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Chapter 17

In the open

"Nami, I have a new fighting technique to test!" Luffy exclaimed as he turned up at the library.

"So what?" the young woman sitting in front of her maps and measurements grumbled.

"So you agree I show it to you?" the captain asked her, remembering the advice of his cook.

"If it doesn't hurt the ship", the navigator nodded, drawing a line between two points on her map.

"No, I don't think so" he said after a time to think.

"Okay but-"

The young woman was cut short in her sentence when the straw hat boy lifted her from her chair before pressing her against him and throwing his lips violently against hers. In their tracks, the young woman's back crashed into a bookcase and she felt a sharp pain going through her spine. Gathering her wits, she pushed him away with all her strength.

"Damn it, Luffy!" she fumed, massaging her aching back. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"Well, I'm trying my technique", he sheepishly explained to her.

"Your technique? Where did you learn that?!"

"Zoro and Sanji showed it to me. They told me it was a new fighting technique and it'd only work with you!"

Nami stared at him for a second before rolling her eyes, noticing that Luffy had bitten her lip too.

"Those two", she grumbled.

"It's weird", the captain sighed, annoyed. "I don't see how it works..."

"Of course!" she replied, irritated. "This isn't a real fighting technique!"

"Really?! But they told me..."

"They told you that because you probably caught them in an embarrassing situation, Luffy! Use your head for once!"

"An embarrassing situation?" he repeated, amazed.

The navigator sighed.

"When you saw them, they were alone?"

"Yes."

"Dressed?"

"Yes."

"Glued to each other?"

"Yes."

"And they were kissing, is that it?"

"Yes, it's their new fighting technique!" the captain approved with a big smile. "You knew it?!"

"You idiot, don't you see they talked to you about technique while they were just kissing?" the young woman got impatient.

The captain frowned, lost.

"I don't get it."

Nami shook her head in despair before taking a deep breath.

"You remember when we kissed?"

"Yes, you were sad because of Nojiko!"

"Exactly", the young woman approved. "So we weren't fighting, do you agree?"

"You're right, it was rather... I had a stomach ache and then you kissed me and after, it was weird!"

"Here you go. Now you understand why they were kissing? It has nothing to do with a fight or at least, not the one you're thinking about."

"But that means Zoro and Sanji have a stomach ache?!" Luffy asked her, flabbergasted.

"I don't know", the navigator admitted, shrugging her shoulders. "It looks pretty complicated since they continue to fight despite everything so don't refer to them. Usually, lovers are kissing, that's all you need to remember."

"That's crazy!"

Nami watched him for a moment, touched. Luffy was still in shock and she gave him a few seconds to come to terms with all this information.

"Do you want me to show you the real technique?" she then asked him, a teasing smile on her lips.

The captain nodded vigorously, ready to try any experience available.

"I hope you still have a stomach ache."

Luffy didn't have time to answer her strange question because the navigator's lips had found his again but in a much softer and pleasant way. He forgot to worry about it and let himself be deliciously rocked by the sensation.

"Nami-san, I'm bringing you a slice of raspberry cake!"

The young woman looked up from her maps for a moment and took the small plate with a smile. It was past four o'clock and she was entitled to a break.

"Sanji-kun, that's good timing. I had to talk to you."

"What is it, my dove?" the cook hastened to ask her, pleased to be able to be useful to her.

"You and Zoro talked to Luffy about a new fighting technique he wanted to try on me. I'm curious to hear your explanations", she told him with a mocking smile.

The blond felt himself blush violently. The captain hadn't been long to test his discovery and of course, Nami had quickly understood what it was really about.

"It's... uh, I don't know what he understood exactly..."

Nami gave him a disillusioned look.

"Sanji-kun, don't make me believe you don't know what you told him. I know he saw you and Zoro."

The blond looked down. He was unable to lie to the navigator or even to pretend.

"He came in suddenly and... We didn't know what to say to him", he confessed, his cheeks red with embarrassment. "We couldn't just explain to him... It's Luffy..."

"I understand but it wouldn't happen if you didn't spend half of your time locking yourselves on this ship!" the young woman pointed out to him.

Sanji felt his cheeks burn more if it was possible.

"I'm sorry, Nami-san..."

The young woman firmly swept aside his apology with a wave of her hand.

"Still, Luffy took your lame explanation literally and I have a pretty good bruising on the back now", the redhead continued in a bad mood.

At these words, Sanji felt his eyes widen in terror.

"I insisted he had to ask for your opinion first!" he assured her, frightened. "Don't tell me he-"

"He asked me if he could test a new fighting technique. You understand my surprise then", the navigator grumbled.

The cook turned pale. He hadn't suggested to Luffy to assault Nami! On the contrary, he had asked him to take precautions but of course, he had interpreted the thing in his own way and his princess was hurt because of his stupidity in wanting to keep an open secret.

"I'm fine, I managed", the young woman sighed, seeing torment dancing in the eyes of her crewmate. "When he told me he had bumped into you and your new technique, I understood."

"Oh, Nami-san..."

"Given the situation, I had to explain to him what was going on between the two of you", the navigator went on with fatality. "And it wasn't easy... Anyway, we couldn't do as if nothing happened all our life, it was getting ridiculous to make him up pretences."

As the blond didn't answer, she continued, pointing her fork at the cook.

"Now that everyone knows, you have to find a solution because I'm tired of spending my time checking if I can go into a room if you know what I mean."

Sanji tensed in spite of himself. Nobody had seemed outraged by this relationship since he and Zoro had been discovered and the blond had been relieved before wondering why he seemed to be the one who was asking himself some questions about this new activity with the fencer.

He lowered his eyes again and the young redhead sighed in front of the embarrassment of her friend. She didn't intend to minimize things but her voice softens a little anyway.

"Look, Sanji-kun, don't get me wrong, I don't care what you do with Zoro but we need to be able to all use the Sunny without having the unpleasant surprise of finding the two of you going at it. You know what I mean?"

"Yes, of course. It's just that..."

The cook hesitated. He wanted to have the opinion of the navigator because he trusted her judgment but the subject was so sensitive...

Nami perceived his agitation and looked into his eyes.

"What's going on, Sanji-kun?" she asked more softly.

"Don't... you find that weird? I mean... with Zoro..."

The young woman shook her head.

"I don't have a problem with homosexuality and I'm sure it doesn't bother anyone here."

The blond started to blush.

"N-no, no! Th-That's not what I meant", he stuttered. "I wanted to talk about the fact that..."

Sanji took a deep breath to try to explain himself properly.

"With the marimo, we're used to fight all the time and... isn't it weird? To act like that... despite all?" he whispered anxiously.

The navigator shrugged.

"Don't ask me what you see in each other because really, I have no idea what it could be."

As the blond stared at her with a crestfallen look, Nami decided to support her thinking.

"You know, attractions can't be explained. Look, I just got into a relationship with Luffy and frankly, I wonder at least once an hour why I felt like it!"

Sanji couldn't help but smile, understanding his friend.

"As long as you don't hurt yourselves and you don't end up tearing down the ship, I guess it's the most important", she concluded.

The chef nodded and felt his breathing relax slightly, a little more serene.

"Thank you, Nami-san."

The young woman shook her head and the cook went away to leave his lady working.

Towards the end of the meal that night, Luffy got up with a smug look and sat down between Ussop and Zoro.

"So, both of you are so secretive!"

His two friends stared at him without understanding. Luffy had his huge smile on his face, very likely pleased. The captain then put one of his arms around his first mate while his other elastic hand brutally brought Sanji closer to him from the other end of the kitchen.

"I totally get it! Your technique and all, it's really great!"

All the crew's eyes turned on them and Luffy burst out laughing.

"You should have told me, I'd have understood!"

"What are you talking about? What is so great?" Franky wondered, puzzled.

"Yes, what's this technique? the little reindeer asked him with curiosity.

"It's a sort of close combat that only applies to some very close people", his captain proudly explained to him. "Nami told me everything!"

"No way", the swordsman grumbled between his teeth.

"What does that have to do with our two friends?" Brook said, pointing at Sanji and Zoro who were trying to get away from Luffy's grip.

"You don't know?!" the captain exclaimed, thrilled. "Zoro and Sanji have a stom-"

"Luffy, shut up!" the cook abruptly interrupted him by kicking him, crab red.

This one got up a second later, a huge bump on his head that he rubbed with his hand.

"Sorry, Sanji. I didn't know it was a secret..."

"What? You mean you only understood now they're together?" Ussop asked him, incredulous.

"Even I knew it", Chopper added.

"You weren't supposed to have lost your memories, you two?" the swordsman snarled as the sniper and the reindeer were crouching in their chairs, terrified.

"They are into the each other phase, they need intimacy", Brook quietly explained to the audience.

"Anyway, they showed me their technique and I even tested it with Nami!" Luffy got enthusiastic, having already moved on.

All the crew's looks immediately turned to the navigator, even more interested than by the previous revelations.

"Don't", the young woman grumbled. "Believe me, that was not what you're thinking about."

Robin gave an inquiring glance at Luffy who burst out laughing.

"At first, I asked her if she agreed and as she said yes, I kissed her on the mouth and she f-"

"Luffy!" the redhead chocked. "Don't tell that!"

"Why?" he inquired, puzzled.

"Because it's nobody's business!"

"But I just wanted to tell Robin that after, you kissed me again and it really was better, especially when you did this funny thing with your tongue!"

Nami turned pale and the crew around the table hesitated between laughing and running away. The navigator's anger was going to be explosive.

"Luffy, follow me", she suddenly ordered him in a toneless voice as she stood up.

"Where?" the captain asked.

"Outside."

"I'm not done eating!" he told her, annoyed.

"Very well. In any case, if you open your mouth again, you can say goodbye to using this technique with me for the rest of your life. I'm waiting for you in my cabin."

With those words, Nami left the table and slammed the kitchen door behind her.

Sanji hesitated to berate their captain when he saw that the young woman hadn't even finished eating because of his stupid intervention. He did nothing though, remembering that he and Zoro were at the origin of this misunderstanding and that he still felt guilty. For his part, the straw hat boy had seriously nodded in front of the cold eyes of his navigator. Even he felt that the redhead was angry despite her apparent calm and he swallowed his dessert as quietly as possible before making off to the door.

As soon as he was gone, conversations resumed slowly before finally recovering their usual sound level. They weren't worried about their captain. He was quite a tough nut.

Luffy entered Nami's room with his big smile he had found while crossing the deck. The navigator was waiting for him, arms crossed and a murderous look as a welcome gift.

"You can't pour out our privacy to the entire crew", she reproached him sharply as soon as he had walked in. "It's not done!"

"I just told the truth", the captain pleaded.

"That's not the point! What we're doing together is just between the two of us!"

"But why?" he asked, sincerely lost.

Nami ran a hand over her face. She hadn't lied to Sanji earlier, being involved in an intimate relationship with Luffy showed her every day how complicated everything was.

"Anything that has to do with me and your stomach ache is personal. No one can know about it. As for the rest of it, you can do whatever you want."

"Anything that has to do with you and my stomach ache", Luffy repeated, dubious.

The navigator suddenly dropped her hand on the desk, furious, and the captain jumped.

"I'm going to make a list for you, it'll be easier", she fumed. "Kissing: it's private. Telling what we both do when you're in my room: it's private. Eating your fucking leg of lamb: we don't care! Do you understand?!"

"Uh... I think so."

Luffy didn't dare telling her he wasn't sure he understood the principle. Nami had given him only three examples and he still had a lot of situation in mind but in front of her eyes glittering with fury, he preferred to avoid asking her questions.

"I'll be careful", he promised, his biggest smile on his face.

"You better be because my threat to stop everything if you don't know how to control yourself, I'd do it."

The straw hat boy lost some of his enthusiasm and he promised himself to ask someone for an explanation to not do something foolish. So far, his friends had given him the best advice and he liked this new activity with Nami. From his point of view, it would be a shame to lose it because he didn't quite understand what she wanted and that seemed so important to her.

Happy at the idea of having friends as great as his, he cheerfully left the room and wondered if he was going to suggest to Brook to sing him his song. He wanted to have fun tonight!

Sanji finally turned off the kitchen lamps and walked slowly to the door. The evening had normally resumed after Luffy's departure but everything had changed for him and the swordsman. The fact that they were closer was mentioned so naturally by the crew made him feel uncomfortable and he could easily imagine Zoro in the same state.

For his part, he felt confused. He had the impression that everyone was accepting the strange turn that had taken his relationship with Zoro and despite his own questions, it was rather pleasant. On the other hand, this state of mind was a new problem. As long as nobody talked about it, Zoro and he could pretend that it was still their private life and Sanji could push his thoughts into the background but with the intervention of their captain, it was almost as if their relationship had become official. Yet everything was just a game between them.

The gap between what they were showing and reality was quite obvious. Their friends were probably thinking they were now a couple when they were just enjoying a carnal relationship.

Sanji sighed. They had perhaps taken advantage of it enough and it was time to face the consequences.

The cook went through the bathroom to cool down and he took the opportunity to check that his clothes for the next day were dry. He was going to get to his bed when the object of his torments entered into the room in his turn. This one gazed at him for a moment, surprised.

"You look very pale, cook."

Sanji stared at him. That really was all he had to say to him tonight?

"Cause you're not confused?" he grinded teeth.

"By what?"

"Don't act like nothing had happened!"

Zoro sighed loudly.

"Is it because of Luffy that you're climbing the walls?"

"And all the others! Everyone knows!"

"So what?"

"So what?! You gotta be kiddin'! How can you stay so calm?!"

The blond began to pace while the swordsman watched him quietly.

"Everyone already knew it. Luffy just said it out loud", he reminded him.

"And you okay with this?" the cook exclaimed, incredulous. "I'm sure they all think we're in a relationship!"

Zoro shrugged.

"We just need to tell them we're not. I'll go tomorrow so they won't bug us with their stupid stories."

"No!" the blond cried, suddenly frantic. "I'm not... Don't do that!"

"Why?" the fencer growled, crossing his arms. "I don't want to hear their fucking remarks all the time!"

"I know but..."

Sanji anxiously looked for his pack of cigarettes in his pocket and stuck one in his mouth reflexively.

"It would be too... weird", he continued. "I'd rather they imagine what they want and if we don't confirm anything, they won't know exactly what's going on. I'm not worried about my image but telling them we're just... That we decided it's just..."

"A purely physical relationship?" the swordsman suggested, feeling the impatience coming in front of this interminable speech.

Sanji nodded while wincing, before finally sighing.

"It doesn't look like me... I'm not like that, enjoying a relationship based solely on sex and in general acceptance..."

The fencer got a little closer to him.

"You don't know what looks like you or not. Maybe it's the first time you do that kind of thing but it's also the first time you're attracted to a man, am I right? Who knows what it might change for you?"

The cook hung on to his words. It was so true. He was totally new to this and the fact that Zoro was a man was disturbing his quiet habits. What applied to women obviously didn't apply here. He just had to learn how to handle it differently. Nobody knew what was or wasn't their true relationship and the most important thing was to be honest with himself.

And in truth, he didn't want to stop. He wasn't tired of their little games yet and they were managing to live together without more damage than usual. It was therefore up to him to continue on the same path.

Zoro felt the blond relax a little and he realized once again how Sanji could get sick for small details that he himself didn't consider important enough to get into the equation of his life. What others were doing, what others were thinking, what he did before, what he would do later, he couldn't care less. It didn't even make sense to compare to what he himself had done before because he had never wanted a man longer than a few hours but he had never lived with one of them either. At the end, only the present was important for him. And tonight, he would love to enjoy the body in front of him.

He took a last step to be at the height of his crewmate and his movement shook the cook out of his torpor. This one probably read his desire in his eyes because he got rid of his cigarette, pressed himself against him and kissed him for a long time without moving another muscle. His immobility fueled the swordsman's desire who feverishly ran his hands all along his body before sliding them under their clothes to remove them as soon as possible. As the blond wasn't complaining - for once - Zoro took the opportunity to push him to the shower because the cold floor of the bathroom wasn't going to be suitable.

Sanji suddenly had a moment of clarity and he stretched to the door to lock it. As nothing could happen to them anymore, he let himself being pushed back to the hot water that dripped pleasantly on his shivering skin. Zoro threw himself on his lips but the cook's hands closed suddenly around his shoulders, stopping him in his movements.

"You won't say anything?"

The blond was insistently fixing his gaze on his and the swordsman sighed.

"It pisses me off..."

"Please."

Sanji wasn't used to begging and that simple phrase was his equivalent between them. Zoro hesitated and his uncertainty made him frown. Since when did he care to take his opinion into account?

"Okay", he finally muttered. "But if it goes too far, I'll clear things up, whether you like it or not."

The cook thanked him with a languorous kiss which left the fencer panting in the middle of dripping water drops before waking up his bestial instinct. Zoro suddenly felt a growing hunger for the body of this man in his arms and he wildly met his lips, his tongue completely invading his mouth.

In the middle of the kiss and the water, Sanji struggled for a moment to find enough air and keep up. Then he searched with his fingertips the hard manhood of the swordsman he was feeling against his own.

Zoro let him do a few moments but the arisen rubs only increased his urge and he violently turned him against the cold wall. He didn't want to wait, didn't want to be burdened with useless caresses or superfluous kisses, his internal temperature already at the top.

Yet he forced himself to stop for a second, giving the blond a chance to refuse what he was about to start. He was hearing his jerky breath and feeling the tension of his muscles under his fingers but as he didn't flinch, he greedily grabbed his back before flattened himself against it. He let his hands take possession of the body under his own without softness and his mouth stuck his teeth rather kisses on his wet skin. He felt the cook shudder under his treatment and felt a heightened pleasure at it. He almost wanted to mark his skin with ferocity and this surge of possessiveness surprised him.

However, he didn't dwell on it, consumed by desire. His fingers ruthlessly searched the intimacy of the blond in order to ease a minimum what would follow. The body against his own tensed but he didn't pay attention to it and continued his actions without slowing down. He knew Sanji could defend himself if he went too far and that allowed him to express his most brutal desires.

Soon, he thought the preparation had lasted long enough. The cook's muscles were still tight but his panting breath also indicated that the pleasure wasn't so far. With the same urgency, he suddenly penetrated him, leaving him just enough time to get used to his presence before increasing more and more his hips' movements against his own. Their skins were slipping and snapping in the middle of the water and Zoro appreciated the way their bodies seemed to perfectly answer each other.

The swordsman lost track of time, totally focused on the feelings this flexible body who was shuddering under his own was able to give him. Pleasure gathered in waves in his lower abdomen and he increased the speed again.

His pleasure washed too fast over him and was just as explosive as his desire had been. He then bit with delight into the cook's shoulder which in turn contracted around him in a muffled moan, filling him up.

With blurred vision and staggering legs, Sanji caught his breath against the wall that was generously supporting him. The cold was welcome on his skin and was allowing him to keep pace with reality. He could feel the swordsman putting his lips down his neck in the middle of the water that was still cascading around them.

He shuddered in spite of himself. Zoro could be wild and abrupt but he never forgot to make sure of his consent and his many kisses on his hot body were replacing his thanks now. Raw sex wasn't what he preferred because domination was at its peak but feeling the fencer in such a state of excitement thanks to his mere presence was something dizzying that wasn't lacking charm.

He finally turned to face him and the swordsman kept his embrace, a mischievous smile on his lips.

"I wouldn't blame you if you collapse, cook."

The latter straightened his back and fixed his mocking gaze in his.

"If it's your excuse because you're already tired, you should say so."

A flame flashed in the eyes of the swordsman, reflecting the one of his crewmate.

They weren't going to deprive themselves of that. Oh no, it wasn't even an option...

This chapter is rather dense, whether on the side of Nami and Luffy or about Zoro and Sanji. I still hope it was pretty clear and you enjoyed it. Thank you for reading anyway!