around. The idea of spending more time with each other and getting to know the other more intimately has made her excited. For all these times, both of them has been well-committed on finding time to meet, - more so on the captain’s side as he required to be more careful steps upon making undisclosed trips. It was difficult given both their occupations, - but this time, it was different. Being in her own hometown offered them the absence of worry and vigilance. It also gave her the opportunity to show a different side of her. It was a refreshing notion to say the least.
A questioning look paired with a slight frown, Nami slowly approached as she wondered what held Toru’s pace. “Oh, Toru-kun!” She ran to his side, taking an armful of load off the man. She felt slightly bad from the misunderstanding but at least she was able to stop them before anything. “You can leave my stuff behind. It’s for the village anyways, ” she nods towards the other officers indicating the same thing.
“- and besides, we can’t possibly go uphill with all of those.” Nami chuckles at the dreadful image it presented in her mind. “It would have been torture.”
Nami looks around earnestly, as if her look held a question in her mind. She scanned the port for a moment, but pushed the thought aside as soon as she locked eyes with Toru. “Let’s go?” She beckoned him, pulling the cuff of his sleeve.
“ See those trees? ” She stretched her other hand. It seemed to point towards the row of establishments within the village, but she gestured higher. “ There’s a small hill covered by those. That’s where we’re going, where I used to live. ”
