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The stars outside shine almost as beautifully as you Nami-san. Would you like to come watch them with me?
Love, Sanji
Nami rolled her eyes when she read the note Sanji had carefully folded next to the cup of warm milk he brought her. It was written in his usual flowery handwriting and smelled faintly of tobacco.
Sanji wrote her love letters often, occasionally bringing a small note with a late-night snack he had prepared for her. It was all cheesy, lovey-dovey, classic Sanji B.S. that she didn’t read twice. She was certain Robin was receiving similar ones. And because of the sheer amount she had received over time, she didn’t truly believe he meant the things he was saying, especially because of how melodramatic and grandiose the content of the letters was.
Turning back to her sea charts, she scribbled away, sipping the hot drink as she worked. She lost herself in the task. It had been a while since she’d gotten a chance to work on her maps, and when she realized they wouldn’t reach the next island for a few days, she knew she had to seize the opportunity.
Nami stopped only when her hands began to cramp. Leaning back in her chair, she admired her handiwork. Finishing sea charts gave her a sense of completeness that little else did. She hummed contentedly as she stretched her arms above her head and glanced at the clock, which now read 11:45 pm. She shot to her feet, not realizing how late it had gotten.
She began swiftly packing away her materials when she heard a crash.
“Shit!” Nami swore, her head shooting down to identify the source of the noise. The mug lay in pieces on the floor, along with Sanji’s note, which was now stained.
Quickly kneeling down to the floor, she lifted up the note and blew on it, gingerly brushing her thumb over the stained edge before setting it aside. Turning back to the broken mug, she assessed the damage. It wasn’t too bad, probably fixable with some adhesive, but a bit of milk still needed to be cleaned from the floor.
She turned and climbed the ladder to the bathroom for a towel. Returning, she crouched down and carefully gathered the broken ceramic onto the fabric before wiping up the remaining liquid.
As Nami finished putting her sea chart supplies away, she frowned at Sanji’s stained note. Despite the volume of love letters she had already received from him, she could never bring herself to throw them away. So they lay scattered in various places all over the places she frequented most often on the ship. As such, she already had a growing stack of them in the chart room, tucked in between a few books on the bottom shelf. She moved to tuck tonight’s letter in with the rest.
Now all that remained was to fix the mug. Nami remembered that Usopp might have some sort of glue or adhesive in his “Usopp Factory”, so that was probably the best place to check first. If she were lucky, he might even still be awake to help her fix it.
She carried the towel with the broken mug and slipped quietly out of the chart room.
The cool night air hit her face instantly. She barely had time to take in the vast stretch of sky before a soft glow near the helm caught her eye.
The source of the light appeared to be a small lantern, illuminating a blonde figure wrapped in a blanket.
Sanji.
Nami’s heart dropped.
…Had he really been out here this whole time?
Beside him lay a second blanket, neatly spread out, prepared for her.
Cocking her head to the side, curiosity got the better of her. She moved silently to the helm of the ship, all thoughts of repairing the mug dissolved at once.
One of Nami’s favorite skills she had gained from her time as a thief was watching people without being noticed. People are simply more honest when they don’t think anyone is looking. Because of that, sometimes she was able to catch a sort of rare version of them that you wouldn’t be able to see otherwise.
From the steps leading down to the lawn deck, Nami lingered in silence, studying him. She never intended to get this close; nevertheless, she’d been drawn into the scene. He looked oddly peaceful, with a hint of.. loneliness? melancholy?
While she watched him, a few thoughts stirred about in her head. Namely, how long had Sanji been out here? Was he waiting there for her? Was this a regular ordeal?
The wind stirred, brushing Sanji’s hair back from his face. He lifted a hand, flicking his lighter open, and the brief flare of light cast his sharp features in gold as he took a slow drag.
He exhaled slowly, the smoke curling lazily into the night air before disappearing altogether.
She studied every detail of him in the dark: the curve of his face, the shape of his lips, how his eyes seemed to shine in the moonlight.
Her gaze lingered on it a moment longer than necessary. She knew that she had overstayed her welcome, but just as she was about to retreat, something else caught her attention.
The blanket around his shoulders slipped a bit, revealing his slightly shivering shoulders.
The words left her mouth before she had a chance to think.
“You’re going to catch a cold out here, Sanji-kun"
Sanji turned sharply, caught off guard.
“Nami-san!”
She watched as he stared at her, stunned, a look of both surprise and confusion coloring his face. Nami figured he might be trying to figure out how long she had been standing there, watching him from afar.
“I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long,” Nami remarked lightly, flattening her skirt as she sat down beside him.
This turn of events surprised even her, but she felt inexplicably drawn to the idea of keeping him company tonight. Perhaps it was a mix of the guilt she felt about staining his note, breaking his mug, and discovering he’d been out here waiting for her. Maybe it was how oddly peaceful and somewhat lonely he looked out here. Whether she wanted to join him to make him feel better or relieve the guilt she felt about the events of the night, she hadn’t quite figured out yet herself.
“You look beautiful tonight, Nami-san,” he remarked with a flirtatious grin.
Nami rolled her eyes and playfully pushed his shoulder. “Oh hush.”
Sanji chuckled and took a slow drag of his cigarette.
He exhaled before finishing, glancing back at the night sky, with an unreadable, slightly bittersweet expression on his face.
“I confess, I didn’t think you’d come.”
The rest of the sentence, “You never have before,” hung unspoken between them.
She glanced at him sadly and opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the soft sound of ceramic clinking together, giving away both Nami’s mishap and primary motive for coming outside. Nami’s heart sank, immediately feeling her guilt double.
Sanji looked at her quizzically, his gaze dropping to what she held in her hands as if waiting for an explanation.
Nami just looked down at the ground, embarrassed.
“…Don’t get mad, okay?” she said, glancing up at him.
“At you?” Sanji blinked. “Never.”
Nami opened up the towel to reveal the shattered mug.
“I just, I forgot it was there and I-.”
“Nami-san,” Sanji said gently, cutting her off before she could keep going. “It’s nothing. I can fix that easily.” He smiled at her reassuringly.
His eyes lingered on the towel for a moment. Long enough to understand. He would never comment on it, but a slightly more solemn expression overtook his features.
They sat in silence for a moment longer, staring up at the stars.
Nami felt the tension swirl around them, which only made the pit in her stomach twist sharply. She knew enough about Sanji to know he’d undoubtedly forgive her for breaking the mug, but what truly unsettled her was the sense that he’d seen right through her, that she hadn’t come here earnestly.
And she felt truly guilty about that fact.
“Do you do this often?” She blurted out.
Sanji raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth to speak, but Nami cut him off to clarify,
“Stargaze, I mean.”
He took a drag of his cigarette before answering.
“Sometimes.”
A brief pause followed.
“It reminds me of home. Of the Baratie.” He explained.
“After a long shift, and if the weather was particularly nice, I’d step out onto the balcony, have a smoke, and just look.”
His eyes drifted back to the sky.
“It was the only time of day I really felt like I had a moment to myself. It felt..” He paused, like he was searching for the right word.
“Peaceful?” Nami asked.
“Exactly.” He grinned back at her. “Whatever was bothering me that day just didn’t seem quite as important after.”
He exhaled, smoke curling into the night air, then let out a small chuckle.
“It’s kind of ironic, because I don’t know a thing about astronomy. Couldn’t name a single constellation, really.” He said with a faint, almost embarrassed smile.
Nami hadn’t expected that kind of answer. She studied his face, expecting a second, flirty version of Sanji to pop out at any moment, but he stayed still and quiet. He really was full of surprises tonight.
“Wait.” Nami held up a hand, mock offense flashing across her face.
“You really can’t name any constellations? Not even the Big Dipper?”
Sanji let out a small laugh. “No, I’m serious.”
“Well, that’s got to change.” She announced matter-of-factly as she scooted closer to him.
A sly smile crept on her face. “I should warn you though, my astronomy lessons start at 10,000 Berries, and for a private session like this..” Nami shook her head. “Maybe double that.”
“I don’t care what the price is,” Sanji responded with a grin. “If you’re the one teaching it, it’ll be worth it.”
Nami nodded, satisfied.
“In that case, we’ll start with the aforementioned Big Dipper. It’s easy to spot, made up of 7 stars, and it’s shaped like a soup ladle, so it should be easy for a chef like you to remember.”
She tilted her head back toward the sky, lifting a hand to point.
“See? Right there.”
Sanji squinted his eyes, following her gesture, his gaze flicking between the stars and her face.
“Once you find that, the Little Dipper’s nearby. It’s the same shape, but smaller.”
She shifted slightly closer without thinking, tracing the pattern in the air.
“One of the biggest differences between the two is that the Little Dipper contains the North Star. It’s one of the most reliable ways to find true north, obviously important for navigation.”
Sanji watched her quietly, the trace of a smile playing on his lips. There was no doubt she was in her element. The pure passion and excitement in her voice made her ten times as stunning, he thought to himself. He’d always known she was brilliant, but seeing her light up like this was something else entirely.
Nami kept going, pointing out star after star, her explanations coming more quickly now, as she eased into something familiar. She explained how certain constellations are only visible in certain hemispheres or at different times of the year, and how cloud coverage could affect visibility. She defined each zodiac constellation, along with the roots of their names.
Eventually, the two found themselves in a sort of peaceful, content silence, the tension seeming to have faded as fast as it came.
Sanji found himself staring more at Nami than at the stars. She pretended not to notice, but the faint glow of pink on her cheeks betrayed her.
Nami found herself thinking that it was easy, being with him. They didn’t often find themselves alone like this, she realized. Admittedly, things seemed different when it was just them alone. Quieter, softer.
She could feel his gaze on her. She felt a bit nervous to meet his eyes, as if doing so might stir something she wouldn’t be able to ignore.
“I think I owe you an apology,” Nami said.
Sanji tilted his head slightly, confusion flickering across his face.
“For the mug? Nami-san, like I said-”
“For the letters,” she cut in.
Nami drew in a slow breath.
“I admit, I didn’t realize you were… serious,” she confessed hesitantly.
Before he could respond, she continued.
“I thought it was just… I don’t know. Typical Sanji flirting. Just one of those over-the-top things you say without really meaning it.”
She looked down quickly.
“I guess.. I didn’t expect you’d actually be out here. Waiting for me.”
Silence settled between them for a moment.
“You really think I don’t mean it?”
This time, Nami let herself look at him, but immediately wished she hadn’t. His eyes were filled with hurt and confusion, something she wasn’t used to seeing from him.
“Nami-san…” He began, a look of severe earnestness taking over his expression while he grasped her hand.
“Please believe me when I say I mean every damn thing I’ve ever said to you. No matter how over-the-top it might sound.”
He held her gaze.
“I truly feel that way about you.”
Heat rushed to Nami’s face, and she quickly looked away, letting go of his hand.
“I’m sure you feel the same about every woman you’ve met,” she muttered, surprised by the jealousy-fueled bitterness in her own voice.
Sanji was quiet for a moment.
“It’s true that I’ve met many beautiful women.”
Nami scoffed.
“But..” He paused, looking back at her, something uncharacteristically sincere in his expression.
“Other women have never made me feel the way you do.”
Nami’s eyes widened in surprise, and her breath caught softly as something unfamiliar stirred in her chest, warm and unsettling all at once.
She simply held his gaze, unsure what to do with the information he’d just given her.
“For a start, I’ve never written any other women letters.”
Sanji took another long drag of his cigarette and gazed back up at the sky.
“It’s only ever been you, if I’m being honest with myself.”
Nami thought back on all the letters he had given her over the years.
“Nami-san, I’ve prepared something sweet for you this evening, but I fear it pales in comparison to your sweetness. Won’t you come judge for yourself?”
“Even the sun seems dull on days you don’t smile, Nami-san. You are my rainbow after a storm, my dawn after darkness.”
“The sunset is beautiful this evening. I thought it might shine brighter if you were there to see it. Care to join me?”
“I could spend an eternity getting lost in your eyes. Not even a log pose would be able to navigate me back to where I came.”
Every interaction she had ever had with Sanji took on a new meaning. Every letter, every conversation, every time he had gone out of his way to do something for her.
“You really mean it,” she breathed.
The two of them sat in silence, just looking at each other.
Nami shook her head and chuckled lightly.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen you so serious around me before.”
Sanji let out a soft huff.
“Nami-san, you wound me,” he said, hand to his chest.
“I know how to be serious when the moment calls for it!”
“Sure, sure,” she teased, nudging him lightly.
Then, almost without thinking, she shifted closer until their arms brushed, and let her head rest against his shoulder.
He reflexively tensed up a bit. For a brief second, she wondered if she’d made the wrong move.
Then he exhaled, relaxing into her.
“…I like this version of you,” Nami murmured.
Her hand found his, tracing absently over each callus and crease.
Sanji went still beneath her touch, his breath catching for a moment.
The warmth of her against him, the quiet ease of it, felt so unusual.
“You must be trying to kill me,” Sanji exhaled.
Nami raised an eyebrow.
“I can’t have you die on me just yet.” She said softly.
“Why’s that?” he responded flirtily.
“You haven’t finished paying off your debt.” She said matter-of-factly.
“Right, of course”, he chuckled in response.
The pair settled into a comfortable silence, one that no longer felt tense or uneasy to sit with.
“Same time tomorrow?” Nami inquired.
Sanji smiled back at her. “I’d like that”.
Above them, the stars stretched endlessly across the sky, unchanged as ever.
But something, quietly and undeniably, had shifted between the two of them.
And for once, Nami didn’t have the urge to run from it.