Title: Tobacco and Tangerines AN UPDATE: Sorry for the name swap, heheh that was unintentional. Thanks so much Puddle-chan for letting me know :3
Theme: #19 - Gray
Pairings: Sanji/Nami
Setting: Post timeskip. Maybe after Punk Hazard Arc?
Note: A gift to Sanji/Nami fans. Had fun writing this cos their relationship in this piece is exactly like mine and my boyf's back when we're still friends-with-flirts-and-arguments-and-me-in-denial-and-him-being-obvious.
Around his arms were bandages, white bandages stained with his own blood escaping slowly from his wounds. Thanks to Chopper, he could still walk, but the ripping of flesh on his arms were nothing to him. He could still stand, at least. The only thing that pains him, is his broken rib. If Doctor Tony knew he wasn't resting in his bed in the middle of the night, Chopper would've used all his strength to tie him onto the bed, or at least, lock him in his room until he recovers.
Yet, at three in the morning, he was still limped down the stairs and proceeded to the kitchen, the place he feels the most at home. All because of the sweet scent of his friend, the red-haired Nami. He smiled as he saw his lovely Nami at the kitchen table, her face half-buried in her arms, and in front of her, was a book, and a few maps. The maps were scribbled in red ink, curved lines connecting 'X' marks on the maps.
He summoned a little more strength, and made two cups of hot coffee. Despite his wounded arms, it was a relief knowing he could still do something out of their food supply. After all, he's their cook.
"Gyah!" He moaned in pain, his body fell on the hard solid kitchen floor. The coffee he made spilled all over, the mugs shattered into pieces. Damnit, I'm still weak!
Nami, awaken by the sound of the mugs hitting the floor, hurried to help him up. "Sanji-kun! Are you okay? What happened?"
"Yeah, I'm okay."
The little red-head saw the two mugs and spilled hot coffee on the floor with him, quickly understood what happened. She helped Sanji up and he sat at the table, and pulled a dry rag to clean the mess. Despite all that sudden worrying, she smiled. Smiled because of Sanji's thoughtfulness, as always.
Without uttering a word through her thin lips, she made another set of coffee. One for her, one for her friend Sanji. She joined him at the table, sitting at the same place where she fell asleep with her book and her maps. "You're so troublesome, Sanji-kun," she said, sighing. Nami often address Sanji with a -kun, despite having no difference in their age. She got used to it for so long, and so did Sanji, addressing her as with a -san. They have been friends for over three years, yet the politeness between the two of them could not be scrubbed off, no matter how close they are.
"I'm sorry, Nami-san."
Nami smiled back at him, the blond-haired boy. "Why are you up? I thought Chopper asked you to rest."
"You know I won't listen to anyone else but you," Sanji replied, trying to sit upright painfully. "Ah."
"Don't push yourself." Concerned, Nami gave him a smile. "When you're done with your coffee, I'll send you to bed."
Sanji winked at Nami flirtfully, as he always did. "Okay, Nami-swan!"
Nami knocked his head lightly. "Don't be a perv."
"But you're giving me caffeine and said you're sending me to bed. Something fishy there, Nami-swan."
"I don't intend that," Nami replied, as Sanji grinned.
They fell silent for a while, and Sanji noticed the marked maps. The red 'X' marks represented their destinations, while the red lines represented their journey. Out of all fifteen marks, only two wasn't connected with the others, possibly their next destination. "Looks like we're almost there, eh?"
"Yup," she nodded, exhaling a big breath. "But it's still a long way to go, and you need to recover before we reach the next destination. I'm still studying about our next destination though." That explained the books on the table. "Who knows what kind of mishap we'd bump into next."
"Even in nothingness, we could still end up with broken bones, again."
Nami raised her shoulders. "Wouldn't doubt it… Our team seemed to be destined with trouble. But what's an adventure without trouble, right?" Nami let out a little laugh, sipping her hot coffee.
"Yeah, two more destinations." Sanji pain does not seem to bother him anymore. "I could still stand a few more broken bones. My legs are still eager for Grim Reaper's victims, you know."
"You shed too much blood with those legs, Sanji-kun."
Sanji looked down. The only part undamaged is only his legs. Many ribs were broken and many lives are taken with his deadly kick. Many known him as 'Red Leg Sanji' for this reason. His legs are his weapons, his speed and strength are one of the reasons why they are still alive and (almost) well, sitting in the kitchen having a conversation in the middle of the night.
"You're not half bad yourself, Nami-san." Sanji smiled. Yes, Nami was a red haired young adult with plenty of fighting skills as well, though not as much as Sanji. But she fought to live, and she fought for dreams. Gotten used to near-death experiences, she had become a fearless young woman.
"As soon as we reach our final destination, we won't be taking lives anymore. Although, I will miss everyone."
"What do you mean?"
"After our final destination, achieving our dreams. Where would we go, Sanji-kun? I doubt it that we all would be living together. After achieving your dream, Sanji-kun, where would you be?"
"I'd be living with you." Sanji's answer made his heart raced a little. "Live with me, Nami-san."
"No." Nami looked away. She was not surprised at all. During their four years of friendship, Sanji had been obviously expressing his affection towards her, but she would often take advantage of him, as he willingly offered to do whatever she wishes. Nami had never taken Sanji's flirts seriously, because she knew how Sanji was like - Sanji is the womanizer cook. Womanizer.
"Why not?" Sanji looked a little disappointed. Sanji took a cigarette and lighted it. Nami did not seem to bother. Tobacco, that was his signature smell.
And hers, tangerine. She took a tangerine from the basket on the table, and began peeling it. "This tangerine, is why not. I'll be going back to my hometown. And you should, too."
"Tangerine and tobacco, they'd make a great combo, don't they?"
The reason they addressed each other with '-kun' and '-san' with their first names instead of a surname is because, they do not have surnames. Sanji's parents had died while he was still a child, he could not remember it. He was raised in the kitchen of some good floating restaurant, Baratie, learning how to cook super meals at such a young age. Sanji did not have a family, by biological means, but the restaurant he grew up in, the chefs are like his blood and flesh.
Nami, on the other hand, was raised by a former female soldier. As a baby, she had miraculously survived a war, but having her foster mother killed in front of her own eyes is not what she desired as well. Nami had lived a hard live, earned a living by travelling around the world and stealing from criminals - because that wouldn't be considered as cruel, to be stealing from a thief, as she put it that way. Nami's foster mother only left her a small house in a small village, with acres of tangerine trees.
Sanji slowly stretched out his arm, enduring a little pain, trying to reach for Nami's hand on the table, but Nami pulled back. "I'm a thief, Sanji-kun."
"So what if you're a thief? I still love you anyway."
"Do you think I'd settle down?" Lie. Even for a cat burglar who travelled around the world and learning how to fight and kill and survive, Nami's desire of settling down is still there, though deep down insde. She appreciated it that Sanji had a little crush on her, but a womanizer? Nami might as well pass.
"You know I love you more than anything else, Nami-swan." Sanji said, the sweet smelling tobacco - to Nami, at least - filled the air with his smoke. He pretended to keep calm, but he could not keep himself from blushing a little. Sanji, that Sanji, whose heart skipped whenever Nami moves even an inch, or spoke even a word, is honestly, truly in love with the red-haired thief, whom he befriended with since they met at the restaurant he grew up at. Regardless of how he became her puppet, obeying to every request she made.
Sanji extended his arms again to reach for Nami's hand, this time, she did not pull back. Nami bit her lower lip, looking at the fresh flesh of tangerine yet to be eaten on her book. Sanji's persistance is something Nami had always expected as long as they were friends, but at that very moment, her heart spoken her words and given her instructions she is obliged to despite what how hard her brain protested. How often do you find someone who would treat you like a queen for the whole four years, Nami? No matter how juvenile you are?
"I'm a thief, Sanji-kun."
"Exactly. You stole my heart."
"Psshh, you're being so dramatic now." But that's just who you are, right Sanji-kun? Dramatic, flirty, womanizer.
"Agkh," Sanji groaned in pain, pressing his chest. He took big breaths so audible to Nami's ears, her face went a little pale.
"Are you okay?"
Sanji did not answer, his eyes shut tight as he breathed heavily, trying to endure the pain and waiting for it to go away, hopefully. His hands gripped at the edge of the table.
"Sanji-kun, are you okay? Say something!" Nami left her chair and approached him close, with a panic-stricken face.
Sanji finally raised his head, smiling at Nami. Having to suffer through the pain was indeed exhausting. "I'm fine. I'm going to go back to bed. Goodnight, Nami-san."
"I'll walk you," Nami said, taking his arms.
"That's okay, Nami-san." Sanji patted the top of her head like she's a little child. "You should get some sleep too."
Nami did not know how to react, but she felt a responsibility of making sure Sanji reached his bed without collapsing even more that night. She smiled at her. "I'll go to bed after I walk you to your room."
And Nami walked Sanji to his room. She noticed Sanji's forehead wrinkled after some time, it was clearly an indication of him in pain. Nami couldn't help but feeling a little sad, though Sanji would always get injured like this and she thought she could get used to it.
Tucking Sanji to bed with much difficulty, she pulled a chair beside his bed and sat on it. Normally Sanji would find her falling asleep at the kitchen table, and carried her and tucked her to bed. This time it's the other way around. "Goodnight, Sanji-kun." She yawned.
"You're cute when you yawn."
"Shut up."
"Go to bed, Nami-san. Goodnight."
And instead of going back to her room, Nami climbed onto Sanji's bed, adjusting herself comfortably beside him. "I'm too lazy to go back to my room. You wouldn't mind?"
Sanji turned to her with a smile on his face.
"Goodnight, Sanji-kun." She leaned closer and kissed him, not on his cheek nor his forehead but on his lips, not a friendly I-care-about-you kiss but something more, something that is capable of spreading that warmth throughout every inch of his body. He was surprised, and though Nami couldn't quite tell in the very dim lighting, his face reddened.
Nami adjusted herself again beside Sanji, and no later, she fell asleep with a smile on her face.