Roommates
Drenched and smelling like fish, Nami and Sanji marched down the hall. The servants gave them puzzled looks until they noticed the trail of water they left behind. Then they turned livid and scurried off for a mop and bucket. Nami and Sanji finally made it back to their rooms without anymore incidents where ran into a little problem: only one bathroom.
"None of this 'ladies first' shit. I'm using the bathroom first."
"No." Nami stomped her foot. She wasn't moving out of the bathroom. "I'm the bridesmaid. I'm more important. You're just some random guy tagging along."
Sanji's eyes narrowed. "If you only gone in to save your ex like you're suppose to, only one of us would have gotten soaked. That lady was mad at you."
"That's not my fault. You're the one that brought Luffy up there in the first place," Nami spat at Sanji. "Were you planning on getting cozy with him?"
"Fine." Sanji waved her off. He tossed his jacket on his bed and unbuttoned his sleeves. "Let's settle this like grownups."
Apparently that meant a game of rock-paper-scissors with Sanji. One toss of the hand declared Sanji the winner. He smugly shooed Nami out and locked the door on her side.
Nami glared at the bathroom door and growled. Rather than wait for her turn, she decided to take the initiative and find another bathroom. Stripping off her wet clothes, she changed underwear and pulled on T-shirt. She scouted the hallway barefoot and to her relief found an unoccupied bathroom not too far away. The bathroom was massive with a huge porcelain tub in the middle of the room. She filled it with hot water, dropped a few bath salts and hopped in for a long refreshing soak. It was so relaxing.
Alone in the tub, Nami wondered how she was going to get through the rest of the weekend. Luffy of all people. It was awkward and embarrassing seeing him again. What was he doing here? Did he know Vivi's family? And who was the lady who carried him off? So many annoying questions. Whatever the answers were, she decided it was best to avoid him and that woman.
Nami glanced down at her hands and admired her lovely manicure. They were still intact. Probably the only thing that survived the watery plunge. She briefly thought about what Sanji said to her. It was the first time she recalled him complimenting her on anything. Coming from a gay man, she must have looked pretty. She smiled warmly at the idea.
When Nami was done with her bath, she looked around for a towel. There wasn't any. The bathroom had every other toiletry available, but no towel. What a mess. Dripping wet, she put on her clothes and opened the bathroom door. She peered up and down the hallway to find it devoid of any living soul and then bolted for her room.
Back in the safety of her room, Nami was happy to discover clean towels on the top shelf of the wardrobe. While drying herself, she noticed the bathroom door was left ajar. She called Sanji's name to make her presence known before stepping in. She did not want to walk in and see him naked.
The bathroom was steamy with the towels thrown carelessly on the bathmat. His wet clothes hung on the rack next to the tub. Otherwise the bathroom was vacant. Nami tiptoed over the mess, pressed her ear against the door and listened. It sounded quiet on his side. Boldly she gripped doorknob and pushed the door open.
Nami sighed. Gone again. That man was hard to keep track of.
After rubbing moisturizer over herself, she lay in bed and stared at the ceiling. Too much happened and the week wasn't over yet. Who knew weddings were such a pain in the ass. Right now the bed was so comfortable and inviting. She really could use a nap. It wasn't long before she drifted off to sleep.
Nami woke with a start. For a moment she forgot where she was and felt disoriented.
"Why aren't you getting dress?" Sanji charged in her room and switched on the lights. "You've been sleeping here the whole time?"
Nami sat up and yawned. "What are you doing in here?"
"Trying to get you ready. Hurry up and change."
"What for? Just let me sleep." Nami slumped back down and pulled the cover over herself.
Sanji wasn't being cooperative and yanked the sheets off. "It's almost time for dinner. You can't miss this banquet. It's your duty as a bridesmaid to attend."
Nami groaned and climbed out of bed. Sanji went back to the bathroom to fix his hair. He was already impeccably dressed in a black double-breasted suit and a satin split stripe tie. A pocket square was tucked neatly into his suit jacket and gold enamel cuff links graced his sleeves. Always the snazzy dresser, he was.
The only dress she brought along was still jammed at the bottom of her duffel bag. In hindsight, Nami should have gone out and purchased a decent evening gown, but she didn't have the time. Sadly, her black cocktail dress seemed too plain for something as fine and regal as a wedding banquet. Suddenly she didn't feel like dressing up.
Sanji popped his head into her room to check on her progress. "What are you doing? Don't wear that. Put on the dress they brought you."
"What dress? What are you talking about?"
"Did you look in your closet?" he asked exasperated.
Nami checked and was surprised to see something hanging in the closet. That didn't belong to her and it wasn't there before when she woke up this morning. Nami scrambled to her feet and moved in for a closer inspection. It was an apricot silk chiffon dress with sheer flutter sleeves. It was designed with a V-neckline and an empire waist, looking very elegant and chic.
Sanji stood, his arms folded, and watched her with an amused expression. "Are you going to put that on, or you going to stare at it all night?"
Soft and light, the dress fit perfectly on her. Nami spun around, letting the skirt flare out. It was the cutest thing ever. She had to thank Vivi for it. She turned to Sanji to show off the results.
Sanji only frowned. "We got to do something about your hair. Did you fall asleep without drying it first?"
Nami caught her reflection in the mirror and sobbed. Her hair was wild and crazy with one side higher than the other. Brushing didn't alter its odd shape. Sanji helped the best he could with damage control. He suggested to tie her hair into a tight bun. They didn't have much time to do anything else.
Putting on the final touches with some makeup, Nami stored away her lipstick when Sanji suddenly presented his arm to her. Nami hesitated before taking it and then he escorted her to the banqueting hall.
"Inquiring minds would like to know," Sanji asked as they walked. "You and Luffy?"
"It wasn't serious," Nami said curtly. She had the feeling he would try to pry. "More like peer pressure made me do it. All my friends in college thought we would make such a cute couple."
He laughed. "I was surprised. I didn't think he was your type, but I must confess. He is adorable. I almost want to pinch his cheeks."
Wonderful. He wanted to pinch his cheeks. She wanted to punch his lights out.
"So there's no hard feelings between the two of you?" Sanji continued.
"No. None. More annoyed than anything. Why are you asking this?"
"Nothing really." Sanji shrugged his shoulders. But Nami knew he was lying.
There was a predinner gathering in the gallery. The huge gallery was festive and luminous with hundreds of candles twinkling on crystal chandeliers. The walls were hung with banners and portraits of various ancient-looking people. The assembled guests were dressed in fine attire, dripping in gold and gems.
Nami felt a wave of anxiety hit her the moment she stepped in. The whole event was bigger than she had anticipated. It was more intimidating than any of the presentations she did at work. Suddenly she clung to Sanji like a scared little girl. Despite their little squabble over the bathroom and his habit of disappearing, she was glad he was here with her. He knew exactly what to do at these social events. Standing next to him, Nami's social ineptitude wouldn't be so obvious.
"Nami. You look wonderful. I'm so glad you made it." Vivi and Kohza pushed through the crowd to greet them.
"Vivi," Nami exclaimed. Vivi wore a beautiful blue and green gown that shimmered in the candlelight. She took hold of Nami's arm and pulled her away from Sanji.
"We are going to have a little girl talk. We won't be long," Vivi said. Sanji politely nodded and they strolled away.
When they were out of hearing range of any bystander, Vivi whispered, "What happened? I heard you took a swim in the aquarium."
Nami winced. She had been hoping the dunk in the fish tank would have gone unnoticed. "It was an accident."
"An accident? How did it happen?"
"Well..." Nami stammered. It was better if she came clean and told her the whole story. Nami chose her words carefully and described the incident. She neglected to mention that she and Luffy dated briefly, which she thought wasn't that important anyways. She simply referred to him as an old college chum.
"That's a funny story, Nami." Vivi giggled lightly.
"It is to you," Nami grumbled.
"I'm sure years from now you'll look back and find it hilarious." Vivi looked through the crowd of people. "I don't think I see her here."
"Do you know her?" Nami asked. She also searched the crowd. No sign of her, which was fine by her.
"Not personally. My father invited a lot of people. I haven't even met half of them yet. The way you described her, I believe she was Empress Hancock."
"Empress? Empress of what? Is there still an empire left in this day of age?"
"I think it's a very small empire. More like an island really," Vivi explained. "Igaram said she brought a lot of people with her so extra arrangements had to be made for her."
"Including Luffy," Nami said, shaking her head. How did Luffy know someone like her? But then again, he had many friends. Many odd friends.
"It's a small world after all," Vivi sang softly.
The dinner gong rang.
Kohza made a beeline for Vivi and they led the procession into the banqueting room. Nami panicked when she couldn't find Sanji. Every woman was paired with a man and it seemed it was protocol to be escorted in. She stood in the middle of the empty gallery, feeling lost and abandoned. She didn't feel brave enough to wander in by herself. Finally his familiar black suit made his appearance, but he wasn't alone.
"Luffy," Nami gasped. For once, Luffy was dressed decently in a dinner jacket and pants. His straw hat was still present but was left off his head and dangling around his neck. What was Sanji doing with him again?
"Nami!" Luffy cried happily. He gave her a big wave, ran up to her, and took her arm.
Stunned, Nami found herself trapped between Luffy and Sanji. She didn't have a chance to protest.
"We mustn't be late," Sanji said cheerfully. He guided Nami towards the banqueting hall.
"What are you doing?" Nami hissed at Sanji. "Are you crazy? Why did you bring him?"
"I've stolen him away from her. Now smile like you're having a grand time."
Nami bared her teeth into a fearsome smile. She really wanted to bite Sanji's head off, but he was too busy grinning like an idiot to notice her displeasure. Remembering the other fool she was with, Nami shifted her attention over to her escort on her right. "Luffy, what a surprised to see you again. Where is your lady friend, Empress Hancock? Shouldn't you be with her?"
Luffy sulked. "She was taking too long." Then his face lit up. "Sanji said it was okay to go with you guys. I'm hungry."
"Heavens. She must have been misinformed of the time. What poor luck." Sanji chortled in a sinister tone.
Nami couldn't believe her ears. Sanji planned the whole thing. What was he trying to pull here? And to complicated things even further, the seating assignment took on a twisted surprise. Luffy sat right smack in the middle of her and Sanji. Sanji said he didn't mind at all, but Nami was frantic.
"Are you sure there isn't a mistake? Isn't this table reserved for the bridesmaids and groomsmen? Shouldn't he be at another table?" Nami questioned.
"There is no mistake," the steward in black and silver livery stated firmly. He seemed offended that Nami even suggested there was a mistake. When there was nothing more, he clicked his heels and left to deal with the other guests.
As Sanji was pulling out the chair for Nami, she quickly spoke in a low voice, "Sanji please switch seats with Luffy. I don't want to sit next to him."
"Why would you want me to do that? You'll hurt his feelings," Sanji said with a serene innocence. "You know. What you should do is give him a nice peck on the cheek, especially when she gets here. Or should I do that?"
Her jaw dropped.
The meal began with course after course of rich delicious food. Luffy immediately gorged down his food like a starving man. Bite after bite, chucks of food vanished into his mouth. A virtual black hole. While most people were still on their first, he finished his plate and was on his fourth. Watching him eat with his hands and pieces of food flying out of his mouth, Nami soon lost her appetite. Of course Luffy asked for her food when she didn't touch hers. On the other hand, Sanji was simply delighted with him, feeding him portions off his own plate and dabbing his mouth with a napkin. She even saw him pinch his cheek.
Mande sat next to Nami and by her was a fellow Nami had not seen before. He was short compare to Mande with a funny-looking mustache. Both gave her a questioning look. "He's an old college friend," Nami muttered.
"We use to date!" Luffy said with a mouth full of food.
Nami covered her face with her hands and moaned.
At that moment a bevy of beautiful, but scantily clad women stormed the banqueting hall. They were slightly out of breath and flustered. The leader scrutinized the entire room until her eyes fell on their table. Nami wanted to disappear.
The steward approached them only to halt in his track by Hancock's outstretched hand. She alone slowly strode her way towards their table, her hips swaying with each step. Nami stared at her, wondering what an empress would do and say. She looked furious. This could be one of those international incidents Nami read about in school. The kind that started wars.
When Hancock reached their table, she tossed back her hair and cleared her throat, garnering attention from people seated at other tables. Luffy, oblivious to it all, was still stuffing his face. "Luffy honey. Why didn't you wait for me?" Hancock whined.
"Oi Hancock, you made it! The food is really good. You should try some." Luffy waved a leg shank at her as if he was offering his piece. He rarely shared his food.
"We should go to our table, Luffy."
"But I wanna sit here," Luffy pouted stubbornly. "Sanji and Nami feed me."
Hancock glared at Nami. Nami almost objected out loud. She certainly was not feeding Luffy. Only Sanji was doing that. Luffy was stealing food off her plate.
After a short and unproductive conversation, Luffy stayed where he was and Hancock was led away to her own table by the steward. No amount of cajoling or bribery convinced Luffy to leave with her. Sanji smirked.
The rest of the night went horribly for Nami with Hancock giving her the evil eye every time she glanced in her direction. It wasn't her fault, Nami thought. Couldn't she see what Sanji was doing to Luffy? It was way worst than what happened to Usopp at his birthday party. When dessert arrived, Sanji sat closely to Luffy and had taken up feeding him with a spoon. At one point, he leaned in to Luffy to whisper something, which freaked Nami out because it looked like he was trying to nibble his ear. Then again, maybe he was.
Luffy laughed out loud and returned his gesture by whispering back to Sanji, "Nami snores so loud." It wasn't much of a whisper since everyone at the table heard that.
The banquet concluded with an endless stream of toasts to the bride and groom. Champagne bottles were brought out and opened with satisfying pops. A great deal of people leaped up from their chair and shouted their toasts. It was an uncontrollable with glasses being raised and clinking against each other. Even Sanji and Luffy stood up and gave Vivi and Kohza a toast.
Nami beamed and downed her champagne like everyone else. She had murderous thoughts lingering in the back of her mind. When this was all over, Sanji was so dead.