@bleuwalk asked: The lively sounds of celebration surround them, Brook playing a rather jaunty tune on his violin. In the midst of it is Sanji and, to his delight, Ikkaku. One hand intertwined with hers as his other rests just shy of her upper back, allowing for her hand and arm to rest on his.
Merrymaking, good food and the best company mix allowing for a boyish grin to bloom on his features, smile which only widens with a laugh as he spins her around a few times, faster with the sound of the music. With a rather quick warning and smooth handling within the last spin he has both hands to her hips and lifts! just as Brook's violin comes to it's height.
Once her feet are safely back on the ground and a more mellow tune fades in Sanji, keeping one of her hands in his, bows deeply, sweeping his other arm out from his chest. He kisses her knuckles, looking up at her through his lashes, "Thank you for indulging me Ikkaku-chan. You're a wonderful dance partner." Seemingly by magic he produces a single red rose, holding it out to her as he straightens. "For you, my dear." // <33 😏
It was rare that Ikkaku got the opportunity to dance. Sure, the Hearts were no slouches when it came to parties, but dancing wasn’t usually involved in their celebrations. If she did dance, it was often with Law or Penguin, or sometimes even Darter. But those occasions were few and far between, simply because it wasn’t the typical vibe of a Heart Pirate party.
So when the music of Brook’s violin began to play and Sanji asked her to dance, how could the engineer refuse? She’d be a fool to pass up this golden opportunity. So she’d taken his hand and allowed him to lead her in the dance, the sure hand on her back guiding her. She wasn’t sure if it was his guidance or simply him being fast and light on his feet, but she didn’t step on his toes even once despite not being overly familiar with the style of dance. Regardless, she enjoyed herself immensely, and laughed loudly and freely when he lifted her up in the air during that final crescendo.
She was still giggling when he set her back down, cheeks turning a fetching shade of pink when he bowed and pressed a gentlemanly kiss to her hand. The blush deepened even further when he offered her a red rose he seemed to conjure from thin air.
Well, damn. She’d never been offered a red rose before. Only yellow ones for friendship. This was...well, her heart was speeding up a bit, that was for sure. There were even one or two butterflies in her stomach.
Smiling and perhaps uncharacteristically bashful, she accepted the rose, stepping in to thank him with a gentle peck to his lips. “Always happy to indulge you, Sanji,” she replied, looking down at the rose fondly. She’d cherish it until the last petal fell. Perhaps she could preserve it somehow. This was a special moment and it seemed a shame to think such a lovely gift might wilt. She wanted to be able to look at and remember this moment it forever. “I...don’t meet a lot of gentlemen in my line of work. But even if I did, you’d definitely stand head and shoulders above them all.”