Sanji turned his head to look at the soft face of his soul mate as she slept on his shoulder. Despite slight concern that he would wake her, he ran a finger along her dual-toned cheek. She leaned into his hand with a soft sigh.
He had been slightly surprised to find out Lithium was a supernatural and a dramatic-looking one at that, but that did not stop him from finding her incredibly beautiful. Her eyes alone held him captivated over his dinner he doubled for her while she started her laundry.
The way her face lit up as she ate what he made only made her that much more precious. He swore he heard her purring like a cat as she relished every bit of that simple omelette. Even now, hours later, he was still replaying her words in his head.
"This is incredible, Sanji!" Lithium's startlingly blue eyes were huge as she took another bite. "How do you do this? My omelettes always turn out...well...weird..."
Sanji smiled across the small table they pulled to the tiny kitchen from the common area, almost forgetting he had a bite on his own fork. "I've worked in my father's restaurant for years, so it's lots of practice and a healthy dose of passion, dear lady. I'm studying culinary arts here. But I'm sure yours would be just perfect as well."
Lithium shook her head. "Mine are good enough, but I know a work of art when I see it. Or taste it, as is the case. Art should evoke more than one sense after all."
Sanji felt his ears burning a little. This coming from the little artist was a great compliment, considering the high regard his talented roomie held her in. "Thank you, Lithium."
At the mention of his father, he noticed a strange, dark expression pass over her face. It left as quickly as it came though, so he did not pry. They had finally connected and he was not going to delve too deep so soon and risk scaring her off again.
"So you know what I do." Sanji took a bite before finishing his thought. "I only know what my roommate told me about you. May I ask what you're studying?"
Lithium's guarded expression opened up more than he expected, an even brighter smile lighting up her face. "Illustration, with a focus on Sequential Art. I bet Usopp told you that I'm a comic artist."
Both of them nearly jumped out of their skin when the oven beeped to let him know it was preheated for the now-celebratory cookies he had waiting. Lithium giggled as he stood and slid them in. He set a new timer and was back with a smile of his own.
"Hopefully we don't do that again when they're done." Sanji shook his head.
Lithium tilted her head toward the oven. "The glorious smell should help with that. When you said you had some simple cookies, I'll be honest, I didn't think Nutella stuffed snicker doodles fit that category. Of course, I also didn't know you were a culinary student either."
"I even plan to apply to All Blue Academy after this year." Sanji felt that blush creep up again. "Provided they will accept me, of course."
Lithium took the last bite of her omelette with a reassuring expression. "Well, I'm no fancy culinary school professor, but I'd accept you from this dinner alone."
"You're too sweet." He shook his head. "I still have a lot to learn."
"With how hard you work, I'm sure you will learn all you need." She wrapped her hands around her water glass with a slightly stubborn set to her jaw, as if to say he should not argue this fact.
And Sanji did not. Instead he grinned and asked, "How do you know how hard I work?"
Lithium's face burst into a bright red blush, though it was darker on the gray portions of her cheeks. "Ah...well...I was actively avoiding you...so I had to be aware of where you would be..."
"Well, I guess I can feel a little less bad about chasing you every time I noticed colors." He smiled gently at her, not wanting her to think he was upset about it. "I felt like a stalker."
She looked down at the glass in her hands. "You gave me quite the work out. Those long legs of yours aren't just for show."
"I still don't know how you would disappear so easily. I ran track in high school, so I should have caught you at least once."
Lithium grinned despite her blush. "You never looked up though. I was in a tree most of the time."
All the frustration and hassle and all he had to do was look up. He rested his head on hers and sighed. "You are something else, little lady."
He reached out to catch her DSXL before it slipped from her hands and saved her game before closing it. She had fallen asleep shortly after destroying him and his Pokemon team. Neither of them were particularly serious players, but her Gardevior and Mawile were all she needed to smash his team flat.
It was not lost on him that she, this cute woman, had smashed him flat with two adorable Pokemon.
Everytime he had made mention of her appearance though, she looked confused. He could only guess at the reason. Sure she looked different than most, even for a supernatural, but she was lovely to him. Surely others had found her the same.
At the same time, he had heard the horror stories of cruel treatment of less dramatic supernaturals than her. Maybe people telling her how lovely she was were in short supply.
Sanji decided he would make up for that without fail.
After a little while, the call of nature was too strong to ignore. He eased her down onto the extra bed in her room she had converted into a couch, resting her head on a throw pillow. He stretched and watched her curl into ball in his abscence.
Sanji finally pulled himself away and strode into the bathroom after knockin to make sure the ladies on the other side of the suite were indeed gone and not surprised by him. When no one answered, he walked in and stopped short at the sight of the sink.
Two large perscription bottles sat on the counter. He picked one up, dropping it back down when he read the lable. "Vicodin...and a refillable script...for soulmate pain..."
It took every ounce of restraint in him not to slam the door that separated the sinks from the rest of the bathroom.
Lithium's eyes fluttered open as the scent of someone known but not familiar filled her head. She started to sit up but the gentle fingers through her hair eased her back down.
It was then she realized the side of her face was pressed into dark wash denim covering one well-muscled thigh. She turned her face just enough to see the rest of the person attached to that leg.
"Ah...Sanji...sorry I fell asleep."
His face looked strained as he shook his head. "Don't apologize. I get the feeling you needed it...sleeping pain-free..."
Her ears shot upward, or at least the one not pinned to his leg did. "How...how do you know that?"
His blue eyes were a thunderstorm, each emotion another front of clouds rolling through the sky. She could not look away if she tried. She never wanted to see that in them again.
Sanji stroked her hair again before answering. "The bottles on your sink...you must have been hurting so much..."
Despite loving what he was doing with her hair, she sat up on her knees so she could look him in the eye. "I was. No use lying about it."
She did her best not to flinch when his hands cupped her face. Contact was going to take some time for it to be comfortable now that there was no pain. She could tell he noticed though, as his fingers were even softer on her face than they started.
"Why did you keep running from me? I could have ended your pain sooner. Even if that was all you wanted...I would have respected that."
Lithium was not ready to explain all her fears and what they meant, but maybe an abbreviated version would work for now. She sighed softly and put her hands on his.
"I was scared...not everyone's soulmate bond is a good fit. It's not always happily ever after and all that..." She looked down a little. "And seeing you flirt with all those beautiful women...I didn't think I would be enough for you..."
Lithium expected any reaction but what she received. Anger, justification, frustration, something of a negative sort.
When he pressed his forehead to hers and breathed a genuine apology, she was surprised to say the least.
"I'm sorry Lithium. I didn't take your feelings into consideration. I'm an idiot for not realizing sooner I was chasing you away...Usopp had to point that out to me awhile back...and even then..."
Lithium felt her chest constrict. This was the opposite of her expectations. Heck, everything about Sanji was flipping around everything she had thought about soulmates.
He isn't that man...c'mon Lithium...he's sweet and kind, even if he was flirty...
"You're not an idiot." She put on her stubborn face again, even if he could not see it well. "You didn't know my problem...how could you when I kept running?"
"I could have been more gentle in my approach." She could feel more than see his frown. "I literally ran after you all over campus."
Lithium pulled her head back so he could see her cheeky grin. "At first that was a little scary...after a while though, it was kinda' fun to watch you run around in circles."
Sanji blinked a couple times, then a small smile pulled at his lips. A wry chuckle followed the smile. "Well I'm glad my flailing about was entertaining to you, at least."
"It was pretty cute, to be honest." She at back down and leaned her head on his shoulder again. "If I hadn't been so worried, I might have still hid for a bit just to see that."
"Cheeky woman." Sanji said, but his grin kept it light. "What am I going to with you, besides invite you to Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow?"
"Ah...um...understand I'm not ready for that?" Lithium tried to school the panic out of her face.
Sanji grinned. "I figured, but it would be wrong of me not to ask. My dad's a little much at first anyway."
She giggled a little. "I can see that being a thing. You're a bit much at first yourself."
Sanji frowned a little. "What do you mean?"
Lithium took his hand and with a dramatic flourish, mimicked him near-perfectly, one of her odd set of skills. "Pardon me for being forward, lovely creature, but you beauty has me so awestruck, I cannot help myself!"
Sanji's face was priceless, so much so she started to giggle, her fascade broken. "You said that to Nami at the opening assembly."
He had the decency to blush at her impression of him. "It won't be like that anymore...I've wanted to find you for as long as I remember..."
Lithium's ears drooped a little. She wished she could say the same, now that they connected. Even now, her fears kept her closed off, though not so much that she was willing to let go of his hand. To say she was conflicted felt like the understatement of the century.
"I can't say the same...but now that you're here...I feel right for the first time in a long time...maybe ever..."
Sanji said nothing. He did not have to when he wrapped her in the warmest hug she had been part of in years. She pressed her face into his chest and hoped he did not notice the tears filling her eyes.
