Dance

It started as a stop off for supplies and a Log Pose reset on a small welcoming island. Which just so happened to be preparing for some kind of festival, all it had taken was one small invitation and Luffy had decided they were staying the night.

Which was what found them in the current situation. Shion sat watching the planned chaos, not really all the comfortable with crowds. Everyone looked like they really enjoying themselves, well almost everyone since both Robin and Fanky had disappeared hours ago but Shion assumed they were having fun in their own ways. Dual coloured eyes- one blue, one purple- drifted over the crowd. Easily locating the rest of the crew. Zoro was currently involved in, and winning, a drinking game. Chopper was playing with some children, or maybe he was just being chased around, the smallest member didn't seem to be in distressed so Shion didn't bother helping him. Brook was up jamming with the band some pretty kick ass music. Luffy and Usopp were doing their version of dancing, this made the young woman laugh and shake her head. Nami and Sanji were also dancing, it was then that the crowd gazing stopped. Shion's eyes drawn to the tall, slender, form of the ship's cook. Damn the boy could move, who knew those long powerful legs of his were for more then kicking the shit out of things. Shion knew full well the power he could dish out with those legs, and just how much control he had over that powr. Her eyes drifted from watching his footwork to his face, he was handsome to, especially now with that goofy unguarded expression. Shion had to admit she much preferred their chef this way, oh his sassy mouth and mostly bad attitude had an attractive quality of it's own. But this was different, this was the open and passionate Sanji that talked of the All-Blue and threw his soul into his cooking, the Sanji was took life at it was and loved every minute of it. Shion felt a small smile twist her lips as he laughed, spinning Nami in a circle. Yep this was definitely her favourite Sanji. As if feeling eyes on him Sanji turned in her direction and his deep blue grey gaze met hers for a moment, Shion felt a blush start to spread in embarrassment at being caught. Shion jumped slightly, hands almost flicking to a non existent weapon as a body suddenly flopped beside her. Shion relaxed seeing it was only Nami.

"Phew..." Nami sighed as she slumped- sweat dotting her brow. "That was one work out." She smiled. "You should give it a try."

"I'm fine." Shion waved her hand.

"Oh come on." Nami gave her a knowing look. "Sanji really is an amazing dancer."

"Then go dance with him." Shion teased her

"Are you kidding? I can't possibly continue, I don't have the stamina." Nami laughed. "Don't say you don't want to, I saw that look."

Her blush was back full force she knew it. "Really Nami, I can't." Shion didn't trust herself to be that close to the cook. He was far too attractive, and he obviously liked Nami. "Besides I'm sure he'd rather dance with you." she teased the other woman.

Nami gave Shion the same look the Navigator got everytime she knew something others didn't. "Oh I wouldn't be so sure. Why are you holding back anyway, you obviously like him."

"That...that's... I mean I..." Shion flustered, "I am NOT holding back!" She had the feeling Nami was talking about more then just dancing. Shion's blush deepened as she turned her gaze away from Nami. "Besides I am sure he'd much rather dance with you, he loves you after all."

"Wait you think Sanji and I...are..." Nami burst into laughter.

"What's so funny?" Shion asked then

"Nothing, nothing" Nami waved her hands. "Don't get me wrong Sanji is a great guy and all but we're not.. like that. He's not really my type."

"not you're type?"

Nami nodded, smiling. "Yep not my type, we're just friends."

And now Shion was curious, "Then what is you're..." She was cut off as Luffy's face suddenly appeared between them, his arms around their shoulders.

"NAMI! DANCE!" He shouted laughing. "NOW."

Nami laughed back. "In a minute."

" ." Luffy looked determined

"Once we convince Shion to dance to."

Shion had a sinking feeling as Luffy's dark eyes turned to her.

"You don't wanna?"

"Not really." Shion scowled

"Too bad. You are nakama and I am Captain so you have to do as I say and I ordered we have fun."

Shion's eyes narrowed. "What are you two plotting?"

Luffy grinned. "Fun!" Was the simple answer as Luffy hopped to sit between them. "or can't you dance?"

"I can dance." Shion defended

"Don't believe you." Luffy sing-songed

"Don't care." Shion shot back.

"Hey what's this? Some type of meeting, pretty serious faces for such a festive scene." Sanji teased as he approached, cigarette hanging from his lips.

"Shion can't dance." Luffy said seriously

"I can so dance- I already told you that." Shion sneered

"Prove it then." Luffy challenged

"No."

"Why?"

"If I want to dance I will dance. I don't have to prove anything to you."

"Sure you do." Luffy grinned

"And just how did you come to that reasoning?" Shion quirked an eyebrow

Sanji watched the exchange, amused. Shion was usually so collected he often wondered if anything fazed the purple haired woman. Well wondered until Luffy did something like this anyway. Their Captain had a way of getting under people skin on a good day, but he seemed to be able to really get under hers when he wanted to. And slowly, like water coming to a slow rolling boil, fire would enter the different coloured eyes of the ex-assassin and out would come her stubbornness alongside her temper. Which he had noticed she did not lose often, and when she did it was truly a sight to behold. Her face was usually always so impassive but in her eyes you could always tell what she was feeling, once you knew what to look for. Sanji at first had not liked her, of course it didn't help she'd been under a pretty convincing disguise as a boy. As he had gotten to know her, as he had watched the walls slowly come down and seen the being beneath the projection he found her facinating. Never had he met a woman so bold, determined, strong and-if his suspicions were right- very passionate as well. Sanji was not sure exactly when in the few months since she joined them his eyes started to follow her more often then not. Or when he started to find her attractive in a way that was not his ususal 'she's female and pretty' sort of way, or when he'd started to get used to her silent, calm, presence among the loud insanity that was the StrawHat Crew. But he did and part of him, a large part, wanted to take that slow burning flame he caught glimpses of and force it out to burn vibrantly. Nami caught his gaze and grinned, of course of all of them she'd be the one to figure it out.

Seeing the argument between Shion and Luffy was on the brink of starting to go through yet another circle of the same thing Sanji reached over. "Come on." He said pulling Shion up and after him, ignoring Luffy's howing laughter.

"I am never going to live this down." Shion groused

"You will when something else amuses him." Sanji replied, stopping only when they were on the makeshift dance floor. The music was starting to take a deeper tone, perfect for a tango. As Shion looked ready to continue the previous fight with him instead which he quickly stopped with a finger to her lips. "Hush and enjoy yourself." Sanji hoped his voice was not as husky as it sounded to his own ears. "Hope you know how to tango." He continued with a grin, as he pulled her close, arm tight around her waist. He'd almost forgotten how small she was until then. Her head coming to his collar bone, even with the heels she wore- which had to be at least a couple inches. Sanji met her eyes again, finding himself having to swallow the lump in his throat as she smirked up at him.

"Better then you know." Shion teased, not missing the small shiver that ran up his taller frame as her hands slipped up his body into position.

"Think you can keep up?" Sanji asked with more confidence then he felt. That touch did more to him then he wanted to show at this point in time. The answering grin was damn near devastating to his thought processes.

"Think you can?" She teased back as the first steps were taken.

Well... he'd been right. Sanji mused to himself as they twisted and spun in prefect syncronization. Shion was in fact a very passionate woman. It took all his concentration not to let the feel of her body, the sliding of her hands and her legs not inspire other thoughts of what that same passion would look like under other circumstances. Maybe the tango was not the best to challenge her with. As the dance ended and Sanji dipped her down, one hand on the thigh of the leg wrapped around his hip the other supporting her back. Their lips inches apart, Sanji could think of only one thing. How badly he wanted to kiss her right then.

It was Shion's turn to give a small tremble at the feel of his thumb slowly caressing her thigh in what had to be a strictly instinctive move if the look on his face was anything to go by. She found herself tightening the hold she had around his shoulders and arching her body closer- closing the distance between them.

Just as their lips were about to meet the spell was broken.

"So Cool! Wow! You really can dance!" Luffy cheered. "Nami did you see that? It was amazing!"

Sanji blinked at the interruption as he righted them and Shion slipped from his arms.

"Luffy you idiot." Nami smacked his upside the back of the head. "All that opportunity wasted, especially after we took so much time to set it up."

"Ow.. what'd you do that for?" Luffy asked. "What wasted opportunity? I don't get it."

"I don't expect you to." Nami sighed.

Did they do what Sanji was thinking they did. If so then... he turned back to where Shion had been standing, only to see her back as she disappeared into the crowd. Sanji took one hesitant step after her but changed his mind at the last minute, letting her disappear like a fading ghost. How could he go after her when he wasn't even sure what to say? Or how he felt about the whole thing himself?