Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.
A/N: Yes, you've gotten a chapter! Not to mention, I've given you a real cliffhanger… Don't scroll down and ruin it! Read it in order, people! Positive reviews and constructive criticism help push the story forward and feed hungry plot bunnies!
Speaking of reviews, (wiggles eyebrows) please R&R and enjoy!
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Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder
Chapter Four
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Nami straightened her black jacket over the dark green dress she had chosen. Paired with simple strappy heels, the message she was trying to convey was very obvious.
Modest. Innocent. Not a threat.
She posed in front of the mirror, scanning her ensemble for anything that might be missing.
"Hey, Robin-chan?" her head barely turned towards the couch where the resident archaeologist was sitting, reading.
She looked up. "Hai, Navigator-san?"
Nami faced her with the same pose she had done for the mirror. "Does it look like I'm missing anything?"
Robin examined her for a few seconds before returning to her book. She gave a simple "It needs jewelry" to Nami.
Nami pawned through her suitcase, looking for the red velvet case. It contained her absolute "Girly-Girl necessities" as Luffy so eloquently put it (only to then receive a punch on the head from said bag's owner), like perfume, makeup, jewelry…
Ah! There it was! She held it out, triumphant, and spilled the contents on the bathroom counter. Plastic and metal came together, giving her odd reflections and shining on the cream walls of the bathroom.
She picked out the basics; foundation, blush, eye shadow,and lipstick. Each were in—unintentionally—matching pink plastic cases.
She had always been envious of Robin, she mused, as she began to touch up her face. Where Nami's still showed minor—yet noticeable—traces of youth, Robin's face had elegance, maturity, and obvious beauty. Nami still had a while until she would get there herself. Frowning slightly, she applied blush to her cheeks, giving them a rosy look. Slightly plump, she thought disdainfully, pinching and examining. Yep, still the face—and attitude—of a child.
What had Sanji ever seen in her?
Probably my body, she resolved, selecting a necklace. The silver chain shone and the pieces of jade arranged just so gave it a sense of mystery.
But where was the matching bracelet?
Frantically, she searched the counter and bag, and when she came up empty handed, she ran to her bag.
Clothes flew in a whirlwind of color. Where was the bracelet? It was one of her few valuables that she hadn't stolen. In fact, it had belonged to Bellemere…
Wait.
She groaned and slumped her head back, hand held over her eyes in defeat. That's right. She kept her most prized possessions in a locked box in her room under her bed on the ship.
She had only remembered to bring her necklace, so…
It was on the ship.
Dammit! She face palmed herself. There wasn't enough time to go and get it.
Going without, then.
Defeated, she grabbed her room key and purse, making sure to leave the extra for Robin, and called a goodbye to the older woman.
"What time will you be back?"
Nami paused for a moment, unsure, before giving a loud "Late!" and walking through the door.
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Her shoes were silent on her way down the carpeted hall, and it was a bit chilly. She hugged her jacket tightly around herself, and the umbrella she had borrowed from Usopp swung on her elbow. Why he had one, she had no idea, but she had a feeling that it involved a really stupid stunt.
Idiot, she fumed, taking a left turn.
There were the stairs, finally. Marble and gold…so elegant.
She felt like she was on her way to the gallows.
The stairs clacked as she glided down. Why had she said yes? It couldn't have been because she honestly wanted to spend a few hours with a simpering Mariasol.
And Sanji, she corrected. He can be just as bad.
The chandeliers hanging from the tall, domed ceiling gave a bright light to the expansive lobby. The darkness outside seemed even darker, and the marble floors gleamed. The walls she passed, decked in splendor like tapestries, mirrors, gold, and glass, shone as equally as the floor did.
I should stay here more often, she thought happily. Then, when the reason she was heading down this late submerged, it was soon replaced with a, Or, maybe not.
When she arrived at the lobby, Sanji and Mariasol were nowhere in sight. So, sighing, she began to wait.
Waiting, to her, was a punishment. She was naturally impatient, and with Bellemere's easygoingness, the impatience had manifested.
And waiting usually made her think.
Thinking. The absolute last thing she wanted right now. She had too much on her mind…too much concerning… them.
"Them" being Sanji and Mariasol.
She shuddered, hugging herself. When Sanji had left her in such a way…And then getting over her so fast and going out with that…thing…
He really is that fickle,she thought, glaring at her feet.
And even worse than that, she thought, I'm going out with…
The door clapped open, and a couple burst in. Heads bent, they laughed happily, shaking the rain from a previous shower off their coats. It—the rain—shone in the light. They chattered in great animation while walking past her and up the grand staircase.
Nami was envious at what those two had that she would never be able to attain: Togetherness. They were both totally in sync with one another. No misses, no forgotten hints, no hidden messages. They never had to guess for the other person. There were no 'moments' shared that ended up changing absolutely nothing and just adding awkward moments.
It had always been the opposite; what Nami wanted, Nami got, usually with tears and empty wallets from the other party. And what she wanted but didn't get…she usually thrived after with twice as much gusto.
But when she had met Sanji, that changed. She always had a feeling that he would always be so…unattainable. Even if he had catered to her every need, even if he had claimed that he loved her…she couldn't tell if he was telling the truth or feeding her lies. So she distanced herself from him, and placed her feelings concerning him on a high shelf. She had let herself fall from that shelf, repeatedly, but always climbed back up.
To her, kindness always had an ulterior motive.
Always.
But it didn't. Or at least, not for him. Not for the man who gave more than received, who always had a smile.
Sanji.
"Nami-san!"
Nami's head snapped up, and a grinning and waving Sanji came into her line of view.
She waved slightly, half faking a smile and half grimacing. She looked like she was in pain.
This is gonna be a long night, she thought wearily, eyes on a chipper Sanji and a pissed Mariasol.
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Luffy groaned and fell back onto the king-sized bed in the room.
He was bored. Even the joy of the new room and all of the shiny appliances had gradually worn off around the third hour and it seemed the same had happened to Usopp and Chopper, too.
He rolled his head to the side, now facing the his two fellow idiots. They were now experimenting, wires and suction cups taped to Chopper's arms, legs, stomach, and nose. It would have been hilarious, if not for the fact that it was for science and Usopp's serious look.
Usopp, with his goggles covering his eyes, was hovering over a small machine, twisting knobs punching buttons, and jotting quick notes. When he was stuck, Luffy saw, he twisted his ring, causing the diamond to wink in the lamplight. It had become an eventual nervous habit for him, but it seemed that it also made him braver, considering his cowardly ways were becoming fewer and farther in between.
It seemed that Kaya gave him the strength he never seemed to have before.
Luffy smiled and flipped his head up again, staring into the blinding light for a few moments before closing his eyes. Spots danced in front of his eyelids, he tried to concentrate on them and relax. Zoro had taught him a technique, and it had helped on the occasions when being the Pirate King became too stressful.
Breathe in, breathe out. So much was on his mind: Sanji was on the island, unknowingly weighing down on the others…Nami, becoming more uptight, lonely, stressed, overworked…Buggy, on the loose and more than ready to kill…It was enough to make anyone go mad.
The door clicked and a soft "Ohayo" was heard, the voice unmistakably belonging to Robin.
He shot up, grinning madly.
"Robin!"
She appeared in the doorway, smiling slightly at the Usopp—Chopper scene before her.
"Luffy-san, Doctor-san, Longnose-san… I see you are working on a new experiment?"
Chopper nodded enthusiastically. "Hai, Robin-chan! We're estimating the differences of body types with blood pressure! I said that salt wouldn't matter for blood type, like Usopp thinks, because my blood pressure's high enough and I don't eat much salt! But then he said that Zoro eats heaps of salt at every meal, and to just look at him, so…"
While Chopper (and Usopp, occasionally) rambled on and on about how they'd publish another book about it, how he'd probably be right because he was a doctor, and how the wires were so itchy, so on and so forth, Robin silently and casually drifted over to Luffy and sat next to him.
She sighed wearily, running a hand through her thick black hair. Luffy looked at her, curious.
"Nami's not going to be here tonight, Luffy," she said quietly.
He looked slightly put-out. "Whyyyy?" he whined.
Robin then led a questioning Luffy's hand and led him into the bathroom. The door closed, and after a few moments, a loud "WHAT?!" was heard.
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Mariasol seemed distracted, Sanji noticed. Her spine was straighter then usual, and seemed to be completely "out there." Her brow, obviously creased, was the look she gave when she thought really hard, like over a reservation, or when she was playing with his cuffs.
Both of them leading the way for Nami, he discreetly prodded her.
"Mari-chan…Mari-chan! Are you there, Mari-chan?"
Her head shook and she looked up at him with startled eyes.
"Oh! Sanji! Forgive me! I was just…not together, you know?"
He nodded. "Hai, hai, Mari. I just worry…"
She smiled. "I'm okay. No need."
Sanji—ever so inconspicuously—looked over his shoulder at Nami. Busy looking at shop windows…The picture of innocence…good…
He whipped his head back to Mariasol's ear.
"Are you uncomfortable around Nami-san?"
Mariasol laughed quietly.
"Oh, no, Sanji-kun. Not at all. You haven't seen her for what, four years? You may never see her again! Enjoy yourself!"
"Yeah…" he murmured.
How could he tell Mariasol that he never wanted to stop seeing Nami?
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Nami's head was turned away, but with that and the six-plus feet separating them, she could tell they were talking about her.
It was a sense she had developed in her early years of working for Arlong. With a small turn of the head, a twitch, blink of an eye, even the curve of the mouth, she knew who or what the conversation was about.
So, seeing Sanji's head turn toward her, she decided to play the oblivious card, put the skills to the test, and watch.
She saw the laugh…When he stiffened his shoulders…Her laugh…How it was him who made her laugh…
What was he saying about her?
She was so preoccupied in her thoughts that she didn't notice when the couple she was following obediently stopped outside of a building, causing her to almost run into them.
Upon inspection, the building they had stopped in front of was beautiful. It took up about half of the block, and was two stories tall.
Nami stood agape, trying to take it in as fast as she could.
Tall, white columns. Balconies. Tall, tall trees, the leafy canopies giving privacy to those eating. On the awning, written in silver script, was the name of the restaurant, The Silver Shoe.
She could just smell the pockets just waiting to be picked.
It was like absolute paradise.
Mariasol gave a snort and led Sanji in grandly.
"I bet the food here's mediocre at best," she scoffed.
Nami gave Sanji a quizzical look, and seeing it Sanji was quick to translate. "She means that most of the restaurants we've visited in the area tend to focus on looks rather than the menu," he said quickly
Making a small "o" with her mouth, she followed the couple through the glass doors.
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Mariasol saw him in a booth across the restaurant. And by the way he drank his wine, not only was he scoping out the prey, not only was he relaxed, but his portion of the plan was going especially well…
Now all she had to do was…
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Nami's eyes boggled at the prices on the menu. How in the world could a simple salad be so dang expensive?
It's a good thing Sanji's restaurant does so well! He'd be completely broke otherwise!
How can I cost so much?
Instantly, Money-Nami took over, and, doing some mental calculations, gasped at the possible outcomes. The cheapest thing here was a water and a bowl of almonds! And that was if everybody shared!
Sanji chuckled and leaned over behind his menu.
"Shocked, eh?" he whispered out of the corner of his mouth.
Nami's mouth opened and closed like a fish, trying to find something to say so her voice wouldn't squeak horribly.
"This is completely preposterous!" she whispered. "Not even I would charge so much for a—is that a plain salad?"
He gave her a look, curly eyebrow raising over one eye.
"Okay, maybe I would, but that's not the point!" she added quickly.
While Nami's hair bristled, he spoke slowly, soothingly, trying to smooth over her frazzled nerves.
"Relax, okay Nami-san? I can handle the charges. Besides—'' he shifted his eye in an almost comical way "—You'll give them a run for their money anyways, right?"
Nami pretended to be offended. "Me? Oh, surely not, Sanji-kun! If you have your ways—'' her eyelids drooped and she talked almost seductively:
"If you have your ways, then I'll let you handle the charges all by yourself!"
She saw him pale with fear.
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The dinner had been ordered, the champagne had been broken out, and the unusual trio was well into their second course when a nervous young telegram boy came up to the table.
"Is there a Miss Mariasol-san here?" his voice wavered noticably, and his hands began to shake slightly, crinkling the telegram in his hands.
Mariasol wiped her lips before giving a cold look and giving a dry, "Yes. Why?" Her piercing blue eyes sent visible tremors down the boy's body.
"T-t-t-telegram," he stammered before throwing the telegram on the table and running off. Nami almost felt sympathy for the boy.
Mariasol's eyes scanned the paper, narrowing and widening sporadically. After finally finishing, she folded it neatly in half before storing it in the confines of her tiny purse.
"Something wrong?" Sanji inquired. From what Nami could see, he was ready to stand and call for a waiter from the way his arms and feet were positioned.
Mariasol shook her head.
"No," she said quickly, mulling it slightly after she did so. "No, something unexpected came up at home. You'll come by later, though?"
Sanji shook his head and for an odd reason Nami felt like rejoicing. However, he then, he gave an answer just as bad:
"I can't if I don't know what time you'll be back. Come to mine, okay? Eleven should be good enough."
Mariasol nodded, kissed Sanji quickly, and ran out the restaurant's door.
The two sat in silence. To say the atmosphere was awkward would be like saying Zoro got angsty-serious when talking about his dream. (Basically, Nami could hear a fly buzzing around the chandeliers, it was so quiet.)
Sanji finally pulled out some hefty bills from his wallet and cracked a smile.
"If you're ready to get some real food, then follow me," he said, laying the money on the table and holding out his hand.
Nami smiled, took it, and allowed herself to be whisked out of the restaurant.
The stranger who had been sitting at the table, watching them the whole time smiled slowly and raised his hand for a waiter.
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The night seemed brighter with Nami at his side, Sanji realized, than it would have if he had been with Mariasol instead.
"Where are we going, Sanji-kun? I'm…expected back late, but no too late. It's not too far away, is it?" her face looked mildly worried as Sanji brushed the subject away easily.
"Non, non, dear Nami-san. We are going only a bit farther, to a place where your bee-yoot-aful smile will shine even brighter."
He saw her rool her eyes, at the flattery, but she smiled wryly nonetheless. With old joking came back old, familiar feelings, and he was deleriously happy to have settled back into the niche with her.
The grey pavement beneath their feet caused their shoes to make noises that resembled a horse's hoofs, and gave a sort of rythym to their conversation. The street lights, shining in the ever-open shop windows, glittered like jewels, illuminating the couples the passed happy faces.
The turned to a final corner that Sanji pointed out to Nami with a shout of delight and a broad smile.
The little kiosk, he noted happily, was still open. The man running it was sitting, dozing on a bench as people filed by. His hat over the eyes and walrus mustache gave an almost comical appearance. The sweet smell of the food, however, soon made Sanji abandon that train of thought as his mouth began to water in anticipation. Not wanting to look like an over eager little boy, he mustered as much will power as possible for the sake (and dignity) of Nami.
Nami looked at him quizzically.
"Sanji-kun…"she said slowly "is this it?"
"Hai, Nami-san," he replied happily. "Just wait. You'll see. This man makes the best funnel cakes on the island. For a little extra, he'll even include a sauce!" He winked at her. "I'll see what I can do."
She blushed lightly, and Sanji pretended not to notice, chalking it up with the mental warnings his mind was screaming at him, warning him about getting too close, about how he had a girlfriend and other trash.
He banished those easily.
Approaching the kiosk, he called out, waking the sleeping man.
Said sleeping man opened his eyes slowly, raising the brim of his hat, blinked hard, and stood up slowly, his old joints creaking. He cast an eye at the pair, looking over them quickly. When they passed over Nami, they widened slightly. His lips pulled into a smile.
"Got a new girlfriend, Sanji? Did Mariasol finally dump ypu, or was it the other way around?"
Nami stiffened, he saw, and Sanji tried to laugh it off easily despite the fact he wanted to scream "Hell yes!" into the sky.
"No, old man. This is an old friend of mine from the crew. She's here on vacation, and we bumped into each other and decided to hang out. Mariasol was with us, she just had some, ah, business to attend to."
Old Man nodded. "So it is, so it is. I saw her not too long ago, heading home."
Huh. "So you still got some cakes?" Sanji called out. "Nami-san here might want some orange sauce to go along with it."
Old Man nodded, fixing his hat. "Yeah, yeah. Then how about you?" He pointed to Sanji with a pair of tongs. "Strawberry drizzle, right?"
Sanji nodded. "Yeah. How much?" He reached into his wallet.
The Old Man waved the tongs dismissavely.
"Leave it," he commanded. "It's not everyday I get such a pretty face."
Nami blushed modestly.
"So when will the cakes be ready?" Sanji inquired. His stomach growled and he winced. He was no Luffy, but when he was hungry he was hungry.
Old Man lifted the corner to the steambox, steam wafting out as he did so and peered in closely before taking a big whiff.
"Just about," he said. "So go and…talk amongst yourselves. Go on."
Leading Nami away, she gave him a wary look.
"Sanji…" she murmured "Is this…what are you doing?"
He gave her an innocent smile.
"What do you mean, Nami-san? I'm getting us something that tastes and resembles real food. That rabbit-chow at the restaurant was vile, don't you think?"
She gave an easy smile. "Of course, you've ruined that for me the day I met you."
Startled, he gave her a look. He had done what? Intrigued, he bent his head closer to hers.
"What, Nami-san? What have I ruined for you?"
Nami sighed and looked down, and murmured rather quickly her explanation. Sanji found it almost unintelligible.
"Pardon?"
"I said that you've made every single dish on the planet that's not made just so taste absolutely horrible, okay? You have changed and manipulated my tastes so that anything else is immediately filtered as junk, and your perfect food so perfect nothing else can hold a candle to it!" Her cheeks were red, and her eyes flashed. This, he noted, was a step from mad-Nami, the Nami that usually punched him in anger.
His eyes went wide in amazement not from the mad-Nami-ness, but at the new revelation. That was what happened? His cooking was, to her, that perfect? She actually felt that way about it?
"Oi, Sanji! The cakes are ready," the old man called.
"One moment, please," Sanji called to her, suddenly shy. She adverted her eyes from his and, as he received the food wrapped in foil, the old man whispered in his ear.
"Keep her. She's twice the woman Mariasol will ever be."
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Nami chewed slowly on the funnel cakes, slightly sore from what Sanji had caused her to say.
Dammit, Nami, where did that come from?! Since when have you admitted that to yourself, nevertheless another human! Never, that's when! And you say it now?! Baka, baka, baka
The powder sugar and orange sauce melted into her mouth and she resisted the urge to lick her lips and give a loud noise of satisfaction.
I don't think he's ever made these, she thought, carefully choosing words.
It was awkwardly quiet for a few more minutes before she heard the crinkle of foil signaling the end of Sanji's cakes.
She lamely followed suit.
"Do you mind?"
She turned her head to his, curious.
"Do I mind if you what?"
"If I have a smoke."
She gave him a dirty look.
"You know that it's a dirty habit."
He shrugged and lit up, completely unconcerned.
"So sue me."
She raised an eyebrow at him, questioning his statement.
He blew out a smoke ring made perfect with years of practice.
"On second thought, don't."
She shrugged and returned her eyes to the shop scenery.
"Oh!"
She ran ahead to a lit store, her eyes shining excitedly. What luck she had right now! Feeling a presence behind her, she turned to a curious Sanji.
"What's that?" he asked.
She grinned broadly, with as much excitement as a child on Chrstmas morning.
"It's a Cosette," she said with a matter-of-fact voice, reverent. She was speaking to him like she spoke to two-year-olds when explaining what pirates were.
"Which is…?"
She began gushing so fast he nearly missed it all.
"He's an amazing jeweler who lives in the North Blue! His work is always so elegant and refined…and it helps that it's totally affordable, too! That bracelet of his—'' she motioned to the one on display in the shop window "Is by far one of my favorites, though I never have the chance to buy one because Luffy always manages to get us chased out of whatever port we're in…"
Sanji's eyes and he gave a quick "Wait here" before dashing in so fast his cigarette fell out.
She saw through the display as Sanji talked to the tired saleswoman. He was talking quickly, by the looks of rapid hand gestures, and all of the motioning to the window.
The saleswoman's eyes slowly widened and she nodded reverently. Her mouth moved slowly, almost the opposite of Sanji's.
She walked over to the display and removed the bracelet from Nami's line of vision so quickly that she almost whimpered.
The two vanished momentarily through a back door, and when they emerged, Sanji was blushing, holding a bag, and shaking the woman's hand, the gratitude obvious on his eyes.
He stepped out of the shop warily, looked around, and beamed widely when he saw that, yes, she had followed his directions of staying still.
"Nami-san!" he pushed the bag at her. "Here! It's a gift!"
Her eyes widened. He was giving this to her? But she thought…Mariasol!
"Sanji-kun, I couldn't; it's too much! No…"
His face fell into a pout.
"Nami!" he begged. "Please! Think of it as an apology for…for being away for four years!"
Nami blushed and she concentrated very hard on her shoes.
"…Okay…" She slowly took the bag from him and dug through the tissue paper to the box. The box itself was plain and simple, but she knew better with an actual Cosette in there…
She felt like she didn't deserve this, but on the other hand…
She opened it slowly and gasped. It was more amazing up close than it was through the store window: the silver chain glinted and the jade pieces spread around equally matched the shade of her dress and Bellemere's necklace perfectly.
"Wow," she breathed. She fumbled with the chain, trying to tie it around her wrist. She was so surprised when his hands—Sanji's hands—came around her small wrist, taking both of the ends of the bracelet in his big hands. He did the clasp quickly, perfectly, flawlessly. She sucked in her breath when his fingers hovered there and brushed her wrist.
She made a noise in her throat, intentionally ruining the moment, causing him to quickly remove his hand and snap to attention. She had to do that, or something not meant to happen would.
Her consciences, however, berated her intensely for the noise.
NAMI!! Why did you DO that?! Such a moment! So wasted…!
…Did you know his hands were so smooth?
Ignoring you, she thought, trying to refrain from rolling her eyes, annoyed.
"Nami-san…" Sanji's voice was broken and hoarse and it surprised her. She looked at him with wide, innocent eyes.
"Yes, Sanji?"
"Forgive me."
She faked a smile, trying to put it all behind them.
"For what?"
He looked at her intensely.
"For this."
He then brought his head closer to hers and kissed her.
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A/N: O.O ("OMGWTH"). That, my dear readers, is how I picture how your faces look right now. I quote "OMG, he KISSED her?!1 Whoa!"
Yes, I regrettably had to leave this as a cliffhanger because hey, it's what writers do.
Love ya all!
VM ♡
(Ha, Mr.Randomteachersname. I have used my vocab here. So there! And you had your doubts. Shame! Shame! Shaaame!)