Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Sanji and Nami

Requested By: fangirlingwithnoregrets (Tumblr)

Alternatum to Milk, Cookies, and Confessions of Love

"Ah-choo!"

Nami miserably rubbed the reddening bottom of her runny nose, after which she recoiled in disgust as the clear fluid that was leaking from her nostrils smeared across the line of her finger, and with no consideration of tact or propriety she wiped the disgusting efflux off on the fuzzy fabric of her blanket before sitting up in her bed with a small sigh. It was the night following their determinant battle with King Wapol and his goons; Nami had still been recovering from her jungle-acquired fever anyway, and Luffy and Sanji had acquired new injuries on top of the ones they had been healing from to begin with. The resident doctor, Tony Tony Chopper the reindeer, had also fought valiantly for his home and had not escaped unscathed, and as such, they were all under the care of Dr. Kureha in the abandoned Drum Castle. The aforementioned boys were sleeping across the room, all three of them a disorganized mess of limb and blanket; despite Nami's reservations with sharing a room with them, for she was a lady and it was quite inappropriate, Luffy and Sanji had apparently been so unabashedly adamant that the irritable doctor had relented to spare herself their incessant wheedling. Chopper, who had formed quite an attachment to the Straw Hat captain, now refused to be separated from him and so had also made arrangements to cram in the already crammed makeshift hospital wing. Nami watched them through lidded eyes, her nut-brown irises following the rhythmic rise and falls of their chests; it seemed her sneeze had not awoken them.

Nami was no longer in thrall of her illness, but her cold-like symptoms persisted largely because of the poor insulation of the castle atop the icy peak in an already icy country. Wind slithered through the cracks in the seams between the worn gray bricks, creeping across the stone floors before jumping up to swirl around Nami in her bed. As the wisps of air danced over her skin, they left goosepimples in their wake and stole the heat from her body before swirling away into the night. Even as she drew the thick comforter around her, Nami shuddered under the combined assault of the playful chill and the lingering low-grade fever. She cast her gaze to the window to find that it was still nighttime; through the frosty, fern-like patterns of ice within the glass pane, she could see the black canvas of the sky with faintly glimmering stars that lie beyond. Nami exhaled bitterly through her nose- well, as well as she could with it being clogged uncomfortably with snot- before she wrapped the comforter around her being and slid down from the bed. A walk around the castle should warm me up a little, she reasoned as her feet found the fluffy slippers that the castle's two residents had loaned her. Like a penguin, burdened by the weight of her downy fortress, she waddled over to the bedroom door and gradually eased it open. The creak of the rusted hinges pierced the silence of the night like a banshee, and she nervously watched the three boys as she created a gap just big enough for her to squish through; they slept peacefully on. Nami hastily exited the room and gently shut the door back, only allowing herself to heave a sigh of relief once the latch hitched; then, bustling her blankets around her, she began her trek through the circular halls of Drum Castle.

As Nami plodded along, her slippers sliding against the faded carpet that lined the stone floor, the wind continued to swirl around her in its chilly ballet. As she passed on of the large windows that gave a view to the valley, she paused to peer out of one; the snow was applied like thick paint to the ground, starkly contrasting the black ink above, and just along the horizon glimmered warm clusters of faintly orange-yellow light, marking the various villages of Drum Kingdom. The moonlight, cool and white in comparison, streamed through the window to bathe Nami in its mute brilliance, turning her tangerine locks into threads of gold and her tanned skin the color of fresh cream. Her breath fogged against the chilled glass pane, spreading in a mist until her vision of the landscape outside was eclipsed. As the winter chill jumped from the window to grab at her with eager fingers, she hastily pulled herself away from the window and continued to trek down the hallway, her downy blanket shuffling around her legs as she trotted along.

Like Nami had hoped, the exercise sent warm blood pumping through her veins, driving away the cold that had seeped into her body. By the time she made it to a part of the castle she had not yet explored, a thin layer of warm perspiration had formed between herself and the blanket, and a warm tone had returned to her skin and a rosiness to her cheeks. Nami actually pulled off the comforter and folded it neatly as her interest was captured by a set of elegantly carved double doors; as she set it down against the wall and walked over, her brown eyes inspecting every detail of the magnificent craftsmanship, she could see that effigies of native animals were carved into its surface. Reindeer with large, curling antlers pranced regally beside pine trees, while wererabbits hid their hulking frames in snowdrifts. Hawks circled in the swirling clouds overhead, their sharp eyes trained on the foxes slinking about through the skeletons of scrubby bushes. Nami ran her fingers across the smooth wood, and of course found it cold to the touch; she wondered what must lay beyond such an extravagant specimen, and so her hand drifted down to the iron door handle and gave it an experimental pull. She heard the mechanisms grinding within, but the door surprisingly yielded quite easily. Nami slowly pulled the heavy door aside, then yelped as she was abruptly assaulted by the howling, whirling wind that leaped out from behind it. Pellets of snow sprayed across the carpet like paint flung from a brush, and landed in Nami's fluttering strands of hair as she huddled against the wooden door in an attempt to escape the maelstrom. After a minute, the gale died down to a continuous rustling breeze, and Nami rubbed her paling arms and tried to keep her clattering teeth from nipping her tongue as she considered whether to abandon the exploration and return to the safety and warmth of her bed. She decided to at least have a peek into the room, and as she cautiously peered around, she was grateful that she had.

Beyond the intricately carved doors was a splendorous ballroom, the like of which Nami had never seen; the floor was pure marble, white with rivers of silver and gray, with darker granite arranged throughout in a tasteful pattern. Support columns of alabaster ringed the circular room, contrasting the stone walls that were smothered with beautifully woven tapestries depicting graceful dancers and chivalrous knights. The ceiling was domed and constructed completely of glass, not stained but completely clear, making it seem like the sky itself ceilinged the glorious room. However, part of the domed roof had shattered, causing a waterfall of snow to spill in and smother the backside of the dance hall and allow the persistent wind to descend in to give its own performance. Snow flurries were whirling about the room, riding the air current like winter fairies in a procession; they stole Nami's breath away as they whirled by, so mesmerized was she by the ethereal display. Without realizing it she walked into the center of the room, her brown eyes dyed silver as they gazed wide up through the glass at the starry night sky above while the snowflakes continued their eternal performance.

"My lady, might I ask for a dance?"

Nami jumped violently and her head snapped to the entrance as she was addressed. She had no idea she had been followed; Sanji was leaning against the threshold of the door with a cigarette burning in his mouth, and the wisps of his smoke joined the snow flurries in their ballet while the burning tip of the cigarette cast a burning glow against his smirking face. Nami puffed out his cheeks at him, admittedly disappointed that the lascivious cook had interrupted the dreamlike moment. "What are you doing up?" he asked, the smirk falling from his lips as he gazed at her with a serious expression.

"I woke up because I was cold, so I decided to go for a walk to try and warm myself up. I was just on my way back," she reported while turning towards him with her hands on her hips. "What about you? I didn't mean to wake you."

"I was awake; I just pretended to be asleep. This spine injury of mine makes it hard to sleep," he grimaced while tenderly rubbing his fractured vertebrae. "I thought you would come back after a minute or so, but when you didn't I got worried, and came looking for you." He took a deep drag of his cigarette before pulling it from his mouth to exhale the thick smog, watching as it was instantly snatched away by the ever-present wind. His dark eyes watched as the wisps were shredded under its fierce claws, and were drawn up to the ceiling of stars glimmering above their heads. "It certainly is a glamorous ballroom. It's a shame that it's fallen into disrepair like this."

"Yeah, who knows the last time someone danced in here," she shrugged, cocking one hip to the side as she held up one upturned hand and closed her eyes while shaking her head. She cracked her eyes back open when she heard Sanji's booted feet against the smooth marble and granite floor, and looked up at him quizzically when he stopped in front of her with a playful smirk. "What?"

"You never answered my question. Here, let me ask again properly," he purred, then placed one hand behind his back and bowed his head as low as his injury would allow while holding out his free hand to her. "I humbly request a dance of a gorgeous lady, if you would have me." Nami rolled her eyes at his dramatized rendition of propriety, but rather than be annoyed by it, she was amused. She decided to humor him for a while, as she was still far from sleepy, and obediently slid her slender hand into his well-kept ones. Her eyes twitched as he looked up with a grin and quickly brought her hand to his lips so he could softly press a kiss to the top of it.

"Watch it, mister. Don't get carried away," she warned, trying to put more bite into the words than she was truly feeling. Warmth bloomed where his mouth touched her skin, and identically in the middle of her chest where her heartbeat jumped; perhaps it was the ethereal atmosphere, filling the world with a sense of romanticism, but the faintest haze of pink blossomed across Nami's cheeks as well. Sanji just smiled coyly at her and smoothly pulled her into position, holding her hand up while his curled about her waist. She continued to stare at him with a lion's intensity as her hand rested on his shoulder, but in reality she felt more like the antelope, cornered and meek. There was something so dangerous about the way he was gazing at her right now, a smoldering fire deep in the black of his eyes, but it was a danger that Nami wanted to dive headlong into, a heat that she wanted to bathe herself in.

"Me? Carried away? I scoff at the notion," he answered coolly before he began to guide her expertly in the dance. They slowly whirled about the ballroom, their feet crunching in frost and bits of shattered glass as they mirrored the eternal waltz of the wind and snow caught beneath the domed roof, and all the while Sanji's gaze remained fixed on Nami's face. Nami found herself even more transfixed by this than the wonder of the wintery ballroom, and was unable to tear her gaze away, or do anything really but stare back with her mouth slightly agape in nothing short of awe. Had Sanji's blonde hair always had that beautiful sheen to it, or was it the celestial light playing tricks on her eyes? The way he was holding her, too, so sure of himself as he carried her effortlessly along, was setting her heart to a furious tempo. Nami had no idea what he was thinking as he watched her with that calm, calculated, fiery gaze, and she closed her mouth as she gulped slightly. She wondered if she had fallen into a dream; the entire thing was just that extraordinarily sensual and romantic, neither of which she normally associated with the flirty Sanji. "Nami," he said suddenly, drawing her out of her slightly panicky fit.

"H-Huh?"

"I'm really relieved that you're safe." A blush blazed across her cheeks as he leaned forward to press his forehead against hers. While she would normally react with ire, she was still so out of sorts that she just allowed it, still captured in that smoldering fire of his eyes. "I don't know what I would've done if…" he trailed off with a pained expression, as if the words themselves were a thorn in his tongue, unable to be forced out. Nami knew that he wasn't exaggerating for the sake of scoring points with her, but that his concern was heartfelt and genuine. Nami's heart swelled with gratitude and joy, and she deigned to pull herself a little bit, an arc forming in her back as their middles brushed slightly together while they continued to slowly traverse circles across the snowy floor.

"I have you to thank for my safety, Sanji. You and Luffy carried me up the mountain… I don't know what I would've done without you," she smiled sweetly at him. Sanji mirrored her smile, and then his eyes flickered down to her lips for a brief second. Nami knew what was coming next, what his intention was, but strangely, she did not find the idea revolting or distressing; she welcomed it, wanted it, more than she thought she ever would have. Almost moving on instinct, she tilted her head upward and to the side as Sanji's face slowly descended to kiss her. At the exact moment their lips met, moonlight blazed into the room at full intensity, reflecting in the snow that swirled incessantly around their slow-dancing floors; the wind sang in a melodious symphony in tune with Nami's singing heart, carrying the snow flurries around them in a swirling sphere. As the joy and love and ecstasy of it all burst inside Nami, her world became clear and blurry all at once, and the glittering snowflakes were not snowflakes but the stars themselves, the shimmering snow at their feet was not snow but the wispy, soft clouds, both diving to Earth in a tremendous crescendo to serenade the lone pair of dancers in the long-forgotten ballroom. Nami's hand drifted from Sanji's shoulder to the back of his neck, while his migrated to the small of her back; the fingers of their other hands, still held aloft, crept apart such that they could entwine tightly together. Captured in the night and the kiss of the man who she had realized stolen her heart without her realizing it, Nami was contented to remain in that dream for the rest of time, for that short, sweet moment.

Nami was not sure how long they kissed, but by the time they had broken apart they had stopped dancing and were just standing in the center of the room, their faces flushed and their skin shining with a thin layer of sweat. Sanji cupped Nami's cheek in his hand, sweeping her orange hair behind her ear while he gazed lovingly down at her.

"I must be dreaming," he laughed airily.

"Funny, I was just thinking the same. D'ya think we could be having the same dream?"

"Oh, I hope so," came his rumbling reply, bringing an impish smile to Nami's face as she wound her arm around his neck and began to curl her fingers about the ends of his straight blonde locks. Sanji once more brought her hand, still locked in his grasp, to his lips to press a kiss to the top, holding it for a long time before pressing lighter kisses along her knuckles. Nami watched him with a warm smile, enjoying the feeling his lips left behind on her skin and the romantic mood of it all-

The romantic mood that was utterly ruined as she abruptly sneezed in Sanji's face.

"I'm so sorry!" she gasped in mortification as he frowned deeply and began rubbing phlegm off his face. Blushing darkly, she hid her face in her hands, while Sanji just laughed heartily. "It's not funny, Sanji! Oh, man, what a moodkiller," she groaned while peering through her fingers at him.

"It's okay, Nami, I thought it was cute," he snickered as he shook the sleeve of his fur-lined jacket lightly. The embarrassed navigator just continued to wallow in her astronomically bad luck, whining, until Sanji wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into his chest. Hiding her fiery face in the folds of his thick jacket, he stroked her hair while continuing to laugh. She could feel it rumbling in his chest, vibrating against her face, and though it was kind of at her expense she felt a little better. "Ah, that was funny, but probably not a good side. We really should get you back to bed, Nami! We have to press on to Alabasta, after all; can't have you sick forever."

"No. I like the sound of crawling into bed and never getting out," she muttered. He laughed again before pulling her away from him. Her fingers clung desperately to the downy fabric of his coat, trying to pull herself back into his embrace where she did not have to face the reality of what she just did, but to no avail. He patted her head as she continued to pout pathetically. "Look on the bright side; I'm probably the only guy who would let you sneeze in his face and not get mad."

"That doesn't help, Sanji!" she wailed and whirled around, running out of the ballroom to dive into her comforter and make herself into a quivering fortress of isolation. Sanji's laughter bounced into the hall as he followed her, and only her grimacing, red face peeked out of him. "I hate you. Stop teasing me."

"I'm not teasing! Really! It was so adorable, your face all scrunched up and that little high-pitched mousy sneeze~" He cooed as he crouched down in front of her, grinning with his cigarette clenched in his teeth. Nami turned her back to him with a haughty huff, turning up her chin at him.

"You think that's a compliment? Jeez, you're dense." It was only playful banter, now; Nami was still mildly embarrassed, but at least glad he really didn't care, even if that was kinda gross. She continued to sit there with her chin upturned as Sanji continued to try and get her up with no success; then, suddenly, the floor fell away beneath her. She squeaked in alarm and threw her arms out of the blanket to cling to the nearest thing, which happened to be the playful cook, who had decided enough was enough and picked her up, massive blanket and all. He pushed aside the comforter so that he could see and grin brightly at her.

"There. Much better."

"I hate you," she repeated and stuck out her tongue at him.

"I love you too, Nami," he winked with a breathy chuckle, and successfully managed to get Nami flustered once more. He began to stroll back through the castle as Nami steamed like a boiling egg, short-circuiting so much that she couldn't even speak, just stare intensely at him. "If you wanna say something, say it, Nami!" he laughed at her. Ugh, it's frustrating how it's so easy for him!

"… Fine. I love you," she grumbled finally, admitting defeat. Sanji turned his head to beam triumphantly at her, then leaned forward to give her a soft peck on the end of her nose. Despite herself, she could not help but smile widely in joy, and as he was pulling away she poked her head forward to bump her nose against his affectionately. "So continue to keep me safe, okay?"

"That's a promise," he assured her with a big smirk.

Sanji continued to carry her off down the hall, and Nami once again cast her gaze out of the large window as they passed one. The stars had vacated the ballroom to shine like beacons against the endless sea of night above, but their dance was forever in Nami's memory. She rested her head against Sanji's shoulder, the sleepiness finally setting in, and she silently hoped that her dream would not end anytime soon…