Tiri frowned and propped her elbows on the table.
"Other than having a place of safety, I'm not sure that I have a dream," she finally answered and Luffy shot her another wide grin.
"That's alright, sometimes you have to figure out what you want," he said, causing several members of the crew to scoot their chairs a bit further from him.
If Luffy was making philosophic sense, then it followed that lightning may very well strike and fry them all.
"Morimo, since you were late, you get to clean up the dishes," Sanji snipped as he placed the dirty plates and utensils in the sink, changing the focus of the conversation, for which Tiri was grateful.
"Since when did you start giving me orders?" the swordsman snarled back.
"I'd be happy to take care of them, Sanji-san," Tiri offered cupping her chin in her palms and smiled at the heart eyes she received for her troubles.
"You're so sweet, Tiri-san, but the shitty marimo gets that dirty job. Besides, I couldn't stand myself if you're beautiful skin got wrinkled from the water," he cooed at her and she shook her head, lilac curls covering her eyes and she pushed them back impatiently. Then the cook's nose started to bleed and she looked at him bewildered as to what she had done to get that reaction when Zoro's voice cut through her thoughts.
"She should do it, ero-cook, since she's the one who took my beri," he grumbled, crossing his arms stubbornly.
"Who asked you," she whipped around, her face resembling something evil and fanged, making Usopp and Chopper cower from her with fear.
"She-She looks just like Nami," they said together, their eyes wide with fright.
Zoro, however, was unfazed, and Tiri gritted her teeth in irritation. It wasn't like she had an option about it, but, then, they didn't know that. She let out a breath.
"I'll do them, Sanji-san. As the new kid, I think I ought to at least try to win some favor with the crew," she joked lightly, winking over at Robin with a smile and raising a challenging brow towards the swordsman.
He just snorted in her direction, rising from the table and striding out the door without another word. Tiri watched him leave before gathering up several plates and bidding the others a good night as they filed out. Except Sanji; he remained behind in an attempt to assist her with the chore.
"I can handle it, Sanji-san, really," she laughed, "It isn't like it's difficult work to clean up after a meal."
"A man should never leave a lady to do his job," he replied firmly and she paused at the sink, giving him an inquisitive look.
"Alright, how about this? You wash, I'll dry, and the task will be done twice as fast," she offered.
"Are you going to insist?" he asked with a playful smile, a cigarette dangling from his lips as he placed the last of the dishes in the sink before rolling up his sleeves.
She responded by picking up one of the dish rags near her hand at the counter and tossed it to him with a cheeky grin as his head turned to look at her when she remained silent. The cloth landed on his face and she covered her laugh with a hand to her mouth before taking the two steps towards him, the trace of cigarette smoke drifting past her nose.
As she lifted her hands to remove the offending fabric, his hands also rose and their fingers met as the cloth was lowered from his face. Something akin to a tiny shock traveled through her hand at the contact and she found herself holding her breath. Silvery eyes widened slightly as she tilted her head back to see his reaction. His face, however, was unreadable. She was struck suddenly, though, by the handsomeness of his face.
It wasn't chiseled, not like that boneheaded swordsman, more refined, but there was gentleness to the eye she could see as he gazed down at her, the notion striking her that she was safe when he was around. It was both comforting and disconcerting. She immediately shook it off, knowing from experience that reliability was a trait earned, not innate. Recovering after a few heartbeats, she immediately withdrew her hand and retreated back to the counter, lifting her own rag to be ready when he finished rinsing.
Sanji watched her for a moment, then, extinguishing his cigarette, turned to the sink and his hands dove into the soapy water. There was an awkward silence then and Tiri racked her brain for a way to end it. Up until that moment, she had felt at least comfortable around the blonde cook. Sanji handed her a freshly cleaned plate and she accepted it, careful to avoid any contact, and started to rub it briskly, wiping away any droplets that lingered on its white surface. Carefully, she placed it on the counter, then another, allowing her mind to blank as she worked.
"I don't usually have any help with this," Sanji broke the silence, attempting to start a conversation to ease the suddenly tense atmosphere.
"Now you will," she replied simply, before wrinkling her nose at an unpleasant aroma floating past her.
She put down the rag in her hand and moved to stand beside the blonde man, leaning over his arm and sniffing distastefully. He looked at her questioningly, his hands stilling, but she simply dipped her fingers into the now dirty water, closing her eyes briefly. The fragrance of lilacs filled the kitchen pleasantly and she removed her hand with a small smile.
"Oi, how'd you do that?" he asked, drying off his hands to light another cigarette and leaning a slender hip against the sink.
She crossed her arms as she mimicked his posture, crossing her legs at the ankles in a casual stance.
"I ate the Lilac-Lilac fruit," she murmured with a shrug, "It isn't exactly the most powerful of fruits out there, nothing like Luffy's or Robin's, but it has advantages."
"Like making everything smell as nice as you do?" he teased as he let out a stream of smoke, his light tone making her relax visibly.
"Something like that," she chuckled, but didn't explicate further.
Without waiting for him to question her further, she reached over and plucked the cigarette from between his lips, lifting it to her own and pulling a deep drag. She handed it back to him, and then pursed her lips, letting out a perfect smoke ring. Sanji watched her, amusement, uncertainty, and curiosity flitting over his features.
"I'm not quite as youthfully innocent as an ability like mine would lead you to believe, Sanji-san," she murmured with a quiet laugh, before sobering a bit, "but I would like to think I'm as good a person as Luffy seems to. I hope I live up to his expectations."
"I think you will. He has an uncanny ability to read people, for the most part," Sanji answered softly, then returned to finish the last of the dishes.
She also picked up her dish rag, resuming where they had left off, only this time the silence was companionable. They worked swiftly and within a few moments, everything was dry and put away. He walked with her out of the galley, allowing her to go first, and onto the deck. Tiri paused, though, and strode across the deck to the railing, staring out towards the sea. She could hear the tap of his hard soled shoes behind her and saw him stand nearby out of the corner of her eye.
"It's nice to be out on the open sea again," she murmured, breathing in the salty air, "It's even nicer to not be confined by narrow streets and tight corners."
"Eh, I imagine so," he returned noncommittally, before giving her a mischievous glance, "You look like a woman who would be on the run."
She laughed, cuffing him lightly on the shoulder.
"I suppose I do at that. It had to have been your first impression when that boneheaded swordsman cornered me on this ship."
His smile faded a little before taking his cigarette between his fingers and tilting his head at her questioningly.
"Did it, Tiri-san? Did it indeed?"
He left her standing by the railing after that comment, bidding her good night with a wave of his hand. She couldn't be entirely sure, but she doubted the more perceptive side of his personality was one that surfaced often. His question puzzled her immensely and she cupped her chin in her hands as she stood for a while, staring out across the sea. It intrigued her, and also made her wonder why he would have even had said it. Did he have a better impression of her than he let on? Did the others? That led to an even deeper probing of the future, one that she was not entirely sure about. Would her newfound nakama accept her? She knew Zoro and Usopp would take some convincing, that was certain. However, if Luffy accepted her, then perhaps, in the end, that would be enough.
Tiri certainly hoped it would be enough. It had been a few years since she had been part of a crew. Back-up might have been helpful in her recent activities, she thought with a heavy sigh, sticking her hand in the pouch strapped to her thigh and pressing her fingertips against the smooth paper. Her brow furrowed as she reflected on the day's events, wondering if the packet beneath the pads of her fingers would even have been worth the effort considering where she had landed today. Letting out another breath, she closed the pouch with a snap and shrugged as she pushed away from the railing. She would figure it out later, for now, she needed to focus on making sure they got as far away from the island as possible, as well as earning her place in the Straw Hat crew.
She breezed across the deck, moving towards the cabins. She hadn't picked one for her own use yet, so she strode to the library, spotting the plush sofa in the moonlight and tugging the blanket that draped across the back down over her with a grunt. The sound of the waves lapping the side of the ship was comforting, memories from a time long past flitting through her mind and she sighed. Rolling onto her side, she curled her legs up and closed her eyes. She was too tired by now to deal with some of the crew's suspicions, the current that had surfaced between her and Sanji unexpectedly, and the rest of the things swirling in her head. Willing the tangled mess to the back of her mind, to untangle later, she let sleep drift over her. The sound of the ships soft creaking and the call of seagulls was the last thing she heard before she allowed herself to quietly slip into slumber.
Tiri found over the next few days that the rhythm of the Thousand Sunny was easy to follow and she fell into the tempo with little trouble. Robin and Nami had been gracious enough to let her borrow some of their clothes since she only had the one outfit. She shifted, feeling a little exposed in the shirt that the navigator had loaned her and instead put on a different blouse, low-cut, but not as much, keeping Nami's shorts. It made sense to wear something one could easily move in, especially at sea. Feeling more than slightly content that morning, she stepped out onto the deck of the ship with a smile. She was still staying in the library; the stacks of books making her feel the most comfortable anywhere on the ship, except the deck. She adored the soft grass and lying on it in the warm sunshine. It happened to be one of the best places to nap and she was looking forward to basking in the balminess for a bit.
The boneheaded swordsman seemed to think so too and her lips pulled down into a frown as he entered her vision. She turned her head and caught Zoro's eye staring at her impassively. Ignoring his gaze, she turned her face back to the sunlight, arching her back a bit to get more comfortable and almost purred at how warm the rays felt on the exposed skin of her tummy. Tiri let her hands caress the grass, pulling one leg up lazily. There was an orange light behind her eyelids, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Then, blackness suddenly took over and she cracked a storm-cloud colored eye and discovered what had blocked her sunshine.
With a scowl, she shifted across the grass, undulating her hips to move back into the heat of the sun, but the shadow followed her again. She let out an irritated breath and opened both eyes, shoving unruly curls out of her face.
"What is it, Bonehead? I'm not doing anything criminal," she growled up at him, seeing his arms crossed over his chest and his usually grumpy face frowning even deeper than usual.
"Why are you wearing Nami's clothes?" he asked in a tone she couldn't identify and she toyed with not answering him at all, but she shrugged, closing her eyes again.
"She said I could borrow them until I get some more of my own."
"What was wrong with what you had on?" he asked, his single eye raking over her relaxed form irritably. She felt that gaze, but refused to acknowledge it.
"Nothing, except it was all I had and I needed to wash it, so," she gestured to her body and then replaced her hand, stretching further in an attempt to find bone-melting warmth again.
"Why?" she didn't answer this time, certain ignoring him would make him leave her alone at least until dinner time.
Her eyes popped open with surprise when she was lifted clear from the grass by the wrist and pulled to her feet. She opened her mouth to make a biting comment but the look on his features stopped her. Tiri's brow furrowed as he dropped his hand from her wrist, but didn't back away from her. Tilting her head, she considered him, crossing her arms loosely and cocking a hip.
"What's going on in that thick head of yours?" she asked, her tone light and teasing.
"None of your business," he replied gruffly.
"Then why are my clothes yours?" she retorted with a raised brow.
He didn't answer, his good eye downcast at their feet and she bent forward a little to see his face better, his features suddenly covered in shadow. After a few moments of silence, she took a step forward.
"Zoro," she asked softly, concern worming its way into her thoughts. Usually he either disregarded her barbed comments or he fired back, depending on his mood. This…stillness…was unlike him, though, from what she had figured out over the last couple of weeks.
Blinking, she began to believe, was a bad idea around that bonehead.
Tiri felt the air whoosh out of her lungs as she was pushed back into the wall of the lower deck, his hands braced on either side of her head. Silver eyes were wide with shock.
"I want to know exactly why you're here, witch," he growled at her and Tiri felt her temper flaring.
"Because Luffy asked me to be," she snapped back, "and because I could use some friends in my life right now," she finished more softly, her anger leaving her with a hollow feeling.
She reached a hand up to touch his arm near her shoulder, but he jerked back as if the feel of her skin burned him and when she went to take a breath, he was gone.
She let her head fall back against the wood of the wall and she closed her eyes, letting out a very shaky breath. Tiri ran a tremulous hand through her curls and straightened from the wall and stretched out again on the grass once more. Her mind was spinning and lying in the sun had lost its appeal. With a dismissive sniff, she rose, refusing to relinquish her good mood and melted into a small whirlwind of petals, drifting towards the galley.
Feeling playful, she floated towards the kitchen, brushing against the leg of the tall blonde at the sink. Solidifying, she leaned into his back and put her head on his shoulder, standing on tiptoe to see what he was up to. The feel of a female body pressed against his back, though, seemed too much for the cook and his nose started to bleed, his body stiffening. Without thinking, she turned him and grabbed his face with both hands.
"Hey, don't get blood in the food, that's not tasty," she chuckled, but her palms, even gloved, seemed to make the bleeding worse.
Rolling her eyes at the heart eyes she was getting, she still found herself laughing a little. Gently, she pressed a light kiss to his cheek, just because she had really needed the ego boost that he had provided her and reached for a nearby towel, holding it to his nose.
"You've got to learn how to control this, Sanji-san," she smiled warmly, ruffling his hair fondly. They already felt like her nakama.
It didn't seem like he could speak yet, so she just placed his hand on the towel and moved out of the kitchen to sit in one of the chairs, leaning back in it. She easily balanced on two of the legs, but she wouldn't let her mind wander, instead, focusing on counting in her head silently. It kept her occupied until the others started to drift in, the smell of cooked meat drawing Luffy like a moth to the flame. He greeted her with a grin before hopping onto the chair next to her.
"Shishishi," he laughed with a big grin, "whatcha doin' today, Tiri?"
Not being able to resist smiling herself, she lifted her arm and let it melt into petals, and he grabbed at them in absolute delight. Catching one, he gently let it fall again and she tickled his nose with another, other members of the crew watching with varying degrees of amusement. Luffy laughed, then sneezed, wiping his nose.
"That's better than Brooke's music!" he crowed, and she threw back her head, letting out a peal of genuine laughter, the kind that comes right from your belly and just rolls out of your mouth.
Dinner after that was immensely enjoyable and she let petals drift throughout the meal, mostly because Luffy wouldn't let her alone long enough to eat unless she did. The boneheaded swordsman, though, didn't show up, so she turned and ask Franky about it since he was on her immediate left. The cyborg rolled his shoulders in a massive shrug.
"When it's his watch, he tends to skip dinner. Says it keeps him awake."
She nodded quietly, a contemplative expression on her features. Perhaps she would ask Sanji to send a plate of food and some sake up to him as a kind of peace offering. Tiri wasn't exactly sure that it would appease the moody man, but it could be a step in the right direction. Letting the idea drift to the back of her mind, she instead turned to her right and began speaking with Usopp, who was pleased to have an attentive and sympathetic ear to his adventures during the two years the crew had been apart.
One by one, the pirates began to clear out, some munching on the last pieces of dessert as they did so. She rose with a wave to them and started to clear the table with Sanji, a practice that had quickly become a nightly ritual for them. It was one she found soothing, and appreciated having someone to talk to that she was certain accepted her as readily as Luffy. Assuming her usual place at the counter, she handed Sanji a cloth and picked up one of her own. Tonight, however her mind was elsewhere, debating on the situation between her and some of her crewmates. It bothered her that some of them were so against her being part of the Straw Hats, though, in the swordsman's case, the impression he had of her was completely her fault.
"Oi, what's going on under those lilac curls of yours? You look like a kitten that just had its cream stolen," he teased her and she quickly painted on a smile.
"Eh? It's nothing, I'm just too full, I think. You cooked too much," she returned, knowing that a jibe at his cooking would get him riled up enough to distract him.
He proved her wrong, though.
"Don't change the subject, Tiri-san," he scolded her gently, drying off his hands with a small towel before neatly folding it.
"Who's changing the subject? Ah, that reminds me, how is your nosebleed?" she asked, putting down her own towel and stepping closer to inspect him.
"I said, don't change-"
Her hands carefully cupping his face to pull him down to eye level with her. She lightly turned his head to the left, then right, her brows furrowed in concentration as she looked him over. She could see a blush creeping over his cheeks and she smiled warmly at him, releasing him and taking a step back.
"You look better. I hope you don't always have that reaction around me. I won't know to either take it as a compliment or to find some way to make you think I'm unattractive," she joked in a chirpy tone, starting to turn on her heel.
Sanji caught her with hand with his as she was about to leave, his grip firm. As soon as she opened her mouth to protest, he tugged on her hand and pulled her to him, wrapping his long arms around her loosely. He rested his chin on the top of her head and Tiri could do little except stare at the blue shirt he wore beneath his jacket in shock.
"You don't have to pretend around me, Tiri-chan," he murmured, one hand softly stroking her hair.
What could she say to that? Tiri let out a slow breath, forcing her stiff shoulders to relax and swallowed past the lump that had formed in her throat. Her heart was pounding against her chest, first from the fear of being caught and…there was a second reason? Her cheeks heated almost immediately and she shook her head minutely.
"I don't deserve your consideration, Sanji-kun," she whispered, her hands trembling where they were trapped against his lean chest, fearing to actually verbalize what she was truly thinking, though her words were far from being a falsehood.
"Idiot," he chided her, but it made her laugh a little and she breathed in the fragrance of cigarettes and something incredibly sweet.
"I suppose I am," she replied, moving back a tad to look up at him with a small smile, masking the wave of relief washing over her at his easy grin, "But that's what makes me so adorable."
He chuckled, ruffling her hair, before releasing her and lighting another cigarette. Sanji shook out the match, and then tipped up her chin with his thumb and forefinger.
"You don't have to always tell me what bothers you, but," he said quietly, "just be honest enough with me to admit it when something does."
She nodded as an unspoken accord passing between them. On impulse, she stood on tiptoe and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. He froze as her lips brushed against the stubbled skin and Tiri thought she heard his breath catch. Then she swiftly moved away, flashing him a bright smile as she handed him a dish rag and retreating from the galley. She quickly strode across the moonlit deck and closed the door to the library behind her. Tiri leaned back against the wood, willing her beating heart to calm. What the hell had come over her? He was one of two crewmates who treated her without any judgment and she had just probably jeopardized that by acting on an impulse that was likely going to cause her to lose her closest friend on the Sunny Go.
Letting out an irritated breath, she moved to the shelves, randomly plucking down a book. She carefully opened the tome, leaned over to flick on the lamp that rested on the desk nearby. Tiri tucked her hair behind her ears and propped a fist against her cheek, instantly becoming absorbed in the work before her eyes.
Hours ticked by as she lost herself in the words on the pages, falling asleep close to midnight, her silvery eyes closing as she leaned heavily on her propped arm. As her breathing deepened and her body relaxed, she didn't notice the tall, blonde figure that walked into the room. Seeing her peacefully dozing, they crossed the floor silently. The man was tender, carefully pulling her arm down so as not to wake her and lying her back onto the couch. He flicked off the light and tucked the blanket that had been strewn over her lap up over the rest of her.
Lips twitched as she snuggled into the cover and a quiet eye admired the moonlight playing in the strange-colored strands of her hair. A finger ghosted across her cheek and then, just like a phantom, was gone.
The sun glittered brightly on the water outside the galley's porthole and Tiri breathed deeply with a grin. Salty air mingled with the delicious aromas bubbling up out of the pot on the stove. The Sunny's cook was casually stirring it counterclockwise, one hand in his pocket while a lit cigarette dangled from the corner of his mouth. She glanced over at him from the corner of her eye as she easily chopped mushrooms with her knife, creating thin slices before sliding them over into a bowl and then down the counter to Sanji. His hand was out and deftly stopping the bowl's spinning without even lifting his eyes from the pot, making Tiri grin in mild amusement.
"Nice reflexes," she murmured, moving the cutting board to rinse in the sink.
She heard him chuckle behind her and smiled, enjoying the companionable contentment that settled in her chest. She was just happy that nothing had changed between them after her impromptu expression of gratitude and affection. Still, she thought it best to not have a repeat, lest the next time prove otherwise. Hmmm…what did she mean by otherwise? Her hands mechanically moved the rag across the board as her thoughts swirled. What could possibly come from such an innocent gesture? What was she trying to make of it? Why was she even worried about this in the first place? Sanji loved all women, why would it change anything between them? She resisted rolling her eyes at the memories of some of his more eccentric antics over Nami and Robin.
Honestly, the man had no restraint-
Tiri jumped when large hands slid down her arms to gently pluck the rag and board from her hands, causing goose bumps to erupt across her flesh and her cheeks to warm at the reaction. She turned her head to look at him over her shoulder and found him smiling amiably at her. But…there was something different in his expression today….
"I think you're going to scrub the poor thing until it becomes brittle at the rate you're going," he said softly with a grin, setting the items aside.
He reached around her to turn off the tap, but otherwise made no motion to move away.
"Um, Sanji," she said his name huskily, unable to bring her voice to say it in a louder octave.
"Hmm?" he asked with an absent expression, one of his hands suddenly coming up to rest on her hips.
She could feel his warm breath fanning the skin at the nape of her neck as he brushed her lavender curls to one side, the bare touch of his fingertips against her skin making her shiver.
"What-What about the stew?" she managed to whisper, her tongue feeling like clay in her mouth when those slender digits kept dancing lightly across her bared neck.
He didn't answer right away, his other hand becoming highly distracting as his thumb slipped under the hem of her t-shirt to trace lazy circles on the soft flesh he found there.
"It's not going to go anywhere," he murmured with a light laugh near her ear and his body pressed against hers a little closer, "And neither am I."
His hands were making little jolts of electricity sing across her skin and she found herself gripping the edge of the sink with white knuckles when his lips softly grazed her ear. Kami, he was driving her insane and he had hardly touched her. She found herself wanting to know what else his hands could do.
Tiri cracked open an eye as sunlight forced its way into the room. She shook her head to clear the remaining cobwebs of sleep and stretched, her back cracking audibly.
It had been a dream, but, dear Kami, what a dream. There was an ache low in her body, and she stubbornly disregarded it. As she threw back the blanket she didn't remember crawling under and shuffled across the floor towards the bathroom, she came to a quick conclusion. The dream was meant to show that everything would be fine between Sanji and herself, despite her impulsiveness, as well as a reminder that she was human just like everyone else. She could be physically attracted to a man without it having to affect anything.
And she pointedly chose to ignore any other ways of interpreting it.