.: Fast update! I just knew what was going to happen, so I cranked it out. Since I never write about this kind of stuff, it was a lot of fun. Please enjoy! :.

The Girl with A Half-Soul

Chapter 26:

Loveless

The steady stream of smoke wafted over his head as he lay on his back. The stars were twinkling in the black sky, almost in rhythm with the noisy insects. Sometimes clouds would glide and cover them for a few minutes, but then they would reappear exactly as they were before. It was so peaceful that he could have fallen asleep and not moved until dawn. After all, the air was warm enough to be comfortable. But what made the cook even warmer was the woman sharing her body heat with him.

Stripped of his suit jacket and tie, Sanji was nestled in a hammock. Jolene was halfway on top of him with the side of her smiling face right in the center of his chest. His heartbeat thumped in her ear. For the first time all day, they were not actively conversing. However long they were here was none of their concern. Sanji never wanted to move. Who knew when he would be able to hold someone like this again. His arm rested across her back. Every now and then, he would brush through her auburn locks. This was exactly what he wanted in his life.

The only reason he stopped feeling her back and lifted his arm away was because she began to shift. Momentarily lifting herself, she scooted slightly to press a kiss to his cheek and settle her head on his shoulder. The smoke wafting from the tip of his cigarette suddenly transformed into little hearts in reaction. "I almost dozed off," she admitted tiredly.

He found that returning his arm against her was touching her lower than before. Making sure he was steering clear of being disrespectful, he made sure to feel her ribs against his fingers. "You can if you want to," he assured her.

She giggled. "Sleeping out here ain't never been my cup of sweet tea. There's mosquitoes everywhere."

"Then…you wanna go back inside?"

The question may have been innocent, but there were only two reasons why she would agree to it. One was to sleep in her own bed, but the other…It would bring him into her bed, too. Considering she was his first kiss, she already knew he was inexperienced in that field as well. It did not bother her, but she wondered if he would stop things from moving so fast between them. There was only one way to find out. "I don't know yet," she said. "If I go to sleep, then that'll mean morning will come faster."

Her words held more meaning than they led on. Sanji could feel a sense of belonging. Ultimately, whatever this lady wanted to do, he would follow along. If that meant staying here longer to savor their time together, then that was what they would do.

Before he could reply with a flirtatious comment, she brushed her fingers underneath his jaw and made him pause. "I really hate you're leaving so soon," she imparted sincerely. "I haven't had an entire day with you. It's not fair."

"Then come with us," he reasoned. "You don't have to join the crew but have a day sail." Plucking the cigarette from his mouth, he took a moment to hug her tighter against him and lean his head against hers.

"You're really tempting me." She tightened the force of her fingers against his jaw to turn his head toward her. All she wanted was to experience yet another kiss from him. After only a handful of them, he had gotten the hang of it. It was he who was taking the lead this time. Their kiss became two, then three, then four, and suddenly Jolene lost count. Whatever it was he wanted from it, he was greedy with it. The only reason they stopped was because they needed air.

Realizing they had gotten a little carried away, they shared a small laugh. "You want me to stop tempting you?" he questioned.

"If it means you'll keep going, then no."

Merrily, Sanji reared his head back with a pervy giggle and smile. A spurt of blood exited his nostrils. Jolene could not get any sexier with talk like that. He indulged her, though, by resuming their makeout session.

Being so close to him allowed her to fully understand the extent of his abilities and desires. Despite their heart rates increasing and no sign of growing discomfort, Sanji was not hinting at wanting a change in scenery. Their matching passion resulted in a little bit of saliva dribbling from their lips. Jolene tried nudging him in the direction she wanted to go by slightly moaning, but nothing in his advances altered to accommodate for it. That could only mean she had to make her desires more obvious.

She was the one to pull away this time. After wiping her lip, she sat up and slipped out of the hammock. "Alright, I'm gettin' eaten alive out here," she lied. Although he would never argue with it since she was the one wearing a sundress and he had long sleeves and pants on. "Move this inside?"

She did not have to ask twice. Sanji followed her out and into the house. Upon hearing the door open and close, the calico house cat came trotting toward them with a loud meow. "What is it, Buttons?" Jolene asked as if her pet could speak verbally. She reached down to pick her up and scratch underneath her chin. "You feel gross? I feel gross," she communicated with Sanji.

He scratched the back of his head with a little bit of embarrassment. The shower he took after breakfast this morning was basically for nothing. The humidity this island had during the day definitely made him sweat, not to mention all the movements he made. "Kind of."

Putting Buttons back on the floor, Jolene kicked her sandals off. "Well, I'm taking a quick shower," she said nonchalantly. "Feel free to join me."

The proposition dilated his eyes. Join her? In the shower?! The skip in his heart's rhythm was so big that he visibly convulsed in his chest cavity. His mind racked up with all kinds of fantasized images of what Jolene would look like under a stream of running water. She was already so slender and curvy in the right places. Her hair probably touched her tailbone when soaked. So enamored by the possibilities of her forbidden beauty, his fresh nosebleed was far greater than his last one.

Jolene deliberately slipped the straps of her dress down her shoulders as she stepped into her bathroom. Now she was the one doing the temptation. The water was turned on and the curtain was pulled. Sanji peered inside to see just her silhouette through it. The sight deepened the blush across his cheekbones. If he pulled the curtain to see her, there would be no scream of horror. Just the thought of seeing her naked body lathered in suds threw him back with another nosebleed. The floor shook with the impact of his body hitting it.

She heard the thud and felt the vibrations. When she pulled the curtain slightly to see him flat on his back with his knees bent in the air, she suppressed a laugh. "What're you doin' down there? You comin' or not?"

He laughed as if he were tipsy, except it had nothing to do with moonshine. His right eye was a twisting swirl and he garbled nonsense.

Confused, she pushed the curtain back to continue her shower. After elongating the time it usually took, she had freshened up and shaved away unwanted hair. Any chance Sanji had could not be taken advantage of anymore. A little hurt and annoyed, Jolene shut off the water and grabbed a towel. By the time she exited the shower, she saw that Sanji was still down for the count; however, Buttons decided that his chest was the perfect place to loaf. It certainly was not the kind of pussy she envisioned him receiving tonight.

Clutching the towel against herself, she squatted next to him to see drying blood coming out of his nose. Now she was concerned. "Are you okay?" she asked, pushing Buttons off him.

The feeling of her hand pressing against his shoulder guided him back to reality. His focus returned, and he realized that Jolene was close to being in the nude next to him. Her knees were closed as she squatted, and he could nearly see up her towel. It sent him into overdrive. Another spurt of blood burst from his nostrils, and he practically passed out again.

"Geez," she voiced as she stood up. After quickly throwing on a pair of panties and an oversized shirt, Jolene snatched a rag and cleaned him off. By the time he came to, she had his head in her lap. He looked up to see her waiting, but the moment she saw he was conscious again, her face lit up. "You good?"

A happy wail flowed from his lips. The way she towered over him excited him greatly, even if it made her look upside down. "S-So good," he stammered.

"You sure? You had me worried there."

He closed his eyes as he smiled at her. "Sorry. I can't help it. You're just…so gorgeous."

The compliment brought an adjoining smile to her. "Thank you. But I don't think my looks are enough to pass out over."

"They are to meee~" he held out adoringly.

She shook her head with a chuckle before leaning down to kiss him again. "For what it's worth, I think you're really handsome," she equaled. Except it was not just his looks that made her think that about him. It was also his personality and doting behavior. The only ridiculous aspect about him was that he could hardly handle intimacy, but she had an inkling that she could fix that.

He was coaxed to sit up to see if doing so made him dizzy. They ended up sitting for a few minutes and taking turns petting Buttons as she made laps between them. Eventually, Jolene sat so close to the cook that he was able to catch whiffs of her floral soap. Her damp hair was drying, turning from glossy to shiny as it reflected candlelight. Curious, he moved his arm behind her back to see if she would push him away. But she accepted it. "I take it you'd rather stay here than have a shower?" she wondered aloud.

"And leave you? That wouldn't be very chivalrous of me."

Smirking at the remark, she beckoned him for a short-lived kiss. But she paused just a centimeter away. "Would it be chivalrous of you to join me in the bedroom?"

As she closed the gap, Sanji stifled a gasp. A lady's bedroom was a sacred space. He was lucky to be allowed entry in the girls' quarters on the Merry. If Jolene was going to welcome him into hers, that could only mean she wanted him in there for a specific reason. In the middle of their kiss, he tried to conjure the appropriate response. "Y-You want me in your room?"

She kissed him again. "I want you, Black Leg Sanji." And again. "Do you want me?"

To answer, he pulled her against him tighter and upped his passion in their kiss. This was his chance to have his life changed. Being stuck on the Baratie for majority of his life, his only interactions with women were the customers that came through the door. Other than that, he was surrounded by the male species and only had the ability to picture what life would be like outside of the floating restaurant. His fantasies about someday having a relationship were exploited in his locked bedroom at night. Being a hormonal teenager had its "moments" that made him blush in embarrassment just reminiscing about it. Luckily things slowed down when he joined the crew and got too busy to dabble in such things. His libido took a drastic reduction as a result, which was strange since he continued to lust for women on a daily basis.

Today was a change in pace. His first ever kiss happened, and it seemed like he was also destined to experience physical intimacy for the first time, too. He really hit the jackpot with Jolene.

She squeaked in surprise when he unexpectedly moved her to his lap and took control. Their bodies suddenly felt hot. As his lips trailed away from hers, she sat up on her knees to get comfier. "I want you," he finally answered as he pressed kisses down the side of her neck. Leaning her head back to give him more room, she could not help but feel victorious. This was about to be a great night.

It was too quiet on the Merry. Not even a current was making her creak or sway. While the others slept, Aurilee could not join them. She faced the wall with her open eyes seeing pure black of the night. If there was any indication at all that someone was boarding the ship, she might find it in herself to get some sleep. But there was just nothing to acknowledge. It bugged her, and she could not just push those hurt feelings aside. For some reason, her mind kept replaying the scene of him walking away from her with Jolene. It left her growing irritated by the minute.

Another thing that assisted in her unrest was the stirring of the triplets. They had been asleep for most of the day, and now that she had stopped moving around, they decided it was the perfect time to push around and kick against the walls holding them in. Although her irritation was not directed at them, they were not helping to ease it. They were just making her uncomfortable.

The moment came when she threw in the towel. Her nerves were shot. She got out of bed, slipped on some sandals, and left the cabin.

Chopper lifted his head when the door opened, and she emerged. He was lounging against Zoro's side with a lantern. His blue nose told him who it was. When she failed to say anything as she approached the plank, he spoke up. "Can't sleep?"

"No," she confirmed as she stepped up onto it. "I'm going for a walk."

Her voice was laconic. It made Chopper wonder if she was feeling okay, but since she did not reach out to him, he was unsure what was going on. She walked across the wooden board and touched the blue grass again. The moon was enough light for the open areas. Instead of walking, though, she stopped. The truth was she did not know where to walk to. The sadistic voice in her head told her to go look for Jolene's house, but she had no idea how far that would take her or if she would find it at all. Besides, it was coming from a place of bitterness. Aurilee did not come out here to squander in bitterness; she came out here to seek some peace.

Moving around did not ease the triplets like she had hoped. They had just gotten a full night's sleep and were ready to be active for a while. At least they were keeping her company in a time when she felt very lonely. When they were not causing her any pain, she was trying to appreciate their activity and figure out how they were positioned. Chopper tried to make guesses, too, but assured her that there was still time for them to find the correct upside-down position. He also tried to estimate how big each of them was, but they would only find out once they were born.

After a couple laps around Belle's yard, Aurilee decided that it was a futile effort. She made her way to the abandoned bonfire pit and sat down. In the moonlight, she gazed down at her distended abdomen to watch the surface of her clothes shift with kicks. It both entertained and intrigued her. Somehow, she could tell a different one was moving, and the inevitability of all three of them interacting with each other had her admire what was happening inside her. She was lucky to be a mother to a single baby, but she felt like fate smiled upon her when three were conceived instead.

Her feelings about her situation were completely different compared to the beginning of her journey. A few months ago, she became increasingly ill and tired. She concluded herself that she was pregnant. Although she was terrified, she was weirdly calm about it. Well, more like she was numb to it because she did not know how to face her new reality. But even so, she instinctively protected her children by hiding her growing bump and continuing to survive what she considered to be Hell.

Why? For the longest time, she did not have an answer. Anyone else in her situation would have found a way out to not have to deal with any of it. When her burdens became too heavy to carry, she found herself trying to do the same. First, she tried drowning herself. Then, she decided to give them up. But nothing could kill that instinctive love she held deep within. Now she had her answer for it all. The events of today helped her find the right words for why she felt the way she did about her unplanned pregnancy.

It was the simple fact that her children depended on her. After being let down and having nobody to depend on herself, she found hope in having the roles reversed. Because…maybe if she fulfilled the duty, her babies would never abandon her like everyone else seemed to do. The thought made her emotional instantly. Her Mama and Papa were ripped away from her for no good reason. Gerald and Millie walked away from her in her most dire time. Sanji left her after he broke his promise. Who was next? Pondering that, she could not hold back her sobbing. All she had left was her children. But what if they did not make it through their birth? She would be so devastated and alone that she might die of a broken heart.

She spread her knees apart so she could lean over and hold her face in her hands. The shuddering of her diaphragm meant that the triplets could feel her uncontrollable blubbering. When the chemical signals crossed the placenta, they all stopped moving. Their mother was in distress, and that meant they shared that distress with her.

"Please don't leave me," she whimpered miserably. "Please don't leave me, too."

They moved into the bedroom to hold their one night stand. Breaths were labored as they tried continued kissing despite Jolene pushing him down on the bed. She giggled as she lifted his feet to throw off his nice black shoes to reveal his bare feet. Then, she hopped on the bed with both knees on either side of his waist. His fingers were working to unbutton his shirt, but she took over and distracted him with more lip action.

As she scaled down the ladder to free his torso, Sanji tried holding her head closer to increase the force of their affection. She was obviously enjoying it as much as he was, so there was no reason to hold back. Only if she expressed discomposure would be when he backed off. In spite of his lack of experience, he knew this was a vulnerable and sensitive encounter for a woman. Jolene was about to give all of herself to him. It was up to him to give her a sense of security and to take care of her.

The only problem with that, though, was that Jolene was anything but nervous about this whole thing. She had done this a few times before, so it felt second nature. What she was most concerned about was showing him what to do and how to do it to her liking. It was a chore with others, but she had high expectations for the cook. He proved to be a fast learner and it was obvious that he would do anything to make her happy.

Pulling open his shirt, she quickly unbuckled his belt and opened up his pants to reveal the turquoise boxers that had a pattern of pink hearts. For some reason, it did not surprise her in the slightest, and that amused her.

"Don't use your hands for fighting, huh?" she tried remembering what he had told her around the bonfire tonight.

"Yeah?" he confirmed, trying to slide his pants down to be rid of any obstacles that stood between them.

"I'll give you something else to use them for." With that, she grabbed his wrist and directed for him to feel her breast through her white shirt.

The event floored Sanji. Boobies! He suffered another nosebleed and went limp against the mattress. "S-So soft," he stuttered in the middle of his processing.

Seeing him try to get a grip on what she made him do got a laugh from her. "Hopefully your girlfriend won't get mad at me," she noted as she got him to hold and squeeze with both hands.

With blood on his upper lip and his eye a glowing pink heart, he watched as he was allowed to play with the part of the female anatomy he fetishized. This had to be the best day of his life. "I-I-I don't have a girlfriend," he admitted in his delirium.

"Really? Not a single one of those female crewmates of yours?"

"I try but I don't get anywhere." His arms fell back to the bed, stretched as far as they could go. The thought of the three women that lived on the Going Merry with him had him recall all the times he attempted to rouse their romantic interest toward him. "Nami's our navigator. I still remember the day I laid eyes on her in the Baratie, and how it was like the whole world melted away just from her beauty alone. Robin's our archaeologist. She was once our foe, but she joined our crew after we defeated the Warlord she was working for. But Aurilee's our guest. We're just trying to help her get home to her parents before her babies are born." He sighed with satisfaction. "I can never get enough of them."

Hearing him speak of them so fondly got a pang of jealousy to spring to life. It was like he momentarily forgot about the task at hand. His attention should have been on her and her alone.

To steer the conversation back toward their impending session, she tried to help him regain his focus. "Oh, good. I was a little scared that the pregnant girl meant you were tied down. But you're all mine."

Her seductive kiss was not met with the same weight behind it. Instead, he mischievously grinned and cocked his curly eyebrow. "Jealous?" he teased.

She was unsure if he had read her easily, but she felt called out. It annoyed her. Why could he not just give her a good time already? She had been ready for this for like two hours. All he was doing was delaying things. "No, but it would've been a big surprise to me if it was like that," she responded while trying to mask her impatience.

The tone was deceiving, and the choice of words came across as passive aggressive. "Why's that?" he inquired innocently.

"I mean, she's not the prettiest girl on the block. I would've assumed you wanted to knock up one of the other two instead."

His grin disappeared. Almost wondering if what he heard was true, he did not say anything and waited for her to say she was joking. But she did not. She just sat on his waist and waited for him to reply. What was he supposed to do? Agree with her? She basically just called someone he cared about ugly. What hurt him the most about it was that Aurilee already thought of herself as ugly. He could read it in her face all the time. That was why he worked hard in making sure she heard the opposite every day, multiple times a day. It may have been a hard truth to take to heart, but that only made him more determined to have her accept herself.

Jolene knew nothing about his sweet, beautiful Aurilee. She had no idea about any of the pain or suffering she had to endure to end up where she was today. Aurilee did not ask to be in the condition or situation she was in, yet she was handling it like a champ. Sanji cheered for her every day and celebrated every little win she had, whether it was overcoming a fear or doing her best to have a good attitude on a bad day. The strength she would master eventually would only come with simple conquests like those. She may not have seen much progress, but he did, and he was so proud of her. That was what truly made her the most beautiful in his eyes; the perseverance she demonstrated gave him the most hope for her long-term success.

It was not fair that Aurilee was not here to defend or fight for herself. Because of that, Sanji found himself offended on her behalf. So what if she had pale patches of flesh that contrasted her darker pigmentation? So what if her hair had to grow back to its former beauty? So what if her eye colors created an unbalanced aesthetic for her face? So what if she was pregnant and it made her body disproportionate? Aurilee was still the most unique beauty he had ever treasured. Maybe Jolene felt inadequate because of that. Even if it was true, that did not excuse what she just said. He wished she would appreciate her own beauty rather than try demeaning others.

"Can you get off me please?" he respectfully requested.

Jolene was shocked to hear him say it. Suddenly, she regretted letting her impatience and jealousy get the better of her. Sanji was a ladies' man. Of course he would hold many of them dear to his heart. But she crossed a line, and now there was no recovering their one night stand. When she moved off, he sat up and buckled his pants back up before getting off the bed and leaving the bedroom. Jolene heard her front door open and close, and she did not chase after him.