Edible

It wasn't very often Sanji took a painstaking effort to bake dessert. For sure, he did make the crew sweets. He knew how to make cookies, donuts, and cakes. Those came just as easily as his other gourmet dishes. Luffy and Chopper were very happy when he did present them with dessert after a meal. And of course he made those extra special treats for Robin and herself. But for him to be so engrossed and secretive over one of his cooking creation was a little unusual. So very unlike him.

Generally everyone was welcomed in his kitchen, but for one entire day he banned all entrance. Sanji went as far as to cover up all the portholes to prevent any spying. Even she and Robin weren't allowed access and he politely asked if they could just wait until the meal was served before coming in.

Lunch came with no hint whatsoever of what he was making and as soon as Luffy was done with his third helping, Sanji shooed everyone out. Sanji was being tight-lipped and only said it would be ready tomorrow.

Naturally this only made things worse for Sanji. Instead of respecting his wishes and leaving him to his privacy, three of the crew decided they had to know what he was working on. It was soon discovered the mysterious creation was hidden away in the refrigerator, guarded vehemently by Sanji.

After several harebrained plans, one of them involving an actual hare, Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper came out battered, beaten, and kicked to submission and no closer to solving the dessert mystery. An irate pirate cook made sure of it.

Nami shook her head at the three of them during dinner. Their faces covered in bloody bumps and bruises. Admittedly, she was burning with curiosity just like Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper, but she pretended not to care and avoided any of mention of Sanji's secret dessert.

Dinner was boisterous and hectic as ever. Luffy begged for everyone's leftover, Zoro demanded another bottle of booze, Brook laughed at another of his skull jokes and Franky sang a song about cola.

Through it all, Nami quietly eyed the refrigerator. The refrigerator that she helped Sanji buy. It had a combination lock that only Sanji, Robin, and she knew the key numbers to. It wouldn't be hard to sneak back later when everyone was asleep. All she wanted was a little peek.

Dinner finally came to an end, but a fight broke out between Zoro, Franky, and Usopp over whose turn it was to wash the dishes. Each claimed he did it the week before. Sanji didn't give a shit and barked that they all should do it and get it over. They all disagreed with Sanji and so the fighting continued.

Rather than listen to all the ruckus, Nami took the opportunity to bid everyone a good night and left for her quarter. Her plan was to work on her maps and then drop by the galley later in the night for an unscheduled coffee break. Simple enough.

Nami dove into her work and lost track of the time, almost forgetting her earlier plan of a coffee break. The sound of voices outside snapped her out of her concentration. The night was late and Robin was not back from the observation room. Nami could hear the boys' mindless chatter as they headed toward their quarter. Most importantly, Sanji was with them.

Giving them a few more minutes, Nami waited until the noise died down. When it was finally quiet, she slipped out and sprinted towards the galley. She took one last look at the men's quarter, made sure no one came out and then went inside.

The room was pitch-black, but somehow Nami found her way to the refrigerator. Years of thievery made it easy. She still needed a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness before she could put in the combination for the lock. A soft click confirmed the correct sequence and she pulled the door open. From the dim glow of the refrigerator light, she could make out the shape of something large resting on the top shelf. Nami blinked twice. She couldn't believe her eyes.

It was a cupcake cake.

There had to be dozens and dozens of colorful cupcakes sitting on a six-tier cake stand. Upon a closer inspection, Nami saw each cupcake was unique. No two were alike. Different flavor, different frosting, different colored paper. Some had rainbow sprinkles. Others were topped with cocoa powder, shaved coconut, or chocolate chip. She couldn't imagine the amount work that went in to making the cake. It had to be the cutest thing Sanji had ever made. And cute was something Sanji was not known for.

As Nami marveled at the cake, a sudden force rocked the Thousand Sunny. The whole room shook and began to tilt, turning onto its side. A gust of wind or a strong wave, Nami should have sensed it before it hit, but life on the Grand Line was very unpredictable and chaotic. Quickly she grabbed the edge of the refrigerator to brace herself as everything went sideways and watched in horror as the contents of the refrigerator slid towards her. Especially one cupcake cake.

Fuck!

Nami shut her eyes. She couldn't bear to watch. There was the inevitable collision, followed by an eerie silence and punctuating creaks. A few moments later, the room righted itself. Nami cracked open one eye to survey the damage. Her body stopped the cake stand from sliding completely out, but some of the cupcakes weren't so lucky. And sadly, they were beyond the five-second rule.

Just like dropping buttered toast, all the cupcakes landed on their frosting. Nami grumbled unhappily. Why couldn't they have landed on their paper cups instead? One or two would have been nice, but all of them on their frosting.

When she was sure the ship was steady again, she carefully shoved the cake stand with the remaining cupcakes back on its shelf. Nami didn't know what to do with the rest of cupcakes on the floor and it was obvious Sanji was going to notice his cake was smaller. Maybe she could fix them before he found out. She could scrape off the frosting and apply another frosting on them. After all the cake portion was still edible. The cupcakes were only a little flat on top from the landing.

With a strategy formulated in her mind, Nami had to act fast. Who knew how much time she had. She peered inside the refrigerator, searching for any bowl or container. There had to be leftover frosting somewhere. She suddenly snorted a laugh to herself. What was she thinking? Leftover was an unheard of word on this ship. Then Nami heard a voice that scared the living daylights out of her.

"Nami-san!"

The light switched on in the galley. Nami froze, stared at Sanji and then stared at the cupcake cake inside the refrigerator. Immediately she slammed the fridge door closed, but it was too late. The way things looked, it was like a freaking crime scene. The murder victim being the cake. Covered in cake frosting, all Nami needed was a knife and fork to complete the look of the murderer.

Sanji was utterly speechless. He dropped his cigarette, which thankfully was unlit and gaped at his poor cupcakes on the floor.

"Sanji-kun, I'm so..." Nami stammered, but her words didn't reach him.

Only a tiny sob escaped his lips. He quietly wandered over to the mess, squatted down and continued to stare at those cupcakes. Then he stuck his fist in his mouth and started biting his knuckles. He looked heartbroken.

Seriously, wasn't he overreacting just a little bit? It's not like he lost a treasure trove or a million beri. They were just cupcakes. Then Nami paused and thought. If the map she had been working on had been destroyed, how would she feel? Probably pretty crummy herself. It was not an easy task to replicate any of her maps. The copies were never exactly the same as the originals.

"Sanji-kun," Nami repeated desperately, shaking her head. No answer. If it had been Zoro or Luffy or any of the other male crew member, she bet Sanji would have been boiling mad. But then she realized, none of them could have gotten the fridge door open.

It was all her fault and she felt awful. Sanji was always so kind and thoughtful towards her. Always attentive and helpful. How did she repay him? By ruining his work. Why didn't she just wait like everyone else? The cupcake cake would have been all right if she only left it alone.

Why didn't he shout at her, tell her off, call her a witch? She deserved it all. It was better than watching him cried softly to himself. It was an upsetting sight.

Nami heaved a heavy sigh. It was clear how much that cake meant to him, but enough was enough. If he wasn't mad at her now, he will be. Nami took one of the cupcake off the floor and smashed it in his face. Not exactly the way she wanted to apologize to him, but it certainly knocked him out of his daze.

Sanji gave an uneasy chuckle when he looked at her. "Nami-san?" he said in confusion as if he was seeing her for the first time. "Did you want coffee? A midnight snack? I can prepare you a scrumptious cucumber and watercress tea sandwich."

This guy was really too much. His cake on the floor and on his face, and he still wanted to make something for her. Nami squatted down next to him. "Sanji-kun, aren't you a little mad?"

"Mad? Mad at you?" The suggestion shocked him. "I'm mad at myself. I should have secured the cake. Now your clothes are stained."

Nami shook her head in amazement. The impossible fool, but that was the way Sanji was. She could have chucked his cake right off the ship and he still would have found some way of excusing her. She could do no wrong in his eyes.

Nami took a deep breath and sighed again. It was no use trying to change him. It was like asking a dog to meow. He just wasn't capable of it. It was then Nami decided he was too courteous towards women, which in itself was a double-edge sword. She hated the idea of someone taking advantage of his kindness and chivalry. He was simply too dumb to defend himself.

Now what was she suppose to do with him?

To answer her own question, Nami leaned forward and licked a piece of cake off his face. It was tiramisu with mascarpone frosting and it tasted fantastic.

The move stupefied Sanji. His cheeks turned pink and he fell on his rear, staring at her with his eyes wide open.

Nami was surprised herself and she felt her heart quicken. She wasn't entirely sure what prompted her to do that and she laughed nervously because of it. "The cupcake taste good," she said shyly.

Several seconds passed where neither one said or did anything and in that brief moment Nami was consciously aware of how close they were to each other. Sanji wore his usual black suit, his tie hanging loose. The top two buttons of his shirt were undone, revealing a bit of his chest. Suddenly she wondered what was under his shirt and what would it feel like to run her fingers all over him.

Nami stopped herself cold. Why was she ogling him? Silly girl. It was just Sanji. There was nothing different about him today, nothing special. He did the same things he always did: cook, smoke, shout, curse, flirt and swoon.

So why was she having a hard time right now? The more she tried to avert her eyes, the more she wanted to...

Nami screamed in her head. What was she thinking? It wasn't the first time she had those crazy thoughts. She needed to get out of there. She needed to clear her head. She needed to hug him and kiss him.

Oh god, those crazy thoughts again. Stay calm. Slow, even breaths, she told herself.

Nami risked a glance in his direction. She wanted to laugh. Sanji looked ridiculous, and yet adorable. He really was a sweet man, despite the tough guy exterior. Then it dawned on her. All those times he told her she was beautiful, helped her tend her mikan trees, flirted with her, made her feel wanted and special. What she took for granted and never saw before.

He was the one who was special. Sanji was always special.

"Nami-san?" he questioned, breaking the uncomfortable tension.

She gave him a serious look and decided. "Let's not waste food," Nami breathed provocatively.

It was madness, pure madness, the one side of her brain was telling her, but that didn't stop her. She leaned forward and grabbed his tie and pulled him to her. Their mouths made contact. The kiss was sweet, partly because of the cupcake. Sanji was definitely startled and it showed. He lost his ability to sit upright and his back ended up meeting the floor with Nami sprawled all over him. But it didn't matter to her. In fact, it was a better position for the things she had in mind.

Despite the rough landing, their lips were still locked, and within moments, their kiss intensified, sending her heart pounding with anticipation. A tiny prodding from her and she was soon exploring his mouth and tasting him. It was ecstasy. Unbelievable ecstasy. Who knew it could be like this. Then Nami remembered something important and got busy with her hands. She wanted his clothes off. She was dying to see what was underneath.

Nami unbuttoned his jacket and shirt and pulled them both apart. Her fingertips caressed the shape of him, feeling his taut muscles. His necktie proved to be difficult to figure out so she left it alone.

With much effort, Nami broke the heated kiss and sat up, straddling him. She stared down at him. His face was flushed and his breathing was unsteady. Nami hungrily licked her lips as her eyes soaked in the sight of him. A smooth, toned torso, his broad shoulders tapered down to a narrow waist. Her fingers rested lightly on his firm abdomen. He looked good. Lean, but muscular.

She wasn't sure how long she was staring at him when Sanji suddenly cleared his throat. "So...is everything satisfactory?" he asked, sounding very nervous. Long strands of blond hair hid both of his eyes.

Evidently the silence made him feel self-conscious, like maybe she didn't like what she saw. She touched her finger to his lips and a wicked grin appeared on her face. Snatching a cupcake off the floor, Nami smeared the frosting all over his chest. She took a bite before tossing it away.

Lifting his head off the floor to see what she was doing, his eyes grew as big as dinner plates. Sanji was horrified.

"Don't move," Nami commanded. Sanji instantly followed her instruction. He would have stopped breathing if he could.

It was probably sacrilegious to him to see food used in this manner. But it shouldn't matter as long as it was all consumed, right? Nami bent down and proceeded to lick him clean. Delicious. It was vanilla cream cheese. The musky smell of him mingled with the sugary dessert was intoxicating. Her tongue slid down from his neck to his collarbone and worked its way to his nipple. From there, she savored the feeling of his skin under her tongue, sucking on the nub. His mouth let out a sharp gasp and his chest heaved uncontrollably, crying out her name. Nami enjoyed his response and continued working him to a frenzy.

As Sanji twisted and squirmed under her attention, his hands bravely ran along her legs and up her thighs. He hesitated just before reaching her hips. Impatient at his slow progress, Nami grabbed his hand and pushed it up her skirt, letting it rest on her butt. Encouraged by her action, his other hand followed a different path and made its way under her shirt to her back, his fingers rubbing and massaging her.

After Nami thoroughly cleaned him, she searched for another cupcake. Red, yellow, dark brown, pink or something else? She couldn't decide. As she was about to reach for the red one, Sanji sat up and pushed her down, devouring her mouth. He was on top, but was careful not to put his full weight on her.

Surprised, Nami let him have his way, curious to see what he would do.

Expertly, Sanji kissed her lips and then shifted to kiss her neck, his warm breath tickling her skin. Next he proceeded to clean the frosting right off her shirt. Slowly and forcefully, his tongue and teeth scrapped against the thin fabric, sucking on it like he was trying to break through it. Nami shivered in delight. She threw her arms around his neck, firmly pressing his head against her bosoms. It was maddening the way his mouth nibbled against her breasts.

The clothes have got to go, Nami thought.

They disentangled long enough to pull off the rest of their clothing. Nami's hands moved quickly to unbuckle his belt and to help him out of his pants. She teased him a little with a strip show, which probably wasn't a good idea because Sanji suddenly became paralyzed, transfixed at the sight of her naked form, spellbound to the point where he stopped reacting.

While it was very flattering to be in awe by him, Nami needed him to stay focus with the task at hand. She drew him closer and clutched his hair to kiss him full on the mouth. Now that their clothes were out of the way, the heat emanating from him was incredible. So much skin pressing against each other, she couldn't help but moan into his mouth. Her hips arched up to grind against him.

That was the kick-start Sanji needed to get moving again.

Sanji broke out of her embrace and sat back to spread her legs. Nami became alarmed when he grabbed a dark creamy cupcake. Where was he sticking that thing? She felt a cool softness pressed against her tenderest part. He grinned and lowered himself down. His blond hair brushed the inside of her thighs as his tongue slid and raked against her. She shuddered and gasped. Wave after wave of intense pleasure hit her core. His hands came up to keep her thighs steady as she buckled wildly.

Panting, Nami couldn't take it anymore. She grabbed his head and pulled him back up for another passionate kiss, his body covering hers. Sanji was strong, hot, and so very hard. Her hand fumbled down below, gripping him and guiding him to her. Her other hand pressed against his ass. In one smooth motion, he slid in and filled her.

"Nami-san." His voice was a raspy whisper, his eyes shut closed in a lustful concentration.

Gently Sanji started to rock his hip. Nami's fingers dug into his back as his thrusts continued, slowly gaining in speed. Already the tingly sensation was building up inside of her like a tidal wave. All she could do was hold on as Sanji drove faster and deeper, his breathing labored and erratic. At any given moment, he had to stop, but he kept going, pushing pass his limit. Gasping, Nami was getting so close to the edge.

And to make a long story short, in the high temperature, the souffle rose perfectly to the occasion, reaching unimaginable lift. The pinnacle of all egg dishes.

Sanji, weak and shaky, collapsed in Nami's arms, kissing her shoulder. Quickly he rolled over, putting her on top so she would not have to bear his weight. Very thoughtful of him since Nami found the kitchen floor to be a little uncomfortable.

Silence stretched between them as they held each other for a while, wrapped in their warm body heat and uncertain what to do next. It was a confusing situation they put themselves in. Then Nami remembered what she wanted to say earlier before.

"I'm really sorry about your cake. It was a very pretty cake you made." Her fingertip was tracing his jawline.

Sanji's face colored as he looked at her. He turned his head to the side, embarrassed by her apology. "I can always bake another one," he said simply.

Nami giggled into his neck. There were still some cupcakes left untouched. She reached out and took the red one, the one she wanted to try before Sanji took over. Peeling off the paper cup, she bit into the cake. Yummy, red velvet. She broke off a piece and popped it into Sanji's mouth. He wasn't crazy about sweets, but he helped her finish the cupcake anyways.

"We should get cleaned up," Nami said with a suggestive tone. She breathed heavily into his ear to make sure he absolutely knew her intention.

The huge smile Sanji gave her told Nami everything she needed to know.

They could worry about the cupcakes and the future later.