I had to arrange my ideas very well for this, so here we go.
I was between 3 arcs but I decided to go for this one: Zou (oh what a surprise! Nobody would have guessed!)
Now just a few things I LOVED about Zou regarding Sanami 💜
Their teamwork! Their relationship (however you want to take it) is based on mutual support, Nami trusted Sanji enough to name him their temporary captain and when they found the Minks, Sanji gave Nami the benefit of doubt when Wanda attacked her, listening to her reasons instead of jumping to conclusions, which lead them to help the Minks and have small but cute moments together!
Sanji being Sanji and Nami being Nami, what else can I say? 😹
BUT not everything could be love and flowers right? Because the tragedy had to happen...(yeah Oda give me some feels!!)
Finding out Sanji's herritage and biding him hand and foot, with Nami being the only remembering what little Sanji told them.
And also Nami being used as Sanji's weakness, It was very low of Capone to do that BUT it was really interesting seeing another character pointing her as his weakness 🤔🤔
Sanji showing how much he trusts Nami as he gave her the "card"
The way they made it look like a hug as he was practically saying good bye as he was about to sacrifice himself.
Also have you seen how anguished his look was as he was about to throw her out of the Castle?? 😭💔
Nami chasing after him...
And don't come at me with "itZ fIll3R!1!1!" Y'all have been acepting filler lately so...
Nami defending Sanji, wanting to get him back ASAP, not wanting to believe that her kind Sanji came from a family of cold hearted people, her getting pissed at people minimizing Sanji's situation and her giving any invalid reason (excuse) to go to get him back.
If that isn't care for someone, I don't know what on earth It is tbh...
And last but nota least, Nami taking the chef's position, I LOVE how they are perfectly capable of taking each other's rol.
And that's It, some reasons why LOVE this arc, thanks for reading this bibble...again 😹
Sanji had never been the touchy-feely type, despite what one might think at first sight. He wasn’t really comfortable with physical contact. It was something he lacked as a child, and childhood scarcities lead to adult traumas.
Well, it wasn’t a trauma per se. It truly wasn’t that deep. Something about the act of touching made him feel a bit uncomfortable, sometimes. He didn’t know how to act, and he was constantly second-guessing. It wasn’t like his masculinity stepped into his way to affection, rather a question of his brain playing tricks on him that often made him want to crawl back to his upright posture. He would still catch anyone who was thrown into his arms, stop someone from getting into danger, and of course, kiss the hands of any beautiful lady he came across. He didn’t have any problems with that. But his hands were made for cooking, and he didn’t have the same skills with human interaction.
Nami liked touching. She liked smacking people, obviously. But she also like holding on to them, and on few occasions, hugging them. She was a caring person, beneath that cold exterior. And he liked to be touched by her. He loved it, he dreamed about it. But any time their hands grazed, he kept obsessing about it to the point where his hands were sweaty and didn’t want to hold hers anymore. He felt paranoid, but couldn’t avoid it. It was superior to him.
That day, his break took longer than usual. By the time he came back to the kitchen, the frying pan was heating on the stove, and a curvy figure was wearing his apron. Her long orange locks were tied up in a high bun, and she only turned around when she heard the door closing.
“Sorry, I was just making myself a snack.” She apologized with a smile. “You don’t mind, do you?”
She might have been preparing a snack, but she sure looked like a five course meal.
“Just five?”
For a moment, Sanji thought that his long-time theory had been proven and she really was a mind reader. Then he realized that his mouth was open, and that he probably muttered it without even knowing.
“I have good hearing.”
She was dangerously close to him now. Her eyes shone with maliciousness and she had a hungry smile on her face. Sanji gulped, both fearing and wishing that moment would never end. He felt the want to touch her, the urge to touch her, and he couldn’t contain himself. He was about to give in to his desires when she turned around and grabbed the oil bottle.
She poured a bit of oil into the pan, and the liquid dripping slowly drove him crazy. He went over to see what she was doing, and he only found two slices of bread frying in the pan. On the counter, there were egg shells and the cream was out. He could smell cinnamon, and a hint of butter.
“French toast?” he asked, although he already knew the answer.
Nami faced him, with the spatula in her right hand, and smirked before turning around again. The heat from the pan was starting to get to him, or maybe it was the close distance there was between them. To his surprise, she grabbed his hand, and her touch burnt like he had stepped into lava. He felt the instinct to pull away, but his body wouldn’t respond.
“I’ve been thinking about your hands lately.” Her voice, reduced to a whisper because of the kitchen noise, sounded like honey. She examined his hand, caressing every single part of his palm. “They’re rough, but smooth at the same time. No cuts whatsoever.”
Hers were clearly soft. Her fingers were tickling around his, like she was spreading butter onto them. It was hypnotizing to watch her doing so, and the feeling of her touch was electrifying. She only stopped to turn around her toasts, then looked at him with that hungry expression of a predator.
“You have great hands.” She lifted them up, then placed them on her face. “It’s true what they say about cooks.”
“What do they say?” He said with a heavy breathing, trying to remain calm. He didn’t want to appear desperate.
She placed his hand around her waist, and her cheek to his neck. He felt the saliva in his mouth and had to gulp.
“They’re skilled.”
He didn’t dare contradict her, not when they were standing so close to touch. He could feel her agitated breathing, and he couldn’t believe the situation he was in. Nami seemed to have tangled a spider-web around him, because he couldn’t move. He was frozen into place, as she played with his body like her newest toy. That said, he couldn’t say he wasn’t enjoying it. And he was calm, calmer than he could ever imagine. Her commanding made him nervous, but at least he didn’t have to worry of where he was placing his hands or what to do with them. It was almost liberating, although his heartbeat said otherwise.
Looking down and facing her was not a decision made by instinct, but pure curiosity. He needed to see what her true intentions were in her eyes. He was starting to believe that his hopes were too high, and he needed to crush them with her look of indifference. He didn’t find that. Instead, her eyes posed a lingering question. A question she dared not to make with words, but that he understood anyway.
He nodded. She kissed him.
She kissed him and kissed him and kissed him, with her body twisting around his, both desperate for physical contact. She was clinging on to him, or he was clinging on to her, and their hands seemed to always be in perfect position despite where they were at. She sat on the kitchen table, and started tingling with his tie.
“But the french toasts…” he managed to say, out of breath.
Nami stopped and let out a full-on laugh, throwing her head back like a little kid. That made him smile, nervously, and hoping that he didn’t ruin the moment.
“Mind over matter.” She shushed him, with her index finger touching his lips.
Author’s note: I think this is a nice change from the kind of stuff I usually write. These guys needed a bit of action. Also, if anyone recognizes the song that I streamed on repeat while writing it, please let me know! Thank you for all the likes and reblogs ♥
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…
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Alright, so I decided to write a Sanji x Nami fanfiction. If you guys like it I’ll continue the story. As the name suggests, this is gonna be a slow burn kind of story. However, it will likely eventually turn into smut lol I hope you guys like it! Im open to contructive criticism. I haven’t written anything in 7 years. They also might be a bit OOC. The last fanfic I wrote was when I was 16 for a completely different fandom. I may also change the title later on, and I’ll be uploading this to fanfiction.net later. Anyways, here you go!
Waves crashed loudly against the bow of the Sunny. It was a starry cold night out on the seas of the Grand Line. Nami, being on watch for the night, sat wistfully peering over the seemingly black abyss of the sea, only illuminated by the moonlight.
She leaned over the crows nest, arms crossed and eyes half lidded, reflecting back on their time in Whole Cake. How they barely managed to escape with their lives intact, and just how much sheer luck played into their escape.
She had no idea how they managed to get out of there. The Yonko were no joke, clearly. Not as if any of their adventures had ever been easy, but this one was clearly took the cake for barely making it out alive.
Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard a faint creaking of a door opening and dim light pouring in from behind her. She peered over to see none other than the curly cook himself, carrying a platter of various fruits along with a fancy glass full of juice, adorned with tangerines on the edges.
"Nami-San~" he mouthed to her, waving and smiling. He couldn't call out to her, given it was so late into the night.
Nami smiled, waving back at him. Knowing that the fruit and juice were clearly meant for her. "He really can be such a sweetheart." She thought to herself. "Not that I'd ever tell him that." She mused, knowing full well how it would send him into full-blown tornado mode.
Sanji made his way up the ladder, balancing the plate and glass ever so diligently on top of his head as he climbed. Nami stifled a giggle, seeing how goofy he looked.
Finally reaching the nest, he took the plate and glass from his head and bowed to her, hand over his heart and eyes closed with a big grin.
"A late night snack, for our beautiful navigator." He stated suavely.
Nami smiled and rolled her eyes, taking the glass. Sanji placed the plate on top of stool.
"Thank you, Sanji-Kun." she said, taking a delighted sip of her juice. Freshly squeezed Mikan, straight from her tangerine trees. A taste she would never get tired of.
He smiled, always so happy to see her enjoying the confections he makes.
Looking closer at his face, she could tell he was rather worn out. Heavy lines beneath his eyes. Who could blame him after everything that went down in the past few days?
"If you'll excuse me, Nami-San." He stated, turning around to climb back down the ladder.
"Wait, Sanji-Kun." Nami stated. He peered back, a curious look in his eye.
"Would you like to stay for a while?" She asked, careful how she worded her request.
Sanji blinked, and then grinned. Little hearts starting to form out of the billowing smoke of his cigarette.
"I would love to accompany you, my lovely beautiful Nami-San!" Sanji exclaimed, still careful not to be too loud. Not that anyone could hear them from that high up, plus the sounds of the waves.
"Drop the flattery already." Nami said sternly. Still, she felt a warm pang in her heart as he said it.
"Alright, alright." He chuckled, leaning over the nests railing with her.
"If you dont mind me asking Nami-San, what's on your mind?" He asked, taking out his custom lighter and another cigarette.
She glanced over to him, raising an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" She asked. Had he been able to read her that easily?
"Well, you're leaned over staring off into the distance with a far-away look in your eyes. Somethings gotta be on your mind, right?" Sanji asked, lifting the cigarette to his lips and inhaling as the tiny flame touched the paper.
Nami sighed, fog lifting from the heat of her breath. Of course he would notice. Observation Haki and all.
"We barely made it off of whole cake alive. It just bothers me to think that if even one small thing went wrong, we would all be at the mercy of a Yonko." She revealed, exasperation lining every word.
Sanji listened, opting not to interrupt her and fixating on her face as she spoke.
"And then there was how we almost lost you." Nami said, sorrow in her voice. Her lips tightened as she clenched her teeth slightly.
Sanji looked down, seeing the pained look on her face. "There it is again. The guilt.." He thought, chastising himself for the thousandth time that day for making his friends all worry and risk their lives to save him.
"Nami-San...I'm Sor-"
"Sanji-Kun, you dont need to apologize." Nami reiterated. "I know you didn't really have a choice in the matter. We all know. All of us would've done the same thing you did had we been in your position." She stated.
Sanji cast his sight downward. He knew she was right. Hell, they already had a few friends try to sacrifice themselves to protect the rest of the crew. And she was one of them.
Sanji let out a huff of air, smiling weakly.
"I guess we're in the same boat, huh Nami-San?" he said, beginning to stare off into the distance just as she had.
"Well yeah, where do you think we are?" She joked, stretching her arms to gesture the entire ship.
Sanji laughed, breaking from his previous daze. "Oh yeah! I forgot! My bad." he joked.
They laughed together for a moment, and looked back out to sea. Not saying anything to each other for a few minutes. Just listening to the sounds of the waves.
Sanji stole glances at Nami, noting how she looked especially beautiful that night. Her hair glowing in the moonlight, how her eyes reflected their surroundings, how her breath left her lips and floated away into the chilly night air.
At this point, he was just gazing at her. Unable to keep a smile from forming on his lips. He couldn't bring himself to look away even if he tried.
Nami glanced over to him, noticing how he was practically looking into her soul. She felt her heart skip a beat as their eyes met. She managed to look away after a few seconds.
He felt as though his heart melted in those few seconds.
"...Hey, Sanji-Kun. Can I ask you a question?" Nami requested.
Sanji snapped out of his daze. "Y-yes Nami-san?" he managed to stutter out.
"When you were going to be married off to Pudding, we heard you turned her down because you still had adventures with us to go on. Is that true?" she probed.
Sanji raised an eyebrow. "Well, I didn't tell her that at all." he stated. "But she's not entirely wrong."
Nami glared at him, just ever so slightly. "So does that mean that you did want to marry her?" she continued to probe.
Sanji huffed. "No, not in the slightest. Don't get me wrong, she was pretty and all, but I'd never want to marry anyone that I barely know." He asserted. "Especially if it's not even my own choice."
"So do you ever want to get married?" Nami inquired.
"Where is all this coming from? Nami isn't normally the type to discuss anything like this." Sanji thought. Was she secretely a romantic just like him?
Taking in another lung-full of smoke, he exhaled.
"At some point, I do want to get married. But right now isn't the time. We still have way too many adventures to go on. Maybe some time after I find All Blue." Sanji said tiredly, trying not to think too hard on it.
Nami looked somewhat confused at the cook. What with all his proclamations of love, she'd assumed he'd be willing to tye the knot at any time. Only to find out they share common ground in that area as well.
"Well, I guess we really are in the same boat." she reiterated.
"Making the same joke twice, are we?" Sanji said, a smug look plastered on his face.
"Yeah, so what?" Nami retorted, playfully snatching his cigarette from his lips and taking in a lung-full of the smoke, looking him dead in the eye as she did so.
"N-Nami-San?!" Sanji exclaimed. His brain felt like it was malfunctioning.
He was somewhere between being worried for her health, and finding her smoking the cigarette he just had between his lips the sexiest thing he had ever seen.
Sanji gulped. "Its like an i-indirect k-kiss" he thought. With that realization, he clenched his nose between his thumb and index finger as hard as he could to keep most of his blood intact. Still not being able to keep some of it from leaking out.
Nami giggled watching him lose his mind over something so small. "You gonna be alright over there?" She teased at him, taking the stick from her lips to pop a tangerine slice into her mouth.
Sanji took a few deep breaths before he could speak again. "Nami-Saaan...Are you trying to kill me?" He whined. He could be sent into orbit via nosebleed if she kept this up.
"Hey, it's you're own fault for being such a pervert." Nami said bluntly.
Sanji sighed. "Oi. For one, I've been like this for as long as I can remember. Two, if you wanted a cigarette you could've just asked." He said taking out another to replace the one she stole.
"Now that I think of it, his brother's were the exact same way. Maybe it really isn't entirely his fault" Nami thought. She wasn't about to give him any slack though.
She turns to face him and points the stick towards him.
"You know I can't just ask for things. I have to steal them. I am a thief afterall." She stated.
"That's our Nami-San" Sanji said, smiling as he lit up his third cigarette. "So uh, what exactly compelled you to try smoking?" He asked, still puzzled as to why she wanted to wreck her lungs as he had.
Nami smiled as a memory of Bellmere-San etched itself into her mind. She didn't normally speak so freely about her feelings, but she supposed she was feeling generous tonight. Either that, or it was just because of him.
"My mom used to be a chain smoker." She said, pausing as she wondered if she should continue. "Whenever I smell cigarette smoke, I get this calm feeling washing over me. It's not a good thing to be nostalgic over, but I dont care. It almost makes me feel as though she's still her with me." Nami said, a small smile on her face. "Other than that, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about." She finished.
Sanji studied her features as she spoke. He'd expected her to look more sad, however she wore a content smile. "Does that mean she feels relaxed around me?" A warm feeling spread through his chest at the thought.
"So, what do you think?" He inquired.
In response to his question she took another drag, wanting to be sure of her thoughts on it.
"Well, it tastes pretty terrible. But the taste of the fruit is sorta helping. Other than that, it feels very relaxing." She said, blowing more smoke out into the air.
"God she looks so beautiful.." He thought, admiring the way her lips pursed outward as she exhaled. He so badly wanted to tell her how gorgeous it made her look, abstaining only out of fear that she would send him away.
"Try not to start, alright? We don't need Chopper hounding both of us about it. Besides, if he sees you smoking I'll be the first one he comes after." Sanji stated, the image of a very angry Chopper towering over him in his "Heavy Point" form.
He made a good point. She recalled how Chopper would endlessly berate him for smoking during each physical.
"Yeah, it's definitely not worth it." She agreed, putting out the nearly finished cigarette.
"Definitely. Trust me, I wish I hadn't started but I'm already too far gone." Sanji said, remembering how he started smoking as a kid to try to look more mature. "I was such a dumb kid."
Nami glanced over his way, trying not to look too hard. He really was very handsome. He changed quite a bit in the two years they were separated. He was much more muscular, his jawline was more defined and his hair had gotten longer.
And his lips looked so soft.
She quickly realized she had been looking a little too long, as Sanji clearly noticed. A faint blush spread across her cheeks. She quickly looked away, but realized she had already been caught.
Sanji felt his breath hitch as he caught her eyes on him. With a look of what was clearly, unmistakably desire in her eyes.
Sanji was no idiot. He had always been extremely perceptive of other people's emotions. Changes in breathing, eye movement, muscle movement. He was able to read all of it with pinpoint accuracy. Even before honing his observation haki, his ability to read people and situations were always exceptional.
"At this point, I dont care if she hits me, or sends me off. It's my turn to tease her." He thought, approaching her with his newfound confidence.
He leaned over close to her ear, whispering in the sexiest tone he could muster:
"You know, Nami-San... I don't mind if you look. I enjoy having your eyes on me."
His voice set something off inside her. His breath tickled against her ear, feeling as if electricity had run down her spine. The faint pink blush she wore only a few seconds prior immediately turned scarlet.
She'd halfway had the urge to turn around and pretend like she hadn't been looking at all. But she knew that wouldn't work. Her reaction had been way too noticeable.
Nami turned towards him and looked into his deep blue eyes.
Sanji returned her stare. He quickly realized how close their faces were and felt his heartbeat speed up exponentially.
"Sanji-Kun...I need to ask you something." Nami said, still staring deeply into his soul.
"Y-Yes, Nami-San?" Sanji uttered, swallowing hard after. He could feel heat spreading across his own face.
She stayed silent for a moment, attempting to garner the confidence to ask.
"Do you think....you could ever love just one woman?" Nami asked, crossing her arms against herself. She'd often found herself enjoying Sanji's advances, but didn't want to act on her desire up until recently.
Almost losing him made her realize just how much she felt for him. And it bothered her to no end. Sanji would swoon and fawn over every pretty woman he'd seen. She really didn't know if he could just love only one.
Sanji found himself floored at her question. He wondered if this was just another cruel dream he would eventually wake up from.
Still, dream or not, he still had to try.
"Nami-San...before I answer your question, I feel that I should clarify something to you." He said, looking into her eyes with hard conviction.
"I do swoon over women. However, I don't "love" them. It's just my way of showing my appreciation and respect for them, despite how ridiculous I may look. That aspect of me will never change" He explained. "But...when the woman I love returns my feelings, and accepts me as I am, then yes, I would devote myself to her." Sanji finished, never letting his gaze leave hers.
Nami saw not even a hint of dishonesty in his eyes, and felt nothing but relief wash over her.
"Now, Nami-San....I need to tell you something." Sanji said, breaking their gaze and taking a deep breath before taking her hand in his own and rejoining her gaze.
"Nami-San...I have feelings for you. No woman that I've met so far has made me feel the way that I do about you. So I need to know..if you return those same feelings for me?" Sanji asked, feeling his confidence begin to waver.
There it is again. That warm feeling beginning to spread across her body. Never had she felt this way about anyone in her life. All she knew was that it made her feel content.
"Sanji-Kun...the events that occured over the past few days made me realize something. When you left, I thought I'd never get to see you again. I was devastated at the thought that you might die, and all I could think about was all the times we spent together. The way I was so broken up about you being gone even though you said you'd return, made me realize I care about you so much more than just as a crewmate or friend." Nami said, looking away as her face began to turn scarlet once more.
"Every time you would bring me food, every time you would ask me if I loved you, I would feel something warm in my heart. Something that would make me feel happy. I guess what I'm trying to say is that...I also have feelings for you." Nami finished, being far too flustered to make eye contact.
Sanji's eyes widened at her confession. There was nothing in the world that could ruin the overwhelming joy that came over him. She actually returned the love he felt for her. If this was a dream he prayed that he never wake up.
Sanji wrapped her arms around her, leaving his hands to rest at the small of her back.
"Nami-San, you've made me the happiest man in the world right now." He said, feeling as though he'd never be able to quit smiling.
"Would you be willing to give me a chance to make you happy, Nami-San?" Sanji asked, not sure if she would even be willing to be in a relationship right now. After all, they did still have adventures to go on.
Nami rested her head against his chest, enjoying the scent of his cologne and the feeling of his hardened muscle against her.
"I think...I would like that. But, I wanna take things slow." Nami said, knowing that if they went too fast Sanji would probably die.
"We'll take things as slow as you need, Nami-San." Sanji said, resting his head against hers, enjoying the feel and scent of her light orange hair. He so badly wanted to kiss her, but knew that a nosebleed would probably ruin the moment.
The two embraced for what seemed like hours, relishing in the feeling of each other arms.
Orange light began to peer over the seas, illuminating the blue seas. Sanji felt like cursing time itself for ending their embrace.
"Well, it seems that I'm late for work. Get some sleep Nami-San. I'll be sure to bring you something wonderful to eat later." Sanji said, brushing away her bangs and kissing her forehead.
"Sounds like a good idea. You better hurry, before Luffy wak-"
"Saaannjjiii! Where's the fooood?!?" Sanji heard his captain yell out from the kitchen. Sanji sighed.
"Give me a few minutes, alright?" Sanji yelled back, climbing back down and running into the kitchen before Luffy decided to help himself to whatever was in the kitchen.
Nami laughed, and yawned while climbing down as well. Smiling all the while.
Rain, in a sense, is a little like love. Beautiful and gentle, harsh and fierce, full of hope and dread; it’s unpredictably untamed.
On one dreary looking day, Nami and Sanji were briskly walking the empty streets as a heavy rain poured down. The rhythmic sound of the battering rain trailing off the umbrella over them was the only thing they could hear besides being close enough to hear each other’s voices. Firmly grasping its handle, Sanji diligently made an effort to not let his sweet Nami get drenched in this weather; his expression shifted back and forth from a serious intense glare as he focused on the rainy path, to a soft, coy smile as he looked at Nami. Just what are the lengths that a pining heart would go through?
A late morning downpour made it feel like long hours have already passed. Water streamed down the sides of the empty streets, and it looked like there wasn’t anybody around. The air had a scent that could only be described as the ocean if it didn’t have any salt. The best thing they could do was staying close until they could find reliable shelter before regrouping with the rest of the crew. The plan was easier said than done; no awnings or gazebos in sight.
Nami couldn’t ignore the water seeping through Sanji’s gingham shirt. She wasn’t really surprised at seeing that, given the fact that her crew is full of a bunch of men who walk around practically shirtless. She fixed the dark jacket that he had draped over her shoulders—definitely a gesture of affection that she received before. If the rain wasn’t coming down as hard as it was right now, Nami figured that Sanji would skip about with few worries; all that would matter was being in the now with his favorite person in the world.
“You’re not using this as an excuse to walk next to me, are you?” Nami asked turning to him, arching an eyebrow.
Sanji gulped. Receiving such assumptions from the navigator he’s devoted to. The very woman he had carried in his arms, the one that he would die for. The tone of her voice didn’t seem out of malice, almost a like playful tease in the guise of a serious question, accompanied by a frisky smile and big, brown eyes locked right on him.
“What? No, it’s not like that at all, Nami-san! I’m just bound by undying courtesy— it’s a gentleman’s duty to protect his beloved from the elements.”
To prove his point, he stepped behind Nami, extended his arms forward and tilted the umbrella over her, leaving him an open target for the pelting rain.
Here we go again. As dumb as she thought his valor could be, even she couldn’t help but appreciate it just a bit. He also knew this code of his made him soft; he knew that she knew as well. It was a part of him that would never change. Like his kindness and dirty mind—it’s who he was.
“Would you just get under here already?” Nami shouted, in a tone that was sharp, but concerned. “I don’t want you getting soaked and sick because of me!”
Sanji couldn’t deny this request. He complied, circled back next to her, and joined her once again under the canopy, shaking the excess rain out of his scruffy blond hair. His attention shifted from the navigator’s amber-brown eyes to her belt holster.
“So, what are the odds of you making this rain that brings us together?” Sanji asked, fixated on Nami’s sheathed clima-tact.
Nami came to a halt and promptly pulled the love-cook in by the arm; she looked perplexed.
“What gave you that idea?”
“Well, you asked if we could spend some time together. You suggested a picnic, and you seemed pretty keen about it. I take it that you changed your mind at the last minute?”
“That’s a pretty bold guess you’re making,” Nami replied. “I’m not exactly the supreme storm guru, Sanji-kun.”
“Maybe so, but you’re still a goddess to me.”
Nami let out a small huff at Sanji’s compliment, but not out of total annoyance; it came out as a silent chuckle. She’d always received sweet nothings from this man who always wore that kind heart of his on his sleeves.
The wind began to blow a bit harder, making Nami’s ginger locks blow against the breeze. The sound of the gust accompanied the sound of rain beating down from above. As the gust picked up, it pushed Sanji back, blowing him a few feet away from Nami. The wind began to blow from behind her. Walking against the harsh breeze, she swiped against rain to try to clear her way.
Sanji regained his balance after skidding on the wet pavement, and spotted the klepto of his dreams alone in the torrent. The wet and turbulent weather showed no signs of dying down. Well, shi-
Sprinting against the wind current and rain, he managed to reach Nami; the wind actually knocked her into his chest. His first instinct was to embrace her closely with the arm that was holding her, trying to protect her as he kneeled against the stormy gale. As Sanji held Nami close, the wind whipped with a grand force, blew the umbrella inside out and flung it out of his hand.
“Hey, are you okay?” Sanji asked.
“Yeah,” Nami replied as they both stood up. Nami noticed that the rain was letting up a bit and sensed that wind died down. That wind sure felt like it lasted longer than it did. Then, she picked up Sanji’s jacket, which was knocked off her shoulders by the windstorm, put it on and buttoned it up.
Picking up the inverted, busted umbrella, Sanji peered over his shoulder and held his arm out ready to escort. ”Shall we, love?” Nami soon shuffled towards him and took his hand. “Stay close.”
Nami, gripping the handle with Sanji, glanced upwards as they failed to avoid getting wet from the rainfall. “Guess there’s really no point to this now.”
“Of course there is,” Sanji whispered, leaning his head against Nami’s shoulder.
Nami responded with a light, but firm punch—it was more in the likes of a tap— to Sanji’s shoulder. He whimpered, she smirked.
