Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Sanji, Nami

Hello, all! This will be my second submission for SanNami Week, for the Day Two prompt "Vacation." A.K.A., an alternate instance of the first time Sanji and Nami say they love each other…

"Wow… What a gorgeous sea!" Nami exclaimed in utter awe as she stood upon the sandy shore of the summer resort island they had landed upon the night before. The crystalline particles embracing her bare feet were a pristine white, while the water that rolled in frothing waves upon its surface was like liquid aquamarine, sparkling and clear. It was pleasantly warm as it lapped at her toes. Nami stretched out her arms and tilted back her head so every inch of her skin possible could soak up the lovely waves that were shining down from the blazing hot sun in the clear blue sky above. "Ahh… There's nothing like a day at the beach!" She then sharply whirled around, mood thunderous in an instant. "You guys better not ruin it! We're on vacation. Vacation, you hear me?!" she snapped at Luffy and the rest of the crew, who were lounging around under umbrellas, playing in the sand, and, in their knucklehead captain's case, looking for something adventurous and absolutely un-peaceful to do.

"You're yellin' at me and I haven't even done anything yet!" Luffy whined while waving a driftwood stick he had found, his lips pursed in a childish pout.

"You were thinking it! I know you were!"

"But Namiiiiiiii… I'm so booooooooored," he whined loudly as he slunk down into the sand. Nami snorted and walked over to firmly but not painfully bonk him over his hard head. "Okay! Okay! I'll be good," he promised woefully before slinking off to where Usopp and Chopper were constructing a massive sandcastle. Nami wasn't sure how much his vow was worth, but for the sake of her sanity, she decided to at least pretend that she could rely on his word. Thus, Nami rolled her shoulders to unwind the kinked muscles there and set to her favorite beach pastime- tanning!

Nami, naturally, was a responsible tanner. She only wanted a small hint of a caramel tint to her skin, not skin cancer. As such she still slathered herself in plenty of sunscreen and re-applied regularly. A girl had to look good, but not at the cost of her health! After coating herself in a protective layer of the white, creamy substance, she stretched out on her belly with a contented sigh, facing the beach. Though she would begin dozing soon enough, watching the various goings-on of her crew was a great way to pass the time while her body soaked up the radiation.

Though they had only just begun, Chopper, Luffy, and Usopp's sandcastle had evolved into a massive arena decorated richly with shells and seaweed and driftwood (tastefully, too, thanks to Usopp's eye for the aesthetic). Luffy and company were now avidly hunting for hermit crabs to pit against each other in races. Robin was secluded underneath an umbrella next to Nami reading one of her novels while Carrot lounged on her belly on a towel next to her, chattering while Robin patiently nodded along. Jinbei, the most recent addition to their crew, was already fast asleep under an umbrella on Nami's other side, his big blue fish belly rising and falling with soft snores. Franky and Zoro were out on the water racing each other on two of Franky's machines that were stored down in the bowels on the ship. A particular large wave knocked them both of their steeds; Franky came up howling in laughter while Zoro came up scowling like someone had drunk all his sake. Brook had attracted a small crowd of local beachgoers who were his fans and was signing autographs, but the girls would all run away squealing in embarrassment as he unabashedly asked to see their panties, even though they weren't really wearing any since they were in swimsuits. The business in Wano had since been settled but Law had decided for the sake of their alliance to travel alongside the Thousand Sunny in his Polar Tang, so his group was a little ways down; a majority of them were having a chicken fight tournament in the water while the Heart Pirate captain was leaned up against Bepo, snoozing contentedly. He sure didn't appreciate it when Luffy scrambled over to wake him up and demand he witness their hermit crab arena's inaugural race.

Hmm? Where's Sanji? Nami's caramel-colored eyes scanned the white beachfront for him, finally spotting him under an umbrella close to the water with a little table set up so he could prepare a beverage of some sort. Her mouth curled into a smile. Always thinking up something new… she thought in admiration. The backside of her body had begun to burn with the intensity of the sunlight, so she rolled onto her back to begin tanning her front. It almost saddened her to a degree, because she could no longer watch Sanji at work.

It had taken their two-year separation for Nami to finally realize that she had feelings for Sanji. She had sorely missed his little gestures of affections, his constant compliments, his reassuring and steady presence. For the longest time, Nami had simply thought it his nature to rain down praise and love to women, and that was certainly true; however, when she sat down and thought long and hard about their interactions, Nami recognized the subtle differences in how he treated her. He always rushed to her aid first; his gifts were always tailored to her liking; "Nami-swan" came out of his mouth far more than Robin's name ever did. She wasn't sure if Sanji even realized what he was doing himself. Regardless, ever since that pivotal moment, Nami found herself soft for the sweet cook. Thus, the very night they had reunited in Saobody Archipelago, Nami stole him away for a few moments to bear her heart to him. Of course, her feelings had been reciprocated fully. Sanji was still the same, chivalrous sweetheart, but now that he was specifically Nami's, his outright flirting with other women had ceased. He had only ever just been desperate for love and didn't know how to ask. He sure knew how to show it, though, and between all the harrowing adventures (even the Whole Cake debacle, which had been a major strain in their relationship), Nami's time with him had been nothing short of bliss.

"Nami-swan~" Nami raised her head as his smooth-as-silk voice purred above her. Sanji was grinning proudly as he brandished the last remaining glass of a bright red drink of some kind- based on the beautiful hibiscus flower it was garnished with, she surmised that it was hibiscus tea. Smiling sweetly, she sat up and took the offered glass from him.

"Thank you!" She raised the glass to sip at it, instantly melting at the refreshing cranberry-like taste that flooded over her tongue. She detected just the slightest hint of honey mixed in as well. "Mhmm," she praised audibly. Her adorable boyfriend instantly gushed pink at the compliment and puffed out his chest triumphantly. Now that Sanji was otherwise unoccupied, tanning was the least of her concerns, so she rolled onto her side and patted the empty stretch of sand beside her, sipping seductively at the hibiscus tea all the way. "Sanji, won't you lay with me a while?"

Almost before she could blink, he had flung out a towel and was lounging beside her while the summer sun's rays bathed them both. The ice cubes clinked melodically in the glass as Nami swirled it daintily in her hand, watching Sanji's hands with loving eyes as he twirled his fingers in the curly locks of tangerine hair that were spilling over the side of her body like an orange waterfall. Every so often his fingertips would lightly brush over her exposed skin, sending sparks like wildfire rushing through her nerves. Occasionally, the salty sea breeze would roll over them with its own gentle caresses, staving off the blistering heat for a few moments with an invigorating kiss. "It really is a lovely day," she commented absently.

"Hmm," Sanji grunted in agreement, far too busy playing with her tresses of hair to hold conversation. Nami leaned her cheek in her hand and closed her eye to enjoy the sensation of his lithe fingers skipping up and down her body, skating across her shoulders down her arm before dancing over her waist and hips, then back up again as he traveled the winding lengths of the citrus-colored strands. She abandoned himself to his ministrations for a while, content in saying nothing at all and enjoying his presence alone. It had only been a month or so since their reunion and establishment as a couple, but already Nami found herself in this stage of the relationship. Perhaps the perpetual chaos rushed these things a bit, or perhaps Nami had been in love with him for so long that it just came naturally. She was sure it was the same for him. As she basked in the summer glow, her mind began to wander sleepily.

"Hey. What would you think if my hair was this color?" she asked suddenly, brown eyes flickering open with a shake of the half-empty glass of hibiscus tea. Sanji blinked in confusion at the very unprompted inquiry for a second before his mouth curled into an amused smile.

"Why, I think it would look lovely on you, Nami-swan," he purred with another sweep of his fingers through her mass of hair. He plucked the red hibiscus flower that was perched on the rim of the glass and delicately slipped it into the space behind her ear. "Mmm-hmm," he confirmed with a rumbling purr of approval, watching wryly as the temptress' smoldering eyes peered at him expectantly over the edge of the glass she had just then raised to her lips. "Very lovely. However," he added with a small smirk. He plucked up a piece of her hair to raise the end of it to his lips, pressing a long kiss into its fibers, "I think I prefer tangerine orange to hibiscus red." A girlish giggle alighted Nami's chest, and she set the glass in the sand to grab him by the shoulders and roll onto her back. Sanji moved with her, situating his body above hers with one knee resting in the small space between her knees. Her orange tresses spread out behind her like a breaking dawn, painting the world in its orange glow.

"What about honey-gold?" she inquired as the tongue sweeping over her bottom lip detected its faint sweet tang. Sanji's smirk curled higher as his eye glittered brighter with amusement.

"You'd look like an angel, for sure, but my earlier statement still stands." Nami's hands settled on his shoulders as his swept a swathe of her hair from her face, then traced a path over her jawline to her chin and across her collarbone. Feather-light, loving caresses that made her heart and nerves sing in a resounding chorus… Only a response that Sanji could so effortlessly elicit from her. As they stared unflinchingly into each other's eyes, Nami grew very aware that she had never seen such an intense passion and love burning within his before, and that smile gracing his face- it was nothing short of pure, unbridled affection and adoration. Nami found a happy blush spreading across her cheeks. This man… I…

Rather than thinking, Nami elected to say exactly what was on her mind.

"Sanji?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you." His eyebrow crept up to his forehead in shock. It took a moment for his mind to process exactly what had come out of her mouth, but when it did, Nami saw the brightest, most stupidly giddy smile that she had even seen on him appear on his face.

"I love you too, Nami!" He was so happy in that moment that he just had to kiss her, not that Nami minded one bit. Her eyes fluttered shut as his face dove down onto her own, their lips melding together perfectly like a lock and key. She circled her arms around his neck as one hand found her waist, his other arm resting by her head to keep his balance over her. With every sweep of his mouth over her own, Nami could feel the intense love and happiness pouring off him, like they were waves lapping at the shore, over and over and over. It was infectious; the joy bubbled up inside of her body too, until it was spilling over in the form of overjoyed tears rolling down her cheeks. After a few minutes, he retreated, but only slightly; his adoring expression hovered a few millimeters from hers, and he couldn't help but press a few light kisses to the tip of her nose. She giggled again. There was nothing that could ruin this moment.

Well, except Luffy, of course.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" came his heartbroken wail from a few yards away, and the both of their heads snapped to the side to see what the hell had him so upset. He was doubled over crying in the sand next to the arena while a very devilish-looking Law grinned over him.

"Rules are rules, Straw Hat-ya. Pay up."

"I dun wanna!" moped the young boy groveling below him. The rest of the Straw Hats and Heart Pirates were in various states of grieving around them, indicating that Law had apparently devastated them in the hermit crab races. Nami's stomach sank at the possibility that she suddenly owed Law a lot of money, and she felt a hot flush spread through her body as she mentally prepared to rip Luffy a new one. However, thankfully for her wallet, Luffy was forced to relinquish his little hermit crab racer to Law. "Good-bye, little buddy," Luffy sniffled with ugly tears as he held up the oblivious little creature for Law's taking. Suddenly remembering the loss of his own little hermit, Chopper began bawling and sought out Zoro's broad chest for comfort.

"Good grief. What a bunch of children," Nami huffed with a roll of her eyes, but was smiling gently. At least they were enjoying themselves. At her proclamation, Luffy's eyes locked onto her like a predator to its prey, and he sped across the sand on all fours like some feral beast to grab one of her hands.

"Nami! Please! Win my hermit crab back for me!" he begged. Nami's face scrunched up into a slight scowl.

"Luffy, can'tcha see I'm busy?"

"You can make out with Sanji later! This is a matter of life and death!" Of all the-! Nami thought indignantly, mortified that Luffy had all but announced what she and her boyfriend had been discreetly getting up to in their own little corner of the beach. Her eyes flashed to Law, who was grinning smugly at her from beside the arena.

"What is it, Nami-ya? Afraid to lose?"

"Oh, hell no," Nami cried as her pride was called into question. Sanji yelped as she all but shoved him off her. As she stood up, Luffy latched himself like a little baby monkey to her leg, making her haul him across the sand to stand angrily in front of Law, hands on her hips and chin raised in challenge. "I'm about to make you weep at my feet, Surgeon of Death," she growled and jabbed a finger into his chest.

"Ahhhh~ Show him who's boss, Nami-swan~!" Sanji cooed from behind her. She didn't even have to look at him to know he had his hands clasped and was wriggling around like an eel. Nami stuck out her tongue to throw a cute wink back at him. Total fatality; he clutched his heart as he fell back into cardiac arrest, struck down by Nami's adorableness. Kissing on Sanji would have to wait, she agreed as she marched down towards the surf. She had to choose her fighter and whoop Law's ass!

Still, it wasn't completely forgotten, as she was presently reminded by the lingering taste of hibiscus and honey on her red-tinted lips…