Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Sanji and Nami

Requested By: YonaWon (Ao3)

Nami frowned slightly as she stood this way and that in front of her body-length mirror, her lips pursed as her gaze drifted across her body. After giving herself a thorough check-over, she determined that somehow she had escaped the craziness on Punk Hazard completely unscathed, which was an uncommon occurrence. Nami had a tough personality, but she was not naïve enough to think that her body was caught up with the program; she was dainty compared to the tough men she traveled with, and though she certainly did not straddle the doorway to death as they did, she still found herself in several scuffles on a regular basis and ended up beat up frequently. This time I don't even have a scratch! She thought with a mildly awed expression. I guess I have Sanji to thank for that.

Normally she did have the suave, lascivious cook to thank for saving her behind, but in this case it was quite more literal. On the bizarre island filled with even more bizarre individuals, Nami and Sanji had fallen victim to a strange body-swapping occurrence. As her mind recalled the odd feeling of being inside his body, acutely aware of how sturdy his body felt and his muscles flexing as she moved, she went pink.

"Stop that! It's indecent!" she scolded herself aloud and slapped her cheeks, leaving them an even darker shade of pink. Pushing the maddeningly attractive man to the back of her mind, she huffed and hastily strode out of her bedroom to investigate what the rest of the crew was up to. As she walked over to the banister of the upper deck and leaned over to gaze out onto the main deck, she saw that the crew was up to their usual antics despite having been through a rough fight not hours ago. Luffy was sitting on a barrel, perched on a barrel and loudly demanding food from a very irritated Sanji, who was smoking a cigarette and barking rebuked at the immature captain. Usopp had a fishing pole and had a line cast in the water, and little Chopper was standing Hind him bouncing up and down with mixed feelings of excitement and concern. Robin was lounging in a chair, deeply absorbed in one of the dusty tomes she kept within reach, while Brooke was at the front of the boat humming as he stared out at the sea; Franky was sitting down beside Zoro, who was fast asleep as usual. It was a welcome site to see everything back to normal after a harrowing experience. Well, mostly back to normal.

During their jaunt to Punk Hazard, the Straw Hats had somehow managed to pick up a trio of unlikely guests. Two were from the samurai island of Wano- the feisty samurai Kin'emon and his small son Momonosuke, whom they had rescued on Punk Hazard. The other was someone they had already met, the young pirate captain Trafalgar Law. Foul-mouthed and gruff, he was an enemy-turned-ally that Luffy was oddly fond of and had already given him the label of "friend"- though Law was not happy to oblige. The samurai man and his son were readily sparring on the deck, while Law was sitting with his sword propped against his shoulder as he half-listened to Luffy whine. He didn't appreciate it when the Straw Hat captain attempted to drag him into the conversation.

"Everything is as it should be," Nami laughed quietly as she observed the scene before she turned on her heel and walked to her work room to prepare their next route. Law had said something about Dressrosa kingdom, while Momonosuke and his father were intent on returning to Wano; the navigator had to figure out the best way to accomplish both tasks in the shortest amount of time, and thus planning would be necessary. She sat down in front of her navigational charts to ponder the course of action, and before she knew it time was rapidly wasting away, until she glanced out her small window to find that the ocean was dyed gold with the setting sun. She then suddenly realized how stiff she was, and rose from the chair to stretch her arms above her head. "Ahh, much better," she sighed before walking over to the window. What a pretty sunset, she thought with a small smile. She decided to wander back outside to get a better look at it, promptly leaving the room and walking over to the balustrade of the boat and leaning against the finished wood as she gazed out at the open sea. A smile naturally found its way onto her lips.

It's beautiful… The sun was a semicircle of blazing yellow light, turning the once-blue sky a canvas of golden and red light, with the darkness of the night sky rapidly descending like a great curtain as the sun sunk below the horizon. The calm sea reflected the golden light spilling forth, and glittered as waves gently shifted back and forth. Nami rested her arms on the sturdy wood and set her head on top, gazing out at the sea. Though she had been through countless perils with the rowdy pirate crew, she found the never had she regretted the decision to follow Luffy on his quest to become King of the Pirates. Sunsets on the water put those on land to shame, and as long as she was a pirate, she could see them anytime she wished. I can't think of a better life, she thought wistfully.

"Oh! Nami! I was wondering if you had fallen asleep in there," called a teasing voice, and the tangerine-haired girl glanced over her shoulder to see Sanji sauntering over to her with a cigarette banging from his mouth and a smirk playing over his lips. As soon as her eyes fell on it, she blushed, immediately recalling her inappropriate thoughts earlier that day. Oh, crap, she thought and hastily turned her face back to the setting sun, hoping the glow of the fading light would mask her blush.

"I've been busy planning our next move. I came out to watch the sunset," she explained simply. She hoped her nonchalance would keep him from taking too close a look at her.

"You do girly things like that?" he asked her with a small laugh, making her temper flare.

"What's wrong with appreciating the sunset?" she snapped hotly and whipped around to face him, bristling like an enraged cat. He just seemed to find the outburst amusing, laughing heartily before glancing out at the water. He smiled as the sun continued to drift below the horizon.

"Nothing. It is pretty, I suppose," he relented with a chuckle, and then he glanced back at her. "All you all right, though? I'm afraid I might have overdone it while I was in your body," he frowned down at her, causing her turn to pink once more and turn away.

"Oh, um… Actually, I seem to be completely unhurt… You did a good job, um, taking care of my body," she answered awkwardly. Oh my God, that sounds so wrong, she groaned inwardly, but Sanji seemed to overlook her discomfort.

"I'm relieved! I would never forgive myself if you got hurt, Nami~" he beamed brightly.

"What about you? I mean, I- or, you- took that hard hit from Caesar," she asked in turn, and in response, he grinned stupidly.

"What, me? It would take a lot more than that to hurt me," he snorted proudly. Confident, aren't we? She thought with a raised eyebrow, then gulped when he turned to her and stood a little closer to her. "But you're concerned about me, Nami? I'm flattered," he grinned at her, and that dazzling smile of her sent her heart beating rapidly in her chance. Damn him, she thought in mortification and hastily scooched away.

"D-Don't read too much into it! Of course I get concerned when all you loonies go around getting beat up all the time! Normal people would be dead after all the things you guys put yourself through!" she huffed and crossed her arms, turning her face away. She blinked when Sanji did not respond with another teasing remark, just silence, and in confusion she glanced back over her shoulder to see him gazing at her with a somewhat sad look. "What's that look for?"

"I just… I never stopped to think about it. How much stronger Luffy and Zoro and I are, and how reckless we can be… We really do end up dragging you into some dangerous situations," he answered sadly, and suddenly Nami felt guilty for her thoughtless comment.

"No," she interrupted before he could go on. "I mean, you do, but… You know, I want to get dragged into those kinds of situations. I mean, of course I don't, but- ugh, how do I explain this?" she muttered in frustration as she struggled to put the odd feeling into words. "What I'm trying to say is, just because I end up in danger doesn't mean I resent it. Even though we go through some pretty dangerous things and rough times, I still don't regret them. It's an adventure, you know? And I wouldn't trade it for anything," she explained after a moment of pondering. She looked back up at Sanji, whose sad expression had turned blank. Did I make it worse? She wondered in mild fear, but then was relieved as he smiled softly at her.

"You know, Nami, you act all tough, but on the inside, you really are just a girl," he mused, and though it seemed he was trying to make a compliment, Nami just stamped her foot in frustration.

"'Just a girl'? I give you my heartfelt feelings and that's what you say? Jeez, Sanji, and I thought you were good with women!" she cried before shoving him roughly away and stomping up the stairs toward her work room. She could hear Sanji babbling behind her attempting to explain herself, but she was too busy trying to keep up the mad act to listen. Really, she wasn't angry; somehow, she liked the idea that Sanji thought of her as a girl. Perhaps it was just that shameless side of her. Smiling to herself, she stalked into her work room, but allowed Sanji to muscle his way in after her.

"Come on, Nami, you know I didn't mean it like that!" he whined as he stood against the back wall while she sat at her desk and pretended to pore over her collection of maps and ocean current charts. "Namiiiiii," he whined pathetically, and she rolled her eyes at how childish he sounded. I'll tease him a little longer, she thought in amusement and wrote some fake notes down. Suddenly, she froze as she felt Sanji's sturdy arms wrapped around her, and her face became afire with blushing. "Please, Nami, say you forgive me," he purred in her ear, and Nami was upset to find that the tables had so suddenly turned. Her pen fell from her hand as it began to shake slightly. Oh… She was so in shock that she was quite unsure what to think, so all she could do was comply in the hope that he would let her go and keep her heart from bursting through her ribcage.

"I-I forgive you," she stammered quickly, and exhaled deeply as she felt his arms slide out from around her. That small, shameless part of her burned with the urge to pull them back, to stay wrapped in his embrace, but she hurriedly quashed it. She bit down on her lip, attempting to control her blushing before glancing over her shoulder to see that Sanji was grinning like an idiot, and she once again felt annoyed with his endless games. "Proud of yourself, are you?" she snorted. Only he can make me go so topsy-turvy… One minute he has me all in a tizzy and the next I can't stand him! I can never tell what he's thinking! She thought grumpily. "I don't appreciate you teasing me, Sanji," she huffed.

"I never tease," he refuted playfully, but she just turned back to her charts with a short. "So, what is our plan?" he inquired.

"Dressrosa Kingdom," she remarked as she looked down at the map, finally settling on a decision. "I think that is the best course of action. I'm still not really sure what Law wants to accomplish there, by confronting this Warlord. After we'll head to Wano so Kin'emon and Momonosuke can return home. It's further away, and there are a few islands we have to pass through first. Probably gonna end up in another dangerous situation," she mused as she leaned back in the chair and regarded the map with a small smile. That's what I get for following a reckless, foolhardy captain like Luffy, she thought in amusement. Still… I said I wouldn't trade it for the world, and I meant it.

"Hey… Nami?" Sanji suddenly said, and she frowned. There was something strange in his voice. Sanji was normally so confident, but now, he sounded almost… Unsure. She found that suddenly she was afraid to turn around and look at him, scared she would find that sad look on his face again. I keep saying things that make him feel guilty, she thought miserably.

"Yeah? What is it?" she responded hesitantly.

"You're not gonna look at me?" he asked, and she could hear the frown in his voice. No. No, because I'm afraid of what I might find and what I might do, she thought as she chewed on her lip and shrugged it off as if she was busy. She cried out in alarm as she heard him quickly close the distance between them and grab her chair, lifting it clear off the ground with her in it to spin her around and plop her back down so that she was facing him. Shocked and shamefully impressed with his brute strength, she kept her gaze on her lap as her face burned. Sanji was intent that she look at him, however, and she gasped as his hand slid under her chin and lifted her face up. As soon as their eyes met, she was immediately electrified, unable to do anything but stare up at him with her mouth slightly ajar. He did have that sad look, but there was something else too, something she could not place. "Nami, you know that I'll always protect you, don't you?" That comment threw her for a loop.

"Wh-what makes you say that all of a sudden?" she squeaked in surprise. It unnerved her, and flattered her, too. The idea of Sanji being her knight in shining armor certainly appealed to that secret side of her heart, the side that she kept hidden even from herself- the side that loved this annoyingly and undeniably handsome and strong man. Still, she had to keep up the innocent act, because part of her was afraid that it was a one-sided affection. Sanji loved women in general, after all, and who was to say that it was just harmless flirting like always? "Y-you're not making sense. What makes you think I need- or want- protection?"

"There you go with that tough act again," he said teasingly. "Nami, I know you are certainly capable of holding your own, but you and I both know that there are some situations that will come along that you can't. I told you before that I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if you were hurt… So, I'll always be your shield."

"I don't understand," Nami responded dumbly. She wasn't used to this side of Sanji- so serious, looking at her with that unidentifiable flame burning in his eyes. She found once more that her heart was beating faster than it should, and she had a strange afraid-elated feeling in the face of this new development. Was it possible that Sanji felt something for her after all? Why else would he make such a bold declaration? Then again, it was just the kind of chivalrous thing he would say to put Nami at ease and put a flirty remark in. I'm so confused… "Why are you saying this? I already told you that the danger doesn't bother me."

"It bothers me, Nami," he responded quickly. "I know you chose this life and you don't regret it, but the thought that you're in danger all the time because of all our stupid recklessness…" he sighed and hung his head sadly, confusing her even more. "I don't like it."

"You're not answering my question. Why do you care so much?" she asked before she could stop herself, though she already knew the answer.

"Silly Nami. So smart, but so dumb at the same time," he mused softly as he looked down at her, sitting in the chair wringing the fabric of her pants with her hands as she anticipating the answer. "Because I love you, of course."

Sanji said it so often, but this time, she knew that it was more than a passing flirtatious remark. She knew he meant it. She wasn't sure why, but suddenly a few tears were spilling from her eyes, and she hastily lifted her hands to wipe her wet cheeks.

"I-I'm sorry. I don't know why," she stammered with a nervous laugh. She wasn't sure why that had been her immediate reaction, and she was sure that Sanji didn't appreciate it, but thankfully he seemed unbothered. He crouched down in front of her, smiling warmly as he took her hands and pulled them away from her face.

"Don't worry, Nami. It's okay to cry when you're happy," he chuckled and reached up to finish brushing away the tears. Her lips quivered as she smiled, because she realized that she was happy. Sanji loves me, she thought giddily. She laughed softly as she rested her hands on her lap and smiled down at him, quite unsure of what to do or say. Sanji knew, though. Without missing a beat, his hand rested against her cheek, and she could not help but lean her face against it, admiring the chef's soft hands. His pride and joy, she thought absently, becoming distracted to the fact that his face was moving in close. By the time she noticed, his lips were already on hers, and she immediately melting under the soft kiss. Her mind flew elsewhere, unable to form any cohesive thoughts aside from those concerning the man kissing her- how nice it felt, how handsome he was, things like that. Her eyes drifted shut as she savored the feeling of him, and her heart sung with joy. My knight in shining armor, she thought. I can live with that…

"Sanji," she whispered as he drew back, and her voice was full of longing. That shameless part of her had surfaced and overtaken her, and wanted him to just keep kissing her. He found that quite amusing, and smirked at her. When she regained control of herself, she blushed darkly, causing him to smirk more.

"You're cute," he laughed.

"Don't tease me," she whined and crossed her arms, the romantic mood killed by his incessant games.

"I never tease," he repeated playfully, but despite his insistence he reached out and placed his hands on her hips, hoping to further get a rise out of her. "I mean everything I do," he grinned as she squirmed at his touch, trying to squash the rising feelings inside of her.

"I don't think this is how a knight is supposed to act," she snorted, trying to seem unbothered by his hands curled around her middle.

"I don't think princesses are supposed to go around kissing knights," he refuted with a snicker, and Nami could not help but smile being referred to as a princess. As the romantic mood between them began to bubble once more, their faces began to gravitate together as if drawn by magnets, but before they could meet the ship suddenly rang with a loud, demanding voice.

"Sanjiiiiiii! Where are youuuuu? I'm starving!" Luffy shouted outside, and they could hear him stomping around the deck as he searched for the ship's cook. "Cook me some food before I kick your ass!" he demanded loudly.

"Curse that rubber man and his bottomless pit," Sanji muttered under his breath as he stood up and walked over to the door to throw it open. "Shut up! I'll cook when I'm good and ready, dammit!"

"No! Nooooooow!" Luffy screamed and catapulted himself across the deck to land in front of the door and cling to Sanji's leg. "I'm so hungry!"

"Ugh! Fine! If that what it takes to get you to stop whining!" Sanji groaned and shook his leg in an attempt to dislodge the immature captain. Luffy was not going to let go unless Sanji wandered down to the kitchen, and Nami smiled wistfully as she realized that she and Sanji weren't going to have any more romantic development for the night. He glanced back at her and gave her a wink, and then mouthed, "See you later," making her sit up straight and turn pink. "All right, come on, you buffoon," he sighed and walked out of the room, one leg dragging as Luffy remained resolutely stuck to him. Nami watched him go with a small smile.

My knight in shining armor, she thought again, a hand rising to her heart.

I know you'll protect me, Sanji.

Always…