The food wasn't done yet but the intoxicating aroma filled the entire area which made Nami's stomach growl more. Sanji had grabbed a chair from one of the kitchen tables and placed it on the other side of the open counter so he could talk to her as he cooked.

"Hey…" she said.

"Yes?"

"Don't you think this is too much?"

"What is?" he asked, as he looked all over the counter. Was she referring to the food he was cooking?

"This place…Why are you living in a hotel? Why not an apartment?"

"What are you talking about? This isn't a hotel."

Nami blinked in confusion. "It's not an elaborate suite?"

Sanji looked at her like she was some sort of alien until it dawned on him that they never came in from the front entrance. He basically took her against her will to come here, entered through the parking garage, and made love to her not too long ago. Weren't there names for people like him? Sure he had the title 'boyfriend' but somehow he felt like a criminal when he thought it about it like that.

"Nami this is my condo."

Nami looked around the room from where she had been sitting by the kitchen. Now that she got a better look, it did look more like a condo rather than a hotel suite.

"Sanji, this isn't funny. Isn't there a limit to how much money you can have?"

"I didn't buy it. I just took the monthly payments. Its not that bad actually." he said nonchalantly and begun to taste test some sort of liquid that had been simmering in a sauce pan.

"Sanji…this place is unnecessarily spacious. What does this place consist of anyways?"

Sanji stirred the contents that fried in a wide pan as he gave Nami a thoughtful expression.

"If I had to say…there are six bedrooms, four bathrooms, a laundry room, a day room-"

"Now this really isn't funny…what do you do with six rooms?"

"Two of them were made into studies, I use one of them as a storage room, another is a TV room, then there is my room, and lastly, an empty bedroom."

Nami stared at Sanji with her mouth agape as she tried to contemplate how expensive it was to own a place like this. Six rooms and four bathrooms. How can he afford the monthly payments? Sanji was nineteen for crying out loud! Was 'All Blue' really that good of a restaurant?

"So you run 'All Blue' now..." she said, trying to absorb the information.

"I'm the co-owner. The old man wanted to open a new restaurant and wanted to completely leave the place in someone else's hands. No one wanted the position, including myself, but I forced my ass to take it or business was ruined. I told that shitty geezer I wouldn't take it over completely but I'd just look after the place. I still work with everyone else in the back. I'm just the pretty face for the place."

Nami really didn't know how to digest the information.

"Sanji, forgive me but I can't really comprehend this story. Its like a Cinderella story that froze at the highlight of the fame and fortune."

Sanji looked to Nami and noticed the troubled expression upon her face as she bit her lower lip and glanced around again.

"This place belonged to the shitty geezer. After he made the decision to open up a new place he moved too. Mortgage is taken care of since the geezer had this place for years. And since I live alone, I don't waste as much energy so my bills are relatively cheap. I think it's a pretty sweet deal."

"He had this place for years? But Sanji this is NW city. You went to East Blue Academy with everyone. The district you needed to live in to go there was East Blue City or Grand Line City. You explained to me about the high way that cuts travel time in half but even so things really don't add up."

"I had a place just at the edge of Grand Line City. It was closer to the highway which mean it was closer to work."

"Work?"

"Yea, I grew up working at 'All Blue'."

"…I see…well by bike it only takes twenty minutes to get to school, even if you lived in the outskirts of Grand Line City…then explain to me about this place and the one you mentioned earlier. You said he had this place for years...doesn't that mean you lived alone?"

"For a bit." he shrugged. "Its not that big of a deal really. A lot of students lived alone back then so it really didn't bother the school."

This fact was true. The school didn't ask questions as long as the tuition was paid and the rules were followed. Special exceptions were made to students like Nami and in a surprising case, like Sanji.

Nami thought back about how much she knew about Sanji back then. She had met Sanji through Luffy on her first day of high school and he fawned over almost every female he saw. He cooked well, showed almost no interest in school, and flirted with Nami and every other girl on a daily basis. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that although they were good friends, she didn't know the in-depth story about him.

"Then how did you get to work? You had a bicycle, which I clearly remember because you gave me a ride a few times."

"I also had a car. The first year and a half of high school I drove illegally until I got my license."

Nami stopped to think for a bit. She really needed to absorb all of this information and Sanji gladly gave her the time she needed to think.

"Your story sounds a little…unreal. Have you been secretly hanging out with Usopp too much?" she joked.

"Well so did yours but I didn't judge." he said in a calm tone; referring to her story about her disappearance.

"Sorry…"

"Ah, I didn't mean to make it seem like I was offended or anything. Really, I'm not." Sanji said with a reassuring tone.

He had just finished his bustling around in the kitchen and grabbed a set of plates and silverware which caught Nami's attention.

"Do you need any help?"

"No, its fine, just relax. I should be asking you if you need help."

"What?"

"The feeling hasn't kicked in yet has it?" he said, hoping he wouldn't be beaten for it later.

Sanji walked back and forth from the table to the kitchen with a slightly hesitant demeanor as he set the plates down and brought the food to the table.

"What feeling?" she asked curiously.

"You might feel…sore…"

"Oh…um…ok…" she said awkwardly.

The feeling in the room suddenly felt a little awkward but not in a painful or strange type of awkward. They had just taken the next step into their relationship and Nami was just reminded about it by Sanji's comment. It was like a new beginning with the shyness and slight hesitance before things warmed up again.

"Nami…are you really ok?"

"Sanji I'm fine. It doesn't hurt-"

"I'm talking about before…I'm really sorry and I don't expect your forgiveness right off the bat so..." He spoke with a serious expression. He didn't want to believe that Nami was still upset but he didn't want to chance another argument that took a blow to her confidence and trust.

"Sulking doesn't suit you very well. Truthfully, I'm surprised with myself. I was really upset, now that I got it all off my chest I feel better." Nami spoke with a perky, reassuring tone and gave him a genuine smile.

"If you still want to talk about it, or if you get bothered by it, then tell me. Don't hide it and hold it in. Don't let it fester. Curse me out. Beat me up…I dunno, something. Just don't fake it away like its ok."

Sanji made his way to Nami and with his fingertips, trailed along the sides of her arms, down to her hands. He still searched her face for any 'out there' emotions that were left over but couldn't see anything, and then sighed in relief. Her eyes sparkled with the normal exuberance they usually held and it really lifted a lot of weight from his shoulders.

"Sanji, I'm good. Now stop sulking. You're going to get wrinkles and make your eyebrows straight."

"I should sulk more then." he chuckled as he turned with her hands still in his.

Nami stood slowly and noticed a sore, raw feeling between her legs as she took a few steps. She winced slightly and stopped moving for a bit trying to ease the feeling. After it subsided she moved her legs again and the feeling took over once more and she grimaced. She stopped walking and looked at Sanji with embarrassment. Sanji turned to see why she stopped and spoke.

"Nami?"

"Sanji…how about we eat here at the counter?"

"So its finally hit you?" he asked with a nervous, yet playful smile.

"N-No! Stupid! I'm just lazy!"

Sanji turned to lean into her and exhaled. The feeling of his warm breath lapping in and around her ear tickled and she tilted her head to rub her ear against her shoulder. Sanji took a free hand and wrapped it behind her back and scooped her up with the other and carried her to the table.

"This should solve our problem then." he mused.

Sanji made his way to the table and carefully brought her to her feet, and immediately pulled out a chair for her. The table was square, made of dark wood, and had enough space to fit four people. It was small, and very, family oriented. The only thing that seemed to make this place a home. To her left a few feet away was a long rectangular table which was made of the same wood and was big enough to seat eight people.

"Sanji…?"

"Yes?"

"How long have you been living here?"

"I'd say a few days after you moved out of your old house was when I moved here."

"I see…. It feels…empty… I mean the décor is nice and it looks modern and things are placed nicely and its spacious but... it feels empty."

"You've noticed it too huh? I suppose in time it'll feel more like a home. I can't say much since its only been a few months so I'll just have to wait and see."

Sanji spoke about it very nonchalantly, almost like he didn't care about it. Nami cared though. It felt empty. It was warm but it didn't have the warmth a person needed. It actually lacked a lot of things a person needed regardless of the amount of things that were already there. Nami would have felt too lonely if she lived here by herself and she couldn't figure out how Sanji managed to do it.

"I told you your place felt much more like a home. Now eat before your food gets cold."

Nami looked down to her plate and her mouth began to water. She had forgotten about the food as she expressed her concern for Sanji, but now she was well reminded of how much the aroma filled her nostrils.

"So Sanji, what am I about to eat?" she asked cheerfully.

"You, my dear, are looking at seared lamb with cracked wheat-currant pilaf, a light garden salad and a side of balsamic sauce."

Nami slowly cut a piece of lamb and examined it carefully. She had never tried lamb before and wasn't too keen on the idea of giving it a chance this evening, but she didn't want to offend Sanji. He was a great cook and took pride in his dishes and she didn't want to seem like a picky eater; even if he would have spoiled her with a different dish. As she placed it into her mouth and chewed slowly an explosion of flavor filled her mouth. The lamb was quite tender and well seasoned. It barely had a salty aftertaste but that was what really complemented the lamb. The pilaf had buttery, garlic aftertaste but it was just as delicious. When she tried the balsamic sauce with a light dip of her next piece of lamb she felt like melting. It tied the whole dish perfectly with its slight, honey smoked after taste.

"Sanji this is amazing. I'm going to get fat if I keep eating your delicious food."

"Thank you, and, you don't need to worry about getting fat. Everything I make is healthy." he said with a confident, yet calm smile.

Sanji sounded a little too confident but it just showed how much pride he had in his food. He never did boast or brag about things to her seriously so Nami let him have his well deserved moment. He continued to speak and completely caught her off guard with his next sentence.

"Besides, even if you did get fat, I wouldn't stop loving you."

Nami's face began to flush and quickly put more food into her mouth. He was always so open and straightforward to show his love and affection to Nami. She showed her affection and appreciation to him in a lot of ways but she never openly said it. All this time she had been waiting for the perfect moment to say those three important words he always said to her, but each time she had a clear moment she chickened out.

Sanji noticed her fidget in her seat with a blush across her face and smiled. He really did love seeing Nami's cute side. He loved making her flustered by just simple words such as these. It was a clear enough indication that she liked hearing what he had to say about her. Sanji had just bit into his food when Nami spoke.

"Sanji, I have a question. And, I don't want to sour the mood or anything but I guess it's the one thing that still bothers me…"

"What is it?" he asked curiously. He had a feeling he knew what she was about to ask but decided to wait and see just what her question would be. He already told her to speak her mind when things bothered her so he definitely wasn't going to turn her away.

"Why does she have your number? Kalifa that is…"

Sanji sighed and looked at Nami with a careful expression. He knew this was going to be the question.

"Nami, she's a busy woman. She actually comes to the restaurant a lot for business. I know what you're thinking and yes she does have the number to the restaurant, but she also has my personal number for networking purposes. If there is an important client she meets and feels nice enough to introduce me then she calls me if I'm not at work. That is my only reason for seeing her during the day or evenings now. Even if I wanted to cut off contact with her I can't exactly do that…"

Nami listened carefully to his explanation and began to understand the situation very clearly. But what was with his last sentence?

"I won't ask you to stop talking to her now that I understand a bit, but why did you said you can't?"

Sanji hesitated for a moment looked at Nami curiously. He needed a read on her expression so he can word his next sentence carefully. As he noticed nothing dangerous in her face he finally spoke.

"We're family."

"…what?"

"Well, used to be…"

"Um, Sanji, I'm not following. You used to sleep with her…right?" Nami said nervously. This was a little to weird to hear but she needed this information.

"She used to be married to my step-cousin. We're not related by blood but she left a very good impression on the family, so I see her at family gatherings once in a blue moon."

"You slept with your cousin…?" Nami said with an almost lifeless tone.

"Step-cousin's ex-wife…"

"I see…"

"Yes…"

"…"

"…"

"…Sanji…"

"…yes…?"

"…that's weird…"

"…I suppose it is…"

The conversation was really awkward. Kalifa was a distant, ex-marriage-related cousin that he slept with as his first. Who sleeps with someone that used to be married to their step-cousin? Step-cousin, to Nami, obviously meant some kid whose mother or father married into Sanji's side of the family, so obviously it meant they wasn't blood related. Then Kalifa comes along and marries into the step-cousin. Still not blood related. But still, family is family and that felt a little weird hearing it. What was the story behind it? Nami wanted to know more about the situation but she didn't want to seem rude prying so she just asked two simple questions.

"Was she still...married when you guys…hooked up?"

"No."

"Are the two of you close?"

"Not at all. We're more like business partners if you ask me. Maybe even strangers. There is a line we both made and will never cross."

"Ok…crisis averted."

Crisis averted? What did Nami mean by that? Sanji had begun to worry about her mood again and observed her facial expression carefully. Her face was calm and thoughtful as she continued to eat. He saw no signs of his downfall but the silence made his ears ring in anticipation for her to say something.

"Nami…what do you mean by 'crisis averted'…? he asked nervously.

"If you two were close and she was still married when you both 'hooked up' I was about to have a panic attack. Family bonds that turn into sexual bonds make things more complicated and I felt nervous that she would have an upper hand against me if she wanted to try anything funny. But, crisis has been averted." she suddenly said with an up-beat attitude.

Sanji sighed in relief to her positive mood when she asked him another question.

"If you two are like business partners, does that mean you knew she worked at Galley La Company?"

"I honestly never knew she worked for Galley La Co. until I saw her that day at lunch. I knew she was some hotshot secretary but I didn't care to ask since we're like strangers."

"I see. Another crisis averted." she giggled.

Oh boy. Another crisis was averted. Sanji could take a good guess as to why this was almost a crisis. If he had known Kalifa worked at Galley La Co. and hid it from Nami, that would definitely have upset her. But it truly was a good thing he never pried or asked about Kalifa's life. Not that he cared. They merely scratched each others itches.

As the two of them finished their food, Sanji made a motion to grab her plate when she slapped his hand playfully.

"I got it." she said, standing very slowly. The raw feeling between her legs only burned more started to sting. She slowly slid her feet across the floor as Sanji had already passed her twice as he removed his dishes and brought the left over food to the counter for packaging.

Each time he passed her, put food away, and washed dishes, he watched Nami carefully. He knew offering to help her would make her shy and temperamental so he just enjoyed the view, waiting for her to say something. He wasn't a sadist but seeing Nami struggle was a little cute. As she finally reached the sink she had the most triumphant look on her face and grinned as big as she could; but when she turned her body slightly, a look of horror plagued her face. She forgot the glass cup on the table. It was so obvious she didn't want to make a big deal of how she felt, and how she didn't want to get the glass, but Sanji couldn't help but be amused at how stubborn she was being. She could have asked for him to do it but she didn't.

She began to slowly slide her feet across the floor again and Sanji heard and almost inaudible groan leave her lips. He smiled playfully and finished washing the last bit of dishes and came from behind her, just as she finally reached the table. As her hands barely touched the glass, he reached for it and kissed her cheek quickly and scurried off to the sink. He had a feeling he was going to get it later for making her try to walk all that way and he was right. Nami had turned around with a puffy, angry face and glared at him.

Sanji cheerfully washed the glass cup as Nami slowly made her way over to him. She was now within arms reach as he dried his hands. She looked at his arm with the intent of giving a nice pinch and raised her hand. Just as she tried to grab his arm, he shuffled slowly to his left, just short of escaping her reach. Nami didn't notice his shuffle and thought she was just still to far for a payback pinch she so inched closer again. He shuffled again and this time Nami knew he was doing this on purpose. Each foot she slid closer to him earned another shuffle away. Sanji could see her pout even more but kept a calm smile upon his face as he shuffled again.

"Stop moving! I know you're doing it on purpose! Just let me pinch you already!" she shouted.

"What? I'm not doing anything. Why would you pinch me? I did nothing wrong." he said with a hurt expression but a playful tone.

"You know very well why I want to pinch you. Stop avoiding the inevitable or it'll be much worse when I can actually chase you down."

"What's that? Oh yes Nami, I love you too." Sanji said, puckering his lips as he shuffled out of her reach again.

"Grraah forget it! I'm thirsty now." she grumbled. She glared at Sanji expectantly with a pout of her lips and huffed.

Sanji sighed contently and made his way back to her cautiously, wondering if this was all an elaborate act for her 'revenge'. To his surprise she tried nothing and she continued to stare at him expectantly for a drink. Even though he had just washed her glass, she was going to make him serve her another drink if she couldn't reach him for revenge…yet.

Sanji wasn't sure what she wanted to drink and gave her curious look. Surely she didn't expect him to read her mind, did she? She still maintained a slight pout against her lips as she watched him. She knew that look in his face and decided to give him some mercy by muttering the word, "water".

Just what sort of revenge was this? It was so weak. Sanji outstretched his hand with the glass of water trying to keep the best amount of distance possible with a scrunched up face. He was clearly still playing around as he handed her the glass as if it were toxic.

"Stop making that face. You look gross."

"I look gross?" he asked in disbelief.

Nami sipped at the contents of her glass and passed a few glances Sanji's way. This definitely wasn't the revenge she had planned on but it was quite do-able. He looked a little distraught hearing he looked gross. On purpose she changed the subject just to get a little rise out of him.

"So are you taking me home later?"

"I look gross?"

"I don't have clothes here and I work at nine."

"Do I really look gross?"

"Now what do we do? Do you want to wake up early and drop me home? Or can you drop me off tonight?"

.

TO BE CONTINUED

Author Note:
Hey everyone, this chapter came out short and later than I anticipated. And it felt so blah because I'm a little pissed and can't think straight because of the stress that be being thrown into my face. It seriously feels like a damn plastic bag blowing in the wind that just so happened to slap my face and I'm frantically trying to pull it off.

To make a long story short, I was supposed to have my nursing exam 4 months ago when my memory was still fresh. The National Nursing Board kept cancelling my appointments due to quorum issues or missing board members. Yea no one gives a shit here when it comes to doing their work where I live. So I'm sour at the moment. And now my memory isn't as fresh. I just got word that my nursing license exam is August 17 and 18. I'm being forced to study my ass off now. And, I have to give up my time to take free review courses [damn straight those classes better be free! after all that money and schooling I went through it should be free!] Anyways, I might not be updating every 2-3 days like I normally do. I might update weekly or weekends until things cool down buuuuuuuut you never know with me. I'm a creature of the night and never really sleep so...updates might be random.
I'm still pissed. I hate random updates from myself...especially since I have a good time table and plot planned out. Now I have to change it to fit my schedule.

Hope you enjoy this chapter even if i was blah-ed out.

Still pissed cause I was supposed to start adding a Naruto fanfic based on SakuraxKakashi and a One Piece fanfic based on NamixZoro but now I have to wait on that too