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The Thousand Sunny…
With everyone fed, Sanji went out to the deck behind the kitchen for a smoke break. Lighting his cigarette, he deeply inhaled, then exhaled as he leaned forward to rest his elbows on the ship railing. The smoke drifted from his lips and swirled before dissipating into the sea air. It had only been a few hours since they escaped Big Mom’s territory, but things already seemed to return to normal on the Sunny. Loosening the cravat of his groom’s suit, he tried to shake the nagging feeling in the back of his mind. “’Normal’ and yet… something’s off,” he said quietly to himself. Then he heard the sound of footsteps.
The click of high heels on wood grew louder. Sanji turned his head to see Nami approaching. “There you are,” she sighed. Stopping a few steps away from him, she crossed her arms. “Luffy is whining for dessert.” She impatiently shifted her weight from one foot to the other.
Why does she look so uncomfortable? Then it dawned on him. The nagging thing at the back of his mind. Nami-san! Although she appeared happy when he returned to the ship and hugged him, along with Brook and Chopper, she seemed distant now. When he was mobbed by Luffy and the others for a meal, she kept her distance and observed them with a smile. Even now as she was talking to him, he noticed the space between them. Why?
His mind quickly ran through the events on Whole Cake Island. It was difficult to keep track of everything, but did he ever get the chance to apologize to her? When he was with Luffy, he attempted to apologize before she interrupted him. “I’ll never forgive you!” her words came back to haunt him now, stabbing him through the heart again. Shit!
Was she afraid of him? Did she hate him? Now that they were safe, was she still refusing to forgive him? Meanwhile, Nami was right in front of him, expecting a response. “Sanji-kun, did you hear me?”
“Nami-san, come here a minute,” Sanji requested and offered her his hand. He needed to resolve this before the distance between them grew any further.
She gave him a puzzled look. “What about Luffy?” she questioned.
“I’ll go in a bit. Just come take a break with me first,” he replied with his hand still extended towards her. Instead of taking it, Nami warily walked around him until she was on his other side. Arms still crossed, she leaned with her back against the railing. Sanji dropped his hand with a sigh and turned back to face the ocean.
“Is something wrong?” Nami glanced at him. The tension in her voice reflected her stiff posture.
“I wanted to ask you the same thing,” Sanji replied. He watched one wave crash into another, then blend into the rest of the sea.
“I’m fine,” Nami was quick to reply. As she said so, her gaze shifted downward in doubt.
Sanji nodded, sensing the uncertainty in her response. “Are you afraid of me?” he asked quietly.
Color rushed to her cheeks in embarrassment. “Of course not,” Nami nervously replied. “Why would you ask such a thing?”
“You just seem distant now,” Sanji replied, cutting to the point. He took a drag on his cigarette and blew out the smoke with a sigh. “Did you mean it when you said you would never forgive me?”
Nami pouted, “I…” She struggled to find the words. Was he really going to throw this back in her face now? “Is that why you look so depressed?” she questioned, unable to hide her annoyance. “You look like you want to leave again.”
It was a rare event that Sanji was ever short with Nami, but exhaustion and lack of sleep started to wear on his patience. “I never wanted to leave,” he quietly argued. His hands gripped the railing in frustration. “It’s not like I had a choice. Of all people, I thought you would understand that.”
“What is that supposed to mean?!” Nami glared at him.
“Don’t you remember Arlong Park?!” He glared back at her, then immediately regretted his response. Nami looked like someone knocked the wind out of her. Unconsciously, she reached up to touch her left shoulder. Sanji tried to backtrack. “N-Nami-san, I didn’t…”
“Just leave me alone,” she replied softly and began to walk away. “It’s not like I can trust you to stay, anyway.”
Suddenly, it clicked. She’s afraid to trust me. Sanji tossed his cigarette into the sea below and immediately reached for her. Grabbing Nami by the wrist, he pulled her back until she was between him and the railing. Placing his hands on the banister on both sides of her, he leaned down until he was eye level with her.
“What are you doing?!” Nami was beyond angry, but as soon as she saw his intense gaze, her expression softened. Sanji’s eyes searched her own for an understanding.
After a moment, he finally spoke. “I know you hugged me…”
“…along with Brook and Chopper,” Nami interjected.
“I don’t want us to be like this, Nami-san,” Sanji pleaded.
“Maybe you should have thought of that before you abandoned us!!” She scowled at him. Sanji was wounded. He refused to give up, though. Grabbing her by the waist, he easily lifted her up until she was seated on the railing. Nami cried out in fear, “Sanji-kun, what are you doing?!!” Her fingers clung onto the banister, which offered little support.
“Trying to prove a point,” Sanji replied, still keeping a grip on her waist despite being stretched over her lap and facing the possibility of being kicked by her flailing legs.
“How?!! By throwing me overboard?!!” Nami wobbled on the banister, trying to keep her balance. “Let me down! I’m going to fall!!”
Sanji took a steady breath. “Nami-san, look at me,” he spoke to her in a firm, even tone. He waited to see her eyes before he continued, “I won’t let you fall, but…” His right hand gently touched her knee, “I need you to trust me and let me in close enough to get a better grip on you.”
“Are you kidding me?!!” She shot him an incredulous look. “You want me to open my legs for you?!! I’m wearing a dress, you pervert!!”
Sanji was more than aware of that as he glanced down at her naked legs. Had it been any other moment in the time they knew each other, he probably would’ve responded with an immediate nose bleed. But right now, all he focused on was regaining her trust. Slowly exhaling, he made eye contact with her again. “Just trust me… please?”
Nami felt her panicked breaths begin to slow as she kept eye contact with him. Her clenched legs began to slowly give way to his touch. “There you go,” Sanji sighed and took a step forward between her knees. Closing the distance allowed him to adjust his grip on her. His left hand moved to the small of her back, holding her body steady on the railing, as his right continued to gently nudge her legs apart. Glancing down, he noticed her knuckles turning white from her grip on the banister. “You can hang onto me if you want, Nami-san,” he quietly reassured her, “I’m not going anywhere.”
Releasing one hand at a time, she grabbed onto his shoulders. It was only then she noticed he was still in his wedding suit. Despite the circumstances, he did look handsome in it. Nami furiously blushed at her stray thought and realized how close he was to her now. Immediately she locked her legs, stopping him mid-length between her thighs. “That’s far enough,” she breathed.
Nodding, Sanji looked down to see how far she let him in. Honestly, he wanted to embrace her, but that would prove awkward in the arms’ length distance between them. Looking back into her eyes, he cocked a curly eyebrow, “You’re not going to let me in any further?” Shyly biting her lip, Nami shook her head “no.” No matter how cute her expression was, it still worried him. “What are you afraid of, Nami-san?”
Her voice was quiet, “I’m afraid you’ll let me go.”
“Why would I do that?” Sanji replied.
“Because…” her voice trembled with emotion. “Because you already have before.”
Ignoring the resistance from her thighs, Sanji immediately closed the distance and embraced her. Her body crumpled against him in his arms. Stroking her long hair away from her neck with his left hand, he whispered in her ear, “I’ll never let you go, Nami-san.”
They both drew back to face each other, realizing their close proximity. With his right arm holding her body steady, Sanji cupped her face with his left hand. “I’m sorry,” he spoke in a hushed tone.
“Sanji-kun,” Nami murmured softly. Looking to her mouth, Sanji lightly brushed his thumb across her bottom lip. He felt the warmth of her breath against the tip as it passed. He looked back up to her eyes, seeking permission. “Baka*,” she muttered, then leaned down to press her lips against his. “I’m sorry, too,” she apologized between kisses. Her fingers gently traced down his left cheek where she slapped him.
Shaking his head, Sanji responded, “No, don’t apologize for that.” He kissed the corner of her frown. “I deserved that.” Nami opened her mouth to object, but Sanji took the opportunity to pull her in for another kiss, this time wanting to convey his passion. He grabbed her from underneath her right thigh to pull his body flush against hers.
Nami gasped, immediately embarrassed by her involuntary response. A bright pink blush crept across her face. Sanji grinned and moved in to nuzzle her neck. “I’ve got something else to apologize for, Nami-san,” he murmured against her skin.
Feeling his lips graze her neck, she let out a sigh. Her thighs squeezed against his body with a deep-seated need. “What’s that?” she replied.
“I really wasn’t trying to be a pervert,” he breathed. Grabbing her hips, Sanji gently nudged her with his own. The moan he received in response encouraged him. “But all I can think about right now is how much I want you,” he whispered in her ear, “right here.”
Unable to disguise her own desire, Nami kissed him to show how much she wanted him, too. Feeling her tongue against his, Sanji shivered. He couldn’t wait any longer. His right hand slowly pushed up her skirt and sought the source of heat radiating from her body. Almost there…
Suddenly there was a loud cry from their captain at the other end of the ship. “SAAAANJIIII!!!! FOOOOOOD!!!” Sanji gave a muffled whimper and released Nami’s mouth. Luffy continued yelling, “I WANT DESSERRRRRRRTT!! I WANT SWEEEEEEEEETS!!”
Nami chuckled and gave Sanji a small kiss on the forehead. “You know he won’t stop until he’s fed,” she said quietly. Hopefully the others couldn’t hear where they were.
Sanji let out a frustrated growl, “You know I won't stop until I hear you screaming my name.” He pressed his hips into hers and made sure she felt his arousal. Nami replied with a soft gasp, causing him smile devilishly. “And even then, I still won’t want to stop,” he whispered. Suddenly they both turned their head towards the unmistakable sound of reindeer hooves coming up the staircase.
Sanji reluctantly sighed before helping her down onto her feet. He straightened the skirt of her dress before taking a step away from her. As he did so, he grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips. Nami’s cheeks glowed an even brighter shade of pink. “Until later,” he murmured against her fingers and gave her a wink. He turned just in time to catch Chopper running towards them.
The little reindeer was out of breath. “Sanji! Luffy is crying for…”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I heard him,” Sanji replied while taking out another cigarette from his pocket and lighting it. He started walking towards the kitchen. Looking down, he noticed Chopper trailing behind him. “Do you want some dessert, too?”
“YES!!” Chopper sang out and started skipping next to Sanji. “Hey, what were you and Nami talking about?”
Sanji smirked to himself and cheekily replied, “dessert.”