Tiri's eyelashes fluttered against her cheek as she opened her eyes fully, feeling warmth and cool air caressing the back of her neck, her hair having been twisted into a simple bun. Grass stains dyed her denim-clad knees a deep emerald and she rubbed her palms across their damp surface idly, her mind drifting aimlessly. The wall she was leaning against was a hard contrast to the soft surface of the deck she sat on.
The day was bright, large white, puffy clouds floating lazily through a perfect sky. It was both appreciated and suspected by the Straw Hat crew. A beautiful day such as this was to be enjoyed while it lasted, especially considering that they never did in the New World. It also made Tiri's mood become contemplative and philosophical.
A week in bed, Chopper's anxious face hovering over her as he fought to keep her still, bandaged, and disinfected.
A week, in which Sanji came to see her only once, his frown deep and troubled, and his hands in his pockets. Few words had been exchanged, her defiant stare enough to apparently convince him that chastisement would have been futile. Tiri had lain in her bunk, convinced that she had done what she had to.
But he hadn't agreed, his expression conveying his frustration with her recklessness, as he saw it. The silence that had stretched between them had felt as heavy as seastone. A bloom began to grow in Tiri's mind then, a resentment that, always, he had to save her. It blossomed into an anger aimed inward, uttering a quiet vow that she would become strong enough to defend herself if it killed her.
Zoro's training had helped, but, when faced with situations like the sea king attack, there was only so much she could do once she left the ship. Yes, she had nearly died because she hadn't thought her actions entirely through and she could accept responsibility for that.
They would not have been able to stop that sea king in time; she had needed to act and she did, she rationalized. Would it have cost her life, truly? Didn't they put their lives on the line for each other at every turn? It was a price that would one day have to be paid and it was one that was given little thought. So why did it bother him so much when she fought, risked her life, to protect him and their nakama, when he did the exact same thing?
She did not spend long in her thoughts' embrace, a shadow falling over her and she glanced up, a tentative smile curving her lips.
"Hello…Sanji-kun," she murmured, patting the grass next to her, but he merely leaned his back against the wall, a stream of smoke wafting past her pleasantly.
He exhaled heavily, the eye that everyone could see closing as he lifted his hand to his lips, plucking the cigarette from between them and cradling it between his fingers. Mildly, he flicked the ashes over the railing of the ship. Without looking at her, he asked,
"How are your injuries healing, Tiri-chan?"
It was the first he had spoken to her in days and Tiri struggled between feeling somewhat grateful and irked. Honestly, she knew that, in a way, she deserved some of his anger. He clearly seemed to think that she had little regard for his feelings and, in truth, she didn't know how to change his mind. She doubted that she could, except that, in time, he would come around; he always managed to understand her better then even she did.
Simply mentioning them made the bandages wrapped around her calves and stomach, however, seem tighter, and itchier. Glaring up at him, she ran her fingernails over the linen material in a futile attempt to soothe the irritated skin beneath.
"Fairly well, I think. Chopper promised me that I could take the bandages off tomorrow and I intend to take full advantage of his word."
"How could I have suspected any other outcome?" he teased her and she glared up at him again.
"Care to explain that one to me?"
He shrugged, looking at her casually from the corner of his eye.
"I thought you'd have gotten them off by now, is all. You are rarely a patient woman, Tiri-chan."
Her silver eyes narrowed considerably and she growled under her breath, hopping lightly to her feet. The line had been drawn in the sand between them.
"It is also rare for you to not speak your mind plainly, so I will ask it of you, since you seem to prefer dancing around it," she replied, crossing her arms and watching him closely, "what, exactly, is your point?"
He shrugged again.
"I suppose I don't exactly have one."
Tiri gritted her teeth, then let out a heavy sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. Steeling herself, she moved until she stood right in front of him, the top of her head barely reaching his nose. Her head tilted back so that she could look him in the eye.
"Sanji," she said softly, calling out to him for something that even she was not sure of, "Sanji, how often will you require me to say that I am sorry? To ask for your forgiveness?"
He looked away from her, his cigarette discarded over the side of the ship. She continued, her voice quiet as she hung her head.
"We agreed that I did not have to promise you anything when it came to battle, only that I would be honest with you. I've done that...so why isn't it enough anymore?"
She heard him exhale roughly, saw the flash of his hand as it came up to rub at the back of his neck. They were so close that she could feel the warmth of his body more clearly than even the sunshine that beat at her back.
"Sanji-kun," she whispered, afraid that if she spoke any louder her voice would have broken, "what do you want from me?"
His silence unnerved her and she glanced up, noting that he still avoiding looking at her. With her heart feeling brittle inside her chest, she reached on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his cheek briefly. He froze at her movement before she dropped back to her feet.
"When you know that, come talk to me. I'll be waiting."
There was nothing else to say, so she turned on her heel silently and crossed the deck towards the mast, melting away into petals and flowing upwards.
She solidified after floating through an open window in Zoro's training room, checking the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. Wiping at them with a hard hand, she took a cleansing breath.
Where had it gone so wrong, so fast?
Tiri paced to the opposite window, looking out blindly at the sea, the breeze ruffling the stray curls that framed her face.
"You think too much," a voice observed from her left and she half-turned.
Nami was sitting on the long, padded bench, her legs tucked neatly to her side as she cupped her chin in one hand, her elbow propped on the back of a cushion. Tiri forced a smile to curve crookedly across her lips.
"You're no doubt right," she replied, leaning a hip against the wall, the wind playing through the lilac strands that hung about her features, "It is becoming a bothersome habit."
Her wry observation made the gorgeous redhead chuckle lightly.
"It can be, especially if one is thinking about the past, the present, and the future at once."
It was Tiri's turn to laugh quietly, the shrewd navigator eyeing her keenly.
"Reading minds, Nami-san?"
Nami shook her head, her long orange tresses tossed back by a careless hand.
"Don't be deliberately thick-headed, Tiri, it doesn't suit you. Your heart's always on your face, whether you'd like it to be or not."
Tiri grumbled, her brows furrowing as she turned her head away, returning her eyes to the sea.
"He loves you, you know."
Tiri jerked her head back around, eyes wide and her jaw gaping, the expression making the other woman chuckle.
"Don't act so surprised, he can't hide his emotions either. I suspect even Luffy knows what's going on between you two."
Her cheeks flamed from embarrassment as she bent her neck, curls falling forward to obscure her flush.
"Oh, boy," she muttered under her breath, her hand coming up to grip her opposite arm lightly, rubbing her palm up and down the exposed skin.
"Relax, it's not a big deal. You're both human, like the rest of us. Well, with the obvious exceptions, but you get the idea."
She looked up, her face still painfully hot.
"It is a big deal, Nami-san," she protested, before letting out a sigh, running a slender hand to push back the tangled mass of lilac strands, "It's a moot point anyway. Sanji hasn't forgiven me for taking on that sea king and it doesn't look like he's going to let it go anytime soon."
"So perhaps you should convince him otherwise," a soft voice came from somewhere to her far right and she looked up to see Robin smiling at her gently, her arms crossed in a relaxed pose.
Tiri blinked before her lips curved into a hesitant smile.
"You mean seduce him?" she clarified and Robin nodded once, her head tilting slightly.
The silver-eyed pirate shook her head emphatically.
"I doubt Sanji-kun would respond to that very well at the moment,"she muttered, letting her eyes drop down.
Then she heard the redhead breath out a very unladylike snort.
"Aren't you the one always rushing out without thinking, following our great captain's example?" Tiri nodded slowly and Nami continued, "Besides, as head over heels as that man is for you, trust me...he'll see your viewpoint."
"Nami-san is right, Tiri-san," Robin added and Tiri chewed on her bottom lip, "and Sanji is a good man. He will understand more than you give him credit for."
Tiri glanced between the other two women, a grin tugging at the corners of her lips.
"You are both truly devious, you realize this?"
Nami and Robin shared a look, twin smiles gracing their features before their eyes turned to her.
"Aren't we all?" Nami asked, settling her body more comfortably on the couch, "But you aren't asking the real question, which is, when are you going to tell Sanji-kun that you are in love with him?"
Her face turned nearly as red as Nami's hair.
"Truly devious," she muttered.
She knew where to find him, had always known, if she had possessed the courage to try and speak with him. It was rare for fear to hold her back from anything, but in this case...
Tiri hesitated near the galley door, the setting sun bathing the ship in a gorgeous citrus glow. Her fingertips absently stroked across the smooth wood. The crew had dispersed almost an hour ago, their meal as lively as always, though Tiri had been more than a little subdued this night. Zoro had cut his eyes at her more than once, only to turn his gaze away and shake his head. Let him speculate, she thought with a derisive snort, the bonehead would need something to chew on as he sat on watch that night. The others, however, seemed oblivious, even Sanji, the exception being the women of the crew, of course. Robin and Nami had not brought attention to her lack of interaction and she was grateful for it. She didn't think she could have explained to anyone what was going through her mind.
The breeze off the ocean carried a sharp smell, a distinct contrast to its soft caress at her back. Straightening her shoulders, she took a deep breath and stepped through the doorway. The galley was dimly illuminated by the setting sun, the only light on being the one in the heart of the kitchen. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as she drew closer, then sped up when her eyes landed on the cook's back, his spine curved as he bent over the sink. He had discarded his jacket for the time being, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up as he plunged his hands into soapy water.
Steeling her nerves, she strode around the counter and hopped up, curling her legs beneath her as she twisted around on the smooth surface to face him. His eyes flicked towards her but he said nothing. For a time, she watched him in silence, just thankful that he didn't dismiss her from his kitchen right away, and enjoyed the almost companionable quiet that stretched between them. Plucking up a rag, Tiri took a newly cleaned dish from his grasp and dried the drops of heated water that ran down its contours. The smoke from his cigarette drifted lazily out the porthole, its scent a soothing balm to her jangled mind.
"It's a thinking job, isn't it?" she asked finally, her voice soft in the evening air.
He grunted, the sound resembling a question, so she trudged forward, her hands busy as she elaborated.
"When you wash dishes, you generally have more than enough time to contemplate...probably more time than you actually need. So, it's a thinking job," her explanation was greeted with nothing more than a nod, so she continued, her voice lowering even further as she bowed her head, "I've been doing too much thinking these past few days...but enough to realize that I might have made a mistake."
His head jerked up then with a small sound and he turned to her, his visible eye wide.
"What do you mean by that?"
His tone wasn't harsh, but it held a raggedness to it that made her want to flinch. Tiri hopped down from the counter and stood beside him, daring to reach out her hand and brush the stray strands of blonde hair that always fell into his face. His gaze softened somewhat at her quiet expression and he lifted his larger palm to cup hers against his cheek with a small smile.
"I was almost too stubborn to tell you that I love you," she murmured as she plucked away his cigarette and closed the distance between them, her mouth slanting beneath his in an achingly sweet kiss that left her knees weak and set her heart to hammering in her chest.
She glided her mouth against his, relishing the silky feel against hers, sipping at his lower lip gently. She felt more than heard him groan and parted her lips and devilishly touched her tongue against his closed mouth. He accepted her invitation, plunging his tongue into the sweet cavern of her mouth and leaving her absolutely breathless.
They parted and his hands slid down her arms to lightly grasp her wrists, his thumbs tracing the ridges of her knuckles. He leaned close, his lips brushing against the shell of her ear and whispered words that caused butterflies to erupt in her stomach.
"A terrible romantic, you are," she teased, angling her head to bump her nose against his cheek.
He chuckled, pressing a soft kiss against the sensitive spot just beneath her ear, making her shiver.
"Probably, but you enjoy it."
"No denial here."
Tiri tugged at her captured wrists as one kiss blended into another and another, his mouth leaving hers only to gasp in just enough air to keep breathing. He relinquished his grasp on her hands, bringing one hand to cup her face tenderly while the other snaked its way around the curve of her waist, bringing her flush against him. Her own hands slip up his chest to wrap around his neck, holding him closer still, and dragging slender fingers through the strands of his hair. She heard a small sound, like a whimper, unaware that the noise escaped past her own lips. Sanji, however, reacted strongly, pulling away suddenly to stare down into the shimmering depths of her eyes, his irises dark with hunger.
"You're going to be the death of me," he breathed against her lips, making her bite her them to keep a moan from slipping past.
She shifted and pressed those same lips to the exposed skin of his throat, letting her tongue slip out to taste the salty flesh there and he made a strangled noise.
"Tiri," he said softly, making heat pool low in her belly as she placed feather-light lips against his jaw, turning her head to meet his mouth again with hers in another bone-melting kiss.
"Sanji," she whispered between the touching of his mouth to hers and he groaned again, the sound reverberating right through her.
He broke away to trail soft kisses against her neck, working his way down to her bared collarbone, only to return to her lips once more.
"If you keep talking in that voice, we're not going to make it back to your room," he warned in a raspy breath, his voice slipping into a deep baritone, reflecting his need for her, "Anyone could walk in here."
If that wasn't a dare, she'd eat Zoro's bandana.
And to be honest, she couldn't think of anywhere else on the Line that was more perfect than where they were right then, in the one place that his presence completely surrounded her.
"Sanji...please," she pleaded, her lips remaining parted after his name escaped them and he groaned, leaning his forehead against hers, his hand moving from her cheek to tangle in the curled strands of her hair, the other moving to lace fingers with hers at her side.
"Kami, you were sent to tempt me, weren't you?"
His voice trailed off with a noise that sounded more like a growl as she undulated her body against him, their hips connecting intimately despite the bulk of their clothing. She bit back another smirk as she brought their linked hands up to her lips. With a wicked gleam in her eyes, her small pink tongue darted out to lap briefly at each individual pad of his fingertip.s His eyes practically smoldered as he watched her mouth with rapt attention, piercing down on his own lip with his teeth and muttering in a strained voice,
"You don't play fair."
"Nope," she replied simply with a smile, running her newly freed hands hands down along his chest to begin nimbly unfastening the buttons of his shirt.
Sanji seemed to have run out of words then, because his hands tightened where they had landed on her hips as his mouth crashed back down onto hers, causing heat to lance through her body. With a deep, heated kiss, he dragged his lips from her mouth to meander down the line of her neck to the fluttering pulsepoint of her throat. Evidently desire made him bold. He nipped her there, soothing the bite with a gentle swipe of his tongue and she let her head fall back with a moan, fumbling with the last button. Her quest successful, she then brought her hands to the bare skin of his chest, fingers dancing along the plains of lean muscle, relishing the feel of their contractions at her touch.
With a shrug of his shoulders, he removed his shirt, letting it land unheeded on the wooden floor of the galley, his lips never leaving hers. Tiri felt his hands busied themselves awkwardly, impatience winning out over any pretended finesse as they slipped beneath the hem of her shirt and slide along the length of her spine towards the clasp of her bra. With a soft laugh, she assisted him when he fumbled over the tiny hooks, tossing both articles of clothing over her head and leaning back into him. He brought his palms to her shoulders, however, and eased her away, letting his eyes rove over her, his cheeks flushing. He appeared to be drinking her in, his hands lifting to tentatively caress the curve of her waist, index finger tracing the shape of her body from the soft curve of her breast to the waistline of the jeans that still covered her hips, other fingers splaying to explore all the soft flesh between. Unable to remain still, Tiri resumed her exploration of his torso, hands tracing intricate, random patterns as the warmth of his touch on her body caused the heat pooling in her belly to flare.
Lips soon followed, her mouth pressing sweetly, softly against the skin of his chest, making him quiver as her clever hands ghosted nails down his ribs. Her mouth blazed downwards and Sanji's hands moved to thread through the curls of her hair, undoing her hastily constructed ponytail and letting the lilac strands flow wildly about her face and shoulders. As her lips met the top of his trousers, she slid her hands down, down his legs to help him discard his hard soled shoes. On her knees before him, she hooked her thumbs into the band of the material and eased it down before placing it next to his heavy shoes. Tiri couldn't suppress the shiver of anticipation as she glanced up and saw the evidence of his desire for her urgently pressing against the confines of his boxers.
Her mouth curved into a wicked smile and she saw him swallow hard again when she began to stroke the skin of his thighs in slow, sweeping caresses, venturing near but never touching where she knew he wanted her the most. She pressed her scarcely clad body against his leg, planting tongue-flicked kisses from just above his knee upwards, ever upwards. Pushing the material down, she freed him, her fingertips caressing the hard, velvet flesh as her lips brushed over the length of him. His hands fisted in her hair as she flicked her tongue over the tip of him, her thumb sliding against the sensitive nerve just beneath it.
It proved too much for him, all concern of discovery completely forgotten as Sanji swooped down, pulling her to her feet and pressing her back against the door of the pantry. With a small motion of his fingers, he had unbuttoned her jeans and shoved them down her long legs. His hips were cradled intimately between hers and she could feel him pressing insistently against her inner thigh. His mouth claimed hers in a searing kiss that stole all the wickedness from her thoughts and left her mind spinning.
Something within him seemed to have broken, or perhaps been let loose. His eyes had darkened to a color that was closest to black as he raked them over her bountiful chest. He then bent his head to place hot, open-mouthed kisses along the creamy slopes, the rosy flesh of her nipple pebbling as his warm breath fanned over the tip. Locking his gaze with hers, he flicked the coral bud with his tongue and she could no longer hold her eyes open, letting them fall shut with a breathy moan. The sound must have pleased him, because he let his incredibly talented tongue swirl over the tip of her breast before taking it into his mouth and suckling softly. Tiri cried out at the sensation, a burning cord seeming to have lanced fire from her chest straight to her core. Sanji tugged at the strings that held her tiny pair of panties over her hips and the lacy material fell away at his insistence.
He pulled away and she immediately missed the warmth of his body. He just stared down at her bare form, and she remained still under his heated gaze. Despite the hunger in his eyes and the hard evidence of his desire, Sanji's expression was one of mild trepidation.
"I've-I've never-," he began but she placed gentle fingers against his lips, then pulled him down to kiss him once more, pouring all she had, everything she would be into that one melding of mouths.
Perhaps he understood, or perhaps her sneaking hands roaming down his shoulders, dancing along his stomach, to reach between them and stroke his length through the slight cloth of his boxers had gotten his attention. Either way, his ardor was restored in full force as she caressed him before guiding his shaking hand to explore her hidden depths. His llong, slender fingers slid against the slick heat of her. As one hand stroked his hardened manhood, causing him to buck and growl against her lips, the other she used she led him to the small bud of her womanhood. His thumb circled it with a light pressure and she undulated against him, squeezing his shaft firmly in a response that had his hips surging forward and they both gasped. She whimpered into his mouth as he curiously slid a finger to the very center of her, slipping the digit inside and crooking it upwards as his mouth worshipped her breasts. Lights popped like tiny stars behind her closed eyelids as he began to move his finger in a steady rhythm, pushing her closer to a precipice that she was teetering on already.
"Sanji, please...I need...", she was unable to fully verbalize what it was she needed, the sensations rolling through her body keeping her from forming a coherent thought.
He must have comprehended her desire, however, as suddenly his hands slid along the smooth flesh of her thighs, hooking beneath them and lifting her till her legs wrapped around his narrow waist. His swollen length was pressing urgently against her center. Her legs tightened around him of their own accord and she used the leverage of leaning back against the pantry door to roll her hips in a manner that clearly spoke of her acquiescence. Kissing her with a hunger that he couldn't deny, he plunged into her with a swift thrust, letting out a hiss of breath at the tightness of her sheath around him. She could feel is length throbbing within her and she moved her hips, a silent plea for him to move. He shook his head.
"Just-Just a minute...Kami, Tiri," he ground out, his head bent to nuzzle the cradle at the jointure of her neck and shoulder as her arms wrapped around his neck.
She assented, stilling. After what seemed like an eternity, he pulled back, almost completely, then buried himself to the hilt in a quick thrust, causing them both to moan. Together, they began a hesitant rhythm, moving to a tempo that had played since the world began. His movements became surer, stronger, and she responded eagerly, the pooling heat at her center spiraling tighter and tighter until she thought she would burst from the exquisite torment. Ripples of sensation rolled through her body as he moved, the hot friction building.
The world had narrowed to just the two of them, their lovemaking soft, sweet, yet filled with an undercurrent of urgency as her climax neared. As he guided her hips to the cadence he desired, she felt the molten wave burst forth and his name tumbled from her lips like a prayer, devouring her in its scorching heat, rolling over her in wave after wave. He wasn't far behind, his essence pouring in a cascade as he groaned out her name into her mouth.
All the strength in her limbs had melted and she leaned her forehead against him, her hair damp with sweat as she unhooked her legs from around him to slid down his body. Her feet touched the floor, but it was his weight against her that kept her upright. Even so, a smile curved her lips as her leg brushed his and she felt it shaking. Tilting her head back to look up at him, she felt her smile turn into a grin.
"We're going to have to fight more often," she quipped and Sanji let out a bark of laughter, pulling her from the door and hugging her to him.
"How about we just agree to make love in the galley every day after dinner?"
She snorted into his shoulder, too spent to lift her arms higher than his waist as she wrapped them around him.
"Oh, can you imagine the looks on our nakama's faces if they walked in on that?" another image popped across her mind's eye and she stifled a giggle, "Franky would kill us if he knew what we just did against his precious Sunny!"
He shook his head and started to pull away, but she stopped him, a thought striking her. She lifted a hand to his nose, her silver eyes widening.
"Oye, no blood!"
He pressed his lips to her hovering palm.
"I suppose you heightened my focus," he teased.
"Did I now?" she asked with a quirked brow, placing her hands on her hips.
He simply smiled at her, ruffling the curls of her hair and making her scowl as he turned to retrieve his clothes. She followed suit, but not before swatting at his ass when he bent down to pick up his boxers and trousers.
"Vengence," she declared, tugging her jeans back over her hips and Sanji just shook his head quietly.
Redressed, the blonde man took her by the hand and led her out to the deck, the last rays of sunset stretching across the sea as they leaned against the railing, one of his arms draped across her shoulders. He placed a cigarette between his lips and reached for his lighter. Tiri promptly plucked it from his fingers and lit the end for him, a gesture that earned her a warm look, as well as a brush of lips against her hair when as he held the smoking stick in his free hand.
"It's beautiful," she murmured, releasing strands of lavender curls as petals into the cooling evening air.
He looked down at her for a moment, then took another drag of his cigarette, smoke streaming to dance in the wind with the lilac petals.
"Yes, it is," he agreed quietly.
And it was enough.
~Fin~
A/N: And it's done, loves! *Heaves a sigh* Ah, feels to good to have finished that! So, what do you all think? Wasn't it a fun ride? I enjoyed myself. ^_^
Anyhoo, thank you all so much for reviewing, following, favoriting, and reading along! I hope you've all enjoyed it and keep an eye out for new stories (and possible sequels)! Cheers!
~silvergryphon06
