The night was still young as Sanji and Camille silently made their way back to the docks, where their ship resided as an empty vessel since the other crewmates were doing their own thing at this point. There was not a single person in the streets, but one could tell that the population was quite high based on the town's size. The two had already left the small town, however, after nearly sprinting out of the bar and out toward the docks before coming to a slow walk. Camille still had Sanji's jacket covering her, holding it closed with one of her hands while the other held her shirt. Her head was hanging low in shame, and she still felt very anxious as she remembered the events that had taken place. Sanji remained by her side, his cigarette still hanging from his lips while his hands stayed in his pockets. His gaze was straight and holding a blank stare; not a single emotion was visible on his face, or that was what Camille had seen before she lowered her head to avoid looking at him. Unbeknownst to her, though, they were walking somewhat close to the other, and their pace was almost the same were it not for Camille sauntering behind him ever so slightly.
Neither had said a word to one another since the incident in the bar, causing what seemed to be an incredibly awkward and uncomfortable walk back to the ship. The silence made Camille feel as if she had done something wrong, and she was afraid she was going to be in trouble for it once they got back. She could almost picture it inside her head: a look of disappointment, questions as to why she would do something like that, the whole nine yards. The technician could not even look up to see Sanji's blank stare looking ahead, fearful that his eyes would give away what he was feeling. Deep down, she could almost tell that he was just as embarrassed about it as she was.
The mere thought only made her shrink and slow her pace down just a bit, enough to be walking behind him just a little. She felt terrible for even attempting it; she knew it was a stupid idea from the start, and yet she convinced herself that maybe it would keep Sanji from getting used by another heartless woman by distracting him. Despite that, however, Camille still felt horrible for doing it, especially since she started to panic when all eyes fell upon her. She thought she was no better than that woman, just some attention seeker trying to make every woman in the room jealous while a young man for her personal needs. The feeling of nearly every pair of eyes falling upon her left a chill down her spine, wondering what inappropriate thoughts crossed their minds as they looked at her like she was a slab of meat.
After a long moment, Camille slowly looked forward a bit, red-violet eyes narrowing as she thought about the past for a moment. How could they think inappropriately about her when she did not even have big enough breasts to back her up? As stupid of a question as it may have been, it was a sudden thought that just appeared from seemingly nowhere. She was not as voluptuous as some of the women she had seen there. She may have been small and had the "curves to put other women to shame," as Nami so eloquently put it, but it still did not change the fact that she had a smaller size bust and waist. That said, why would other women be jealous of someone like Camille? As far as they knew, she was just some wannabe attention seeker grabbing the attention of guys with looks she thought she had. Of course, if they knew her well enough, then they would realize that Camille was only trying to protect her friend from getting his emotions toyed by a heartless woman, something that happened far too often for her liking. That was the only reason she even considered stripping in front of an entire bar filled with drunk men who probably would have approached her and taken advantage of the situation if Sanji did not drag her out of there in the nick of time.
Just as that thought came to mind, Camille suddenly felt herself slow her pace to the point of halting, her head lowering toward the ground yet again. Sanji did not seem to notice, yet Camille's mind was off in a different world. Her mind settled on the man that she was walking next to just a few moments ago, a man she considered a very dear friend.
What was going through his mind at this point now that everything had settled down? Was he genuinely upset with what she had done? He may have seen things like that before, but he never would have thought that someone like Camille, someone who was so keen on not flashing a crowd or showing off her body for attention, would do the same. Did he like the idea? Was he going to be defensive about it, tell her that it was something she should not have done in the first place? Her mind was reeling, and it only made her feel even worse than before. His reaction to everything was something that worried her to no end and not knowing made her even more anxious.
"Camille?"
She jumped a bit at the sound of her name, looking up just a little to notice the brown eyes of Sanji looking at her. The look he was giving her was one of curiosity, and she could have sworn it had a hint of concern as well. He was at a short distance from her, his hands still in his pocket and his cigarette still hanging from his lips.
She did not say anything at first, merely staring at him with a blank yet troubled stare, before lowering head again, shrinking away from him even more.
"I'm sorry, Sanji..." She muttered, pulling his jacket over her just a bit. It looked as though she was trying to hide. "I truly am..."
Sanji looked at her for a long moment before asking, "You're sorry?" She nodded once. "Why are you so apologetic?"
"For what happened at the bar," she explained. She started to look very uncomfortable at that point, keeping her gaze in a direction that was not his. "I know you're probably mad at me...for what happened...but...I...well..."
Camille could not form the words that she wanted to express. She was genuinely fearful of what Sanji would think of her after tonight. He was aware that the technician would never try to seek out his attention for anything, that she was okay with him flirting with other girls the way he did. Now, however, when the tables suddenly turned, she was unsure as to what he would think. It was not until he spoke that it started to change.
"Do you honestly think I'm mad at you for stripping in a bar?" Sanji questioned. It sounded a lot like he was genuinely surprised. Blinking, Camille mustered up the courage to finally look at him, only to notice the smile that was on his face. "Is that why you seem really uncomfortable right now? Because you think I'm angry with you for what happened?"
Straightening herself a bit, Camille shamefully nodded.
"Well...y-yeah..." She stuttered before looking away again. "I mean, why wouldn't you be? You've always been so defensive of me when other men tried to hit on me." Her eyes shifted again. "Doing what only brought attention to me, your attention. But...in the end, it made me freeze up and panic." She sighed and closed her eyes. "You probably think I'm an idiot...but I had a good reason for it. At least, I think so..."
Sanji chuckled at her words, making her open her eyes again and look at him, before he responded, "Is that so? Well, what was that reason?" He started to walk toward her as he removed the cigarette from his lips. "I'm curious to know."
Camille swallowed the lump that suddenly formed in her throat as she tried to find the words. She did not want to make it seem like she was trying to grab his attention and show off. Sanji knew well enough to know that Camille would not even dream of trying to get his attention similar to what happened that night. She already had claimed it on numerous occasions, most of which she never had to lift a finger for, but making attempts when he was nowhere near her was out of the question. As she told Nami before, she did not mind when Sanji flirted with other women; it did not matter to her because it was in his nature to do so. He was a womanizer, flirtatious to the T, but that did not make him an evil person. Why would she be upset or jealous over something that he did on a consistent basis with only the best of intentions? In fact, why would she become that way when he did the same with her? Granted, Nami had proved a point when she asked when the last time he had done so was – which, to be fair on Camille's end, was quite some time ago – but still, it did not prove anything. She knew her reasons for pulling a stunt like that; there was a good reason, in her opinion, for why she caused such a situation to occur.
Biting her lower lip briefly, Camille looked at him again just as he stopped in front of her, making her head move a bit upward. She recalled how considerably short she was in comparison to Sanji, who was about six and a half inches taller, but the height difference was not something she was concerned about at that moment.
"W-well..." Camille slowly started, fidgeting with Sanji's black jacket for only a moment. "T-the reason I did it w-was..." She took another moment to form her words before sighing. "I did it because...because I didn't want the woman you were flirting with...to hurt you." Sanji blinked at that while Camille looked at him, waiting for his response. It did not take long, though, as he started to laugh hysterically, his hands falling onto his stomach. That made her look at him out of surprise. "W-why are you laughing? I was genuinely worried that she would hurt you when she had the chance!"
"I-I believe you, Camille! Don't worry!" He told her mid-laughter. Her eyes narrowed out of hurt as she began to pout as well, finding it hard to believe him due to his sudden burst of laughter. When he started to stop, his hands fell upon her shoulders, his head bowing as he brought his laughter down to a minimum. "It just surprises me," he went on just as his laughter died out completely.
Camille blinked before asking, "It surprises you that I was worried about your well-being?"
He shook his head before looking into her eyes, causing her to blush; it was a look she had seldom seen on the cook's face.
"It's not that," he told her. Then, his smile grew. "It surprises me that you would go to such a length just to look out for me." Her blush darkened a bit while her eyes shifted. "Hey, it's not like I haven't been hurt before. I know it'll happen sometimes, and I've come to accept that."
"Yeah, but I..." She looked back at him. "I don't want that to happen. I understand how you are, but just because you're a womanizer, it doesn't make you a bad person."
Sanji shrugged.
"Not many will see it that way, Camille," he informed her. "But hey, look on the bright side," He winked at her. "I'll always have my little dove to look out for me, right?"
Her eyes widened briefly before a small smile formed on her lips. After a few seconds, she nodded once and said, "Of course. I'll always be there to keep you safe." Her grip on the jacket loosened a bit. "Just don't expect me to do something like this anytime soon. I-I'm still anxious just thinking about the whole thing." Sanji looked down at his jacket, eyeing it for a moment before he moved his hands over where hers held it closed. She looked down at his hands as they pulled hers apart. "S-Sanji! What are you doing?!" She exclaimed, her blush darkening even more.
Once he opened it completely, revealing her top and making her feel even more embarrassed than before, he looked her over once before looking into her eyes again. He still had on that smile of his; the only difference between the others was that assured her that he was interested in...that.
"Why wouldn't you?" He inquired. Camille remained silent, brows furrowed curiously, as he went on. "To be quite honest, you look absolutely stunning like this."
This time, Camille could not help but smile that familiar smile Sanji knew too well; it was the same one she had when she was not falling for his flattery, yet appreciated his words.
"Coming from the womanizer," she playfully remarked, moving her hands from the jacket and placing them on his shoulders. "But I do appreciate the thought. Still," she raised an eyebrow, "I'm not gonna be doing this again."
He sighed in mock hurt.
"How it breaks my heart to hear you say that, my sweet Camille," he whined, earning a light giggle from the young girl as she moved away from him. She was still near him, but Sanji allowed his hands to fall back to his sides.
"Well, I'm gonna head back to the ship," she told him as she started to remove the jacket. Before she could do that, Sanji's hand fell onto her shoulder, preventing her from removing the jacket. She looked at him curiously. "Hm? Don't you want this back?"
He shook his head.
"No, I'll let you hold onto it," he told her. "I think you'll need it more than I do."
Camille smiled at that and put it back on, choosing against pulling her arms through the sleeves rather than leaving it on her shoulders. His scent still lingered on it – along with the smell of cigarette smoke – and it made her feel calm. Without saying anything else, she waved a small goodbye to him as she walked past him and toward the ship, leaving him to his thoughts.
Unbeknownst to her, however, his genuine smile eventually turned to an accomplished grin as Sanjibrought his cigarette back to his lips.
I knew it would work, he told himself, taking a drag before allowing the smoke to escape his lips. I really should thank Nami for the help.
It had all worked out just the way he had planned. He did not think the plan would go through after he spoke to Nami, who was furious the first time she heard it. He could not blame her, though; convincing her to trick Camille into doing something out of her comfort zone did sound a bit odd, and it was worse when he threw the suggestion of having Camille strip in public. Now that he thought about it, he could still feel the sting on his cheek from where Nami punched him.
According to Sanji, he would have liked to see Camille be a little less self-conscious. It was not because he disliked the way she was, as the enraged Nami quickly assumed when he first brought it up, but because he wanted her to see just how unique and beautiful she was, even if she did have difficulties believing it. Truth be told, Sanji did not mind Camille's self-conscious ways in the slightest. Seeing her blush or smile whenever he complimented her or gave her gifts made him feel good; it was his way of showing her that she mattered to him, even if there was some playful flirting here and there.
Still, Sanji could tell that something was going on in that head of hers, and he wanted to figure it out without asking her. Knowing her all too well, Camille would assure him that she was just fine. He was aware that there was always something between them after she became a waitress at the Baratie. Very few women made him feel that way, and Camille was one of them. However, she was one of the few women that strengthened that connection to the point where it was practically unbreakable. Unfortunately, since she was always keeping to herself, he never got around to figuring her out as much as he would have liked, thus forming the brilliant plan.
As much as she was against the idea at first, after explaining himself as best as he could without sounding like his intentions were ill, Nami eventually gave in and decided to help him with his "plan."
The way he set it up was straightforward, as he had Nami do most of the work and making it less suspicious on his part. She would have dressed up Camille in something cute as if trying to grab his or someone else's attention. After getting off the ship, Sanji informed Luffy that he was heading into town to "look for food," which he knew Nami would doubt hear about it and follow after him with Camille, claiming the two would help him on his search. After making sure he was at a good enough distance, Sanji suggested that they go somewhere together before getting the food that he claimed to be looking to buy. Nami agreed with him, while Camille followed behind without question, as the three headed into the first place Sanji laid eyes on, which just so happened to be the bar. While it may not have been the best location to choose from, he figured it was a start. After all, Camille was used to being in places like that, so Sanji presumed it would be okay. Once inside, and after they found their seats and got their drinks, he wanted to find someone that he felt would be threatening to Camille, someone that she knew was not a good individual to him. As much as he hated the idea of using another woman for his own needs, he told himself it was for a good cause: helping a dear friend gain confidence.
When he found the woman in question, Sanji made his way over to her, but not before telling the two women about what he was doing, explaining to them he was "giving her company." Nami, playing along with what he was doing, made a sarcastic comment about how that was his way of saying, "I'm ditching you two to flirt with this other woman." Camille, oblivious to what was happening, smiled and commented how sweet it was for him to do that, a response he expected. After he left and started talking to her for some time, he looked over to find Nami speaking to a now embarrassed Camille apparently being told to do something that she was not very comfortable with doing. At the time, Sanji did not know what Nami was telling her to do, but he certainly did not expect his wild suggestion of Camille stripping in public to be a viable option that Nami considered, especially after punching him for even conceiving the idea. That was what he thought until, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Camille look in his direction, look back at Nami, and do just that.
Just when he thought things were going to plan, however, both Sanji and Nami realized just how tense she suddenly became, closing her eyes tightly and her breathing rapidly increasing as she started to panic. It was evident that the looks everyone gave her made her feel uncomfortable to the point where she was incapable of just sitting back down and ignoring everyone around her. Instead of allowing it to continue, Sanji immediately made his way over to her, taking off his jacket and using it to cover her, and pulled her out of the bar as fast as possible. During the walk back, he thought the plan, or what was left of it, had turned into a bust and felt guilty for putting her through that. He may have convinced Nami to help Camille become less self-conscious, but he did not think the plan would fall apart the way it did, especially with the way she was affected by it. That is until she suddenly apologized for embarrassing him in public, to which he turned it back around and tried to make her feel better about herself.
It may not have been much, but it was definitely a start, and he was certainly not going to let her leave without knowing he was not upset with her. It was his idea, after all.
Once everything was said and done, one may ask what the point the plan was after all those ups and downs. Well, for Sanji, one of the reasons was an attempt to help Camille be more confident in herself, as he had explained to Nami. However, there was one other reason for it, one that he "neglected" to tell her, even if he did feel it was important to leave out for now. The other reason for it all was to prove that Camille had feelings for him. As silly as it may have sounded, he was able to figure out, with Nami's help, that Camille saw him as more than just a friend without even having to ask her himself. He was able to have Nami not only convince Camille to attract his attention and break her self-conscious streak but simultaneously prove that she cared him enough to go so far as to put herself in the most distressed state she had ever been in. Sure, it may have been a rather silly way of doing it, but if she was willing to take a significant step out of her comfort zone without questioning, then it had to mean something.
Sanji could not help but smile even more as he placed his cigarette on his lips while his other hand slipped into his pocket as he muttered a single phrase: "Looks like I killed two birds with one stone after all."