#NamiSanji

[farsight-the-char]

Nami x Sanji is good because it is that one story of a cis lesbian who dates a trans woman before her egg cracked (with the lesbian helping crack the egg), with the relationship going further after the cracking.

[sanamievents]

🍊🚬 Last call, SaNami lovers! 🚬🍊

Sign ups for the SaNa Day Gift Exchange closes 31st of January at 9 pm PT!

You can find the form by joining our discord (the link’s in the bio), hope we see you there!

[vannahfanfics]

Sizzling Summer Heat

Word Count: 2,690

Fluff, Romance, Established Relationship, Love Confessions

Summary: Things are heating up between Sanji and Nami, and not just because the ship is trapped in a heat wave.

Hello, all! This will be my first submission for SanNami Week, for the Day One prompt “Eye Contact.” I hope you all enjoy it! :3

It didn’t take a genius to figure out that the Thousand Sunny had meandered into an intense summer climate. All it took for Sanji to arrive at that conclusion was the thick layer of sweat that glistened on his skin, which made the thin sheet draped over his body and the blond strands of his hair plaster uncomfortably over him. As he sat up in bed, sleepy eyes half-registering the shimmering haze of heat bubbling by the one porthole in the men’s bedroom, he peeled the blanket off him like he was a reptile shedding its skin.

Yuck, he thought in disgust. He swiped the back of his hand across his forehead in an attempt to keep the beaded sweat droplets from rolling into his eyes; it was a useless act, as he just pushed the sweat on his hand onto his feverish skin and made it roll down anyway.

He blinked repeatedly as the salty solution stung his eyes and blindly staggered out of his bunk, landing lightly on the wooden floor. It had swelled with the sheer level of moisture burdening the sauna-like room and thus creaked loudly as Sanji strolled across the room to retrieve some appropriate garments. Like the sheet before, he peeled his pajamas off his body and tossed them aside; they landed with a wet slap against the plastic dirty clothes hamper they all shared. It was just too damn hot to wear much of anything, so Sanji settled with a pair of baggy shorts that allowed plenty of air movement and a loose muscle tee with some flip-flops and a pair of shades. He went to splash a little cold water on his face from their shared sink only to find in annoyance that it was lukewarm.

Is the sea boiling outside or something? he thought with a grimace before exiting the bedroom to begin his morning ritual of preparing breakfast.

The sea wasn’t boiling, but it sure as hell felt like the air was. Sanji’s mouth hung open in a dog-like pant as he thrummed at the neck of his shirt, wobbling the fabric in an effort to fan his burning skin. The only respite to be had was the intermittent sweeping salt breeze rolling in across the sloshing waves, but even then, it was only temporary—a few seconds of relief at most.

He kicked the kitchen door open and all but ran to the freezer, flinging the machine’s door open and embracing the chill air with a loud, unabashed “Ahhhhh…” Thankfully, the freezer seemed to be immune to the heat wave. He basked in the welcome cold for a minute or so before rolling up his metaphorical sleeves to set to work.

A cold breakfast was a must, as eating any kind of hot food would undoubtedly result in many upset stomachs. Sanji decided that some nice, cold smoothies would be ideal for the situation. He plucked some bananas and some of Nami’s tangerines from their respective baskets. He peeled off their skins, then chopped up the bananas and separated the orange slices. He then threw them in his blender with a cup or so of ice and a scoop of vanilla yogurt for some body. Just as he plopped the top onto the blender and set to get it whirring, he heard Luffy’s deranged whines echoing from the bowels of the ship.

So he’s awake, he smirked before turning on the machine. The whizzing blades and crunching of the large ice blocks provided ample noise to drown his captain out.

It took only ten minutes or so for Sanji to prepare enough smoothies for the entire crew. He piled them onto a silver service tray and waltzed out of the kitchen to find them all in various states of melting across the deck of the ship. Luffy was collapsed on his belly, sweating buckets and fanning himself with a hand while pitiful groans fell from his mouth. 

“Sanjiiiiiiii… It’s hoooooooot,” he moaned as he unenergetically rolled onto his back. His red vest was practically glued to him, and his jean shorts were an entire shade darker thanks to the sheer amount of sweat pouring off him. Sanji decided not to argue with him about the fact that it was absolutely idiotic to wear jeans in a heat wave.

“Here. This should help,” he sighed as he strode over to hand him one of the glasses.

Luffy sat up with much effort and took it in both hands, sipping at the straw. It was almost instantaneous, how his energy went from zero to one hundred and fifty.

“Hehe! Thaaaaanks! Yo, guys, we should make like a swimming pool or something!” he began babbling with his characteristic laugh to Franky and Usopp, who only let out unenthused groans in response. Sanji walked over to them to deliver the drinks and almost recoiled from the heat rolling off of Franky’s machine parts; he certainly didn’t envy the cyborg, that was for sure. Usopp’s curly mass of thick black hair certainly didn’t help, either; it was piled up on top of his head in a massive bun, but nonetheless was threaded with moisture beads like dew upon blades of grass on a spring morning.

“Here, guys, drink up. We could get dehydrated in this heat,” the cook said while handing them smoothies.

They grumbled something in response and collapsed against each other while drinking them gratefully, but only for a few seconds; the sizzling steel of the shipwright’s parts burned Usopp’s arm something fierce. At his startled yowl, Chopper came tottering over to inspect his burn. The poor furry reindeer was probably the worst of the lot of them, being covered in thick fur from head to toe. His little pink tongue lolled out of his mouth as he dutifully but tiredly applied some anti-burn salve to Usopp’s arm.

“Here ya go, Chopper,” Sanji mused as he set one down next to him. Chopper took the glass in his brown hooves and held it momentarily to his forehead.

“Ahhhh… That’s nice…” he sighed, looking like he was rapidly approaching nirvana. He then brought it down to his mouth so he could partake in the fruit concoction. “Mmmm! It’s yummy, Sanji!”

"Thanks, Chopper," Sanji winked, then whirled on his heel. He wasn't done yet. He fluttered around the main deck, delivering the remainder of the smoothies. He looked at his silver tray and found that there was one remaining. Nami wasn’t on the main deck. Not a problem; he had a good idea of where she might be. 

Sanji hopped lightly up the stairs leading to her grove of tangerine trees. They were probably the only things thriving under the blazing sun. He walked around the corner to find her sprawled out on her belly on a beach towel, the clasp of her bikini top unhooked to provide an even tan. She was wearing only a matching bikini bottom that hugged her shapely bottom. Sanji’s face instantly began to burn bright red and he hastily snapped his face away lest he be caught staring. It wasn’t like it was unwelcome; he and Nami had been together for some time, actually. Still, it hadn’t been that long, and so he was still bashful when it came to the physical aspects of the relationship. He took a moment to gather his thoughts before clearing his throat.

“Nami-swan, I brought you a smoothie.”

“Oh, thank you!” She was lying perpendicular to his position, allowing her to turn her head to smile gratefully at him.

Sanji immediately felt the blush returning to his face as soon as her eyes met his, staring intently even through the darkened glasses. Stiff as an unoiled robot, he closed the short distance between them to crouch down and hand her the smoothie. She pushed herself up on her elbows, her loose bikini top only just protecting her modesty, and Sanji’s eyes rolled up to the heavens lest his gaze be dragged down to a more sinful plane.

“Yum! Making good use of my tangerines, I see,” the navigator chirped as she happily gulped down the fruit blend.

Sanji bashfully mumbled something along the lines of a gratuitous remark as he rubbed the back of his neck. He felt like the temperature had notched up ten degrees. The things she does to me, he thought in mild delight. He was about to get up and go about his business, but Nami’s hand struck out to grab the hem of his muscle tee.

“Sanji~? Why don’t you stay here and tan with me?” Her crooning voice was the epitome of innocence, but her impish smile and fluttering eyelashes belied Nami’s flirtatious intentions.

Sanji swallowed nervously. His mouth suddenly grew dry, so he momentarily busied himself with sucking down a large swig of his smoothie. There wasn’t even a mental debate in his head, because like hell he was going to pass up the chance to be close to his mind-blowingly gorgeous girlfriend!

“Of course,” he smiled charmingly at her once his brain remembered how to work properly. He pushed the empty serving tray aside and set the smoothie down to pull the tee over his head. He caught a glimpse through the thin fabric of Nami’s chestnut eyes greedily drinking in his chiseled abs even more than she had been relishing the smoothie, and a blush painted his cheeks. The things she did to him, indeed. He threw the shirt aside and stretched out on his back beside her. Nami instantly scooched across the towel such that her side pressed against his; though it was blistering outside and skin-on-skin contact just made it worse, the electric tingles that blossomed across his body were a drug potent enough for him to not say a damn thing about it. She cocked her head to the side and lazily raise her hand and begin tracing random patterns into his abdominal muscles. Sanji’s startled eye locked onto her glittering, cunning chestnut ones that refused to let go.

Of the many remarkable beauties that Nami had, like her vibrant flood of tangerine locks or her curvaceous body that almost begged to be touched and lavished, Nami’s eyes were just as equally riveting. Sanji frequently found that they dominated his attention more than anything else. Round and inviting, they were, with irises the color of melted chocolate and coffee grounds and shining copper… Sanji could never help being drawn into them. Her finger trailed a burning path all across his abdomen with reckless abandon, all while her electrifying eyes held him prisoner.

“What are you thinking, Sanji?” she asked suddenly, innocently, but with all the wile of a coy vixen.

Sanji was utterly incapable of complex thought at this point, so he just openly admitted what was on his mind.

“I was just thinking about how gorgeous your eyes are.” He wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but it probably hadn’t been that, given the shy haze of pink that graced her cheeks. She reached around to re-clasp her bikini top, then draped her upper body across his chest so her head was resting just at the junction of his neck to his torso. Sanji could just lift his head up and kiss her if he wanted to. With a life of its own, his hand dove into her tresses of orange hair to follow them from root to end, over and over again in a rhythmic fashion. Nami resumed painting an abstract, invisible landscape across his pectorals.

“What are you thinking?” Now that was the question.

“Me? Oh, nothing much—just how devilishly handsome you are,” she responded simply while resting her cheek against the arm that was draped over his body.

The corner of his mouth twitched into a smirk. Perhaps it was the sheer confidence that the fiery woman was exuding right now, but Sanji found himself a willing participant in her flirty banter. His fingers fell down from her sunset hair to skip lightly across the lightly flushed skin of her shoulder blades. She really was more beautiful than any creature on earth. Before he and Nami were together, he flung his affections on anyone willing to listen because he just simply craved being wanted. Now, he couldn’t imagine even looking at another woman in that light. He didn’t even flirt with Robin anymore (though he was a gentleman and still treated her nice, but all three of them knew the difference). Lying there together, simply enjoying each other’s company and relishing the heated interaction on an already blistering day, Sanji knew then and there that he loved her.

Neither of them had said that to the other yet. Sanji knew that it was not a phrase to be tossed around lightly in a real relationship. He had been waiting for the right moment. Nami had finally ceased the eye contact to drift her eyes shut, lightly snoozing and lulled by the gradual rise and fall of his chest. Was now the right time? Sanji didn’t know much about these things. He could talk a good game, but when it came to the actual logistics, he was clueless. Yet, as he simply watched her beautiful form relax on his body and soak up the sun’s rays, he couldn’t imagine a better time. His fingertips feathered across her rosy cheek, and one of her eyes fluttered open in answer.

“Mhmm? What are you thinking about now?” she asked with a voice thick with sun-drunk weariness.

Sanji had a thousand answers to that question—how her fiery hair blazed with all the fury of the sun’s light to shine like a holy fire, how her goddess-like body hugged the contours of his rugged form in a manner that seemed like they were made to fit together, how his fingers could never get enough of the feeling of her velvet-smooth skin responding to his light caresses, how those magnetic brown eyes contained all the world and more for him. He had a thousand answers, but he only voiced one, one that contained all the other nine hundred and ninety-nine unspoken.

“I’m thinking about how much I love you.”

Nami’s other eye popped open and she raised her head to gape down at him, lips slightly parted. They then curled in a warm smile.

“I love you too, Sanji.”

This time, Sanji took advantage of the proximity of her face and leaned up to capture her lips with his own. Their mouths melted together like margarine, smooth and fluid. Nami responded eagerly to his repeated kisses, her fingers finally stilling to rest on the area where his heart fluttered with every movement of their mouths. He tilted his head to the side in a greedy plea to have more of her and deepen the kiss, and the readily complied; as his tongue slipped into her mouth to tangle with her own, the sweet tang of tangerines mixed with the subtle hints of banana bloomed across his tongue, coupled with the overwhelmingly saccharine taste of his beloved Nami. It might as well have been alcohol because he was drunk instantaneously, and it might as well have been a drug because Sanji was instantly addicted. A low moan rumbled in her throat as he kissed her with all the hunger of a starved man; Sanji felt it tremble through his entire being like thunder across a stormy sky and never had he felt more alive.

Sanji’s head thumped back against the deck of the ship as they broke apart, panting lightly and sweat shining on both their faces. With a contented purr, Nami swathed herself across his body once more, this time keeping her trailing ministrations concentrated at his heart.

“You know, I’ll get an awful tan like this,” he remarked jokingly while sweeping a strand of her hair from her face.

“Too bad. I’m much too comfortable.” She stuck her tongue out at him, and he chuckled lowly in response. An uneven tan was definitely a worthy price for this moment. Bathed in the summer sun’s golden light, the two lazed away the hot afternoon, their eyes never leaving the other’s for a moment…

Did you enjoy this oneshot? Consider requesting from me by visiting my rules, then either commenting on this story, submitting an ask, or contacting me via DM!

[molicioushat]

*Looking at these gifs years later*

Where the fuck did I find these gifs? I don't know how to make gifs???

[muletchugas-blog]

In Episode 815

One of Big Mom crew told Sanji that Nami and Luffy are now in their possession.

And Sanji said “ Enough” and told to himself that it’s gonna be okay because he made a deal with Big Mom already.

Sanji asked if he can use the kitchen because he will cook for Pudding and then he started to cook yeeet

Sanji is holding and looking at a tangerine he ordered and said 'I'm worried about her.'

then the guy answered “ Yes I heard that she still sick”

But is it really supposed to say that for Pudding?

I wonder if in fact he was thinking about Nami in jail... 🤔 

[melonteee]

i would go so far to say sanji doesnt need to be fixed... but its nothing some leather mommy time with nami wont fix 😈

CHFJGHFH GOD WOULDN’T THAT JUST FIX US ALL 😭😭

[vannahfanfics]

A Canvas of Stars

Word Count: 1,480

Fluff, Romance, Established Relationship

Summary: While watching a meteor shower, Sanji turns Nami into a galaxy in her own right.

Hello, everybody! Here’s the story for SanNami Week’s Day Seven Prompt, “Touch”! Can you believe it’s almost over? :c

Usopp’s face was screwed into a tight frown as he peered through the binoculars at the glittering expanse of stars above. It was a magnificent display, like a swathe of diamond paint streaming across a midnight blue canvas. Despite all its sparkling brilliance, Usopp seemed unimpressed. He lowered the binoculars to give Nami a dour, unconvinced look.

“I don’t see any meteors yet. Are you sure that the calendar is right, Nami?”

She pursed her lips at the impatient inquisition, then crossed her arms and tossed her tangerine hair with an affronted huff.

“It’s not an exact science, Usopp! We’ve only been up here for five minutes. Give it a minute, will ya?” she scolded before walking across the wooden floor of the observation deck to snuggle into the space beside Sanji. She drew her knees up against her chest as she reclined lazily against his own, one arm snaking up behind his neck so her fingers could take turns between teasing the stiff fabric of his suit collar and his soft, twistable strands of hair.

If she had done this six months ago, she would have a splatter of blood splashing across her locks that would rival an assault victim’s. However, after six months of dating, the lascivious cook had grown accustomed enough to her constant need for cuddles that he could refrain from bursting into a massive nosebleed at the slightest inkling of affection. Sanji pulled his cigarette from his mouth, releasing the plume of thin, wispy smoke above her head, before dropping a kiss into her orange waves with a sweet smile.

Nami, being the responsible one of the crew, naturally possessed a calendar that she dutifully kept up during their meandering, chaotic voyage. It was a special edition manufactured by the wizards of Weatheria that included all sorts of information on the year’s predicted weather and atmospheric phenomena. Nami had happened to take a passing glance at the date and noticed that a meteor shower was hypothesized to occur around midnight that evening and had subsequently wrestled the crew into an impromptu viewing party. Logically, they were all nestled into the absolute best viewing spot on the ship, the domed observation deck situated above the crow’s nest. It had only been five minutes since midnight, but the more impatient of the crew members were beginning to grow antsy with inactivity.

“Come on, you stupid stars! Start falling!” Luffy whined and began beating on the glass window angrily because it wasn’t like he could punch the endless sky above like he wished.

Nami rolled her eyes far enough back in her head to stretch the ligaments; they were so annoyingly hasty. Maybe I should have only told Sanji, that way we could have a private viewing in peace, she thought with a terse frown.

Sanji, sensing her souring mood, chuckled lightly and swept the tresses of her hair from her frowning face to press a light, chaste kiss against her cheek.

“Don’t worry, Nami-swan. Once it starts, they’ll forget they were annoyed in the first place.” That was true enough. Their neurons were only capable of propagating one emotional response at a time.

She exhaled deeply and tried to force herself to relax, lounging almost entirely against his sturdy body. She sat with her side facing the back of the circular booth-like seat stretching around the room. One of Sanji’s legs bent at the knee behind her, and the other hung lazily off the bench to provide a rather lovely armrest for Nami. Her back was flush with his muscular trunk, enough that she could feel the gentle rhythm of his heartbeats and the relaxed rise and fall of his chest. It felt nice, snuggling with him like that, and so Nami’s nerves eased a little faster than average, especially since she could dissipate all her grouchy energy by playing incessantly with his hair. She had already threaded three or four braids into the long ends of his blond locks.

“Oooh! I saw one!” Chopper exclaimed and pointed a hoof at the ceiling. The rest of the Straw Hats eyes followed just in time to see a thin, white line streak quickly through the painted sky. Immediately after, several of them began striping through the arrangement of stars, like a pencil scratching lines into thick paint. Collectively, they all released awed sighs; simple, but beautiful, it was—a gentle reminder of the majestic capabilities of the natural world around them. Basking in the silence as the crew’s eyes locked onto the meteor shower, Nami’s lips finally curled into a natural smile.

“They’re gorgeous,” she breathed as she tilted back her head to run the tip of her nose along the defined edge of Sanji’s jawline, while her chestnut eyes remained trained on the raining stars above. A rumble of amusement vibrated in his chest as one of his arms slipped down. His index finger swirled abstract patterns into the bare skin of her left thigh, which was exposed by her jean shorts bunching up nearer to her waist from her exaggerated angle. It felt like he was printing the Milky Way itself into her tanned skin; the pad of his finger would smoothly trail in a thick line before skipping around in little dots, then run swaying waves, and then start all over again.

The little touches ignited lightning fires in her nerves, sending jittery tingles up into the junction of her hip down to her toes. Contented and a little aroused, Nami stretched out her leg fully to allow him unrestricted access to the canvas that was her skin, while her brown eyes tore themselves away from the night sky to give him a seductive stare.

“Not interested in the meteor shower, hmm?”

“Oh, they’re lovely, but not nearly as lovely as the fiery little comet I have sitting next to me right now.” His sultry purr elicited a minuscule moan of pleasure from her, and she pushed her fingers further up the back of his head to prompt him to tilt his head down. Playfully, his lips brushed over hers while his hand continued to create artistry all over her thigh, breath puffing like stardust over her lightly flushing face. When Sanji actually had a handle on his raging fantasies, he was quite the exciting flirt. It was almost effortless for him to snatch her breath away, even six months into the venture.

Still, he didn’t turn Nami’s mind entirely to mush.

“So, you’re saying I have a heavenly body?”

He snorted, forehead dropping to press against hers as he struggled to keep from outright laughing at her corny joke. Nami grinned cheekily, sticking out her tongue as he looked at her in giddy delight.

“I’m trying to be romantic, love,” he wheezed lightly, still struggling to contain his little chuckles. His other hand had begun decorating her right shoulder with the celestial patterns now, and his left hand stilled to wrap tightly around her middle and hold her against his body. All the while, he drew that invisible artwork on her, the creation that only she could admire through the titillating touches.

Nami decided to forgo the space puns for now—Usopp was spitting them rapid-fire across the room and had Luffy and Chopper in stitches—in favor of allowing her boyfriend to dote on her as he wished. She fluttered her eyelashes at him, face upturned invitingly, and she paused to admire the reflections of the meteors streaking through his dark black eyes. They were like a dark nebula, the black only betrayed by distinct bends of the light that made smoky gray streams flow through his irises. She reached up to stroke a few fingers against his stubbled cheek, before cupping it tenderly and all but pulling him into a smoldering kiss.

His lips washed like gentle waves over hers, silk-smooth and pliant. They only kissed for a moment or so, as Nami did not wish for the immature boys to notice and chide them. Sanji looked a little disappointed as she moved back, but he immediately resumed covering her body in that invisible paint, jumping from her right shoulder to her left. She craned her head back to rest it against his shoulder while he began dotting little kisses over her neck, blotting her with distinct galaxies. Her eyes beheld the shimmering streams of light raining down from the heavens. She was the only one aware that Sanji was catching them to spread stardust and light all over her body with his caressing touches.

A heavenly body, indeed… she thought wryly as her skin hummed with energy, like she was a tiny star slowly growing into something greater. Even long after the meteor shower ended and they all retired for the evening, Nami could feel the indistinct marks he had left on her, the proof of a universe’s worth of unbridled love and affection…

Did you enjoy this oneshot? Consider requesting from me by visiting my rules, then either commenting on this story, submitting an ask, or contacting me via DM!

[vannahfanfics]

Chase the Dark

Word Count: 1290

Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares

Summary: When old ghosts come back to haunt Nami, she seeks out the one person who can shield her from the darkness of her own mind.

Greetings, all! This is my third entry for SanNami week for the Day Three prompt, “Superhero”! As usual, I hope all you SanNami lovers out there enjoy my hard work! ^u^

Nami awoke with a garbled scream, nails clawing into the faded scars hidden beneath her blue swirling tattoo. They were burning like liquid fire, like the day she had carved into the disgusting brand of the Arlong pirates that had been forced onto her so long ago. In the vision of her waking eyes, the Fishman’s sharp-toothed, berating grin danced in the deep dark, taunting the frail little creature he deemed so much lesser than himself. Nami’s chest heaved with gulping breaths as she struggled to break free of the thrall of the nightmare, lest it drag her to the depths of hellish misery and drown her there.

Slowly, gradually, her racing heart relaxed in her chest and her lungs were able to effectively take air again, and her body slumped like her soul had suddenly been ripped out of her. Every muscle that had tensed in her body at once ached and throbbed with exertion, while that area on the back of her shoulder continued to burn, burn, burn…

“Damn it…” Her trembling hand swept her loose hair from her forehead. It came back drenched in sweat. She sluggishly wiped off the coating of salty liquid on the plush comforter embracing her. The fluffy down blanket offered her no comfort. She ran her arms up her arms as goosebumps rose from the harrowing vision. Its intricacies were already fading into shadow, but the big picture was still branded into her mind. Servitude. Greed. Violence. Arlong.

Shuddering at even the thought of his wretched name, her trembling fingers swept over the scorching-hot scar tissue once more. No, she would not find any comfort here in the cold night.

Quietly, so as not to wake the miraculously still-slumbering Robin, Nami threw the covers off of herself and slipped out of the bed. She shoved her bare feet into some fluffy tangerine-themed slippers that Usopp had crafted for her as a pet project. Nami smiled despite herself; the little cotton-stuffed tangerines bobbling on the toes of her slippers were a sight cute enough to at least marginally lift her troubled spirit. She quickly tip-toed across the room to pull open the wooden door, wincing as it creaked loudly. Robin muttered something incomprehensible and rolled over to face the wall, but did not seem to wake nearly enough to inquire why Nami was stealing away in the dead of night. With a soft exhale of relief, Nami crept through the bedroom door and shut it behind her.

With the bright white of her nightgown in direct opposition to the gloomy bowels of the ship and the way it fluttered around her knees like it had a life of its own, Nami looked the picture of a wandering spirit as she scampered further into the Thousand Sunny’s depths. It was dark, but Nami did not need to see; she had traversed this path many a night, and she could operate simply on muscle memory alone.

Still, that did not save her from all the darkness’s ill effects. Nami’s blood pressure mounted with the ever-rising frantic beats of her heart, and her breath had begun to come in uneven pants once more. Unconsciously, she quickened her pace until her slippers were slapping against the wooden planks. She knew she was not being chased, but the mind plays tricks; she felt that giant looming presence behind her, those webbed hands eager to wrap around her throat to throttle her into submission, those razor-sharp teeth dripping with the blood of everyone she held dear.

Nami nearly slammed into the door to the boys’ bedroom due to her panicked frenzy, but only just. She collapsed against its surface for a moment as she caught her breath. Fearfully, she peeked over her shoulder into the gloom of the hall. The specter of the shark Fishman cackled back at her with a mocking croon. Oh, Nami, where do you think you’re going? You have maps to draw… You aren’t nearly done yet… Or should I pay everyone in Cocoyashi a visit?

Momentarily, the navigator was drawn back into the horrid mentality of her childhood mind, and her heart dropped in her chest with the crazed thought that she had to save everyone in her village. She actually began edging back towards the ghostly hallucination with tears in her eyes. Nojiko… Ginzo… Everyone… Must… Protect them…! she thought between wheezing gasps. Then, suddenly, her mind caught up with her, and she recalled that all that was long past. Gritting her teeth, she covered her tattoo, that lovely blue swirl of a tangerine and a spinning pinwheel.

“It’s all over now… He can’t hurt you anymore…” The whisper was not convincing in the slightest.

Nami scurried back over to the bedroom door to throw it open and then shut, as if she were locking that lumbering phantasm out. Her sweaty tangerine hair was plastered to her face. The rivulets of perspiration mixed with tears rolled down her cheeks. After a minute of gathering herself, she detached her body from the frame of the door to pitter-patter over to the row of suspended wooden structures that served as the boys’ bunks. She squeezed through the small gap to hover over the sleeping form of a blond-haired cook, swallowing as she debated waking him. This wasn’t the first time she had snuck in to seek solace in the arms of her boyfriend, but she always felt just as guilty as she had the first time. She tossed a despairing glance at the entrance to the room.

Nami… I know you’re in there… his voice bled through the metal like acidic venom dissolving its surface.

Nami’s hand shot out to lightly but insistently shake Sanji’s shoulder.

“Nggh?” he groaned incoherently as his head lolled over his shoulder to blink blearily up at her. It took him a moment to register Nami’s disheveled, clammy form and distraught expression, but when he did, it sobered him up almost instantaneously. “Another nightmare?” he yawned as he wriggled about in the small bed to create a space for her, then lifted the covers for her to crawl underneath them.

Nami clambered into the little bunk to snuggle up against his warm, inviting body, burying her face into the crook of his neck to inhale the reassuring aroma of spices and herbs and the faint hint of cigarette smoke. He dropped the covers down and slipped an arm beneath her head to begin running his fingers consolingly through her hair. Nami inhaled deeply once more, then exhaled as her body slowly relaxed in the soothing arms of her lover.

“Thank you, Sanji,” she mumbled against his neck. His shoulder jostled her lightly as it shook in a throaty chuckle. Her lips curled into a smile as he pressed a long kiss to her forehead.

“Of course. I’ll always chase the darkness away for you, my love.”

Nami’s hand searched for his under the sheets, and when she found it, she tightly entwined her fingers with his own. Sanji lifted their linked hands to his mouth to press flitting kisses over her knuckles and the top of her hand before laying them to rest on his chest. Her body craved more of his easing presence and so she snuggled up against him, slinging one leg over his and pressing the entire length of her body against his side with a girlish whimper.

“I’ll protect you, Nami,” he murmured into her pile of tangerine tresses.

“Mmm. You’re my hero,” she confirmed sluggishly, as sleep had finally begun to claim her once more. Lulled by Sanji’s unflinching love and the rhythmic strumming of his fingers through her hair, Nami allowed herself to drift away, for good dreams were sure to grace her for the remainder of the night…

Did you enjoy this oneshot? Consider requesting from me by visiting my rules, then either commenting on this story, submitting an ask, or contacting me via DM!

[vannahfanfics]

Hibiscus and Honey

Word Count: 2,670

Fluff, Romance, Established Relationship, Love Confessions

Summary: Nami and Sanji enjoy a romantic day at the beach. Or try to, anyway.

Hello, all! This will be my second submission for SanNami Week, for the Day Two prompt “Vacation.” A.K.A., an alternate instance of the first time Sanji and Nami say they love each other…

“Wow… What a gorgeous sea!” Nami exclaimed in utter awe as she stood upon the sandy shore. They had landed on this summer resort island the previous night, and it was a thousand times more splendorous by day. The crystalline particles embracing her bare feet were a pristine white, while the water that rolled in frothing waves upon its surface was like liquid aquamarine, sparkling and clear. It was pleasantly warm as it lapped at her toes. Nami stretched out her arms and tilted back her head so every inch of her skin possible could soak up the lovely waves that were shining down from the blazing hot sun in the clear blue sky above. “Ahh… There’s nothing like a day at the beach!”

She then sharply whirled around, mood turning thunderous in an instant. “You guys better not ruin it! We’re on vacation. Vacation, you hear me?!” she snapped at Luffy and the rest of the crew, who were lounging around under umbrellas, playing in the sand, and, in their knucklehead captain’s case, looking for something adventurous and absolutely un-peaceful to do.

“You’re yellin’ at me and I haven’t even done anything yet!” Luffy whined while waving a driftwood stick he had found, his lips pursed in a childish pout.

“You were thinking it! I know you were!”

“But Namiiiiiiii… I’m so booooooooored,” he whined loudly as he slunk down into the sand.

Nami snorted and walked over to firmly but not painfully bonk him over his hard head.

“Okay! Okay! I’ll be good,” he promised woefully before slinking off to where Usopp and Chopper were constructing a massive sandcastle. Nami wasn’t sure how much his vow was worth, but for the sake of her sanity, she decided to at least pretend that she could rely on his word. Thus, Nami rolled her shoulders to unwind the kinked muscles there and set to her favorite beach pastime—tanning!

Nami, naturally, was a responsible tanner. She only wanted a small hint of a caramel tint to her skin, not skin cancer. As such she still slathered herself in plenty of sunscreen and reapplied regularly. A girl had to look good, but not at the cost of her health! After coating herself in a protective layer of the white, creamy substance, she stretched out on her belly with a contented sigh, facing the beach. Though she would begin dozing soon enough, watching the various goings-on of her crew was a great way to pass the time while her body soaked up the radiation.

Though they had only just begun, Chopper, Luffy, and Usopp’s sandcastle had evolved into a massive arena decorated richly with shells and seaweed and driftwood (tastefully, too, thanks to Usopp’s eye for the aesthetic). Luffy and company were now avidly hunting for hermit crabs to pit against each other in races. Robin was secluded underneath an umbrella next to Nami reading one of her novels while Carrot lounged on her belly on a towel next to her, chattering while Robin patiently nodded along. Jinbei, the most recent addition to their crew, was already fast asleep under an umbrella on Nami’s other side, his big blue fish belly rising and falling with soft snores. Franky and Zoro were out on the water racing each other on two of Franky’s machines that were stored down in the bowels of the ship. A particularly large wave knocked them both off their steeds; Franky came up howling in laughter while Zoro came up scowling like someone had drunk all his sake. Brook had attracted a small crowd of local beachgoers who were his fans and was signing autographs, but the girls would all run away squealing in embarrassment as he unabashedly asked to see their panties, even though they weren’t really wearing any since they were in swimsuits. The business in Wano had since been settled, but Law had decided for the sake of their alliance to travel alongside the Thousand Sunny in his Polar Tang. His group was a little way down; a majority of them were having a chicken fight tournament in the water while the Heart Pirate captain was leaning up against Bepo, snoozing contentedly. He sure didn’t appreciate it when Luffy scrambled over to wake him up and demand he witness their hermit crab arena’s inaugural race.

Hmm? Where’s Sanji? Nami’s caramel-colored eyes scanned the white beachfront for him. She finally spotted him under an umbrella close to the water. He had a little table set up so he could prepare a beverage of some sort. Her mouth curled into a smile. Always thinking up something new… she thought in admiration.

The backside of her body had begun to burn with the intensity of the sunlight, so she rolled onto her back to begin tanning her front. It almost saddened her to a degree, because she could no longer watch Sanji at work.

It had taken their two-year separation for Nami to finally realize that she had feelings for Sanji. She had sorely missed his little gestures of affection, his constant compliments, his reassuring and steady presence. For the longest time, Nami had simply thought it his nature to rain down praise and love on women, and that was certainly true; however, when she sat down and thought long and hard about their interactions, Nami recognized the subtle differences in how he treated her. He always rushed to her aid first; his gifts were always tailored to her liking; “Nami-swan” came out of his mouth far more than Robin’s name ever did. She wasn’t sure if Sanji even realized what he was doing himself. Regardless, ever since that pivotal moment, Nami found herself soft for the sweet cook.

Thus, the very night they had reunited in Saobody Archipelago, Nami stole him away for a few moments to bear her heart to him. Of course, her feelings had been reciprocated fully. Sanji was still the same, chivalrous sweetheart, but now that he was specifically Nami’s, his outright flirting with other women had ceased. He had only ever just been desperate for love and didn’t know how to ask. He sure knew how to show it, though, and between all the harrowing adventures (even the Whole Cake debacle, which had been a major strain in their relationship), Nami’s time with him had been nothing short of bliss.

“Nami-swan~”

Nami raised her head as his smooth-as-silk voice purred above her. Sanji was grinning proudly as he brandished the last remaining glass of a bright red drink of some kind—based on the beautiful hibiscus flower it was garnished with, she surmised that it was hibiscus tea. Smiling sweetly, she sat up and took the offered glass from him.

“Thank you!” She raised the glass to sip at it, instantly melting at the refreshing cranberry-like taste that flooded her tongue. She detected just the slightest hint of honey mixed in as well. “Mhmm,” she praised audibly.

Her adorable boyfriend instantly gushed pink at the compliment and puffed out his chest triumphantly. Now that Sanji was otherwise unoccupied, tanning was the least of her concerns, so she rolled onto her side and patted the empty stretch of sand beside her, sipping seductively at the hibiscus tea all the way.

“Sanji, won’t you lay with me a while?”

Almost before she could blink, he had flung out a towel and was lounging beside her while the summer sun’s rays bathed them both. The ice cubes clinked melodically in the glass as Nami swirled it daintily in her hand, watching Sanji’s hands with loving eyes as he twirled his fingers in the curly locks of tangerine hair that were spilling over the side of her body like an orange waterfall. Every so often his fingertips would lightly brush over her exposed skin, sending sparks like wildfire rushing through her nerves. Occasionally, the salty sea breeze would roll over them with its own gentle caresses, staving off the blistering heat for a few moments with an invigorating kiss.

“It really is a lovely day,” she commented absently.

“Hmm,” Sanji grunted in agreement, far too busy playing with her tresses of hair to hold a conversation. Nami leaned her cheek in her hand and closed her eye to enjoy the sensation of his lithe fingers skipping up and down her body, skating across her shoulders down her arm before dancing over her waist and hips, then back up again as he traveled the winding lengths of the citrus-colored strands. She abandoned himself to his ministrations for a while, content in saying nothing at all and enjoying his presence alone. It had only been a month or so since their reunion and establishment as a couple, but already Nami found herself in this stage of the relationship. Perhaps the perpetual chaos rushed these things a bit, or perhaps Nami had been in love with him for so long that it just came naturally. She was sure it was the same for him.

As she basked in the summer glow, her mind began to wander sleepily.

“Hey. What would you think if my hair was this color?” she asked suddenly, brown eyes flickering open with a shake of the half-empty glass of hibiscus tea.

Sanji blinked in confusion at the very unprompted inquiry for a second before his mouth curled into an amused smile.

“Why, I think it would look lovely on you, Nami-swan,” he purred with another sweep of his fingers through her mass of hair. He plucked the red hibiscus flower that was perched on the rim of the glass and delicately slipped it into the space behind her ear. “Mmm-hmm,” he confirmed with a rumbling purr of approval, watching wryly as the temptress’ smoldering eyes peered at him expectantly over the edge of the glass she had just then raised to her lips. “Very lovely. However,” he added with a small smirk. He plucked up a piece of her hair to raise the end of it to his lips, pressing a long kiss into its fibers, “I think I prefer tangerine orange to hibiscus red.”

A girlish giggle alighted Nami’s chest, and she set the glass in the sand to grab him by the shoulders and roll onto her back. Sanji moved with her, situating his body above hers with one knee resting in the small space between her knees. Her orange tresses spread out behind her like a breaking dawn, painting the world in its orange glow.

“What about honey-gold?” she inquired as the tongue sweeping over her bottom lip detected its faint sweet tang.

Sanji’s smirk curled higher as his eye glittered brighter with amusement.

“You’d look like an angel, for sure, but my earlier statement still stands.” Nami’s hands settled on his shoulders as his own swept a swathe of her hair from her face, then traced a path over her jawline to her chin and across her collarbone. Feather-light, loving caresses that made her heart and nerves sing in a resounding chorus… Only a response that Sanji could so effortlessly elicit from her. As they stared unflinchingly into each other’s eyes, Nami grew very aware that she had never seen such an intense passion and love burning within his before, and that smile gracing his face—it was nothing short of pure, unbridled affection and adoration. Nami found a happy blush spreading across her cheeks. This man… I…

Rather than thinking, Nami elected to say exactly what was on her mind.

“Sanji?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

His eyebrow crept up to his forehead in shock. It took a moment for his mind to process exactly what had come out of her mouth, but when it did, Nami saw the brightest, most stupidly giddy smile that she had ever seen on him appear on his face.

“I love you too, Nami!” He was so happy at that moment that he just had to kiss her, not that Nami minded one bit. Her eyes fluttered shut as his face dove down onto her own, their lips melding together perfectly like a lock and key. She circled her arms around his neck as one hand found her waist, his other arm resting by her head to keep his balance over her. With every sweep of his mouth over her own, Nami could feel the intense love and happiness pouring off of him like they were waves lapping at the shore, over and over and over. It was infectious; the joy bubbled up inside of her body too, until it was spilling over in the form of overjoyed tears rolling down her cheeks. After a few minutes, he retreated, but only slightly; his adoring expression hovered a few millimeters from hers, and he couldn’t help but press a few light kisses to the tip of her nose. She giggled again. There was nothing that could ruin this moment.

Well, except Luffy, of course.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” came his heartbroken wail from a few yards away, and both of their heads snapped to the side to see what the hell had him so upset. He was doubled over crying in the sand next to the arena while a very devilish-looking Law grinned over him.

“Rules are rules, Straw Hat-ya. Pay up.”

“I dun wanna!” moped the young boy groveling below him. The rest of the Straw Hats and Heart Pirates were in various states of grieving around them, indicating that Law had apparently devastated them in the hermit crab races. Nami’s stomach sank at the possibility that she suddenly owed Law a lot of money, and she felt a hot flush spread through her body as she mentally prepared to rip Luffy a new one. However, thankfully for her wallet, Luffy was forced to relinquish his little hermit crab racer to Law.

“Good-bye, little buddy,” Luffy sniffled with ugly tears as he held up the oblivious little creature for Law’s taking. Suddenly remembering the loss of his own little hermit, Chopper began bawling and sought out Zoro’s broad chest for comfort.

“Good grief. What a bunch of children,” Nami huffed with a roll of her eyes, but was smiling gently. At least they were enjoying themselves.

At her proclamation, Luffy’s eyes locked onto her like a predator to its prey, and he sped across the sand on all fours like some feral beast to grab one of her hands.

“Nami! Please! Win my hermit crab back for me!” he begged.

Nami’s face scrunched up into a slight scowl.

“Luffy, can’tcha see I’m busy?”

“You can make out with Sanji later! This is a matter of life and death!”

Of all the—! Nami thought indignantly, mortified that Luffy had all but announced what she and her boyfriend had been discreetly getting up to in their own little corner of the beach. Her eyes flashed to Law, who was grinning smugly at her from beside the arena.

“What is it, Nami-ya? Afraid to lose?”

“Oh, hell no,” Nami cried as her pride was called into question. Sanji yelped as she all but shoved him off her. As she stood up, Luffy latched himself like a little baby monkey to her leg, making her haul him across the sand to stand angrily in front of Law, hands on her hips and chin raised in challenge. “I’m about to make you weep at my feet, Surgeon of Death,” she growled and jabbed a finger into his chest.

“Ahhhh~ Show him who’s boss, Nami-swan~!” Sanji cooed from behind her. She didn’t even have to look at him to know he had his hands clasped and was wriggling around like an eel. Nami stuck out her tongue to throw a cute wink back at him. Total fatality; he clutched his heart as he fell back into cardiac arrest, struck down by Nami’s adorableness. Kissing on Sanji would have to wait, she agreed as she marched down towards the surf. She had to choose her fighter and whoop Law’s ass!

Still, it wasn’t completely forgotten, as she was presently reminded by the lingering taste of hibiscus and honey on her red-tinted lips…

Did you enjoy this oneshot? Consider requesting from me by visiting my rules, then either commenting on this story, submitting an ask, or contacting me via DM!

[vannahfanfics]

Fantasia di Tempesta

Word Count: 2,830

Romance, Drama, Love Confessions

Summary: There's a storm of emotions inside Nami, and she decides that it's time to do something about it.

Greetings again, all! This here story is for the SanNami Week Day Four prompt, “Fantasy.” Enjoy, my lovelies!

“Yeesh. What a storm,” Nami commented as she peered out of the porthole of her and Robin’s shared bedroom window. The frothing, writhing sea-green waves slapped relentlessly against the ship’s broad hull. The Thousand Sunny was currently docked at port, so there was no need to scurry around in the pounding rain in an attempt to escape it for fear of capsizing. However, the ship still suffered under the onslaught of nature’s wrath, slowly but powerfully rocking from side to side as the wind and rain and waves disrupted its balance. The wooden structure creaked and groaned in protest with each tilt.

After watching the swirling sea for a minute or so, Nami peeled herself away from the small, circular window to scurry over to her bed. She leaped under the covers with an excited squeal, eager to resume her riveting fantasy romance novel.

“Rainy days are the best reading days!” she grinned at her roommate, who was leaning up against her headboard also engrossed in a novel of some form.

“Oh, yes,” Robin agreed without even lifting her dark eyes from the inked pages. “What are you reading this time?” As she turned the page, it made a light fluttery sound.

Nami, eager to gush about her latest thrift-store find, set the open book down on her bed to save the page before putting her cheeks in her hands and lifting her legs over her back, feet hooked together at the ankles.

“Oh, it’s simply wonderful, Robin! It’s a story about a long-lost prince who has been turned into a dragon who rescues his previous fiancé from a marriage to a cunning, evil prince looking to steal her land’s resources! He can only be human for two hours a day, at noon and midnight, and she has no idea who he is! She falls in love with him all over again, and it’s simply so romantic!” she sighed dreamily. “The prince is so wonderful, too…”

This elicited a chuckle from the black-haired woman, and Nami glanced over to see her also setting down her book to glance over at her with sparkling, amused eyes. She was sure that Robin was not nearly interested in the book, but loved to see Nami so animated about something and wanted to devote her attention to it one hundred percent.

“I see. What’s happening in the book right now?”

“The evil prince has captured the dragon prince, and the princess and his unicorn friend are conspiring for his rescue! It’s not often you get such a willful, well-written, strong female character. I really relate to her,” Nami swooned as she hugged the volume to her chest adoringly.

“Is that because you have a prince of your own?”

Nami’s mouth fell open at the sheer audacity of Robin’s question. She looked at the archaeologist to find her sporting a cunning, shit-eating grin below eyes that were absolutely gleaming with mischief. Huffing, Nami grabbed her bookmark and shoved it into the space between the pages; this was going to take a while to sort out! She slammed it down on her bedside table before looking back to Robin with her arms haughtily crossed.

“What the hell are you going on about?!”

“Oh, come now, Nami,” she said in a placating tone as she lounged further back into her pillows, turning on her side with one arm slung over her side, almost as she were trying to seduce her. “I’ve noticed it ever since the Whole Cake Island incident.”

Nami gulped as a confusing plethora of feelings bubbled up in her chest all at once, the same she had experienced that day after that awful, harrowing, miserable experience was finally over. Her chestnut eyes began shifting around to random objects in the room because she couldn’t meet Robin’s piercing stare—the lamp, the wardrobe, the door, the rug.

“I have no idea what you mean,” she countered with much less surety than she would prefer. She had found a particularly interesting spot on the ceiling, where the swirling patterns of wood very much resembled a dog’s face. Her eyes traced little ears, beady eyes, a snout with a little button nose—

“Nami, you are so painfully in love with Sanji that it’s ridiculous.”

Nami let out a noise that was some blend of a sputter, a choke, and a scream. Her hands flew to cover her face as it blazed a deep burgundy red, pushing her skin to the limits of its blushing capability. Her eyes, wider than the full moon covered by the storm clouds outside, finally shot down to Robin’s face to see her pompously smirking at her little victory.

“Come on; you know you can’t deny it.”

Nami’s mouth tried to form words, but her brain was too fried to allow it. Her? In love with Sanji, the biggest flirt of all time? It was preposterous, ridiculous, absurd—and yet…

Her heart undoubtedly fluttered at the mere mention of his name.

“I—I don’t…” she feebly attempted to deny, her gaze dropping to her lap. Her hand crept up to twist into the fabric of her shirt over her heart, as if that would stop the rampant rhythm it had hurtled into. Suddenly, she could see him before her waking eyes, grinning so wide his eyes crinkled up as he presented her with whatever random gift he had found for her today… A soft, warm smile blossomed on her face like a rose opening up to the sun. Sanji… Why was it that the thought alone of his generous little gestures sent joy bubbling up in her body? That the image of his beautiful smile sent her heart singing like a solo in a choir, and she suddenly had a painful longing to see him, touch him, kiss him…

“Oh my God, I’m in love with Sanji!” she cried. The room rang with a resounding slap as her hands collided with her already stinging red cheeks.

“About time you realized it.” While Nami was in the thrall of her upending revelation, Robin had picked up her book and resumed reading with a blank expression, as if she hadn’t been wearing the visage of a cunning witch a minute ago. “What are you going to do now?”

The inquiry stirred something wild within Nami, a roiling sloshing mass not unlike the raging storm outside—not of water, but of need.

“Oh my God, I have to tell him.”

“Now?” Robin blurted, having not expected such an answer.

Nami ignored her. Her brain was focused on one thing and one thing only right now, the handsome, sweet, chivalrous cook. She made a leaping bound from the bed to race to the door, wrestling incoherently with the doorknob.

“Nami? Nami, it’s pouring outside!” Robin’s objecting voice rapidly faded as she took off like a bat flying out of the fires of Hell down the halls of the ship’s bowels.

Nami wasn’t exactly sure why she had to tell him this instant. It wasn’t like there were any pressing circumstances; he wasn’t going anywhere. However, something primal in Nami had overtaken her good sense. In her current state, she couldn’t even articulate that fact. It was like a dam had burst in her soul, releasing a tsunami of impossibly overwhelming feelings that completely flooded her being from head to toe. Perhaps the Whole Cake Island incident had bothered her more than she had truly realized; deep down, she really was afraid that he would go away again. In her panicked, overwhelmed mind, it really was now or never.

Nami burst through the door leading to the deck of the ship and was almost immediately crushed between it and the frame as the howling wind angrily threw it back in her face. Her entire body rocked as it crashed against her bare arms, which she had instinctively thrown up to protect herself. Groaning, she pushed with all her might against the sturdy wooden door to squeeze through the slight gap the structure afforded her effort. It slammed shut behind her with a tremendous crash, but Nami barely heard it over the sudden boom of thunder that rolled overhead as a splendorous display of lightning cascaded through the canvas of gray in a blinding white branching streak. Nami was already drenched from head to toe from the sheer volume of water descending in buckets from the sky.

Chest heaving from her feverish sprint, she hastily pushed the strands of soaked tangerine hair from her eyes and ran across the deck towards the kitchen. The grass lawn that decorated the main deck had become saturated with water such that large, deep puddles were spilled all across its surface; the rainwater splashed up against Nami’s calves as she splashed through them. Another thunderous roar sounded overhead as the flustered navigator all but crashed against the door, jiggling the doorknob in an attempt to get it open. Her wet hands slid uselessly across the shiny metal surface, so she resorted to literally yelling Sanji’s name.

“What the hell? Nami? Is that you?” she heard his voice bleed through the metal, and she almost melted on the spot. The door opened and he stared at her in bewilderment. “Nami? What’s wrong?” he cried and grabbed her by the arm to pull her inside, slamming the door behind her so the relentless wind wouldn’t throw more pounding rain at her back. He grabbed a dishtowel from the nearby counter and began dabbing at her face, fussing all the while. “What’s the matter? Is something happening? You’re all out of breath and your face is flushed—”

Nami’s hand snapped up to grab his wrist as he tousled the dishtowel into her limp, dripping waves of hair.

“Nami?” he blinked, the confusion clear on his face.

“Nothing. Nothing is wrong, Sanji. I just… I really needed to see you.”

His eyes went as wide as dinner saucers and his face didn’t seem to know whether to drain of color or flush pink.

Nami jumped as he suddenly slapped himself hard in the face, leaving a burning red handprint. With a concerted expression, she squeaked,“S-Sanji?”

“Sorry,” he groaned as he leaned over to clutch the edge of the counter with both hands. “You said that so suddenly, I figured I just had to be in a dream or something.”

Nami stared at him for a minute, then began giggling lightly, raising her hand to her mouth. He lifted his head to blink at her. The handprint had faded to a light pink and become overtaken by the blush painting his cheeks.

“Nami…?”

“I had to tell you that…” her expression softened as the love bubbling up inside her spilled over into her eyes. Sanji swallowed thickly and straightened up to his full height as she approached him, his back hitting the counter and his hands behind him on the counter in a white-knuckled grip. She tilted her head up slightly as her chestnut eyes bored into him, desperately trying to convey the engulfing amount of emotion she was drowning in. “I love you.”

She didn’t think his eyes could grow any wider, but they did, his pupils shrinking into a sea of white. For a moment, the only sound was the drumming of the rain and Sanji’s deep, shaky breaths. She waited patiently for him to process what she had just uttered, but honestly, she was shocked. She figured he would instantly leap at her to claim her in a hot, passionate, desperate kiss… She blinked as a wry, forlorn, deeply pained smile twisted onto his lips with a dry, cold laugh.

“This is a pretty cruel dream,” he whispered. As her eyebrows narrowed in befuddlement, one of his hands very shakily rose to tenderly caress her cheek with feather-light strokes of his fingertips. Nami’s heart split in two at the absolutely heartbreaking look on his face; she had never seen so much agony swimming in his eyes before, nor such a gut-wrenching, miserable smile on his face. His fingers threaded into her damp hair, rubbing a strand between his forefinger and thumb. “How many times have I fantasized about this moment?” he breathed as his face ghosted over hers, his face contorting to further pain as he so desperately wanted to kiss her. “So many times… But you can’t be real, Nami-swan. She would never say that to me. She doesn’t love me…”

Nami’s hand flew up to catch the sides of his face, and her heart wrenched at the way he leaned into her touch, as if he were starved of it.

“Sanji. It’s really me,” she whispered sincerely and firmly. “This isn’t a dream. I’m sorry it took me so long to realize it… But I love you, truly, wholly, completely.” Nami had no idea why she buried those feelings deep inside of her—perhaps some deep, quiet part of her greatly feared the idea of losing anyone, and so when she had begun to develop such emotions, she had shoved them deep into the recesses of her mind, to be forgotten… Instead, they had aged and fermented like fine wine, growing an impeccable body and soul that now filled her veins with rich bursting flavor of unbridled love.

Sanji’s eyes widened again as they searched her face, but they found only truth.

Not even a millisecond passed before his lips slammed into hers with such force that she was shoved back and she gasped. Locked into a feverish, hot, open-mouthed kiss, all the starch in Nami’s knees instantly melted, making them wobble and fail. Sanji’s hands securely grabbed her hips as she sunk down slightly, and he used it as an opportunity to bend her back into a sharp arch as his face positively smothered her own.

Engrossed in the moment, her hands jumped into his hair, fingers threaded through the bright yellow strands and nails scratching against his scalp to elicit a low groan from him. With a grunt, his hands leaped from her hips to the backs of her thighs to make her jump up and lock her legs around his waist; at the same time, his tongue dove into her mouth to swirl frantically with her own, making Nami’s mind muddled and unfocused and purely drunk on the hysterical sensations that were popping through her nerves like a thousand fireworks. Her mind couldn’t process the sheer amount of stimulation happening everywhere at once as his hands roamed everywhere they possibly could, so her mind just shut into a white fog.

He turned her around to prop her on the counter, flushing her body with his. Nami had no recollection of it but, apparently, she had unbuttoned his suit jacket and the button-up beneath it too, and he had shrugged it to the floor so her hands could freely travel across his chiseled muscles. Likewise, he had grabbed Nami’s shirt and wrenched it over her head, leaving burning trails with his fingers over her back and stomach and collarbone. He soon abandoned her lips to carve a path of sloppy, deep kisses down her neck and over her collarbone and shoulder before finishing at the soft mounds of flesh spilling out of her bra. It was there that the blistering fire of lusty fever finally settled down into an intense smolder of embers, and he looked up at her with dark eyes glittering with amusement and barely contained passion.

“Sanji,” she begged with a low, keening whine as he gently pressed his lips right where her heart was beating like the drumming rain against the window behind her. He planted light little kisses back up to her lips before claiming them like a man securing his greatest treasure, soft and meaningful, unlike the hungry kiss before.

“You’re the most beautiful creature to grace this earth, you know that?” he murmured softly against her lips. His hands rubbed slow, deliberate circles into the skin of her waist and hips. “I feel like I’m in a fantasy… Because surely you’re an angel or a princess who I am far undeserving of,” he sighed with another slow, deep claim of her mouth.

“Stop saying stuff like that. To me, you’re a prince, a king, even,” she scolded lightly as she pulled back from his embrace, but only just to flash him a saccharine smile. He purred in contentment and gratitude before burying his face into the crook of her neck, peppering kisses across her jugular. She tilted her head back to allow him free access, closing her eyes as she savored the sensation of his lips painting patterns into her skin.

“You meant it?” he asked abruptly, lips fluttering over her skin. She nodded firmly, hugging him tight to her body.

“Uh-huh. You’re as much my fantasy as I am yours, Sanji…” She felt him smile against her neck as he resumed his tender loving ministrations. Needless to say, Nami and Sanji made the most of the rainy day to shower all the compressed and pent-up love on one another…

Did you enjoy this oneshot? Consider requesting from me by visiting my rules, then either commenting on this story, submitting an ask, or contacting me via DM!

[vannahfanfics]

Hello! ☆ I've just seen the list of clothes and stuff to make a request! It's funnnny haha Can you make some Sanji x Nami with the 9 (bracelet)? It would be awesome!! Your writing is beautiful!! (I hope you understand my english! Not the first language!) Obrigada!!

At long last, here’s your story, love! I hope you enjoy it, and you’re always free to request again!

All Yours

Word Count: 3,720

Fluff, Romance, Pre-Timeskip

Summary: The Straw Hats take an impromptu beach day at a small atoll they find on their way to Sabaody Archipelago. Nami decides to use a few of the seashells to make some custom jewelry—not just for herself, but also a certain doting cook…

A contented sigh breezed past Nami’s lips as she savored the heavenly feeling of the warm island sand between her toes. The sunlight gleamed over her shoulders, reflecting on the thin layer of sunscreen slathered over her skin as she rolled them with satisfying pops. Behind her, she could hear the rest of her raucous crew climbing out of the little Mini Merry II to splash into the surf; she had been the first to exit the boat to come ashore.

It was a little island right before their intended destination of the Saobody Archipelago. Though it had not registered on the log pose, being really just a wee spit of land in a vast sea, Luffy has spied it from his usual perch on the Sunny’s figurehead and demanded that they stop to investigate it. At first glance, it didn’t seem like much—just a sandy atoll with a few coconut trees and shrubs decorating the thin circle of fine white sand. However, the coral reef it hid in its unassuming figure was exceptionally impressive. Nami couldn’t wait to break out her snorkeling equipment to explore the underwater tropical haven; who knew, it could be hiding a chest of gold!

“Franky! Gimme a boost! I wanna get some coconuts!” Luffy cackled as he all but zoomed past her in a mad dash for the aforementioned trees. Nami watched with an amused expression as he jumped up onto the cyborg’s shoulders and engaged in a delicate balancing act to pluck the furry fruits one by one from the broad-leafed tree. Very soon, he was dangerously wobbling left and right on Franky’s shoulders, burdened by the armful of coconuts. With an alarmed cry, he toppled right off of Franky’s shoulders to land roughly on his back in the sand; all the coconuts crushed into his chest and knocked the breath out of him before rolling off in various directions. If Nami didn’t know Luffy and his uncrushable bones, she would’ve wondered if he had broken a rib or two.

He lay there a minute before jumping right back to his feet, seemingly unperturbed. He rapidly scooped up his prizes and scampered back over to his waiting cook.

“Sanji! Can you cut these open?” he grinned widely as he plopped them into a neat little pile at his feet.

“Sure, but it’ll take a while to crack these open. Twenty of thirty minutes, probably,” Sanji responded as he crouched down to observe the coconuts for any sign of decay or disease.

Luffy let out a wheedling whine; impatient as ever, he was.

“Can’t Zoro just cut them all with his swords?”

“Theoretically, yeah, but then he’ll just make a mess and there won’t be any coconut milk in them by the time he’s done!” Sanji snorted in response. He lit up a cigarette and pulled out a kitchen knife to begin working on the coconuts. “You’re just gonna have to find something else to occupy your time, Luffy.”

Nami rolled her eyes at the agonized groan that spilled from her captain’s mouth. It’s so hard to believe that such a childish man has taken down some of the most fearsome pirates on the Grand Line! she thought as she watched him stamp his feet and cross his arms. It took all of two seconds for his attention to be captured by a hermit crab scuttling across the sand. He crouched down to watch it, then began shambling along after it in a mocking manner with a giddy “shishishishishi!”

“Good grief, that boy…” she muttered under her breath. Still, as long as he was occupied and Sanji was nearby to babysit him to ensure he didn’t try to wrestle a shark or something, Nami could do as she pleased.

Humming a tune contentedly under her breath, she walked to the edge of the sand leading to the inside of the atoll. Just mere inches from where the crystal clear water lapped at the edge of the sand, the coral reef spilled out in all its glory. Nami removed her tee shirt and jean shorts to reveal a white floral-patterned bikini. She unhooked her snorkeling mask from her belt loop before folding her clothes neatly and placing them well out of splash range. Because the coral was packed so tightly together, she decided against wearing flippers, because she would certainly feel guilty about destroying any of the beautiful formations in her exploration. Securing the mask over her face, she stepped a few paces out into the water. It was wonderfully warm. Careful to step on the patches of sand between the corals, she waded out into the atoll until she was about waist-deep, then leaned over to hover just at the top of the water and behold the colorful world just below.

Her movement startled the local fishes, sending them darting into various nooks and crannies. Nami, attempting to ease them back out, moved very slowly as she meandered over the reef toward its center. Even without the tropical fish, the corals were magnificent in their own right; despite sailing most of her life, Nami could easily say that this was the most beautiful she had ever seen.

Most of the corals were a dull brown, creamy white, or blood red, but this reef actually had patches of vibrant color, too—lavish purples and summer yellows and even earthy greens. The corals populated every inch of bare rock they could to form towering formations. Shelf corals stretched out beside bumpy stag corals. Corals sat like little tea tables on the sandy bottom and clustered at the rock bases in swirling, foliage-like arrangements and encrusted the surface of the rocks in rough-looking layers. Fan corals waved gently at Nami as she swam by, while cup corals wriggled their tentacle-like appendages in greeting instead. A massive brain coral was surrounded by plumes of leaf coral, making it seem like an egg sheltered in a leafy nest.

As Nami arrived at the center of the reef, the local sea life had finally acclimated to her presence and had gathered their courage to investigate the strange newcomer.

A school of patterned butterflyfish drifted close to poke and prod at Nami’s lightly tanned skin, making her giggle. As the bubbles streamed up to the surface from her grinning mouth, some parrotfish ambled through them, their coral-crunching beaks opening and closing as if they were trying to vocally greet her. A colorful sea star scuttled across the bottom underneath her, startling a flounder that had buried itself and sending it careening off to find a better hiding spot. Nami approached one of the corals to find with glee a blue-and-white sea slug slowly sliding down its side, while a few clownfish in a nearby anemone watched it carefully. A few spiny sea urchins were clustered around the barrels of a large green sponge, and they rolled about a little as Nami came onto the scene, unsure whether to stay or go. Just as Nami sucked in a breath to roll onto her back and appreciate the way the sunlight dappled across the shifting surface of the water, a spotted ray glided overhead, looking like the bottom of a mysterious ship sailing overhead.

Wow… It’s all so gorgeous, she thought in great awe as she rolled back over. It was then that she noticed the collection of small shells littering the sandy bottom. I could make a bracelet out of those! she thought. The bottom was well within reaching difference, so she didn’t even have to dive down to get them.

Over the course of her adventure with Luffy, Nami had taken to making her own clothes and jewelry. Sometimes they would spend weeks at sea, and Nami would simply grow tired of her wardrobe. She had taken to purchasing raw fabrics and jewels and the like so that she could always make a new outfit if she wanted to. It was a great way to relieve her stress when mapmaking wasn’t available. She had found that her mind often drifted to creating clothing ideas eyeing just the most random things. Now, her mind was captured by the accessory potential of the little shells of the atoll.

Nami didn’t take many, just enough to make a cute bracelet or two out of; she didn’t want to disrupt the ecosystem by eliminating potential homes for the hermit crabs. After taking what she dare, she waved jovially to all the little fish and sea creatures. She then clutched her collection of shells to her chest and returned to the surface. She pulled the mask off her face and tossed her sodden tangerine hair about, blinking away the water that was streaming over her sun-kissed face.

“Nami-swan! The coconuts are ready~!” came Sanji’s joyful trill from the beach.

“Coming!” she called back and began carefully picking her way back to the sand. She held the little shells tightly as she walked up to where her clothes were. Sanji was there waiting for her with a towel stretched out nearly as wide as the grin on his face.

“Oh, thank you,” she smiled and turned her back to him so he could delicately throw it over her shoulders. Sanji practically melted at her acceptance of his little gesture, clasping his hands and wriggling about while he sang compliments about her cute bathing suit. Though she had initially taken advantage of his incessant crush for her to win favors, Nami had actually grown to appreciate his little gestures. They really were sweet, and they were borne out of a true desire to please her. What girl wouldn’t swoon a little? It was a little much sometimes, how much he gushed over her, but Nami couldn’t help the smile that came to her face every time.

“Here, Nami-swan!” Sanji chirped over her shoulder, and she turned around to see half a coconut filled with succulent coconut juice, complete with a bendy straw and a little umbrella.

Nami dropped the shells down beside her clothes to take the drink and sipped at it experimentally. Naturally, a contented “Mmmm!” came next, because the coconut milk was just the right blend of sweet and hydrating. She flashed Sanji a grateful smile.

“Only the best for my beautiful Nami!” he cried while dramatically posing.

Nami just giggled, then sat down in the sand, coconut in one hand while the other sifted through her shells to try and piece together how to arrange them into jewelry. Rather than rejoin the rest of the crew piled on the other end of the shore drinking their coconut milk and cutting up, Sanji crouched down to observe her.

“Oh? Are you going to make something out of these?”

“Yep! I’m thinking a bracelet or a necklace.”

“You should make a matching set! They would look great on you, Nami-swan!” he nodded approvingly.

Before Nami could say anything else, Luffy released a blood-curdling scream, prompting both of their heads to whip in the direction of the sound. It seemed he had pissed off the hermit crab that he had been following, as it was now very aggressively pinching his nose. He jerked his head back, unsuccessful at pulling it off due to his skin’s rubber properties. The rest of the crew was less than helpful, settling for rolling around in the sand and laughing at his expense.

“It’s not funny, guys! Get it off!” Luffy wailed very nasally.

Sanji snorted in laughter and slapped his thighs with his hands before standing up to his tall height.

“Hang on, Luffy, I’m coming,” he laughed as he strode back across the beach.

Nothing but trouble. Honestly, what would any of us do without Sanji? Nami mused silently before looking back down at her shells. A matching set, huh? An idea hatched in her mind as she considered the prospect, and a satisfied grin formed on her lips. Yeah, I definitely like the sound of that… Bringing the straw to her mouth, she took a big sip of the coconut milk as her creative mind began to waltz with the vision of her finished products…

While the rest of the crew occupied themselves by playing in the sand or taking a page from Nami’s book and exploring the island, the ginger-haired navigator remained rooted to her spot, meticulously stringing the shells together into jewelry. Robin had been kind enough to take a trip back to the Thousand Sunny to retrieve her jewelry-making kit from their bedroom; the case was currently open beside her, with a half-used spool of clear plastic string and a small pair of pliers in close reach. The trickiest, and most time-consuming, part was punching a small hole in the shell without breaking it, but with a sharp needle and some precision, Nami was able to manage just fine.

The sun was just beginning to hover over the horizon by the time she finished. With a grin, she held up her handiwork to admire it.

At Sanji’s suggestion, she had indeed made a matching set. The feature piece of the necklace was a small one-fourth piece of a sand dollar, and strung bilaterally were alternating red-and-white-striped scallops, white baby ears, and tiny limpet shells up to the gold clasp in the back. The bracelet bore the exact arrangement, with a small piece of a sand dollar instead so it would not be cumbersome or heavy. The golden light spilling from the sunset jumped over her shoulders to catch the reddish and gold accents of the jewelry, accentuating the colors to make them almost glow.

Nami set down the bracelet to pull the necklace around her neck and fumble with the clasp at the back; though she had put on plenty of necklaces in her life, for some reason, she seemed to struggle today. She stuck out her tongue in annoyance as her fingers just couldn’t seem to open the clasp wide enough to secure the damned thing. Suddenly, she felt someone’s nimble fingers brush aside her own to take the necklace and quite easily do what she could not. As the necklace fell about her chest, she turned around to see who had helped her.

“Oh! Thank you, Sanji.” Of course he would notice her plight from afar. He was crouched down next to her again.

He gave her a cheesy grin before gesturing to the bracelet.

“Would you like me to help you with that, too?” When Nami shook her head, he knit his blond eyebrows together in slight concern, thinking that she was just being prideful. They shot up his forehead though when she picked it up and held it out to him expectantly.

“It’s for you!”

His face turned the color of the burning red sunset. He did not move except to look at the bracelet, then her, then back at the shell jewelry.

“It’s a thank-you for all the little things you do for me, Sanji,“ she encouraged while giving the bracelet a little shake. 

He swallowed thickly and ran a shaky hand through his blond hair. Nami could tell that he was absolutely overjoyed, so much so that he couldn’t even direct his energy into squealing and wriggling about like he normally did. This made Nami exceptionally happy; it just showed that he truly appreciated her little gift. With a happy smile, she picked up his hand to make his wrist available to her. He obediently left it hanging in the open air so she could slip the bracelet on and secure the clasp, then turned it so the piece of the sand dollar was facing up.

“Do you like it?” she asked, suddenly worried that she was misjudging his reaction. After all, Sanji wasn’t exactly the jewelry-wearing type.

“Of course, Nami! It’s exquisite!” Her doubt finally seemed to spark his brain into working again. A serene smile graced his lips as he admired it happily. “You worked so hard making it for me. How could I not like it?” He turned his wrist a little, watching as the bracelet shifted on his arm. “I’ll wear it proudly, forever! It’ll always remind me of my wonderful Nami-swan!” he grinned cheekily.

Nami laughed lightly, and as she opened her eyes to smile at him, it came to her attention the way the light was playing over him. With his back to the setting sun, he was framed in shadows, perfectly accentuating the stark line of his jaw and his broad shoulders and his toned muscles bared by his muscle tee and swim trunks. His golden hair seemed to soak up the dwindling sunlight like an eager, selfish sponge, giving it an almost halo-like glow that directly contrasted those dark accents. Nami found a heat rising to her cheeks as the first thing that popped into her mind was handsome. Of course she knew that Sanji was a good-looking guy; girls wouldn’t fawn over him like they did if he wasn’t. It was just the first time that she had truly realized it.

As he noticed her staring, the grin fell off his face to be replaced by a quizzical look. “What is it, Nami?”

“Sanji… Really, thank you for everything you do,” she murmured. Her expression was blank, unsure just quite what she was feeling, but her voice was thick with some sort of emotion. He blinked at her, unsure how to react to her strange behavior. Nami stared at him a moment, chewing on her lip as she pondered her next move, then she willed her body closer to him. She saw him stiffen, but she still slid across the sand until their shoulders were just brushing. Nami could smell the scent of sea salt and coconut milk mingling with her own natural tangerine scent as her head rested in the area just above his shoulder. Sanji had a scared yet exhilarated look on his face as he watched her, unmoving.

Nami tilted her head downwards to flutter her lashes at him, making a haze of pink graze his cheeks, then she craned it to the side a little so her lips could meet their target—just at the corner of his mouth, teasingly close to his lips. She pressed her mouth there for a moment, then pulled back a few millimeters to breathe huskily, “I sure hope you wear it forever because I want all the girls to know you’re mine.”

Nami had never thought of being jealous about Sanji, but at that moment, she sure as hell was. Sanji had always insisted on calling her his, and all of a sudden, Nami had the overwhelming desire to return the sentiment.

“O-okay,” Sanji exhaled sharply in response. The color of his cheeks mimicked the skin of a ripe apple now. The tips of his fingers were trembling lightly as he once again compulsively ran his hands through his hair, lightly curled and crimped from a day in the sand and sea.

Nami’s nut-brown eyes met his one of cloudy grey-blue, watching carefully, waiting for him to react. He blinked, and his eye flooded with warm admiration and dare she say, love.

“Of course, Nami-swan,” he purred while a hand reached up to softly caress her cheek. “I’m all yours.”

“I mean it,” she warned with a stern look. She was not stupid enough to think that Sanji’s flirtatious behavior would disappear.

His shoulders shook as he chuckled warmly.

“I mean it, too!” he reassured her. His hand slipped from her cheek back into her short waves of tangerine-colored hair, while the hand adorned with the bracelet rose to trace a line over the matching necklace hung at her neck. His finger ran down the string of shells to linger at the piece of sand dollar, which was situated right over her heart. “I love you, Nami,” he breathed with so much want and need that it made Nami’s heart constrict. It was painfully apparent that he had meant it, and had for a very long time. Yet Nami had spent so long writing off his affections.

Well, she was going to spend the rest of her life making up with that, that was for damn sure.

“I love you, Sanji,” she whispered back. This time, she kissed him fully on the lips.

He instantly melted against her as their mouths met in a sweet, emotionally charged kiss, simply pressing together and savoring the feeling of it. His hand dropped down from the necklace to curl around hers, holding it in a tight embrace. Even with her eyes closed, Nami could feel the warmth of the sun rapidly fading as the horizon swallowed the sun, but it was all right; spreading outward from her pounding heart was a gentle pulsing heat that filled every fiber of her being, leaving her humming with warm, fuzzy energy. At the moment Sanji pulled away, the sun bid the earth farewell, falling under the curtain of night and glittering stars. Even without the sun’s golden hue, Sanji still looked beautiful, as his blond hair was dyed silver by the cool light of the celestial bodies above. They stared at each other lovingly, quite content to just do so, until a polite, awkward cough made them both spin around with alarmed expressions.

“Sorry to interrupt a touching moment, but Luffy is having a meltdown about dinner,” Robin smiled in slight amusement before gesturing to said pirate. From across the thin line of sand, Nami could hear Luffy’s angry wails to the sky echoing in the emptiness, demanding meat right that instant.

Sanji ground his teeth and muttered under his breath while he stood up and stomped over to grab Luffy by his rubbery neck and proceed to throttle him—all while yelling at him for being impatient and ungrateful. Meanwhile Nami watched with a mixture of defeat and amusement.

“So, you and Sanji finally got together, huh?” Robin asked with an impish smirk that made Nami flush. Of course it wouldn’t escape the rest of the crew’s attention that they were practically making out on the beach.

“Heh… Yeah. He finally managed to reel me in, I guess,” she chuckled softly as her eyes drifted back to the cook. She caught the glint of the seashells against the dark backdrop of the sea and smiled wider, tracing her own jewelry with a finger.

I’m all yours, too, Sanji.

Did you enjoy this oneshot? Consider requesting from me by visiting my rules, then either commenting on this story, submitting an ask, or contacting me via DM!

[vannahfanfics]

You could write a oneshot of Natsu and Lucy first kiss? And Sanji and Nami, if it's okay \o/ arigato, Roxas-san

Here you go, Anon! The link to your NaLu story is here. For the SanNami request, I was struggling a little and so I chose to link it to this story, so I hope you don’t mind! 

Some Sound Advice Part II

“That’s it! Once we save Vivi’s country, I’m gonna tell Nami how I really feel! For real, no holding back!”

Sanji had proudly proclaimed that, and yet here he was, two days after the conclusion of the Albastan civil war/Baroque Works fiasco and still as deep in the friendzone as ever. He had tried to tell himself that Ace leaving wouldn’t deter him from following through on his promise to finally confess his feelings to their smart, savvy, sexy navigator; however, every time he thought about approaching the girl, he stomach would twist up tight into pretzel knots. Whenever he did finally work up the courage to confess, Nami was surrounded by everybody and their mother, and there was no way in hell that she would take him seriously at all in that kind of setting. Groaning at his own indecision, he ran a hand over his scratched-up, bandaged face and gazed forlornly up at the stone ceiling of the castle room above. It was nighttime, and the moonlight filtering in through the curtained window did little to illuminate the dark hue of the hewn rock. A perfectly gloomy setting for a perfectly gloomy man.

I can’t sleep like this, he thought indignantly. Slowly, muscles keening in protest, he pushed himself from the bed up into a sitting position. His body hadn’t throbbed and ached like this since he had been caught in the avalanche on Drum Island and fractured his spine. He carefully turned his body this way and that and stretched his arms slightly above his head in an effort to alleviate some of the tautness in his muscle fibers, but it only dimmed the pain down to a moderate level. Annoying, but he would survive. He tossed the cotton sheets from his body and turned on the bed to hop down, feet slipping into some very comfy slippers that Vivi’s staff had provided him. Dressed in only a pair of loose plaid-patterned pajama pants and a muscle tee, the insomnious, lovesick cook took to wandering the castle halls like a ghost chained to the physical plane by his lingering regrets.

Moonlight streamed in through the tall, skinny glass-paned windows, turning the crimson red of the hallway carpet to something reminiscent of coral. The gray stones around them, unlike those in Sanji’s room though they were the same material, soaked up the white rays to glow a soft bright timber. This castle was just intent on making him depressed, apparently. He should’ve brought his cigarettes, but he had already turned the corner to head towards the grand staircase, so there wasn’t much point in that. The red carpet washed over the ornate, mahogany-lined stairwell like a cherry-red waterfall, ending in a semicircular puddle at the base. The castle’s entryway was lonely and empty, save for a pair of vigilant guards stationed at either side of the massive castle door. Sanji’s eyebrow quirked as he noticed the sliver of white light slicing through the center of the looming wood; the door was cracked. His slippers slapped sloppily against the plush carpet as he tottered down the stairs and approached the guards.

“Is someone outside?”

“Oh, another one of the Straw Hats. The redhead girl- your navigator, I believe- asked to step out for a breath of fresh air in the courtyard garden, so we kept the door open so we could keep an eye on her. There are still plenty of bitter citizens and Baroque Works goons lingering around, so we would hate for something to happen to her,” the guard to his left reported. Sanji dipped his head respectfully to him in thanks before slipping through the small gap in the door to walk outside. His heart rate had jumped into an exponential upward slope; was this the chance he had been so desperately waiting for?Already, the cowardice was beginning to leak into his veins, rapidly washing away the adrenaline. He clenched the fabric of his tee into his fingers with gritted teeth. No way you’re backing down this time, Sanji. Do it!

The desert night was a beautiful one. The air was cool but not overbearingly so, a comfortable temperature range supplemented by a refreshingly chill breeze. The night sky was unobstructed by clouds, not even one small, puffy wisp, allowing the full brilliance of the Milky Way to emblazon the dark sky like diamonds studded into black velvet. The moon was shining with such intensity that it was ringed with luminescence, and she poured all her force into bathing the world below her with glowing white water. The castle garden was brilliantly illuminated; the white stones of the walkway and balustrades shone like they were constructed of moonstone itself. The green of the grass blades and bush and tree leaves took on a dark emerald sheen, their waxy surfaces reflecting the light just like smooth gems of jade would. The flowers were all painted pastel, white and blue and yellow and pink all transformed by the moonlight’s touch. It was not this sentimental sight that stole Sanji’s breath from his lungs, however.

There she was, seated on the stone of a rounded flowerbed, back to him and face upturned to the stars above. Her tangerine hair blazed atop her head in a tiny messy bun that resembled a candle’s flickering flame to his eyes. Her tanned skin looked like coffee with cream in the moonlight. The simple yellow nightgown that snugly hugged her body in its bodice to only flare out in draping waves over her legs made her seem like a contemplative goddess or angel in his undeserving mortal eyes. Seeing her, so ethereal and otherworldly, sent that jolting spark of fear through his body once more. He gulped loudly, shuffling back against the entryway to retreat back into the castle.

Some deity was looking out for him that night, because Nami heard him, and glanced over her shoulder to stare at him with those brown eyes that made Sanji nearly melt into a puddle every single time they were cast onto him.

“Sanji?” she blinked, and then her curious expression relaxed into one of sympathetic understanding. “Can’t sleep either, huh?”

“Aha, yeah, no,” he laughed nervously while rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. When he looked back to her, she was lightly patting the stone block beside her invitingly. Sanji’s back stiffened like a steel rod as his heart bounded into his throat, but his feet knew how to function well enough, because they carried him over to her. With all the grace of a golem clumsily carved of iron, he eased himself onto the stone beside her. His fingers twitched excessively against the meat of his thighs in his body’s effort to dissipate the insane amount of nervous energy flooding his system and preventing essential functions, like blinking and breathing.

“Did you have a nightmare or something? You look tense,” Nami asked worriedly. He was about to refute the statement but she leaned over to peer into his face, and whatever reply he was going to utter dried up along with the rest of his mouth. He only opened and closed his mouth stupidly at her, the desert heat of his mouth rising across his cheeks in the form of a dust-cloud blush.

“Er… No… I just tweaked one of my wounds, is all, and I’m just waiting for it to settle down,” he lied lamely. Nami blinked those pretty eyes of hers, then shrugged and turned back to her stargazing. He breathed an uneven sigh and cursed himself at his pitiful performance. He was the smoothest lady-killer on the Grand Line, for crying out loud; he was capable of acting like the most suave knight under pressure, and here he was bungling it like a tween on his first date. He swept a hair through his tousled blonde likes, streaking it with a thin shimmer of sweat. Come on, Sanji, get yourself together. You’ve gotten father than all your previous attempts, he reminded himself. It actually did boost his confidence slightly. “Actually, Nami-swan,” he began uncertainly, then compulsively cleared his throat. “Th-there’s something that’s been on my mind.”

“What is it?” She looked back at him with a radiantly sweet smile that made his heart clench inside his chest. “You can tell me!” She was so perfectly innocent that Sanji almost felt as if he were about to taint her with his pending admission. He inhaled sharply through his nose and closed his eyes as he breathed out, steeling his jittery nerves. Regardless of how it ended, he had made a vow to confess to her, and he wasn’t the type of man to quail on his word. He opened his eyes to stare fixedly at her.

“Nami… I love you.”

The words hung in the air like they were suspended on strings, weighty yet unmoving. Nami’s expression was alarmingly blank. Unblinking brown eyes fixated on his own, shaking in their sockets as the tension mounted in his body waiting for her response. His stream of consciousness began to fly like a runaway train, wondering if he had made the wrong decision and their friendship would be ruined or even if she would slap him silly. Finally, after what seemed like ten life ages, she released a tremulous breath.

“You… Really mean that, don’t you?” Before he could answer, she cupped a hand to her mouth and looked down at her feet, eyes searching the stone desperately for her next words. Sanji swallowed anxiously; he hadn’t been sure what he had been expecting, but this was not what he had been hoping for. He immediately moved to get up.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything. Of course you wouldn’t-“

“No!” she demanded, head whipping around. She grabbed his bicep with both her hands to yank him so hard she could’ve jerked his shoulder out of socket, and he stumbled gracelessly back against the stone. Confused sputters of her name fell from his mouth, but before he could get the chance to arrange a coherent sentence, Nami grabbed his face roughly to wrench him into a heated, sloppy open-mouthed kiss. It took his already frazzled brain a moment to process the chain of events, but when he did, the shade of his face matched the crimson rugs of the palace behind them. When she pulled back, their lips separated with a slight pop with how tightly they had been pressed together. Sanji’s shoulders slouched loosely to mirror the complete slack of his jaw as he gawked stupidly at her. “A-ahem,” she cough uneasily as she wiped her lips with her wrist, “There’s your answer.”

Sanji wasn’t sure what he wanted to do- cry tears of joy, do a happy dance, run off and tell Zoro that he had won that stupid bet ages ago that he was gonna win Nami’s heart; there were so many possibilities his brain was unable to choose, and so he just continued to sit there with that rosy blush and absolutely moronic smile on his face. “Sanji? Oh, God, did I kill all the neurons you had left?”

“I’m okay!” With a dog-like shake of his entire body, he was finally able to right the sparking electrical pathways in his brain into working order, and his hands flew up to grasp one of hers endearingly. “I’m so relieved, Nami-swan!” he said as he heaved a sigh to dislodge the last of the lingering weight that had been burdening his shoulders for days. Nami gave him a slightly amused, crooked smile as she snorted in laughter. She was so cute it sent his heart into dangerously fast palpitations. “Em, Nami?”

“Yes?”

“Can we do that again? I really don’t want our first kiss to be me just being a dumbass…” Nami laughed airily at his request, then gave him a smile that rivaled the shining move above, her eyes scrunched up in unbridled affection and joy. That was invitation enough, so with a pleased smirk, he leaned forward to claim her lips in a sweet, chaste, passionate kiss that he was going to engrave in his memory for the rest of time…

Enjoy this oneshot? Feel free to perusemy Tableof Contents!

Tag List: @searchfortheonepiece

[vannahfanfics]

Fire and Water

Word Count: 4,175

Romance, Drama, Angst, Hurt and Comfort

Summary: Finally, Sanji has broken free of Big Mom's clutches and returned to the Thousand Sunny. However, there's a matter of unreconciled feelings between himself and Nami...

Nami's hands tightened around the balustrade when she spotted the familiar silhouette of sails and a wooden bow upon the horizon, and the tears dripped from her eyes as the frightened breath she had been holding slipped from her mouth. Behind them, the murderous Big Mom on her blazing fiery familiar had halted right in the middle of whatever deadly attack she was going to unleash and was currently sniffing the air while drool pooled into her mouth; even farther than that lie her entire armada. For hours, they had been embroiled in a feverish game of cat-and-mouse, and only a few short minutes ago Nami had been convinced that their desperate effort had been for naught. As that ship sailed upon the horizon, however, hope burst once more in Nami's heart.

“Everyone!” she gasped as the shadowy ship rapidly came into focus. “It’s a ship, and it has a cake on board! It's Sanji!” Cheers erupted from the bedraggled crew, while the unconscious Carrot still snoozed on, tired from her exertion from the night before. Their shrieks of delight traveled across the swirling sea, and Nami thought that among the din she could hear the wayward cook calling her name.

Nami glanced up as the rushing of flames roared overhead just in time to see the cackling Emperor scream overhead like a meteor plummeting to Earth. She rocketed toward Bege's ship, which had already whipped around to sail full-speed to the southwest. Nami's heart momentarily sunk, as she was afraid that Sanji would be trapped on the likely doomed vessel. Then her keen eyes spotted a rapidly approaching object skimming just above the roiling waves heading right for them. By the time she had rapidly descended the steps down to the main deck, Sanji and Pudding had already landed on the wood astride a flying carpet.

“Yo! I’m back!” Sanji announced with a smug grin, a cigarette already clenched between his teeth. Nami should have been prideful, should have let him know how utterly stupid he was for subjecting them to this entire ordeal, but the moment she heard his voice such notions flew to the back of her mind. All she could think about was how glad she was to see him, how utterly elated she was that he was finally home. Along with Brook, she flung herself at him, wrapping her arms firmly around his neck like she never wanted to let him go again.

Maybe part of her didn't.

“Sanji! I’m so glad you’re all right! I thought we weren't going to make it for a moment; thank you!” she exclaimed happily. The tears came to her eyes without her knowing, and when she pulled back to look up at him, they were spilling over her cheeks while her bottom lip quivered uncontrollably. She had her fingers curled into the fabric of the fancy tuxedo shirt that he was still wearing, subconsciously convincing herself that he was really here and was not a figment of her imagination. He's back. He's really home.

Sanji gawked at her for a moment, in utter shock that she would ever display such affection for him before all the blood rushed to his face and steam practically blasted from his ears.

“Namiiiiiiii!” he squealed, and before she could even react, he had shoved Brook to the side to wrap her into a tight embrace. He buried his face into her tangerine hair.

Nami froze, still stiffly clutching onto the soft fabric of his tuxedo jacket, while her mind struggled to comprehend the complex emotions writhing inside of her. Part of her wanted to act as she normally did, to brusquely refute him, but part of her wanted to melt into him, letting him hold her for the rest of time, to keep her safe like he had always promised… Her eyes began to drift shut slightly and her fingers curled further into the jacket while her mind began to drift into a fog of some unknown feeling. Sanji… You came back to me… Don't leave again, she began to beg. Sanji… I…

Then, it was like a switch flipped in her head and she realized what exactly was happening. With pink cheeks, she jerked out of his grasp and placed a few good feet between herself and the lascivious man.

What just happened to me?

After the love-struck cook finally came to his senses, the captainless crew exchanged information about their respective experiences. Sanji explained that Bege had agreed to sail the cake farther away and draw off both Big Mom and the massive fleet to give the Straw Hats a chance to retrieve Luffy, who was currently trapped on Cacao island. They were currently three hours away from Cacao Island with a time of arrival at 1 a.m., but they had no idea when or where Luffy was going to emerge from the mirror world. Most likely, Big Mom's army had laid a trap for him, and he would walk right out of one intense battle to land in another.

Nami bit down nervously on her bottom lip as she wrapped her arms around herself to stave off the chill traveling up from her spine. Even as powerful as Luffy is… There's no way he can fight off an entire army after just getting out of an intense battle like that! Worse, they had not escaped the entire fleet, as a smaller one was still in active pursuit of the Thousand Sunny.

“There's no time. I’m going to have to go to Cacao Island and get him,” Sanji frowned deeply.

Nami felt a scream of opposition rising in her throat and intense fear clench her heart in its cold, sharp claws. No! He just escaped…! Though she wanted nothing more than to plead for him to stay, that there must be some other way, she knew deep down that there was not. Instead, she just clamped down on her bottom lip to keep her objections from escaping; they rang around in her head like a dismal symphony. I want you to stay… Please don't go, Sanji… What if you don't come back?

As she stared at him with a trembling mouth and tears threatening to appear in her eyes once more, unconsciously committing his form to memory, he turned his back to her to walk toward the magic carpet. Had his shoulders always been that broad? That back so strong? Sanji! Don't go! Her fingers twitched with the need to grab the hem of his jacket like the weak little girl she was and beg him to stay. She wasn't sure what had come over her, why seeing him leave now frightened her so, but she could not think about anything else.

Sanji…!

Somehow, he heard her.

He stopped a few steps away from the flying carpet, and Nami could see his shoulders hunch slightly as he pondered something. Then, he whirled around to walk back over to her, giving a sidelong glance to Jinbe and the others.

“I almost forgot. Make sure you guys take care of Nami, okay?”

Though Nami would normally purse her lips and disregard his flirtatiousness, when his gaze flickered back to settle on her, the heat dwelling within his gaze made her mind melt into butter. Her heart began to flutter in her chest like a baby bird on its first clumsy flight. She was utterly helpless as he stopped in front of her, his head cocked to the side slightly as he regarded her with a soft smile.

“I don't know what I would do if something happened to her,” he whispered, every word accelerating the feverish pace of her heartbeat. Despite her best efforts, her desperate pleas forced themselves past the barrier of her quivering lips, and she timidly reached forward to gently clutch the hem of his tuxedo jacket.

“Is there no other way?” she asked quietly, softly, where only he could hear her weakness. He didn't answer her, only slipped his hand around hers and trailed his thumb across the top of hers that was just barely trembling; then, with a sudden movement, he snatched her by the wrist and jerked her roughly by the arm so that she lost her balance and fell into him. Before she could even think about reacting, he had placed his index finger underneath her chin to tilt her face upwards, and as her startled eyes locked with his she saw that heat had burst into the intense flame of desire. Its warmth crossed the few centimeters between them, burning her cheeks and seeping into her entire body to wrap its flickering hands around her feeble heart, warming her in a way she never knew possible. Utterly helpless to its intensity, she could do nothing as his lips swept down to cover her own.

At the moment their mouths met, Nami felt something burst inside of her, like a dam that had borne the weight of floodwaters finally giving way to spill the writhing waves across the land. It was so powerful that it made her knees weak, and she had to clutch onto him to keep herself from being swept away by the fire and water. She was unable to stop herself from moving her lips in sync with his, dancing along to the melody of the natural forces roiling inside of her. It lasted mere seconds, but to Nami, she was trapped in the maelstrom for an eternity.

When their lips finally parted, she unconsciously ran her tongue across the surface of her bottom lip, tasting the sweetness left behind by his. This action did not go unnoticed by the flirtatious cook, as a satisfied grin appeared on his face, one that Nami realized once she finally came to her senses.

“Take care of her!” Sanji insisted to the completely floored crew members before whirling on his feet to stride back over to the flying carpet as if nothing had happened. Pudding was fuming, all three of her eyes wide as she spat acidic insults to him. She then hunched over and shot the carpet off the boat at unnecessary speed. It was then that the crew managed to voice their confused screams and run around Nami in circles or shake her vigorously, but the navigator was watching it all through a foggy window, too entranced in the dream-like state of budding love.

Sanji kissed me. He had always acted so nonchalant, and she had written off his proclamations of love as hopeless flirting. After all, he acted that way with every female that fell across his path. He kissed me. As much as she wanted to write this off as such, she could not; she could feel that love for her now, true love—that immense wave of fire that kissed the very depth of her soul and awoken something that she had not known had been sleeping within her. The flames of his passion had breathed flickering embers inside of her, nurturing her empty hearth into a gently burning candle of affection. Sanji loves me.

Do I… Do I love Sanji?

Even nearly three hours later, Sanji was still grinning.

Nami had such a cute look on her face! he thought with a devilish snicker, then peered around the corner once more with a small frown. An entire army of Big Mom’s soldiers had gathered around what he had surmised to be the only remaining mirror within the kingdom, waiting to ensnare Luffy within their trap when he came stumbling out of his harrowing fight. It should be soon, now… If he isn’t able to escape them immediately, we’ll be screwed…!

He exhaled deeply and leaned back, tapping his foot slightly. He then smiled suddenly.

“Pudding… We'll have to say goodbye soon,” he remarked and turned around to continue, then recoiled slightly in shock. “Why are you sitting all the way over there?!”

She was perched on a box, biting down on her lip as she stared intently at the cobblestone alleyway path. He smiled slightly in bemusement and leaned back against the slightly cold stone wall.

“You know, we met under pretty strange circumstances,” he remarked as he thought back on the strange roller coaster that had been their relationship. “We have to part ways soon, so I thought that I should thank you for everything you've done, Pudding,” he beamed and held out a hand for her. Pudding, at his prompting, stood up to look at him with a red face and a stressed expression, before she whipped around and screamed, “Shut up!”

He could only chuckle. Typical Pudding… Can't express her emotions at all.

As she hid her face, he smirked slightly.

“I get it. We are enemies, after all. Though, with the wedding being a trap and a big show, I’m still glad that my fiancé was you, Pudding.” He meant that, too. Though he felt no romantic attraction to her—his heart did truly belong to Nami, after all—he wanted the best for her. It was then that she began to completely break down into ugly tears, startling him enough to jump up from his crouching position and run over to her. “Hey! Don't cry! I wasn't trying to make fun of you or anything!”

Abruptly, she dried her tears and looked at him with a determined expression.

“Sanji… I have one last request of you.”

Sanji was just relieved that she had stopped crying, and though he should have been keeping an eye out for his captain, he momentarily forgot the notion in lieu of humoring her request. Pudding scampered over to him, gazing up at him with those pretty eyes of hers, before she fell against him and clutched tightly onto his shirt. He raised his eyebrows slightly, quite surprised at her sudden display of affection. He was even more floored when she stood up on her tip-toes to firmly but lovingly press her lips against his. It was not like the way he had kissed Nami—the feeling was not quite strong enough—but strong enough that the words she could not speak were heard by him. It was her final goodbye, her gratitude, that she could not voice.

As Sanji lay in a daze, having not expected such a thing from her, she jerkily pulled back and released him to hurry back down the alleyway. By the time he had blinked himself back into reality, she had vanished around the corner.

“Pudding?” he called as loudly as he dare with the nearby soldiers, but he could not chase after her. He stared at the darkness with complicated feelings, thinking about what she had told him in the sad, final kiss.

Thank you for everything… And love her well. She didn't need to say it aloud for him to know. She knew he loved Nami, not her, and she had come to terms with that. Her last request had been for him to give her the love she could never have. It was a noble thing.

I will, Pudding. I hope you find someone to love you, too. With that settled, he returned to his post waiting for his captain. All he had to do was rescue Luffy and return to the Thousand Sunny—return to Nami, at last.

Nami sat at her desk, hunched over slightly as she pored over her navigational charts ensuring that they were on the quickest, most efficient route to Wano. The sun was beginning to rise, golden light pouring in through the gap of her slightly open door along with the fresh, salty sea breeze. Nami often worked with the door open, as the scent of the ocean helped her concentrate. Though she once may have been loathe to admit it, she was born to be a pirate; she simply loved the sea, the ocean waves and the swirling currents and the salt dancing on the wind.

They had successfully escaped Big Mom's clutches with Pekoms as the only casualty. Their captain, though severely beaten, had been safely brought back by Sanji and was currently in the care of their doctor. Jinbe had separated from them to aid his crew in ensuring their escape from the gigantic murderous Emperor. Now, they were sailing the open ocean heading towards Wano, where the great rendezvous would occur.

With a small yawn, Nami set down her pen and leaned back to stretch her arms above her head to quell her complaining back muscles, then lowered a hand to rub her eyes. Somehow, her fingers drifted down to her lips, tracing across the soft surface where Sanji had kissed her. Even now, hours later, she could feel the ghost of his mouth against hers, the whispers of his love speaking to her trembling heart. The corner of her mouth twitched and she hurriedly lowered her hand, staring unseeing at the charts spread out across the wooden surface of her desk. Sanji had been on the ship for quite a while now, but she had been unable to bring herself to face him. That little fire smoldered inside of her, but she was unsettled by it. Nami knew nothing of love, and the intensity of emotion she had felt in that moment almost frightened her; even more, she was admittedly terrified at the possibility that it had all been one-sided on her part, that it had been yet another groundless flirtation and Sanji didn't care that deeply for her at all. The thought of that was almost unbearable.

It took Nami a few moments to notice that she felt the sea breeze more strongly than normal. When she turned, she stiffened; the door had been pushed all the way open, and Sanji was standing on the threshold. All of her thoughts ceased, leaving her gawking dumbly at him.

“Have you been up all night?” he asked. He was still dressed in his cloak and tuxedo. Nami noticed for the first time how attractive he was in such an outfit, and as the blush began to rise to her cheeks, she hastily averted her gaze to her navigational charts.

“I've just been going over my charts. It's important that we get to Wano as quickly as possible,” she answered.

Sanji did not answer. She heard the door click shut and the fall of his boots across the wooden floor, but she could not bring herself to look up; she could bring herself to do nothing but stare at the charts, her heart ramming against her ribcage. He stopped beside her, close enough for her to feel his body heat, or maybe it was just herself heating up as the little fire flickered brighter inside of her. She tilted her head up slightly of her own volition as his hand slid under her chin to turn her toward him, and she gazed up at him with widened eyes as he traced his thumb across the bags that had formed beneath them.

“You should go to sleep.” There was no way Nami could sleep now; as her doubts and fears writhed inside her like prowling beasts that she struggled to contain, their jaws dripping adrenaline that shot into her veins. He was looking at her like that again, that smoldering look that added flames to her newborn fire. Was she imagining it? She must be. After three years, all they had been through, why now would he suddenly be in love with her? It couldn't possibly be true. Yet, as he continues to slowly trace his thumb across her wearied face, that glimmer of hope fluttered inside of her, a delicate butterfly with wings of fragile glass. If it were not true it would shatter.

“What did it mean?” she sputtered suddenly. His eyebrows crept up his forehead as her expression morphed from a startled deer to a firm wolf. “The kiss… What did it mean?” He was acting like it never happened. Did that mean it meant nothing? Her little butterfly began to falter as the thoughts crept into her mind, but she still stared resolutely up at him, hoping, hoping, hoping.

“Oh. That.” He tugged up on her face, bringing her effortlessly into a standing position so that their faces were centimeters apart. His lips curled into a smug smirk as his free hand settled on the small of her back, slowly bringing her body up against his. If he felt her rapid gasps of breath, her heart hammering in her chest, her body trembling like a leaf upon that whirling salt breeze, he said nothing. “If I tell you, will you go to sleep?”

“Yes!” She had no pride now to refuse any demands; she just had to know, know how he felt about her once and for all. His smirk widened, and he cocked his head to the side slightly.

“It means I love you, Nami.” As if the words were not enough, he sought to prove it further; in moments, his mouth had found hers, and that little butterfly of hope dove into her flickering flame to ignite it into a bursting inferno. Her knees immediately failed at the surge of heat within her, but Sanji firmly held her aloft. Not that Nami could focus on that, though—she was too busy at the mercy of his sugary-sweet lips pouring over hers. Their mouths mixed together like swirling ocean currents, engaged in a perfect harmonic dance. All of her thoughts were swept away by the rapidly rising tide, leaving only that roaring flame of her desire. Her shaking hands curled into his tuxedo jacket, the only way to ground herself against the intense storm, and allowed him to take control.

The kiss rapidly deepened, stealing Nami's breath away and drawing a soft mmmmm from her. While his one hand still held her firmly by the small of her back, the other slid across her neck, over her shoulder, and into her tangerine hair to caress to the salt-kissed waves. He twirled his fingers around the orange strands. His lips pushed against hers with more insistence, begging for hers to part, and when she finally obliged him his tongue immediately jumped to entwine with hers. Nami's mind weakened against the pull of the tide, unable to cope with the strong sweetness bursting inside her mouth; it felt like pure honey being dripped across her tongue as it tangled with his. Her already weakened legs wobbled, barely able to hold her weight, and she dug her fingers into his shirt in a feeble effort to support herself. Sanji responded by reaching down to jerk her upwards, wrapping her legs around his middle while his head tilted backward to continue kissing her passionately, their lips not breaking contact for a moment. He staggered slightly as she took the lead, her draconic fire bearing back against the tsunami of helplessness, and she released his clothes to cup his face as she kissed him back with all the force she could muster.

She knew now. She knew she loved him, too.

After a minute, Sanji carried her over to the bed and fell backward onto it, bringing her down on top of him. Nami was not sure how much time actually passed, but at some point, the wave receded and the fire sputtered out, and they broke apart. Their faces still close, they gazed into each other's eyes as they breathed heavily. Nami's mind eventually returned to her, just as Sanji reached up to once again sweep his thumb over the dark circles beneath her eyes.

“Will you sleep now?” he murmured breathily.

“Only if you stay with me,” she answered and slumped off him to curl up at his side, settling within the crook of his arm with her head laying across her chest. She could feel his heartbeat, rapid within his broad, muscular chest, and it soothed her as the drowsiness finally claimed her. As her eyes drooped, Sanji gently ran his fingers through her hair, from the roots down to the curled ends.

“Of course.”

“Did you love Pudding, Sanji?” She couldn’t help but ask. Sanji may have proclaimed his undying love for her but that didn’t make her forget his blatant flirtatiousness with other women. He snorted with laughter.

“Of course not. She's not a bad kisser, though. Not as good as you, naturally, but still not bad.”

She glanced up at him with an irritated expression, her cheeks puffed out, while he smirked smugly.

“Get out of my bed!” She wasn't really angry with him; though knowing he had kissed Pudding irked her, his reaction had been enough to appease any doubts she possessed. Still, she had to keep up her stubborn appearance. Sanji apparently saw through that façade and laughed heartily, wrapping her in a strong embrace and burying his face in her hair.

“Go to sleep!”

Nami rolled her eyes but obediently snuggled into him, closing her eyes and listening to his breathing and gradually slowing heartbeat. Lulled by the sounds of the man she loved, Nami drifted off into a content sleep.

Did you enjoy this oneshot? Consider requesting from me by visiting my rules, then either commenting on this story, submitting an ask, or contacting me via DM!

[vannahfanfics]

Sunrise

Word Count: 3,600

Romance, Fluff, Hurt and Comfort

Summary: With only the rising sun for audience, Nami and Sanji finally sort out their feelings.

Nami arched her back and stretched her arms over her head to alleviate the stiffness in her muscles, and a long yawn overtook the features of her tired face. As her hand drifted down to rub her eye, below which hung dark bags, she looked down at her handiwork: a full account of the Straw Hat Pirates’ current financial status. Nami attended to this duty often; the boys were notorious for spending their money frivolously, and it would be a damn shame for them to be known as broke pirates. This was something Nami could not allow. So she was the manager of their finances, and probably the reason they were not currently swimming in debt or the equivalent of pirate hobos.

Nami grimaced as her muscles, sore from being forced to remain in a sitting position for hours on end, continued to whine loudly at her; the accounting was close to finished, so she acquiesced and rose from the wooden chair. She hunched over for a moment, her joints locking as if they had turned to stone, before she was able to straighten out with a series of audible creaks and cracks. If I had sat there much longer, I might have become an old lady! she thought with a frown, then she hobbled out of her navigator’s quarters.

Nami approached the balustrade that overlooked the deck. She curledc her fingers around it and closed her eyes as the salty sea breeze kissed her skin and played with her hair, like little fairies enamored with a princess’ beauty. When they opened, her brown eyes were gazing up at the brilliant blanket of stars above her head; there wasn’t a cloud in the sky tonight, and so they shone down upon her in all their brilliance, turning her tangerine hair a lustrous shade of gold. As she breathed in deeply, the scent of salt and seawater came with the air and filled her with an acute sense of ease. Ease was something that Nami had not had of late, as the Straw Hat pirates had only finished tangling with the murderous Emperor Big Mom less than a day ago.

Nami’s body still bore healing wounds, as did the rest of the crew. Naturally, Luffy had taken the brunt of most of it and was sleeping it off belowdecks, more bandages than anything else. Even now, Nami’s nerves were still on edge; the Emperor undoubtedly would not let the transgression pass. They likely had an army behind them as they headed to Wano, where another Emperor ruled. The sense of calm was soon eclipsed by concern, and she ripped her gaze from the stars and walked to the side of the ship to instead stare at the sea.

The sea had always calmed Nami even in the most stressful of times. When she had been Arlong’s prisoner, even with the weight of her entire village upon her small back, she would cast her eyes to the rolling waves and their rhythm would carry away all her worries. It was no different now. Her entire body relaxed and a smile naturally formed on her lips as her eyes beheld the starlight glittering upon the rolling waves, and her ears were graced by the ever-present melody of sloshing water and creaking wood and fluttering sails. Nami was born to be on the sea, that much was certain; it was like seawater was in her blood, resonating with the waves and aching when she was parted from it for too long. Nami’s eyelashes fluttered as golden light began to spill over the horizon; the sun was rising from its nightly slumber to bring warmth and light to the world. Nami watched as the stars began to blink out one by one and the black sky was dyed with red.

As the sun appeared, Nami found herself thinking that its hue matched that of Sanji’s hair.

“Sanji…”

“You’re up awfully early.”

Nami glanced over her shoulder as she was addressed to find Sanji standing a few feet behind her, which startled her greatly. She blushed with mortification at the thought he had heard her whisper his name. Though he had likely just awoken himself, a lit cigarette was already in his mouth. Smoke swirled about his face, which was cast in an orange glow by the small fire. “Do you always wake up to watch the sunrise?” he asked as he walked over to stand beside her, leaning against the balustrade with one arm hanging over lazily. If he had heard her, he made no comment, and she tried to seem unperturbed as she glanced up at him.

“No. I stayed up late doing the books, and just happened to come out at the right time.”

“You’ve been up all night?!” he exclaimed in shock. “Nami, you can’t do that! It’s bad for a woman’s complexion, you know. Not that anything could ever take away from your beauty~”

Nami puffed out her cheeks and looked back at the ocean, where the golden sunlight spilled like paint through the blue water. Normally she ignored his flirtatiousness, but ever since the incident with Pudding and the rest of the Charlotte family, it irked her. It made her more irritated because she didn’t know why.

“Really, Nami, are you all right?” His sudden question made her forget her silent annoyance, and she looked up at him with quizzical eyes.

“Yes, why wouldn’t I be?”

“Well, you know, you were treated pretty roughly by Big Mom and all that,” he frowned, and she looked down when he suddenly took her hands. Her wrists were ringed with bruises from the chains that had held her, and she flushed as he gently traced his thumbs across the ugly, blue-black mosaics. It had been a terrible time, particularly for her mental state; the venomous things that Sanji had said stained her mind like ink. She knew that Sanji had never meant it and was only saying those things to protect both himself and the people he loved, but she could not scrub the mark from the fabric of her mind. It clung stubbornly, glued by one thing: Pudding. Nami knew not why the woman and Sanji’s apparent affections for her bothered her so. Even now, when he had left her behind and committed to staying with the Straw Hats, some part of her was afraid that Sanji had met the love of his life and regretted the decision. Would the day come that it would be too much for him to bear, and he would abandon them of his own volition?

“Hey. Nami.”

“What?” The word betrayed her, laced with acidity, and he stared at her quizzically as the blood rushed to her face. He abandoned whatever he was going to say to her and replaced it with a more pertinent query.

“Are you… mad at me?”

“Yes! No! I don’t know!” she growled and whipped her hands free of him to cross her arms and turn her back. Her tired state left her with less control of her emotions, and they stampeded through her heart and mind, leaving her logic in shambles. The anger passed as quickly as it came, dissolving into acute sadness and guilt. If Sanji loved Pudding, then it was not her place to stand in his way; she wanted him to be happy, after all, and if he was happier wed to the woman than with the Straw Hats, she should respect that. Why, then, did it make her feel so impossibly lonely?

Sanji still stood behind her, probably short-circuiting as he debated what the proper response was, before he timidly reached out to touch her shoulder. Rather than resist, Nami allowed him to turn her around to face him, and he cocked his head to the side as he looked at her in concern.

“Nami, what’s going on?”

Nami didn’t answer because she didn’t know herself; instead, she abandoned herself to her frustration and began to cry. Her heart hurt more than her body ever could. She was so conflicted, trapped in a maelstrom of self-pity and guilt. The incident had been exponentially rougher on Sanji, yet all she could think about was herself.

As her shoulders shook lightly and her bottom lip quivered, Sanji stared at her with wide eyes and a perplexed expression. His hand twitched on her shoulder, then rose and froze mid-way in the air. When it was clear that Nami was not going to slap it away, he gently laid his fingers across her cheek, carrying her flowing tears away with it. Nami felt warmth bloom across her cheek at the simple touch and was overcome by the fierce desire to feel more. Unable to think logically, she grabbed Sanji’s hand and adamantly laid it back across her cheek, and her eyes flickered up to meet his while she struggled to voice the storm in her heart.

“Sanji, I’m afraid.” There, it was in the open. The words hung in the air, suspended by strings, until the silence was slashed by his answer.

“What are you afraid of?” 

Big Mom. That you love Pudding. That you’re going to leave us. That everything will fall apart. That you love Pudding. That you meant what you said. That Big Mom will come for us again. That you love Pudding. 

So many things Nami was scared of, but that most of all. He had to love her; he had been so willing to marry her and still treated her kindly despite her role in the plot to murder him and was so insistent that she was kind deep down. Part of her knew that that was just how Sanji was and had nothing to do with love or anything of the sort, but the fact that the possibility existed overtook everything, making her illogical and rash. There was an overwhelming fear that eclipsed all that, though.

Nami was afraid that she was in love with Sanji and wasn’t loved in return. 

As she just continued to cry in silence, Sanji waited patiently for her answer. Sanji really was so kind. She wanted that kindness to be hers, hers alone, and the thought that Pudding would get it instead of her broke her. Her eyes rocketed around in their sockets, looking at him, then the sky, then the deck, then the sea; it felt like a bubble was inside of her, straining to burst, but it was so large that she could not force it out through her throat. The tears flowed faster down her face as her cheeks turned red with frustration and fear. I can’t… My throat feels like it’s closing up…! I—! 

“Nami, you don’t have to be afraid. I’ll protect you, no matter what.”

As he uttered those words, the balloon that was Nami’s tension deflated, and she looked up at him with a shocked expression. He was smiling warmly down at her, and his blue eyes were filled with something intense she had never seen. Whatever it was washed over her like a soothing stream and calmed her distress. Suddenly she was able to speak again.

“You won’t leave me?”

“Is that what this is about? Nami, why ever would I leave you?” he asked with a slight chuckle, shaking his head as if it were a ridiculous notion. It seemed like the thought had not crossed his mind, but her anxiety was still not alleviated fully. She pushed her cheek against the hand that was still held there, feeling his palm, soft against her skin, not roughened by fighting.

“Because… you love Pudding…” she mumbled. Sanji’s eyebrows shot up to the roots of his hair, and his blue eyes widened as they met her uncertain brown ones. Nami did not know what he was going to do next, and everything depended on that reaction.

He began laughing.

“Oh, Nami! You sure do have some ridiculous notions in your head!” he snorted. That was not what she had been expecting, and it was her turn to have raised eyebrows and a confused look as he doubled over against the balustrade of the ship, cackling like she had just told him the funniest joke he had ever heard. He still held his hand against her face, and she could feel it shake with every cackle that wracked his body. It took him a minute to settle down into the occasional snicker, and when he looked up at her, he was grinning in amusement, but that something was still in his eyes. “Nami, I am not in love with Pudding, not in the slightest.”

Though it was what she had wanted to hear, Nami suddenly felt extremely embarrassed at how off-base she had been, so much so that she almost wanted it to be true.

“But—! What about all that stuff with her?” she insisted stubbornly. Sanji straightened up with another snicker, and for a moment, her mind was overtaken by how much taller he was than her and how it was oddly nice, the way he was looking down at her.

That’s not the issue here!

“Nami, I just did what I had to do in the moment, okay? I only love one woman and that isn’t Pudding.”

Nami was about to deliver another retort until her mind processed what had exactly come out of his mouth. She looked dumbly up at him when she comprehended the sentence.

“Who, then?”

He gave her a lop-sided smile and pulled his cigarette out of his mouth, tossing it into the waves, which were now all bathed in the glowing sunlight. So were she and Sanji; his hair shone with all the sun’s brilliance, catching the light, and it made his face glow as he scrunched it up in an elated smile.

“You, Nami. For a smart girl, you sure are dense.”

Her mind rang with the simple truth. Sanji loves me. She wasn’t sure, in that moment or all the moments looking back upon it, if it was the dawning sun or that simple utterance that warmed her, but warmed she was. She felt happiness bubble up inside her and spread across every cell in her body, making them sing with a tune she had never felt before. She began crying again, but it wasn’t from sadness or frustration this time, but overwhelming relief and joy. She raised her hands to wipe the tears away, but Sanji caught them, still smiling that brilliant smile.

“It’s okay, Nami. You can cry when you’re happy, you know? Plus, I always thought you looked cute when you cry.”

“You’re a jerk,” she sniffed. Her voice was thick with the force of emotion she was feeling. She puffed out her cheeks defiantly at him.

“You look cute when you do that, too,” he remarked, and her eyes widened as he grabbed her face with a hand, pushing into her cheeks to deflate them and forcefully purse her lips. He laughed as she narrowed her eyes, his name distorted as she tried to complain, and he just continued squishing her cheeks despite her repeated squeaks to stop. Because of his teasing, she was able to calm down a little, her overwhelming tsunami of loving feelings settling into a flow not unlike that of the waves below.

“Better now?” he grinned as he let her face go.

“You really are a jerk,” she sighed and closed her eyes. It turned out that it was just what he had been waiting for, for no sooner than her eyelashes met did he jump forward to kiss her on the mouth.

Nami went stiff as their lips met, having not expected it. She then melted against him as every muscle in her body seemed to turn to jelly. Sanji’s sturdy frame supported her, and his arms wound around her, and her fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt as she anchored herself to him. Nami had never kissed anyone before, and under most circumstances, she would have been nervous. But a fog of elation had descended over her mind and prevented her from even thinking of that. All she could think of was the way his lips moved over her own, soft, sensual. She didn’t even mind that she could still smell the cigarette smoke on his mouth; somehow it soothed her. It was the scent that belonged to him and made her feel safe and wanted.

Her body jumped as he pulled her against him, like he could not get enough of her. Her nerves sparked with electricity as their middles touched, so closely that she could feel his muscles flexing beneath his shirt as he began to kiss her more fervently. With every movement, Nami descended more and more, like she was sinking beneath the waves into an abyss of love and passion. As her hands drifted over his shoulders to tangle into his blonde hair, bringing his head down as she kissed him back with equal intensity, his settled at her waist.

Sanji turned her body to press her against the railing of the ship, one of his knees pushing between her legs as he bent her slightly over the wood. As Nami’s head tilted back, his tongue swept slowly across her bottom lip, begging for entry; she unashamedly complied, and as it entered her mouth to eagerly tangle with her own, she thought she was going to be swept away by the current that he was for sure. The taste of him got her drunk in an instant, and her mind was hazy as she struggled to stay afloat in the sea of their passion. Nami didn’t doubt at all now that his heart belonged to her and her only, and that he felt the same way about her; she knew it all from the way he held her, the way he kissed her, like he never, ever wanted to let her go. Basked in the warmth and light from the rising sun, Nami relished that kiss, that moment, that confession of their love.

When they finally broke apart, the sun had risen fully into the blue sky and they were panting. Their faces each shone with a thin sheen of perspiration. She smiled weakly as his hand swept over her cheek again, this time to tuck a strand of her gold-dusted hair behind her ear. She realized then that she had never voiced her feelings, and even though it was probably unneeded at this point, she wanted to anyway.

“I love you, Sanji.”

That sweet smile appeared on his face again, and instead of replying, he wordlessly pulled her into a hug. Nami sighed deeply as she hugged him back and buried her face into his shoulder.

“Y’know, Nami… I’m afraid too,” she heard him mumble into her hair.

“Of what?” she responded without moving.

He shifted his head to bury it further into her tangerine locks, so far that she felt his lips moving against her scalp.

“I’m afraid… I won’t be able to protect you. There’s no doubt that some serious fighting is going to go down in Wano. I… don’t want to lose you, especially not now.”

Nami smiled into him and hugged him tighter. For Sanji to admit that he was afraid of something admittedly made her happy, because it meant he really was willing to pour out his heart and soul to her.

“Well, I’m not afraid. You’ve never let me down before, Sanji. I believe in you one hundred percent!” she told him confidently. She really wasn’t. Sanji had washed all her fears away, and she knew now that she was safe with him, forever and always. She wanted him to know she felt that way; more than that, she wanted him to know that she was willing to give herself over to him, to rely on him completely, which was the hardest thing for her to ever do. “You can’t lose, because I’m counting on you.”

She felt him smile, and he squeezed her so tightly that she felt her lungs constrict. She didn’t complain, though.

“Yeah. I won’t let you down, Nami.”

“Good, and when you’re done whooping ass, I’ll be waiting for you with open arms! Just leave some for me to kick, okay? I’m not a damsel in distress.”

This time, she lifted her head to smile cheekily at him. He snorted in laughter and lifted his head out of her hair, smiling as brilliantly as the dawning sun. Nami wasn’t able to do the same for him, but she knew that she could support him from the sidelines, to be there for him to return to. She could protect herself well enough too, after all.

“You’re so independent, Nami. That’s what I love about you.”

She grinned up at him at the compliment, and again, he leaned down to kiss her. It was softer than before, but somehow more passionate, like he was taking more care to voice all his unspoken feelings to her rather than it being a desperate display of passion. Nami’s eyes drifted shut again, accepting his love.

Nami had no room for fear anymore when she was being filled up with all those other emotions instead. She had no need for fear anymore, not with the man she loved and who loved her holding her so tightly, and she knew he would never, ever let her go… Smiling into the kiss, Nami looked happily upon the dawn of a new sea, a sea of love that she and Sanji would sail together, out into the sun on the horizon…

Did you enjoy this oneshot? Consider requesting from me by visiting my rules, then either commenting on this story, submitting an ask, or contacting me via DM!

[vannahfanfics]

Truth or Dare

Word Count: 3,580

Hurt and Comfort, Romance, Fluff, First Kisses

Summary: A simple game of truth or dare gets Nami too in her head. Is it really that big of a deal that she's never kissed anyone before? Sanji offers a solution to her problems...

“What are you idiots doing?” Nami sighed and shook her head. She leaned against the wooden railing overlooking the main deck of the Thousand Sunny, where the entirety of the crew was currently sitting down in a circle around an empty rum bottle most likely consumed by Zoro earlier in the day. She had been in her navigator's study examining their current course to determine the safest and fastest course to Fishman Island, their current destination. It was the Thousand Sunny's maiden voyage, and a lot could go wrong with a ship you did not know well; the other members of the crew, however, did not seem to share this sentiment, as it was their raucous laughter that had pulled her from her calculations and caused her to migrate out of the interior of the ship to investigate the source of their merriment. “Whatever it is, can you keep it down? I’m trying to make sure we reach Fishman Island, thank you very much,” she huffed as she crossed her arms and regarded the strange display with distaste.

“Nami!” Luffy shouted excitedly as his navigator lightly reprimanded them. “We're playing spin-the-bottle! Come join us!” he insisted as he bounced up and down excitedly while pointing at the empty rum bottle lying on its side. Nami's eyebrow crept up at the mention of the game, which was all but foreign to her.

“Spin-the-bottle?” she echoed and walked down the steps to the main deck of the ship, admittedly curious. She did like games, especially ones in which money was involved. 

“Yeah!” Chopper squealed with his tiny reindeer hooves in the air. “Sanji showed it to us. He says they used to play it on his cooking ship all the time!” he explained while giving the cook a big smile.

“This doesn't involve taking off my clothes, does it?” Nami snorted and stopped short of the group situated in a circle, crossing her arms as she glared doubtfully at the blonde, lascivious cook.

“Of course not! I am a man of class,” Sanji pouted as his shoulders slumped.

Yeah, you've got class, all right. You’re a ‘class'ic pervert! She thought with a huff, but a playful smile was forming on her lips.

“All right, then. What does this game involve?” she inquired as she gestured for them to make room for her in the circle. She squeezed her way in between Luffy and Zoro, tucking her legs beneath her as she regarded the seemingly unassuming bottle. There doesn’t seem to be anything special about it.

“It's quite simple,” Robin hummed and gestured lazily to the rum bottle. “A person spins the bottle, and whoever it lands on is given the option of ‘truth’ or ‘dare.’ Truth involves responding honestly to a question, while dare means completing a task. Both are decided by the person who spun the bottle. We each take turns,” she explained matter-of-factly. Nami nodded in understanding, leaning back slightly as she held her feet with her hands.

“Okay, I get it. Let's get on with it, then!” she beamed, suddenly excited. Who doesn’t love the idea of making someone reveal their innermost secrets or making them do ridiculous things? Sticking out her tongue slightly, she reached forward and gave the bottle a whirl. It made a humming sound as the air moved over the opening, and it slowly came to a stop with the open end pointing at Usopp. Perfect! I can dare Usopp to do something fun! Or make him tell me something embarrassing! She thought devilishly as she rubbed her hands together. “All right, Usopp! Truth or dare?” she demanded.

“I’m gonna go with truth. Your ideas of a dare frighten me,” the spineless sniper whimpered immediately, and admittedly, Nami was slightly disappointed.

“All right, then,” she sighed and cocked her head to the side slightly as she tried to formulate a good question to make Usopp squirm. A mischievous smile wormed its way onto her lips, and she heard Usopp swallow anxiously. “Okay, Usopp. At what age did you stop wetting the bed?” she asked, and the sniper immediately turned red all the way up to his ears. At his mortified reaction, the circle of pirates immediately burst into raucous laughter.

“Come on, Usopp, answer the question!” Luffy guffawed, grinning eagerly.

“I never wet the bed! I am a brave warrior of the sea!” Usopp insisted haughtily, but cowered bashfully when another round of laughter broke out among the group.

“Be honest!” Franky grinned and nudged him with a large metal elbow, and Usopp squeaked as it dug slightly into his ribs.

“O-okay… I was twelve,” Usopp mumbled as he hung his head in shame, and they all exploded into giggles.

“Twelve? No way!” Luffy cackled as he rolled onto his back holding his stomach and kicking his legs as laughter wracked his rubbery body.

“I knew you were a coward, Usopp, but I didn’t know you were a baby, too!” Zoro scoffed playfully.

Usopp snorted defiantly and crossed his arms with a huff.

“Laugh all you want! I’m going to show all of you!” he said primly as he turned his long nose up into the air. After the giggles settled down, it was Zoro's turn to spin, and he did so readily. The glass rattled against the wooden surface of the boat before coming to rest on Luffy, who naturally chose a dare.

“Okay. I dare you to climb the mast… But upside-down,” Zoro grinned stupidly and gestured to the mast with a thumb.

“Piece of cake!” Luffy grinned assertively and promptly hopped to his feet to run over to the tall wooden structure. With a grunt, he ducked down to position himself in a hand-stand.

“And no using your Devil Fruit powers!” Sanji laughed as an afterthought.

“Please! I’m no cheat!” Luffy growled at them before hopping up onto the mast and wrapping his arms and legs around the massive wooden post. Grunting with effort, he began to slowly ascend the mast in a strange shimmy-like motion. He made it about halfway up before he lost his grip and came tumbling down, landing roughly at the bottom of the post. “Owwww… My head…” he whined as he rubbed it tenderly, while the rest of the group cackled with laughter.

“You okay, Luffy?” Chopper cried as he hopped to his feet. “Someone get the doctor! Wait! I am the doctor!” he wailed as he ran around in circles in a panic. Meanwhile, Luffy was sitting up, seemingly unharmed.

“Ugh… That's a lot harder than it looks,” he whined as he glanced up the post with a squint. “All right! Who's turn is it?” he asked as he scooted on his behind back into the circle eagerly.

“Looks like it's Robin,” Zoro answered. With a small smile, the quiet archaeologist reached forward and gave the bottle a spin. Nami's eyes widened as the mouth of the bottle came to rest pointing directly at her, and she suddenly grew nervous as to what Robin would do in either situation. Truth is a safer option, probably, she decided.

“Well? Truth or dare, Nami?” Robin asked calmly.

“Truth! Ask me anything! I’m an open book,” Nami boasted, but the bravado was mostly to hide her anxiety. Robin chuckled and leaned back slightly on her hands as she regarded the navigator with calculating eyes.

“All right, then. Tell us about your first kiss,” Robin demanded. A chorus of “ooohs" traveled through the circle, and all eyes came to land on the navigator. Suddenly, her heart was pounding violently. Wait! Do they think I’ve actually done stuff like that? She thought in a panic.

“Out with it, Namiiiii!” Luffy urged and poked at her arm with a snicker. “When was it? Who was it?” His incessant urging did little to ease her nervousness, and she swallowed nervously as she glanced down at her lap.

Come on… It's not that big of a deal to say that I’ve never kissed anybody, right? She thought as she bit down on her lower lip.

“Is it that scandalous?” Zoro mused as he rested a hand on the hilt of one of his swords. “Or maybe she's done it so many times she's having trouble remembering?” That last comment set Nami's rage aflame. What, do they think I just hand out kisses to everyone? There's no shame in that, but why are they implying that there is, anyway?! she realized in anger, and she balled up her fists as she began to shake violently. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes as they continued to prod at her. She abruptly jumped to her feet, head down and shoulders slumped.

“I hate this stupid game!” she shouted before whipping around and stalking up the stairs to return to her study. They all shouted at her to wait, but she ignored them, slamming the door shut behind her before collapsing onto her bed with a miserable sob. She buried her face into her pillow. It's so dumb, she thought bitterly. I don’t know what hurts more… The fact that not ever kissing someone is so unbearable, or the fact that they all think that I do those kinds of things frivolously, she moped as she hugged her pillow tightly. Is it strange that I don’t? That I want to wait for someone special…? She rolled onto her back and held an arm over her eyes as the tears flowed freely. At that thought, a certain blond-haired cook popped into her mind, and that just made her heart constrict with pain. Does he think… I’m like that, too? Is that why he's always making advances on me? Does he think I’m easy? She thought as her bottom lip quivered. Considering the prevailing opinions of the crew, she thought that it must be true. Despite her best efforts her tough exterior dissolved, and she was left sobbing miserably.

She awoke to the sound of loud knocking on her door. She had fallen asleep curled up under the blankets cuddling her pillow for comfort, and the surface was still damp with tears. She sat up and rubbed her puffy eyes, and her fingers came away wet with salty water. She glanced at the door as the knocking came once more. “One minute!” she called as she threw the covers off herself and walked over to the mirror to straighten out her hair and try and erase the tear stains on her cheeks before answering the door. She cracked it slightly to try and hide her disheveled appearance.

“What is it? I’m busy,” he stated as she pulled the door open, but she fell silent when she realized it was Sanji standing in the doorway, his hands in his pockets and a cigarette in his mouth. She felt her chest tighten, and she dropped her gaze slightly. “Oh. It's you,” she said quietly.

To his credit, he didn’t comment on how upset she obviously looked, but instead smiled sweetly and extended a hand to her.

“I was wondering if you could give me some help in the kitchen?” he inquired hopefully. “You're the only one around here who can peel a potato worth a damn,” he joked light-heartedly, but even though he was doing his best to act normal, she could feel the underlying tension in his tone and see the stiffness in his body. She stood in the threshold of the doorway, considering refusing his offer and crawling back into bed to mope some more.

There's no sense in brooding over something so pointless, she thought with a small sigh and nodded before opening the door all the way.

“Okay. I can take a break,” she said despite the fact that she was almost certain that Sanji knew that all she had been doing was crying. He continued to hold his hand out for her, and she blushed slightly as she reluctantly took it and allowed him to lead her further into the ship to the kitchen. As she plodded along after him, she was keenly aware of the feeling of his hand wrapped around hers. Sanji's hand… It's so big and reassuring, she thought dreamily, then a jolt of pain shot through her heart. But… I'll never really get to hold his hand for real, she thought miserably, and the gloom settled over her once more.

Sanji, seemingly oblivious to her despondent mood, brought her into the kitchen, which was already filled with the smells of delicious food and the steam of many things cooking on the stove and in the oven. He released her hand as he walked over to stir something in a simmering pot, and Nami was half-disappointed and half-grateful. She sat down at the small wooden table where a bag of potatoes was already sitting ready to be peeled. She pulled over an empty pot to collect the peelings and sat down to begin working.

The silence settled between them as she peeled the potatoes and Sanji flitted from spot to spot stirring this and tasting that. However, though Nami normally enjoyed the quiet, she found Sanji's lack of talkativeness unsettling and bordering on unbearable. She knew he wanted to ask her something, but he was too polite to do so, and the suspense was killing her. Besides, there was her lingering fear of what he truly thought of her, and she was dying to know the truth. Soon she felt like she was going to burst, and to channel the nervous energy she began ripping furiously at the potatoes with the peeler. Suddenly, it slipped and carved into the side of her finger, making her screech in pain and drop the starchy vegetable, already splattered with her blood.

“Nami?!” Sanji cried in alarm in response to her yelp, and he came rushing to her aid as she held her finger. Thankfully it was only a shallow cut, but it was still bleeding profusely.

“Ow… I just cut my finger, that's all,” she whimpered as he crouched down in front of her. He reached up to take her hand and pull it closer to his face to investigate, and she obediently allowed him to do so despite her blushing. He sighed lightly in relief.

“It looks a lot worse than it is. Wait here. I’ll get a bandage,” he instructed before riding to his feet and walking over to one of the counters to rummage around for a roll of bandages. He returned a short minute later with the bandages and a strip of cloth, which he pressed to her hand to absorb the blood. As he worked intently on her wound, Nami's heart felt like it was tightening up so much it was twisting into knots, and finally she could no longer stand the pressure.

“Sanji… Do you think I’m a…” she trailed off as she searched for a proper way to refer to whatever the rest of the crew thought her as. He glanced up at her with a small frown, then smiled coyly.

“A virgin?” he finished with a slightly smug smile, and she turned bright pink as he put it so bluntly. Her reaction affirmed his question, and he chuckled lightly under his breath as he glanced down at her hand and began to slowly wind bandages around her injured finger. “I thought that was what had you so upset,” he mused quietly as he continued to work on treating her wound. Nami bit down on her lip, but that didn’t stop it from quivering.

“Well? Do you?” she asked insistently. He sighed deeply and tied off the bandage, looking up at her. Her breath caught in her throat as he looked her dead in the eyes.

“Of course I do, Nami. I’ve always thought so,” he smiled softly up at her. Nami stared at him for a minute, and then all the tension that she had been holding in her body suddenly relaxed, and she exhaled deeply before slumping back in the chair. So he doesn’t think that of me… She thought with a relieved smile. “For the record, most of the others were only teasing. We certainly don’t think you get around,” he mused with a raised eyebrow, and she went slightly red in embarrassment upon realizing she had overreacted. “And even if you did, that's your prerogative. It would never make me think any less of you, nor anyone else on this ship, for that matter. What made you so upset?”

“I… I've never actually kissed a man,” she admitted hesitantly, looking down at her hand, which was slowly turning the bandage a slight shade of pink as the wound attempted to clot. “They all seemed to think I thought nothing of it, and it just seemed so embarrassing that I had never kissed anyone,” she sighed. “And then it seemed like they were looking down on the idea of me... you know... getting around. That was even worse.” She glanced down at him doubtfully. “They really don’t think that?”

“No,” he reassured before rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “Though it is surprising. I would have thought you would have kissed someone by now."

“I-I just take things like that seriously!” she cried and balled up her fists angrily, then winced as pain shot up her arm from the burning wound on her hand. She released the fist quickly to find that the bandage was rapidly turning red, as her action had reopened the wound. “Ow…” she whined. Sanji smirked slightly before taking her hand in his gently.

“It's never going to heal like that. Here, let me give it a kiss to make it go faster,” he grinned teasingly, and before she could even protest, he leaned down to gently press his lips to the bandages. She went dark red, her mouth opening and closing as she struggled to formulate words, while he just grinned triumphantly up at her. Her lips pressed together in a thin line as she glared down at him.

“Oh, you think you’re smooth, do you?” she snapped.

“As a matter of fact, I pride myself in my ability to woo the ladies,” he smirked playfully as she ripped her hand away from him lest its trembling give away her exhilaration. Her finger tingled slightly as the feeling of his little kiss lingered.

“Well, this is one lady you will not be wooing!” she huffed and looked away from him. He chuckled before suddenly standing at his full height and looking down at her thoughtfully. “What is it?” she asked nervously under his intense stare.

“Why, Nami, I think you're hurt somewhere else, too,” he drowned, and she gasped as she began looking over her hand for another cut. She could not locate one, and she glanced up at him in confusion.

“Where? I don’t see anything,” she blinked, and her eyebrows knitted together as he gave her a slightly alluring smirk. Now, what is he up to…?

“That's because you aren’t looking in the right place,” he purred as he leaned down over her, and her heart began to race as his face began dangerously close. “It's right… here,” he murmured as he gently brushed his fingertips over her bottom lip, and she realized that she had bit down so hard on her lip earlier that she had actually drawn blood. Her mind went blank as his eyes gazed intently into her own with a passionate fire blazing in their dark depths that she had never seen. “I should kiss that to make it better, too,” he smiled coyly, and she sat still as stone as he closed the distance between them to gently press his lips against her own. At first, her mind raced with incoherent thoughts before slowly settling on him, the contours of his face and the highlights of his hair, and her body slowly relaxed as she melted into the kiss. His lips lingered for a while before slowly drawing away, and as he pulled back, Nami almost felt like a part of her was leaving. She soon came to her senses, however, and let out an affronted gasp.

“Sanji! You scoundrel!” she shrieked as she grabbed a handful of the potato skins and threw them into his face. The flirtatious cook just laughed heartily as he pulled the skins out of his hair.

“Didn’t take long for you to get back to normal,” he mused as he dropped the potato skins back into the bucket, and she looked up at him through narrowed eyes. He did all that to make me feel better? She realized, and despite her embarrassment, she smiled. This guy… He continued to chuckle as he brushed potato skins off his broad shoulders. “I invite you into my kitchen, and you make it a mess. What am I going to do with you, Nami?” he mused. She threateningly picked up the bucket.

“Well, then, don’t be such a tease!” she shouted at him, and he laughed again before waving a hand and retreating to the safety of the stove.

“I never tease,” he called over to her. “Now finish those potatoes before Luffy starts whining about how hungry he is,” he instructed with a wink. Nami stuck out her tongue at him, but as she set down the bucket and returned to work, she couldn’t ignore the bubbly, happy feeling floating around in her chest and the lingering feeling of Sanji's kiss.

Her first kiss.

But that was going to be a secret, for now…

Did you enjoy this oneshot? Consider requesting from me by visiting my rules, then either commenting on this story, submitting an ask, or contacting me via DM!

[vannahfanfics]

Some Sound Advice

Word Count: 5,320

Fluff, Romance, First Kisses, Dating Advice

Summary: While they are traveling together in Alabasta, Ace gives Sanji encouragement to voice his true feelings to Nami. After all's said and done with Crocodile, Sanji decides that it's time.

Part I

“Stop playing with your food, dammit! I worked hard to make that!”

Ace jumped slightly when Sanji abruptly stormed out of the kitchen. He marched across the room to whack Usopp and Luffy savagely over their heads as punishment for foolishly playing in the wet rice that he had prepared. Ace blinked in mild confusion as the blond-haired cook continued to berate them angrily, while the sniper was splayed out on the deck apparently unconscious and Luffy was just rubbing the back of his head with a defiant pout, cheeks puffed out like a child.

Man. Pops doesn't allow that kind of talk… But Luffy just lets his crew knock him around and all that? Ace thought, then smiled slightly. He really hasn't changed at all… he thought in amusement as Luffy and Sanji continued to squabble for a few minutes. When Usopp came to, Sanji abruptly grabbed both of them by the backs of their shirts and dragged them to their feet.

“Make yourselves useful and wash the dishes, will you? I have to pack lunches for the desert!” he huffed before whirling about to stomp back into the kitchen.

“I can help you,” Ace called to the young cook, beginning to rise from his position on the deck. He was quite bored, to be honest; he never did well with just sitting around, and he wanted to be useful. He frowned when Sanji turned around and brusquely refused.

“Don't be ridiculous. You’re a guest,” he sniffed at him as he rolled up his sleeves with a small smirk before he put a cigarette in his mouth and lit it. He breathed in deeply, inhaling the thin white smoke, before exhaling the foggy substance and smiling at him. “I’m not opposed to people watching me work, though. Besides, you can keep an eye on those loons.”

As he shot an irritated glare at Luffy, Ace was once again shocked at how disrespectfully he spoke of his captain. He really doesn't keep a tight ship, does he? he thought with a slightly raised eyebrow, then followed Sanji into the kitchen. Luffy and Usopp were in the corner, mumbling in irritation as they prepared to start the chore assigned to them. Sanji ignored them as he strolled over to a table that already had various ingredients piled neatly about it. Ace pulled up a chair, flipped it backward, and sat down with his chin propped up on the back and his arms hanging down. He watched with interest as Sanji began to expertly arrange the little lunch boxes.

“Wow. You certainly know what you're doing,” Ace whistled, impressed. He jerked back a little when Sanji snatched up a fork, stabbed a sausage, and abruptly thrust it in his face with a big grin, obviously wanting Ace to sample his handiwork. Ace shrugged, not having any reason not to, and took the fork from him to chomp down on the meat product. His eyebrows shot up his forehead as soon as the spicy sausage landed on his tongue. “Whoa! This is great!” he cried with his mouth full, almost wishing he had refused because he definitely wanted more.

Sanji smirked at the praise and resumed what he was doing.

“I just take pride in my work, that's all,” he shrugged nonchalantly, but from the way that he was smirking, Ace could tell that he was pleased. Sanji glanced over in the corner to see what the other boys were doing, then his pleased expression immediately morphed into one of intense annoyance. “You idiots! That’s the bucket of mop water! Why the hell are you washing the dishes with that?” he snapped, pinching the bridge of his nose as he struggled to remain calm. Of course, Luffy and Usopp just snapped back, with Luffy going so far as to stick his tongue out at the bereaved cook. Before Ace could comment, the door to the kitchen was suddenly thrown open with almost enough force to take it off its hinges, making them all fall silent and look in shock at the entrance.

“All of you! There's a storm coming!” Nami cried, striding across the kitchen to grab Usopp and Luffy by their collars to forcibly drag them back across the room and out the door, barking orders the entire time. Luffy was crowing excitedly, happy that something interesting was finally happening, while Usopp was shaking in his boots and going on about how they were all going to die. When Nami stuck her head back in, tangerine hair swinging wildly, and snapped at Sanji to assist, the cook happily darted out of the room to do her bidding.

“Ace, I need your help with the sails,” she ordered him before vanishing back out the door.

How can be so sure that there's going to be a storm? He wondered as he walked out of the kitchen, holding his hat to his head. There wasn't even a breeze, but sure enough, the crew was scrambling about at Nami's beck and call, tying this down and securing this sail and whatnot. He stood there for a moment, staring out at the calm blue sky mirroring the calm blue sea until Nami screeched at him to get his butt moving. Disgruntled, he obediently went to change the sails as she asked, climbing easily up the mast to prop himself on the mainsail and let it down. By the time the cloth billowed out, catching the light wind produced by the sea, a stain of gray clouds was spreading across the horizon. Ace cried out as a sudden gale ripped across the ship, and if he hadn't grabbed onto the mast, it would have knocked him right down to the deck below. The roiling gray clouds were rapidly eclipsing the natural blue of the sky, and he could see sheets of rain pouring into the writhing waves even at this distance. Occasionally, flashes of white illuminated the dark mass. It was rapidly approaching them.

“Uh, Nami? Those clouds are really close!” he heard Usopp squeal in fright, but Nami was at the wheel, spinning it around to catch the wind. Ace jerked forward, thankfully still holding tightly onto the mast, as the sail caught the fierce wind and sent the ship streaming through the water. The boat rocked violently in the large waves, and a cold rain began to spill down on them as the edge of the storm brushed over them. Then they were surging forward, leaving the maelstrom behind. The crew below erupted into cheers, praising Nami's weather-predicting skills, while Ace just sat up in the sails staring down at the girl curiously. How did she know?

The rest of the morning went by uneventfully, and by the time the sun was at its highest point, they had landed in the desert and were trekking through the dunes with Vivi at the lead. The little reindeer, Chopper, was plodding along ahead of Ace with his little pink tongue hanging out of his mouth as he panted heavily in exhaustion.

“It's so hot,” he moped miserably.

“Oh, yes. It can get up to fifty degrees Celsius in the desert. That's why you have to wear plenty of clothing because sunburn is a very real problem,” Vivi smiled at him over her shoulder. Ace still didn't really understand what was going on in Alabasta, and what Crocodile was up to; not that it was really his concern. He had to find Blackbeard, and so he couldn't concern himself with the goings-on of island countries. Still, he felt bad for the princess and was glad that his brother was willing to help her. Bratty as he is, he has a good heart, he thought with a smile with a sidelong glance at his brother. He raised his eyebrows as Nami suddenly hit the boy in question over his head.

“Luffy! Stop drinking all your water!” she scolded him angrily as Luffy spit the straw to his water canister out of his mouth and did his signature pout. “The desert is dangerous. Even you could die,” she tutted before continuing onward. Ace trotted across the sand to fall in pace with her, admittedly staring at her with curiosity. He had never met a woman who was so no-nonsense and could easily take charge, especially over a bunch of rowdy men like the Straw Hats—and then there was the business with that storm. He just walked alongside her for a moment, trying to think of something to say, but before he could she suddenly looked up at him with a small smile and friendly eyes.

“So, what's it like seeing Luffy after all this time?”

“Heh. He hasn't changed at all,” he laughed, glancing back at his brother, who was still sulking. “Still, in some ways, he's come a long way. He's certainly a lot stronger than when I last saw him." He looked back at her. “So how did you fall in with all these clowns?”

She looked at him quizzically, then smiled sheepishly at him.

“Oh, come on," he pressed. I’ve been watching these guys all day. They would definitely fall apart without you!” Truthfully, he was beginning to wonder if Luffy was merely the captain for show, and Nami was actually the mastermind of the pirate crew.

The girl blushed pink under his praise.

“Their heads are full of air most of the time, but they get down to business when they need to,” she shrugged with a small smile. He could tell by the look on her face, the way she was gazing off at the desert with her face relaxed in happiness, that she really thought highly of them.

I’m glad Luffy has capable friends like her. It makes me worry less.

“So, how did you know that storm was coming?” he asked her. “I’ve never seen anything like that. It came up out of nowhere, but you knew it was coming well in enough time to get away!”

Once more, she blushed, looking a mixture of satisfied and embarrassed.

“I’ve been studying weather patterns and navigation since I was very small. It's just a matter of reading the barometric pressure and wind patterns,” she answered. She made it sound so simple, but it was still like magic to him. He continued to gaze at her in pure reverence, while she just flushed and tried to make light of her talents.

As they trekked onward through the desert, they talked animatedly about a lot of things. By the end of it all, Ace was truly impressed by the remarkable girl. She was tough, smart, and resourceful, and he wasn't going to make light of that just because she was a woman; if anything, it was more impressive, because she had a lot to compete with, considering the kind of men that made up the pirate crew.

By the time the sun was setting, they had reached a complex of cliffs and canyons, which would provide them some shelter from the harshness of the desert night. The temperature had already dropped significantly, so much so that Chopper was shivering violently with chattering teeth and attempting to curl himself up into a ball. They managed to scrounge up some dead limbs, and Ace used his powers to get them a nice fire going, which certainly improved matters. While the raucous pirate crew sat around the roaring flame, snickering and cutting up while Sanji distributed food, Ace stood several yards away, gazing out at the rolling dunes that glowed white under the moonlight with his arms crossed.

I came here looking for Blackbeard… But I haven't heard anything about him. Could it be possible that it's a dead lead? he wondered. He was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard the soft crunch of feet on sandy crystals, and he turned to see Sanji standing behind him, holding out a bowl of stew with an oddly unreadable expression on his face.

“Thanks,” Ace said, taking the stew and intending to go back to his quiet contemplation, but to his shock, the cook stomped around and planted himself in front of him with his hands on his hips and his cigarette clenched in his teeth. His face was uncomfortably close, and Ace was beginning to get the idea that Sanji was irritated with him for some reason. “Can I help you?” he frowned at him, not one to be intimidated.

“What the hell is your game with Nami?” he demanded hotly.

Ace blinked in confusion, not having expected a question about the navigator whom he had befriended.

“I don't follow.”

“Don't play dumb! You’ve been staring at her all day, and getting awful close, yeah?” he hissed angrily, keeping his voice low and glancing up at the girl who was sitting by the fire, oblivious to the confrontation. Ace glanced over his shoulder at her, then back at Sanji, whose face was beginning to turn pink.

What the…? Oh. Oh. Once he pieced it together in his head, he began to laugh, because frankly, it was a ridiculous accusation.

Sanji didn't think it was very funny, though.

“Why the hell are you laughing?” he snapped quietly, looking in a panic at the rest of the crew around the fire. They didn't seem very interested in the side confrontation.

“Sanji, I don't like Nami or anything,” he chuckled once he had finished laughing. Sanji blinked at him in shock, apparently finding that hard to believe. “I just think she's a remarkable woman. I like talking to her. She's pretty sure, but I’m not the type to fall in love in one day,” he smirked before putting a spoonful of the stew in his mouth. “Mm, this is good. You really are a good cook.”

“Thank y—no, wait, wait, wait, so you don't like Nami?” he sputtered. When Ace shook his head in affirmation, he sighed heavily in relief, his shoulders sagging as he sat down in a sitting position in front of Ace. “Thank goodness.”

It was Ace's turn to play interrogator.

“So, you do?” he smirked roguishly as he settled down in front of him, looking at him levelly. He had expected Sanji to adamantly deny it, but instead his face lit up with happiness, not unlike a little boy.

“Oh, yes! I love Nami! She's so beautiful and smart and amazing~” he sighed happily. Ace could swear that hearts were dancing in the dashing cook's eyes as he clasped his hands together and held them next to his face.

“You say that a lot, but to me, you just look like a hopeless flirt,” he pointed out. Sanji really did flirt a lot, with every woman he saw, so he found it pretty hard to believe that the feelings were exclusive.

Sanji glared at him angrily, jaw set in defiance.

“No! I do feel very strongly about Nami!” he insisted. He did look believable. He was staring right into Ace’s eyes, and the man could see a blazing fire in those dark depths. His posture was rigid, too, and his jaw was clenched defiantly.

All right, so you like her.

“So, why don't you tell her?” he asked. Sanji's attitude immediately did a one-eighty. He slumped down sadly, avoiding Ace’s gaze and shifting around uncomfortably. “What? Scared she might refuse you?” He didn't pin Sanji as one to be so easily deterred, but hey, everybody had things that shook them.

“No, not necessarily…” he mumbled. The cook's gaze slid back to the campfire, and he was shocked to find that the man was staring at Luffy now, not Nami.

Ace started laughing again.

“Luffy? Please! That moron has two things on his mind—food, and becoming Pirate King. I don't think he even has enough brains to know what it means to love a woman,” he hooted with laughter. Sanji didn't appreciate being made fun of, and just pouted childishly at him; when he regained himself, Ace sighed slightly and clapped him on the shoulder with a smile. “Whatever your reasons are, I don't think you have anything to worry about. There's no need to be jealous. But you know, if you keep quiet about it and she never knows, there's nothing to stop her from falling for somebody else,” he pointed out.

Sanji's shoulders hunched miserably and he looked down at his lap, drawing patterns in the sand.

“I know… I just don't want to get her involved in… something bad,” he muttered evasively. Ace didn't push it. Some people had a past that they were afraid of, and he wasn't one to judge. If anything, it just showed how deeply the cook actually cared about the woman. “I would never want to put Nami in danger… So I try to seem like I’m just some hopeless flirt. Nami is the one I really care about, though… But every time I think about telling her how I really feel, I think about what could happen."

Whoa. He's really conflicted.

“I’m not one to tell you what to do,” he shrugged, finishing off the stew and setting the bowl aside. He then leaned back on his hands to stare up to look at the starry black sky above. “Tell her, don't tell her—that's your choice. But at the end of the day, you’re the one who has to live with regrets and wonder what would’ve happened if you did this or didn't do that,” he explained before looking down at him with a small smile. “Between you and me, though, she's quite fond of you,” he winked, and Sanji went pink. It wasn't a lie, either. The cook had often come up in conversation with the navigator, and she got this certain sparkle in her eyes whenever she talked about him. Even when she seemed to be berating him for his flirtatious nature, she had this hidden smile in her mouth. It was obvious to Ace that she definitely felt more for the cook than she liked to let on.

“Really?” he whispered, leaning forward.

“Really!”

Sanji leaned back again, wiggling the cigarette in his teeth as he looked over at Nami. Ace chuckled at the positively giddy expression on his face.

They’re all good guys… I’m glad Luffy found people like them, he thought once more. He raised an eyebrow when Sanji suddenly jumped up with an even wider grin plastered on his face. 

“That's it! Once we save Vivi's country, I’m gonna tell Nami how I really feel! For real, no holding back!” he swore, pulling his cigarette out of his mouth the beam gratefully down at him. “You know, you really aren’t that bad, Ace!”

“What? You’re just figuring that out?” he teased and reached up to punch him lightly in the shin. 

Luffy, having finally taken notice of the conversation, began whining at him to come join them by the fire.

“All right, all right, I’m coming,” Ace called and pulled himself to his feet, throwing an arm around Sanji's shoulders before guiding him over to the fire. As he fell into the raucous conversation, he noticed Sanji sticking closer to Nami than usual. She didn't seem to mind too much, either.

I didn’t mean to be a matchmaker, but… I’m glad for them. I hope it works out, he smiled as he lounged against a rock. He was almost sorry he wouldn't be able to stick around and see what happened.

I’m on a different path than Luffy. I wonder who will be Pirate King? Him or Pops? He thought as he looked at his little brother, who was stomping around the fire doing some rowdy impression or another. With friends like this, he's got a chance for sure.

Part II

“That’s it! Once we save Vivi’s country, I’m gonna tell Nami how I really feel! For real, no holding back!”

Sanji had proudly proclaimed that and yet here he was, two days after the conclusion of the Albastan civil war/Baroque Works fiasco and still as deep in the friendzone as ever. He had tried to tell himself that Ace leaving wouldn’t deter him from following through on his promise to finally confess his feelings to their smart, savvy, sexy navigator. However, every time he thought about approaching the girl, his stomach would twist up tight into pretzel knots. Whenever he did finally work up the courage to confess, Nami was surrounded by everybody and their mother, and there was no way in hell that she would take him seriously at all in that kind of setting. Groaning at his own indecision, he ran a hand over his scratched-up, bandaged face and gazed forlornly up at the stone ceiling of the castle room above. It was nighttime, and the moonlight filtering in through the curtained window did little to illuminate the dark hue of the hewn rock. A perfectly gloomy setting for a perfectly gloomy man.

I can’t sleep like this, he thought indignantly. Slowly, muscles keening in protest, he pushed himself from the bed up into a sitting position. His body hadn’t throbbed and ached like this since he had been caught in the avalanche on Drum Island and fractured his spine. He carefully turned his body this way and that and stretched his arms slightly above his head in an effort to alleviate some of the tautness in his muscle fibers, but it only dimmed the pain down to a moderate level. Annoying, but he would survive. He tossed the cotton sheets from his body and turned on the bed to hop down, feet slipping into some very comfy slippers that Vivi’s staff had provided him. Dressed in only a pair of loose plaid-patterned pajama pants and a muscle tee, the insomnious, lovesick cook took to wandering the castle halls like a ghost chained to the physical plane by his lingering regrets.

Moonlight streamed in through the tall, skinny glass-paned windows, turning the crimson red of the hallway carpet to something reminiscent of coral. The gray stones around them, unlike those in Sanji’s room. But they were the same material, soaked up the white rays to glow a soft bright timber. This castle was just intent on making him depressed, apparently. He should’ve brought his cigarettes, but he had already turned the corner to head towards the grand staircase, so there wasn’t much point in that. The red carpet washed over the ornate, mahogany-lined stairwell like a cherry-red waterfall, ending in a semicircular puddle at the base. The castle’s entryway was lonely and empty, save for a pair of vigilant guards stationed at either side of the massive castle door. Sanji’s eyebrow quirked as he noticed the sliver of white light slicing through the center of the looming wood; the door was cracked. His slippers slapped sloppily against the plush carpet as he tottered down the stairs and approached the guards.

“Is someone outside?”

“Oh, another one of the Straw Hats. The redhead girl—your navigator, I believe—asked to step out for a breath of fresh air in the courtyard garden, so we kept the door open so we could keep an eye on her. There are still plenty of bitter citizens and Baroque Works goons lingering around, so we would hate for something to happen to her,” the guard to his left reported. Sanji dipped his head respectfully to him in thanks before slipping through the small gap in the door to walk outside. His heart rate had jumped into an exponential upward slope; was this the chance he had been so desperately waiting for? Already, the cowardice was beginning to leak into his veins, rapidly washing away the adrenaline. He clenched the fabric of his tee into his fingers with gritted teeth.

No way you’re backing down this time, Sanji. Do it!

The desert night was a beautiful one. The air was cool but not overbearingly so, a comfortable temperature range supplemented by a refreshingly chill breeze. The night sky was unobstructed by clouds, not even one small, puffy wisp, allowing the full brilliance of the Milky Way to emblazon the dark sky like diamonds studded into black velvet. The moon was shining with such intensity that it was ringed with luminescence, and she poured all her force into bathing the world below her with glowing white water. The castle garden was brilliantly illuminated; the white stones of the walkway and balustrades shone like they were constructed of moonstone itself. The green of the grass blades and bush and tree leaves took on a dark emerald sheen, their waxy surfaces reflecting the light just like smooth gems of jade would. The flowers were all painted pastel, white and blue and yellow and pink all transformed by the moonlight’s touch. It was not this sentimental sight that stole Sanji’s breath from his lungs, however.

There she was, seated on the stone of a rounded flowerbed, back to him and face upturned to the stars above. Her tangerine hair blazed atop her head in a tiny messy bun that resembled a candle’s flickering flame to his eyes. Her tanned skin looked like coffee with cream in the moonlight. The simple yellow nightgown that snugly hugged her body in its bodice to only flare out in draping waves over her legs made her seem like a contemplative goddess or angel in his undeserving mortal eyes. Seeing her, so ethereal and otherworldly, sent that jolting spark of fear through his body once more. He gulped loudly, shuffling back against the entryway to retreat back into the castle.

Some deity was looking out for him that night, because Nami heard him, and glanced over her shoulder to stare at him with those brown eyes that made Sanji nearly melt into a puddle every single time they were cast onto him.

“Sanji?” she blinked, and then her curious expression relaxed into one of sympathetic understanding. “Can’t sleep either, huh?”

“Aha, yeah, no,” he laughed nervously while rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. When he looked back at her, she was lightly patting the stone block beside her invitingly. Sanji’s back stiffened like a steel rod as his heart bounded into his throat, but his feet knew how to function well enough because they carried him over to her. With all the grace of a golem clumsily carved of iron, he eased himself onto the stone beside her. His fingers twitched excessively against the meat of his thighs in his body’s effort to dissipate the insane amount of nervous energy flooding his system and preventing essential functions, like blinking and breathing.

“Did you have a nightmare or something? You look tense,” Nami asked worriedly. He was about to refute the statement but she leaned over to peer into his face, and whatever reply he was going to utter dried up along with the rest of his mouth. He only opened and closed his mouth stupidly at her, the desert heat of his mouth rising across his cheeks in the form of a dust-cloud blush.

“Er… No… I just tweaked one of my wounds, is all, and I’m just waiting for it to settle down,” he lied lamely. Nami blinked those pretty eyes of hers, then shrugged and turned back to her stargazing. He breathed an uneven sigh and cursed himself at his pitiful performance. He was the smoothest lady-killer on the Grand Line, for crying out loud; he was capable of acting like the suavest knight under pressure, and here he was bungling it like a tween on his first date. He swept a hair through his tousled blonde likes, streaking it with a thin shimmer of sweat. Come on, Sanji, get yourself together. You’ve gotten farther than all your previous attempts, he reminded himself. It actually did boost his confidence slightly. “Actually, Nami-swan,” he began uncertainly, then compulsively cleared his throat. “Th-there’s something that’s been on my mind.”

“What is it?” She looked back at him with a radiantly sweet smile that made his heart clench inside his chest. “You can tell me!” She was so perfectly innocent that Sanji almost felt as if he were about to taint her with his pending admission. He inhaled sharply through his nose and closed his eyes as he breathed out, steeling his jittery nerves. Regardless of how it ended, he had made a vow to confess to her, and he wasn’t the type of man to quail on his word. He opened his eyes to stare fixedly at her.

“Nami… I love you.”

The words hung in the air like they were suspended on strings, weighty yet unmoving. Nami’s expression was alarmingly blank. Unblinking brown eyes fixated on his own, shaking in their sockets as the tension mounted in his body waiting for her response. His stream of consciousness began to fly like a runaway train, wondering if he had made the wrong decision and their friendship would be ruined or even if she would slap him silly. Finally, after what seemed like ten life ages, she released a tremulous breath.

“You… Really mean that, don’t you?” Before he could answer, she cupped a hand to her mouth and looked down at her feet, eyes searching the stone desperately for her next words. Sanji swallowed anxiously; he hadn’t been sure what he had been expecting, but this was not what he had been hoping for. He immediately moved to get up.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything. Of course you wouldn’t—”

“No!” she demanded, head whipping around. She grabbed his bicep with both her hands to yank him so hard she could’ve jerked his shoulder out of socket, and he stumbled gracelessly back against the stone. Confused sputters of her name fell from his mouth, but before he could get the chance to arrange a coherent sentence, Nami grabbed his face roughly to wrench him into a heated, sloppy open-mouthed kiss. It took his already frazzled brain a moment to process the chain of events, but when he did, the shade of his face matched the crimson rugs of the palace behind them. When she pulled back, their lips separated with a slight pop with how tightly they had been pressed together. Sanji’s shoulders slouched loosely to mirror the complete slack of his jaw as he gawked stupidly at her. “A-ahem,” she cough uneasily as she wiped her lips with her wrist, “There’s your answer.”

Sanji wasn’t sure what he wanted to do—cry tears of joy, do a happy dance, run off and tell Zoro that he had won that stupid bet ages ago that he was gonna win Nami’s heart; there were so many possibilities his brain was unable to choose, and so he just continued to sit there with that rosy blush and absolutely moronic smile on his face. “Sanji? Oh, God, did I kill all the neurons you had left?”

“I’m okay!” With a dog-like shake of his entire body, he was finally able to right the sparking electrical pathways in his brain into working order, and his hands flew up to grasp one of hers endearingly. “I’m so relieved, Nami-swan!” he said as he heaved a sigh to dislodge the last of the lingering weight that had been burdening his shoulders for days. Nami gave him a slightly amused, crooked smile as she snorted in laughter. She was so cute it sent his heart into dangerously fast palpitations. “Em, Nami?”

“Yes?”

“Can we do that again? I really don’t want our first kiss to be me just being a dumbass…” Nami laughed airily at his request, then gave him a smile that rivaled the shining move above, her eyes scrunched up in unbridled affection and joy. That was invitation enough, so with a pleased smirk, he leaned forward to claim her lips in a sweet, chaste, passionate kiss that he was going to engrave in his memory for the rest of time…

Did you enjoy this oneshot? Consider requesting from me by visiting my rules, then either commenting on this story, submitting an ask, or contacting me via DM!