Category: Romantic Fluff
Characters: Trafalgar Law, Nami
Requested By: anubislover (Tumblr)
"Brrr!" Nami shivered as a harsh wind blew across the cobblestone street, sending snow flurries swirling around her like playful fairies and tossing her tangerine hair about with curious icy fingers. Though she had donned a cotton-lined duffel coat and a set of kitted gloves, a pom-pommed hat, and a scarf, the cold seemed to wriggle right through the fabric to dot goosebumps across her skin. Puffing hot breath onto her sheathed hands to attempt to warm her chilled peripheries, she still could not help but smile at the very aesthetic atmosphere of the shopping district within their newest stopping place, a winter island. It was not nearly as hazardous or blizzard-bound as the distant Drum Kingdom, but still appreciable; the snow was piled up a foot deep on either side of the paved streets and coated all the sloped rooves of the buildings like icing layers on frosted gingerbread houses. All the glass windows were frosted at the edges accentuating the little lines of accumulated snowflakes, and some of the older constructions bore the picturesque fern-like tracings of crawling, crystalline ice. It really gave the bustling town a "winter wonderland"-esque quality that put Nami in a seasonal mood. However, she couldn't frolic too much, as there was a sheet of ice layering the cobblestone, and if she wasn't careful, she would bust her rump.
Well, fate had decided she was just going to do that anyway. Despite her careful step, her shoes slipped across the smooth, mirror-slick surface and brought her foot right out from under her. With a shrill cry as her entire body tipped backwards, she closed her eyes and braced her body for a sudden and jarring impact. Right before she expected to make impact, she felt someone catch her, keeping her suspended at a dramatic angle as if she were bent low in a sensual tango. She cracked an eye open with a small, perplexed, "eh?" to find none other than Trafalgar Law standing next to her, leaned far to the side with one arm hooked around her comparably small waist.
"Careful, Nami-ya," came his purring voice as he smirked down at her. A faint haze of pink dusted her cheeks at the undeniably evocative image of him leaned down over her. With a simple flourish, he pushed her back to her feet before shoving his hands into the pockets of his overcoat. She exhaled deeply as she fixed the fly-aways of her tangerine hair before giving him a grateful smile.
"Thanks, Law! Nice catch," she giggled girlishly before looking around for her companions or his crewmembers, which she would've thought would be with him. Even after the business at Wano, they were still traveling together. She cocked an eyebrow when she realized that he was wandering the city all by his lonesome. "You're by yourself?"
"Straw Hat-ya busied himself terrorizing an establishment that specializes in barbecued meat. I saw my opportunity and took it," came the smug response. Nami groaned inwardly because Luffy gorging himself at any kind of food establishment meant one of two things: either she would have to foot a massive bill with money they arguably did not possess, or he would run off because he got excited about something else entirely like the hyperactive squirrel that he was without paying the bill, and then the straw hat-wearing fool would be the talk of the town by morning and Nami would have to placate the storeowner by forcing the unapologetic boy to try and produce some sort of convincing admission of guilt. Either way would involve Nami forking out money, which she always abhorred when it could be readily avoided with a bit of self-control. Her expression must've turned weary, because Law laughed lightly at her. "You'll get wrinkles that way, Nami-ya."
"Oh, hush. I have crafted an impeccable beauty routine to handle the wrinkles and gray hairs my crew of idiots would give me otherwise," she scoffed at him while tossing her snow-sprinkled tresses of hair over her shoulder. "Anyway, if you're not doing anything, why don't you tag along with me? A lady could always use protection, and I wouldn't want to fall over again, hmm?" Nami didn't even try to hide her flirting; she batted her eyebrows endearingly at him and turned her body just so in a manner that would accentuate her curves, which were displayed even with the thick layers of clothing she was wearing. The corner of Law's mouth curled upwards into a coy, almost hungry smile that she was very familiar with.
Though Nami was unsure about the Surgeon of Death at first, at this point in their alliance, Nami had become arguably fond of him. Though he was a dumbass in his own right (he wouldn't fit in with the club otherwise; after all, his entire crew was likewise filled with total clowns- loveable ones, but clowns nonetheless), he was still one of the few voices of logic amongst the shouts of tomfoolery Nami had to put up with on a daily basis. Besides, what girl didn't wonder about a dark, brooding, handsome man like him? It had only been a passing form of entertainment at first, coyly toying at him, but his teasing and sometimes suggestive responses were just so satisfying that Nami had just been so compelled to continue. At this point, if he passed a legitimate move on her, the redheaded navigator wouldn't think twice about reciprocating. With a low rumble of approval, Law stepped close to her to offer her an arm, the other lazily propping his Nodachi on his opposite shoulder. "Oh? How gentlemanly of you, Law," she simpered while making a show of hooking her comparably slim arm around his. Feeling a little daring, she crossed her other arm across her chest to rest it against his bicep. "You're in an awful good mood."
"Who wouldn't be with such a sexy woman hanging off their arm?" he retorted matter-of-factly, bringing his face a little close to hers as he sneered in a playfully challenging manner. Nami lost the back-and-forth then and there as his hot breath passed over her face, turning her skin pink where it puffed over her. Kind of infuriated with herself for not being able to compete with the banter, she settled for the next best alternative- distraction.
"Let's go in here!" She all but jerked him out of the street into the revolving door, trying to keep her face turned away from him so that he would not notice the carnation color of her face and secretly hoping her reflection in the glass didn't reveal it. She pushed through the door for her feet to land on pearly-white tile; it seemed that she had randomly selected a store that specialized in women's personal care products- shower gels, lotions, shampoos and conditioners, perfumes, and the like. Her nervousness was instantly replaced by extreme curiosity and glee. It had been quite some while since Nami had pandered herself in the purchase of fragrance goods, and with the winter island leaving her skin a bit dry, she certainly fancied conducting an indulgent spa routine that night. Hardly even away of the striking man glued to her arm at the moment, she scampered over to a table of special winter-themed scents that seemed to be the island's specialties. Law only grunted in response, and whether it was out of annoyance or compliance, Nami really didn't care. Her chocolate-hued eyes pored over the selection of fragranced shea butter lotions with great interest; before she could even come close to narrowing down her choices, Law's sultry voice hummed in her ear, "Shall I choose one for you?"
She looked up at him in mild shock to find his face hovering impossibly close to hers, and wearing a coy, mischievous smile. Nami was suddenly aware of the atmosphere of the room; the women were whispering to one another while casting glances at the two of them, no doubt wishing to be Nami at the moment. They totally thought that she and Law were a couple! Something about that made her flush with mild embarrassment and accelerate her heart rate. Still, Law had instigated the game again, and now that it was financially in her favor, she be damned if she wasn't going to play.
"Oh? You want to buy lotion for me, Law~?" she inquired in a demure tone while fluttering her thick lashes. He chuckled in that deep bass voice of his that always sent Nami's nerves to singing and leaned his sword against the table so his tattooed fingers could peruse the various bottles. "Now, you know, you have to buy me the whole set of whatever you pick," she added with pursed lips. He clicked his tongue in response, his golden irises flickering to peer at her out of the corners of his eyes.
"Such a demanding woman you are," he tutted before resuming his inspection of the various wares. He suddenly plucked a red-and-white striped bottle and flipped in his hands to pop the cap open and hold it to her nose. She blinked a few times in surprise, not having expected the sudden motion. "Do you like this one?" She sniffed a little at the bottle's opening and a fresh, minty scent graced her nostrils.
"Peppermint?" It was surprisingly basic; she had expected him to pick one of the more "girlish" fragrances, such as the sugar cookie or candied apple, thinking that's what she would like… She blazed nearly as red as the bottle's adornments as the possibility that Law was choosing what he would prefer her to smell like. She gulped slightly, trying to seem unperturbed at the potential revelation. "It smells lovely." Without a word, he popped the cap closed and whirled it in his hands once more.
Despite his comment, Law really did buy her the entire set- shower gel, shampoo and conditioner, and finally the shea butter lotion. Nami was once again losing the equality in their little tug-of-war, because she was on edge the entire walk to the Sunny; she clutched the bag of products to her chest as Law walked very close beside her, every so often brushing his arm against hers to send tingling electricity down to her fingers and up to the junction of her shoulder to finally sputter out at her shoulder blade. Surprisingly, however, as soon as they arrived at the ships, he just bid her a good night and walked off to where his crew was gathered at the Polar Tang gushing over their purchases for the day. Nami clutched the bag to her chest, watching him go with conflicted feelings. She wasn't sure what she had wanted to become of the entire interaction, but she found herself longing for more… Most of all, she simply couldn't help but wonder what the devious Dr. Heartstealer was plotting in that pretty dark head of his…
Nami was not going to waste her spa kit, and so once the sun had set and the evening had set in, she scampered off to her and Robin's shared bathroom after dinner to cater to her needs. She drew herself a nice hot bath, using a small amount of the shower gel to produce some pepperminty bubbles, and settled into the warm tub with a long, contented sigh. Despite only jaunting around the island for one day, her skin really had dried out a little, and so it absorbed the presented moisture eagerly. The uplifting scent of peppermint was very soothing and she found herself rolling her shoulders as she felt all the knots in her muscles begin to loosen little by little. After indulging herself in simply enjoying the experience, she set to washing her voluminous cascade of hair. Normally, she used her own personal spa set of homemade products produced from her tangerine grove- thus, normally she smelled of them, overwhelmingly. She was actually quite refreshed by the change of fragrance, and could almost taste the sharp spice of peppermint on her tongue as she lathered the soapy bubbles into her hair. The shower gel was thick and of a very nice consistency that was cool and refreshing to her parched skin, and she wondered if the store had some sort of delivery program or catalogue, because she would love to partake in more of their products for sure. Variety was the spice of life, after all.
After rinsing herself off, draining the tub, and patting herself down with a table, she settled onto the small wooden crate beside the tub to spread the thick, creamy shea butter across her body. Unlike normal lotions, the butter added a moisture-locking layer that made Nami's skin gleam radiantly and made it silk-soft to the touch, and smelled faintly of the savory peppermints. As she stood to pull on her pajamas, Nami felt more pampered and relaxed that she had in a long time. It's all because Law was generous enough to buy me all this. As she walked out of the bathroom, she paused at the steps and looked up; really, she ought to thank him properly and honestly. She really did feel like a new person though it was just a simple bath, but he had paid for the pleasurable experience. The interior of the ship was warmed by its innerworkings, but the same could not be said of the deck. Nami was in a pair of fluffy white pajama shorts with a matching white tank top with an adorable rendition of a polar bear on it (again, she was in a seasonal mood). She hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should change into something warmer, but she would only have to change back upon returning to the warm bowels of the ship. It'll be quick! She decided and skipped down the steps before she could change her mind.
It was only an hour or so after dinner, and Law normally lingered on the Sunny drinking or allowing his crew mates to party with the raucous Straw Hats. Normally at this point in the night he would sneak off to find some solitude, and there were very few places he liked to frequent. The first was the very bottom of the ship, the gallery that was lined with glass windows looking out into the sea; it reminded Law of his submarine without the stuffiness, and among his other scientific pursuits, he did have an interest in marine biology and liked to see what happened to pass by the glass. He wasn't there, so she tried the next best place at the peak of the ship, the observation room. She found Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin there gushing over the beautiful starry night (the polar bear grew very abashed when Penguin giddily pointed out the polar bear illustration on her shirt and compared to his cute and cuddly form), and after agreeing that yes, the stars were indeed nice, they surmised that Law would be at his final haunting spot- her grove of tangerine trees. Opposite to the other two areas, Nami had never been quite sure why Law sought solace among the small grove of aromatic citrus trees, but it was not uncommon to come along to him lounging on a bench lazily drinking and just staring thoughtfully at her well-tended plants.
Nami was a little hot from running literally from one end of the ship to another, but her breath still fogged in her face as she scampered across the lawned deck and up the steps leading to her grove, and goosebumps were beginning to form on her cooled skin. The wind wailed across the ship's surface with a vengeful fury, blasting through her hair and making her shudder violently with chill. Gah! I'm gonna make this quick and go right back to my room! She thought as she came to the top of the steps. "Law? You up he- eeeeeeeeeee!" her question was replaced by a shrill scream as, for the second time that day, her feet slipped on a bare patch of ice and she lunged violently backwards. She was much more frightened this time because there was not flat ground beneath her, but a set of stairs, and Nami was not going to pretend that a fall down the steps could severely injure or even kill her if she landed the wrong way. Her hands grasped futilely for the railing, unable to locate it for her hair spilling across her face.
And, once more, she felt Law's arm hook around her waist at the last moment, suspending her like a marionette under his direction. Chest heaving from panic, she tossed her head about to shake her hair out of her face and look at him wildly. He had taken off his hat for once, and his midnight blue locks caught the moonlight in such a way that they glowed like silver strands of thread, as if spun from the stars themselves.
"Careful, Nami-ya." She wasn't sure if she was shuddering from cold, her near-death experience, or his low, sultry purr. This time, he did not lift her up, but kept her hanging over the precipice with a dangerous glint in his golden eyes and that same dark, challenging smirk that set a fire in the lowest pits of her belly. She gawked owlishly at him, still reeling with shock, as he merely held her over the open air. Once she finally got her wits about her, she was about to inquire what the hell he was doing, but her words died in her throat as his other hand suddenly caught her by her calf to lift her leg up at a dramatic angle over his shoulder. Eyes boring into hers even as he turned his face to the side, he grinned wolfishly. "So… you enjoyed my little gift?" Nami's face blazed peppermint red at the blatantly seductive display. Law got a little more flirtatious and daring when he had been drinking, but he had never gotten downright handsy. Then again, the two of them had never been alone together under that circumstance, either. A deep shudder rocked her body as he ran his cheek over the smooth lotioned skin of her bare leg, the faint ticklish sensation of his sideburns eliciting devastating stimulation to her nerves. That simple action alone descended a fog over her mind, and it took her a few seconds to respond.
"Y-yes… It was very nice…" she panted slightly. Oh, dear God, she thought with a slight whimper. The way he was looking at her, so devilish, so primal, so… enraptured was doing all kinds of unspeakable things to her right now. She yelped as he suddenly jerked her up, pulling her body flush to his while her extended leg was swiftly wrapped around his hip to his back. Nami's breathed hitched in her throat, both from the suddenness and the winter air diving down her throat carrying a numbing cold. Still wearing that smirk like it was all he needed to get by, he tilted his head to the side slightly as he watched her reactions with fascination. Nami was not one to be outdone, however. Though not with as much playful nip as usual, she still managed to smile coyly and croon, "I wanted to come thank you personally, actually."
"That so?" Dammit, that smugness of his was having far more of a heightened effect on her than usual, and he was even so bold as to trace patterns into her upper thigh with his index finger while his other hand bit into the soft flesh of her hip. All the while, those eyes like molten gold captured her attention, literally stealing the breath from her chest with their glittering intensity. Nami knew in that moment that something had finally broken within Law, and their relationship wasn't going to be the same after this. Alone on the deck with the faint scent of peppermint and citrus mingling in the cold air, Nami was facing a reckoning she had longed for yet was totally unprepared for. She felt like Law was reaching into her chest to draw out her bare soul, quivering and raw under the intense burning of his own. "Tell me what's really on your mind right now, Nami-ya," he asked suddenly, softly, with tenderness she had never heard from him. His hand left her leg to sweep her tangerine locks from her flushed face, sending another spritz of peppermint flare between their faces.
"What's on my mind?" she echoed. Her mind was blank, like a smooth slab of concrete. How could expect her to have any coherent thoughts at all in the situation she was in right now. She spurted the first thing that came to her mind. "I'm thinking that… I want you to… kiss me." Her voice was small and uncertain. In the back of her mind, she was wondering if she was misreading all of the signs, and that Law was only cruelly toying with her, and she was about to mortally embarrassed. Instead of a twisted smirk of derision, a smile that she could only describe as sweet appeared on his face instead.
"Absolutely," came the low, deep, breathy response. As his tanned face danced before her own, Nami's eyes drifted shut of their own volition, heightening the sugary sparking sensation that blazed across her lips as soon as Law's melded over them. A humming sigh left her body at the impossibly good feeling of it, and she melted like warm honey against him, eagerly responding to the passionate kiss. Absently, she wondered if she should've invested in peppermint lip gloss, too. Law angled his head to deepen the kiss, sending Nami into a dizzying, breathless spiral' if she had not been practically plastered all over him already, she would've collapsed against him then and there, because it felt like her knees had dissolved into gelatin. His teeth lightly tugged at her bottom lip suddenly, pleading for her lips to part, and she complied without hesitation; she could not contain the small groan of pleasure that rumbled in her chest as his tongue dove into her mouth to hungrily tango with her own. He tasted as sweet as sugar, with the faint musky tunes of liquor mixed in to make a tantalizing flavor that left Nami intoxicated in itself. Her hand eased ever so slightly past the opening of his coat to run her fingertips over his bare, tattooed chest before splaying over the heart inked there, and the one beating furiously in his chest. Finally, they broke apart to stare intensely into one another's eyes with quiet pants fogging up the air between them in a misty haze and the faint scent of peppermint still lingering.
"So what do you think? About the peppermint?" she asked after a brief silence with a curling smirk. He clicked his tongue with a sly look and cocked his head to the side.
"Very nice… But I much prefer tangerines," he commented casually, but it sent Nami into another tizzy. It was suddenly painfully clear to her that he enjoyed the tangerine grove because it reminded him of her, and she was not sure how to respond that Law had been potentially captivated by her for some time. Her vixen composure dissolved into a meek girlish one, and she pressed her face into his shoulder to hide her raging blush. His chest and shoulders shook as he laughed loudly at her embarrassed response, and then he buried his face into her hair to breathe in deeply. "Although, changing it up every once in a while isn't so bad," he rumbled in her ear.
Dr. Heartstealer, indeed, she thought wryly as hers refused to still in her chest. Needless to say, there was a shift in their relationship indeed- and to think, it all began with a small hint of peppermint…