One Piece and its characters are the property of Eiichiro Oda. This work is for entertainment purposes only
It was a bad day to wear white. Through the torrential rain, Nami continued to follow her crewmates. Mud splattered the hem of her new halter dress as her foot splashed into a puddle. It didn't matter. The dress was already ruined.
Stupid Luffy and Zoro! They ran too fast! Didn't they realize how difficult it was to run in heels? It was their fault they were even in this mess in the first place. Those two seemed to attract trouble wherever they went; that included the small war-ravaged city of Esperanza. According to the drunks in the local bar, the country's civil war had been over for three months, but the Marines remained to stabilize the city and "inspire" its citizens. Leave it to their rubber-brained captain to pick a fight with a commanding officer over a piece of bacon. And of course their idiot first mate would have to back him up.
Despite her lamenting, the navigator knew she had to keep up. If she fell behind then she would be arrested for sure. She continued to follow the echo of Luffy's light-hearted, adventure-craving laughter, but the heavy downpour started to blur her vision. The two figures of her crewmates blended into the gray sheet of rain in front of her. "Damnit, Luffy," she muttered, trying to speed up her pace. Water seeped through her open-toed shoes, causing her feet to slip sideways in the slick lining. Nami felt her ankle twist slightly and she lost her balance.
Rapidly approaching the granite cobblestone street, a string of curses ran through her head as she braced herself for the fall. Instead of feeling the crush of bone against stone, an arm caught her upper body and another scooped up her legs. "I've got you, Nami-san," a deep voice assured her through breaths. Large droplets prevented her from looking up at his face, but she immediately recognized the jawline and scruff of facial hair on his chin. How his cigarette even stayed lit in the steady rain was a mystery.
"Thank you, Sanji-kun," she replied, trying to catch her own breath. Her right arm wrapped around the back of his shoulders and she held onto the lapel of his jacket with her left hand for support. The warmth in her cheeks was only from running… That's what she told herself. Pushing away her thoughts, she focused back in front of them. She attempted to find Luffy and Zoro but the water blinded her again. Turning her face in towards the cook's shoulder, she wiped her eyes.
"Hm?! What's wrong, Nami-san?" She felt him glance down at her.
Shaking her head, she replied, "This stupid rain! I can't see anything!" She huddled closer towards his chest to shield her eyes from the downpour. "Where did Luffy and Zoro go?"
"Shit," Sanji huffed in response.
"What?" Nami didn't like the tone in his voice. His pace slowed, which made her even more nervous. "What is it?!"
"I lost them… I lost my concentration and they disappeared." He blinked then looked around, using haki to search for the duo. "Nami-san, do you remember which way the dock is?"
"North, but I can't tell which way that is in this storm," she grumbled. Great! That was all they needed was for the crew to be separated when Marines were chasing them. She knew that their nakama wouldn't leave anyone behind. That wasn't her concern. What she was afraid of was the danger everyone was in the longer they stayed in this town. Stupid rain! Stupid Marines! Stupid Luffy and Zoro!
"We should find a place to hide." Sanji interrupted her inner complaints, "at least until this storm lets up. Then we can head towards the ship." He glanced down at her again. Nami nodded in agreement.
…
After running down a few side streets, Sanji found what appeared to be the town plaza. Several adobe buildings continued to stand despite crumbling walls and damage to their structures, most likely remnants of the civil war. The top of a large cathedral could be seen just off of the square. What were the chances that the Marines would check for the two pirates in there? Making a split-second decision, the cook headed towards the building.
Cracked pillars and stone that had fallen near the entrance obstructed the solid oak doors to the church. It would be difficult for anyone to get through… almost anyone. Still carrying the navigator, Sanji easily leapt between the debris, bouncing off of one broken pillar to the other until he made it to the doors. Turning his back to the entrance to avoid accidentally injuring Nami, the cook kicked one of the doors open, then pushed his way inside the cathedral.
"Ugh… We're finally out of that mess," he commented. Walking a bit further into the large church, he took a quick look around. Aside from a massive hole in the ceiling over the altar, the building was mostly intact. It appeared to be a safe enough shelter to wait out the storm. Noticing he was still carrying Nami, Sanji started to chuckle.
"What?" The redhead wasn't amused in the slightest. She was too waterlogged to find anything funny.
The cook shook his head. "I just realized that I'm carrying you like a bride… and we're in a church… so…" he shrugged, hoping that she would at least find the humor in the situation.
"And I'm wearing white," she flatly added.
Sanji couldn't help getting excited. Heart eyes appeared and he eagerly asked, "Nami-swan, do you want to get married?!"
Pushing his face away from hers, the navigator replied, "I think I can walk now, thanks."
…
Uncomfortable with hiding in such an open space (and despite Sanji-kun repeatedly declaring he would protect her), Nami searched for the clergyman's living quarters. They were located on the second floor, down a corridor branching off from the main hall. It was a small, plain room, barely large enough to fit a desk and full-size bed. Papers were strewn all over the floor. The drawers in the desk had been emptied. "It looks like whoever was here left in a hurry," the cook commented.
"Hmm…" Nami replied absent-mindedly. She was more interested in the small kiva fireplace built into the wall. Would such a small thing be able to warm the room? It was only then that the navigator realized she had been shivering ever since they got out of the rain. Still soaked, her dress stubbornly clung to her body. The thin, wet fabric was freezing against her already cool skin. If she didn't dry off soon, she would definitely catch a cold.
"Sanji-kun, do you know how to build a fire in one of these?" She looked back over her shoulder and gasped when she saw his expression. Eyes dark and mouth pulled into a frown, the cook looked furious. He was downright frightening. Timidly, she addressed him again. "Sanj-kun?"
…
How the hell didn't he notice?! He carried her halfway through town! Her body was in his arms, for fuck's sake! Sure, the rain was blinding at the time and he was trying to concentrate on following Luffy and the dumbass. That wasn't much of an excuse, but even if it were the truth, he should have noticed when they entered the church. Well… it was dark in the main hall… That may be why he hadn't picked up on it. But now, in the overcast daylight coming through the window of the clergyman's living quarters, there was no way in hell Sanji could ignore it.
If he recalled correctly, her dress was new. Today was her first time wearing it. He had even complimented her on it at breakfast. The white shade in particular was eye-catching. Only Nami-san and rice could look that good in white. It had been beautiful when dry. After running through typhoon-like weather conditions, though…
Slowly blinking, the cook was dumbstruck. No matter where his eyes fell on her, it was the same. The dress was soaked. The fabric turned out to be very thin. Sanji was extremely aware of just how transparent her clothes had become. Every swell, every curve, every freckle, he could see everything. With the way the dress was now molded to her, Nami-san may as well have been naked in front of him… and that left him feeling very conflicted.
First was the urge to explode into a nosebleed as usual, but he was quickly distracted from doing so by his own thoughts. Second was the burning desire to pick her up and carry her to the bed. She wouldn't need a fire once he turned her on. His body was strongly vying for option two. Then he noticed goose bumps along the skin he wanted so desperately to caress. Drops of water continued to fall from her sopping wet hair and trail down her back. There was a tremble that went from her shoulders all the way down to her feet.
Shit! Sanji cursed himself. Here she was shivering cold and he was standing around, lusting after her body like a fucking jackass! What kind of gentleman could he call himself if he ignored the needs of a lady? The shitty geezer would have his head if he saw how he was behaving. He was furious with himself.
Looking away from her to avoid, the cook quickly removed his jacket and approached his female crewmate. "It's not completely dry, but…" In one smooth motion, he wrapped the coat around her shoulders. "I'm sure it's warmer than your dress," he said with a smile. The navigator responded with a blush, causing Sanji to grin even more. "So just hold on until I can get a fire started… okay?"
Nami nodded slowly. Under her calm exterior, there was a rapid fluttering in her chest. Oh no…
To be continued...