Chapter 29 — A Date Above the World (Part 2)
Sunny & Nami's POV
The sky deepened to violet, the last rays of sunlight shimmering across the sea of clouds. The small boat drifted silently, rocking gently as if it too didn't want to disturb the moment.
Sunny's POV
Nami's head still rested on his shoulder. Her hand, small and warm, fit perfectly in his. He could feel her pulse racing in her wrist where their skin touched. She was trying so hard to act calm, but Sunny knew—he felt it all.
He tilted his head slightly, letting his cheek brush against her hair. The scent of tangerines was dizzying.
"Nami…" his voice was low, almost reverent, almost a confession.
She turned her face up to him. Brown eyes, wide and vulnerable, caught his.
And then the dam broke.
---
Nami's POV
His lips pressed against hers, not tentative, not uncertain—but steady and sure, like he was claiming her and protecting her at the same time. Heat shot through her chest. Her hand gripped the front of his shirt, pulling him closer before she even realized what she was doing.
For a second, her world spun—then it steadied, because his arms wrapped around her waist, anchoring her to him.
She melted into it, breath catching when the kiss deepened. The warmth of his blue Haki curled around her like a second embrace, buzzing softly against her skin, making her shiver in ways she didn't dare say out loud.
When they finally parted, her lips tingled, swollen, and her chest rose and fell as if she'd just run a mile.
"…Ara~ ara," she teased weakly, trying to cover her racing heartbeat, "didn't think you'd actually have the guts."
Sunny smirked, brushing his thumb against her flushed cheek. "I told you—I'm not letting you go."
Her heart betrayed her, thudding so hard she was sure he could hear it.
---
Sunny's POV
She tried to act like she wasn't affected, but her blush said otherwise. He didn't press it. Instead, he pulled a cloth-wrapped basket from under the bench.
"I figured… maybe you'd want dinner up here. A mapmaker should eat while she charts the impossible, right?"
Nami blinked, eyes softening as he laid everything out. Fresh bread, roasted fish, fruit from Belle-mère's grove. He even poured her a cup of tangerine wine he'd bartered for days ago.
Her lips curved. "You planned this."
He chuckled. "Maybe I just wanted to impress the best navigator in the world."
---
Nami's POV
The food tasted good, but it was the company—the quiet, the way he looked at her across the lantern-lit glow, the way his laugh seemed to echo in her chest—that made her heart feel so full it might burst.
She found herself doodling more than mapping, her parchment scattered with little sketches of clouds and… him. She tried to hide it, but he caught her.
"Is that supposed to be me?" he teased.
Her face went crimson. "S-Shut up! Eat your fish!"
He only laughed, leaning closer so his shoulder brushed hers again. And even though she smacked him lightly with her pen, she didn't move away.
Not for the rest of the night.
---
🌙 The date ended with them side by side, above the world, a kiss lingering on their lips and dinner in their bellies—like they had drawn a secret map only the two of them would ever know.
✨ End of Chapter 29 ✨