A/N: Just a little Sanji x Vivi fic written mainly in response to the immense lack of Sanji x Vivi stories out there. Now, unfortunately, however, I'm not sure if this story makes much sense… I wrote this when I should have been sleeping. lol However, I do hope you enjoy it anyway! Comments, questions, and constructive criticism are always welcome. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: One Piece and all its characters… are not mine.
Distractions
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Drift. That's what she needed to do, that's what her mind was begging for. Nefertari Vivi closed her eyes and slid slowly to her feet and onto the wooden look-out mast belonging to her current convoy, the members of the Going Merry.
It was quiet, an anomaly really with a crew such as this, and she was alone. Outside, she drank in the salty sea air that was all around her and allowed the soft lulling of the ocean waves that lapped against the pirate ship to throw her mind into reverie.
Ah, yes, a pirate ship. She was something of a pirate herself now, wasn't she? She paused at the thought and smiled wryly—quite the coming occupation for a princess. But, then again, she never did care much for what was 'coming' anyway. No, she knew, there wasn't anywhere in the world she'd rather be than with this motley group of pirates. Well, save for Arabas—
Vivi winced in pain at the realization of where her reflections had led—the mere thought of her country was in itself like a mortal wound to her flesh.
No. She wouldn't allow it. No, she took another salty gulp, it didn't help her now to think of it. Right now, as much as she hated to admit it, there was nothing she could do for her people. All she could do was pray that the ship's maximum speed would get her there in time to stop the rebellion—that's all she needed. She sighed and rubbed her temples with her slender fingers. Yes, right now all she wanted to do was drift. She…she needed a distraction.
And it was just then that she realized she was no longer alone, or more correctly, it was no longer quiet.
"Hey, Luffy! Zoro! For the last time, I said OUT!"
"C'mon now, don't you think you're—Eh? Nami, what are you doing with that knife?"
"I… SAID… OUT!"
"ZORO! I THINK SHE'S SERIOUS!"
"Luffy, she's insane! Of course she's serious!"
"Boys… must I remind you again?"
"No, heh, we're as good as gone. Right, Luffy?"
"Right. But, oi, Nami! Just watch where you're pointing that thing… it's sharp!"
"Luuuuffy…"
"Right! Sorry! OUT!"
Vivi strained an ear to listen as the shouting subsided and the sound of footsteps soon followed. Making their way directly below her she could see the figures of Zoro and Luffy safe, if not a bit frazzled.
"What a bossy witch…" Zoro sighed, scratching the back of his head.
"I can't believe she was seriously going to stab us…" Luffy wondered outloud with a smidge of worry plastered on his usually carefree visage.
"And all for a 'woman's right to privacy,'" Zoro replied, rolling his eyes, "Some captain… can't even control your own navigator…"
"Hey! Well… I'm hungry."
"And what does that have to do with anything!"
"Everything. Let's go see what Sanji's making…"
Zoro let out an exasperated sigh before following along, "…You're hopeless…"
There were a few more unintelligible dialogues between the two but they eventually ended up disappearing into the kitchen leaving Vivi, once again, alone.
She had to hand it to Nami. Only she could be able to give the likes of Luffy and Zoro such a hard run for their money without any compromise. She giggled at the scene and stopped to think if she could be capable to incite such command with such "cut-throat crewmen" as all pirates were made out to be.
Vivi shook her head. No, she couldn't. At least, not by Nami's way—she knew that much. No, she tapped her index finger rhythmically on her lips, her verbal assault was more along the lines of peaceful negotiation and logic rather than persuasive death threats. But that wasn't Nami's only means of control; after all, she had quite the arsenal when it came to using the cards of manipulation. Zoro and Sanji were two fine examples of such dealings, whether it was bribing one or charming the other. Vivi silently tousled this idea around her head, just as the sea scented winds did to her light blue hair.
Well, she was able to successfully manipulate the agents in Baroque Works for three years—that had to count for something. Therefore she should be able to find some success in the arts of bribery and charming, right? She mused.
No. Well, she could bribe, but she typically wouldn't. Nor would she charm someone deliberately to get her way, maybe as Miss Wednesday, but not as Princess Nefertari Vivi. Princess Nefertari Vivi… Princess Nefertari Vivi of Arabasta where 1,000,000 people were soon to—
Vivi violently shook her head from side to side while firmly pressing her eyelids shut lest hot tears decided to make a formal appearance creating rivers down her cheeks.
She sighed and began to focus her attention across the far horizon from her perch atop the vessel. Nothing but smooth cerulean waves everywhere around, which would mean she'd have to find distraction from another place. So she looked down below… but there was only silence. Everyone was in their own quarters or awaiting dinnertime.
"Well," she huffed to no one in particular, "I guess I have to be my own entertainment for the time being."
But then there was a shout from below.
"Vivi-chan!"
She didn't need to glance below to know who it was. She stayed situated and called to the person below without a second thought.
"Yes, Sanji-san?"
"I was wondering!" he called happily, "Would you prefer a chocolate tiramisu for dessert, or the more nutritious choice of a fruit tart?"
And even though it wasn't necessary, subconscious reflex brought her to peer over the look-out post and down onto the beaming chef.
She reflected that smile. "I think I'll have the fruit tart then, thank you!"
He continued smiling, "Did you actually believe I'd make you choose between desserts?"
She became puzzled, "Then, why did you ask, Sanji-san?"
He paused before answering with a sly grin, "I just wanted to hear your beautiful voice… Vivi-chan." And with all that needing to be said done, he began to make his way back toward the kitchen.
Now, if this were any other time or day, Vivi wouldn't have thought twice about Sanji's playful coquetry. But for Vivi, today was no ordinary day atop the look-out mast with only strange thoughts to keep her company. She wanted a different kind of guest, and it was Fate that chose Sanji to be there at that time.
She felt her heart quicken and heard the blood pumping in her ears and before she knew what she was doing, she was calling his name. He had his hand on the kitchen door but as soon as he heard her shout, he immediately answered back.
"Yes, Vivi-chan?"
Oh, no. What was she doing? She was a fool, such a complete and utter fool. "I… Um…" What was she thinking, calling out to him with nothing in particular to say?
"Are you tired of being on look-out! Because if you are… I'll go kick one of those dead-beats," and he hiked his thumb back towards the kitchen, "drooling all over my freshly mopped floor up there to finish your watch for you."
"No, no, you don't have to do that! It's just, Sanji-san, could you… " She hesitated, "Could you come up here… for a moment?" After realizing that her thoughts had actually transpired into words, she quickly shot up for objection, "But if you have to finish cooking supper, I mean, then by all means, it's fine!"
But in the time it took Vivi to conjure up syllables of excuse, Sanji had already made his way up to the look-out post and was standing right in front of her. Stunned by his alacrity, she then began to ponder whether what she had done was indeed the correct form of action. For indeed, the post was large enough for one person alone, but it made a cozy fit for anyone attempting to position themselves and another seated on the mast. Sanji calmly sat her down opposite him and proceeded to question while simultaneously putting out his cigarette and lighting a new one, "So, Vivi-chan, for what honor do I have for being invited to the love nest of a princess?"
She smiled at him for a moment, but her gaze was glued to her clasped hands in her lap for fear of accidentally revealing too much with her eyes. "I suppose I just wanted some company. It's lonely, after all, up here…"
"Yes, a fact I know all too well," he paused, "But you've never had any trouble with the look-out station before…"
"Yes, I know…" and she began wringing her hands subconsciously.
"Then…" He spied the antsy fingers then looked expectedly up at her face.
"It's just…" and as the thoughts that she had tried to fog and blur from her mind that entire day slowly began to make their presence clear, the wringing of her hands grew quicker and she brought them up to her mouth as a means of concealing the telltale quivering of her lips.
Mistaking these motions of hers as signs brought upon by the setting sun and the gradual chilliness in the air which told that night was approaching, Sanji grabbed the worried hands and placed them in his own, "Are you cold, Vivi-chan?"
Startled by this sudden action, Vivi immediately shot her gaze up and met his eyes. There was nothing she could do now; her face became an open book. For the deep pinks painted in the setting sky nicely complimented the traces of rose brushed against her cheeks. And her eyes, shining, spoke sincerely of confusion, with traces of both fear and anxiousness mixed in one. Sanji's breath became trapped in his throat as he soon realized that the hands he was holding were not at all freezing, but indeed, coursing with feverish blood. His eyes widened.
"Vivi-chan—" And he was all too afraid to move, lest the slightest vibration of muscle or flutter of eyelash would make this closeness that he felt disappear. And for that brief second in which their hands were intertwined, he didn't know how to react. So she reacted for him.
Vivi slowly released her hands from their rest in his and instead grabbed him delicately, yet firmly by the shoulders, looking him boldly in the eye. That rose tinted blush? A thing of the past. The eyes tinged with both fear and anxiousness? They were now back to their original confident luster. His mouth was agape and the cigarette in his mouth teetered precariously on the precipice of his lips.
"Sanji-san…" she whispered.
"Y-Y-Yes, V-Vivi-chan…?" And as he stuttered out these syllables, his cigarette tumbled to the floor.
"They're calling you…"
He paused, jaw still slightly unhinged, unsure if he heard correctly, "What?"
And he could have sworn he heard a twinge of sadness in her voice, "Sanji-san, they're calling you." And to better explain what she was talking about, Vivi pointed down below to where Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper were flaying their arms frantically, calling to their forgetful chef.
"Oi! Sanji! DID YOU FORGET YOU HAD DINNER IN THE OVEN!" Usopp shouted angrily.
"IT'S BURNING, SANJI! IT'S BURNING!" Chopper cried, running about in circles.
Sanji's eyes, which were still in its daze, snapped back to reality upon seeing the hysterical figures and the smoke shuffling through the kitchen entrance. He frowned. "All right, all right I'm coming," he called over. And he was about to make his descent before he paused and turned to Vivi who was smiling at him sheepishly, ushering him to go down.
"Look, Vivi-chan…"
"Thanks for keeping me company! I'm sorry I—" but she was cut off.
"…We'll get there in time, Vivi-chan… to Arabasta, I mean. Don't worry so much. We're here for you—"
"SANJI! IT'S CATCHING ON FIIIIIRE!" Luffy wailed, rubber arms wobbling in the air.
"—I'm here for you." He smiled at her reassuringly before disappearing in a flash down to the deck below.
Vivi stood at her watch for a moment, staring downward at the figures below before slowly sliding back down to the look-out mast and heaving a sigh whose meaning she did not dare interpret. With vacant eyes she began scouting across the fringes of the sea. Nothing was out on the ocean surface, no land in sight. It wasn't quiet anymore and she knew she wasn't alone with the occasional sobs that dinner was now charred and inedible. She began going over in her mind the events that had taken place during the day and she couldn't shake the feelings of guilt and embarrassment over her thoughts and actions. After all if it wasn't for her, dinner would have gone smoothly and there'd be content sailors instead of grumbling and sorrowful ones. She scolded herself for being more harmful than helpful to the crew who, she knew, was the reason she was still alive today. And as she was saying all this, she spied something peculiar near her feet that, once she recognized what it was, immediately caused a faint blush creep onto her cheeks. It was his cigarette, the one that fell so haphazardly from his mouth. There was still a slight flicker of flame glowing from the end… Sanji-san. All the feelings that had remained trapped, bubbled up within her that day had floated to the surface and he had seen it. What had he just told her before he went down to save dinner? 'I'm here for you.' She felt her heart leap and her stomach tie up in knots.
No, she reprimanded herself for even daring to think such things, she had to stop being so foolish. It was nothing. He was just being friendly. He was just being a friend, that was all. He was just—she shook her head sadly. No, this couldn't progress… as if it ever could. It wasn't the time, she realized, to dwell on such things. Distractions… distractions were much too dangerous, she decided. And she pulled her knees up to her chin, tightly hugging her legs with her arms, watching as the cigarette light slowly died along with the setting sun's. She waited atop the mast silently, diligently watching the line which separated sea from sky. She kept her stare vigilant and steady ahead of her, off into the horizon for she'd want to be alert when it finally came into sight… Arabasta.
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A/N: Hm… yes, not quite the happy ending, I know, but I never actually intended it to have one… The story was originally just going to be one-sided S x V on Vivi's reflective, musing part, but it eventually evolved into this as the writing and story progressed. I know it wasn't much, but I still hope you got some enjoyment out of it :) Don't forget to R&R! I'd greatly appreciate it :)