Raindrops
A Nami-fic for everyone's favorite navigator's.
Title: Raindrops
Rating: PG-13 to be safe
Pairings: Sanji x Nami (or maybe Nami x Sanji?)
Summary: It's Nami's birthday and she's upset that her birthday plans have been ruined by the rain. Sanji says he still has something in store for her, and something neither of them expected happens.
This one KIND OF takes place in the Angel of Death Fruit time line - a few months after the final story in the series, actually - but can be read independently of the series and contains no spoilers for Lifeline or End of the Line. It also doesn't have to take place in it if you don't want it to :)
Based on something kittychan1986 said in an MSN chat. Also the high amount of cheese might be some kind of reaction to "Caught" and Sanji's surprise is a result of watching too much of a certain TV show.
Raindrops
By Dixxy Mouri
It’s raining . . . I hate it!
It had started off as a relatively quiet land leave - she and Sanji were going to resupply the ship and he was going to take her out for a picnic lunch and shoe shopping, a task none of the other male Straw Hats would ever agree to do even if threatened, never mind volunteer for as the cook had done. But, then again, they were just her friends, Sanji was her boyfriend, and it was her birthday.
But on their way into town from where they’d docked the ship, it started to rain. Downpour. Deluge. Soak. Get things wet. It was as if someone had simply dropped the entire ocean into a giant colander over the island and just let it drain. It was one of the worst rains Nami had ever seen unaccompanied by wind and waves, and having traveled for so long on the Grand Line that was some feat. This required the two of them to take refuge in a nearby barn, where it was smelly and kind of dirty and filled with animals, but it was dry.
That is how the two of them ended up sitting side by side naked in the hay loft, waiting for the rain to pass, their knees curled to their chests and their bodies shivering as their clothing hung from the rafters. Sanji was particularly cranky because his cigarettes and matchbook were soaked through as well. Nami was just glad they were in a relationship - otherwise Sanji seeing her naked would have been a big deal.
Somewhere down below, a pig was squealing.
“I should pick up some hams when we get into town,” Sanji said.
Nami nodded. “You make a good ham.”
“Thanks.”
They sat in silence again, their eyes on the world outside the barn, waiting for the end of the rain and watching for signs of farmers or Marines coming to investigate the hayloft or seek shelter as they had. Then again, there were a lot of farms and barns on the island. It was an autumn island and was extremely green, making it perfect for lots of agriculture to prosper.
She felt Sanji creeping closer to her, settling behind her and pulling her back towards him - his chest was cold and when he looked down at her, water from his hair dripped into her face. “Warmer?” he asked.
“I thought you were cranky.”
“But being with you makes up for my cigarettes, Nami-chan.” He moved his hand to her hip.
“Not right now - I can’t get in the mood when it smells like a barn in here.”
“I wasn’t thinking about THAT,” said Sanji. He grinned. “Though since you asked, maybe later?”
Nami sighed. “I’m cold, wet, and cranky, Sanji-kun - I’m really not in the mood.”
Sanji lay down beside her, coaxing her to do the same. Begrudgingly, she did and let him pull her into his arms. “What’s wrong, Nami-chan?” He stroked the side of her face and she relaxed into his arms. She was still wet and cranky and disappointed with how her day was going, but at least someone cared about her day.
“This wasn’t how I planned our afternoon,” she said. “I wanted us to have a nice lunch somewhere and go shopping and do the resupplying and now this happened. We never get to have time to ourselves on the ship and when we do you get to do the Walk of Shame in the morning with the peanut gallery choir hooting and hollering over it and we never get to do anything special. We can’t even count on Robin not walking in on us the morning after anymore, what with the last several times.”
They both cringed at the memory.
Sanji was the first to compose himself. “Well, I have to admit it, Nami-chan - I was planning on getting you naked today but I didn’t think it would happen quite like this,” Sanji confessed playfully. Nami frowned at him, elbowing him in the gut. “Aw, I was only half-joking.”
“And I only half-elbowed you,” she said with a sigh. “I love you Sanji-kun but I’m really pissed right now. Today was supposed to be better than this.” She rolled around to face her lover with a pout. “It was supposed to be romantic and relaxing and . . . now this. This isn’t romantic. This is . . . I don’t know what this is but I wanted things to go better.”
Sanji started to kiss her neck. “You don’t find the danger of getting caught exciting?”
“No. I’d rather not. I’d be too worried about getting caught to enjoy it. I don’t find that sexy.”
The cook sighed. “Well, we’re here now, we’re alone.”
“The animals are here.”
“I don’t care about the animals - like they care. But if you’re not in the mood, then that’s fine. Let’s just . . . enjoy each other’s company for a little bit.” Sanji kissed her cheek and pulled her back into his arms. “We’ll have plenty of other opportunities to be alone together, on and off the ship. I promise. I’ll find time for us to be alone together.”
“I wish my birthday date had gone better.”
Sanji kissed the top of her head. “I’m sure things will improve.”
“How so?”
Sanji kissed the back of her head. “I’ve got a surprise for you back on the ship.”
Nami closed her eyes. “A surprise? What kind of surprise?”
“You’ll see.”
Nami didn’t feel like pressing the matter further. “Okay.”
The rain poured on.
~
Nami sighed contentedly in the bubbles of the bath, letting the smell of lilac and vanilla ease the tension in her muscles. After another couple of hours, the rain had let up and they’d been able to get dressed, get to town, and restock the supplies. Sanji still bought her dinner, but it wasn’t the nice sit down in a restaurant they’d been hoping for - it was sandwiches on the way back to ship.
Sanji insisted she take a bath when they got back, even if it was just to calm her nerves. She’d readily complied, although frowned when Sanji insisted he get her a dry change of clothing. Nami agreed to this, but only if he brought himself a dry change of clothing for after the bath as well. “If you’re going to surprise me with something special tonight, let’s not smell like a barn,” she’d said as she pulled off her t-shirt. When he returned, the two lathered each other up, had a brief splashing war, and then cuddled with for a few minutes.
After wrapping a towel around his waist, Sanji had insisted Nami stay and enjoy the soak for a little longer - he said he needed to check on her surprise and make sure it was ready before she saw it. Feeling much better than she had earlier that evening, Nami nodded and playfully shooed him out of the bathroom.
She started to feel her skin wrinkle, so she stood up and pulled the drain on the tub. She rinsed the bubbles off her skin and pulled on the dress, panties, and bra Sanji had brought her to change into, stuffing her dirty clothing into a bag. Nami took a seat on the edge of the tub and began pulling her shoes on, then sighed sadly.
It was late, which meant it was time for bed, and time to share her room with Robin in awkward silence.
It wasn’t to say that Nami and Robin were having a big fight or anything - the navigator didn’t hate the archaeologist and she didn’t think the reverse was true, but their old arrangement of having their respective boyfriends spend the night in their room when the other had watch duty was . . . falling apart.
Essentially, the two couples were getting closer and closer and the weeks turned into months, and it was becoming harder and harder to send the cook and shipwright out of the girls’ room in the morning for their Walk of Shame back to the men’s quarters. Adding to the problem was the temptation for a little good morning sex, which had resulted in Robin catching Nami and Sanji in a number of compromising positions and Nami seeing just how “creative” Robin could be with her Devil Fruit ability in the bedroom.
This had resulted in a series of awkward silences, a decrease in what had previously been cheerful, sisterly conversation, and perhaps even a little resentment. It was also straining Robin’s friendship with Sanji (as the archaeologist was now terrified to go to the kitchen unless it was meal time) and Nami’s friendship with Franky (resulting in fumbling conversation every time the navigator needed to know something special about the ship as she tried to suppress images of him getting felt up by no less than twelve arms).
Nami stepped out of the bathroom to find Sanji waiting for her, dressed in his usual shirt and pants but a new tie and shirt, leaning against the wall opposite the bathroom. “Hello my little tangerine princess,” he said, pulling her into his arms and kissing her forehead. Nami rolled her eyes and sighed a smile, letting him do whatever it was he was doing. “Are you ready for your surprise?”
“Sure Sanji-kun. Whatever.”
Sanji held up a blindfold. “Put this on.”
Nami was unimpressed. “If your surprise is ‘kinky sex’ we’re waiting for YOUR birthday.”
Sanji glared and gritted his teeth. “The surprise is not ‘kinky sex’!” he said irritably. Then he took a deep breath. “If you wanted to do that in addition TO the surprise, though, I won’t turn down the offer.” He winked at her.
Nami rolled her eyes, put on the blindfold, and held out her hand. “Okay Sanji-kun.”
“I’m going to be more romantic than that,” he said, getting behind her a scooping her up in his arms. Nami let out a slight yelp, but put her arms around his neck and let him carry her to wherever it is he was going. “I have to admit - I had other ulterior motives to getting you off the ship today,” he confessed.
Nami frowned. “Why?”
“Because the surprise was going to take a long time to set up and we needed you off the ship.”
“Sanji-kun . . .” she complained. “What did you do?”
Sanji didn’t say anything, which was frustrating Nami a little bit. She whimpered, resting her head against his shoulder. What was he up to? Sanji might have not been the smartest man on the crew (although, she realized, he was probably smarter than MOST of the men on the crew, including and especially their captain) but he was pretty creative when he wanted to be.
Nami wasn’t sure where she preferred his creativity - in the kitchen or in the bedroom.
“Can I guess?”
“You probably won’t.”
“. . . jewelry?”
“Nope.”
“ . . . a puppy?”
“We have Chopper, what do we need a puppy for?”
“ . . . you’re right, that is close enough.”
“Anymore guesses?”
“Um, cake?”
“No, but there is some wine and chocolate.”
Nami grinned. “Oh, I get it. You’re having the picnic out on the deck. That’s adorable.”
“Nope.”
The navigator whined. They were outside now and, judging by the fact they’d gone up some stairs, they were standing outside the girls’ room. She sighed. “So your big surprise is Robin’s staying out of the room tonight? Sanji-kun . . .” Oh joy, he’d gotten her a self-serving gift. Wasn’t that usually her shtick?
But Sanji seemed to think otherwise. “Oh my pretty little tangerine, you have no idea,” Sanji said. He put his back to the door and opened it, stepped in, then closed the door. He put her down and held his breath, then kissed her cheek. “I . . . really hope you like it. Because if you don’t I’m dead. Happy Birthday, Nami-chan.”
Sanji pulled off the blindfold and Nami gasped.
This was not the bedroom she shared with Robin.
For one, it was about half the size - clearly, someone had put up a wall between the two rooms, and this alone explained why Sanji needed to get her away from the ship for a day - the construction alone would have taken a few hours. But the new wall blended in beautifully with the other three, making it seem as if it had been there all along.
But it wasn’t just a construction job - the room had been arranged . . . perfectly for her. There was a desk near the door with some of her personal supplies, including some of her favorite books between two bookends and a brand new journal and pen sitting there waiting for her. A picture of Bellemere-san, Nojiko, and her younger self sat in a frame on one side of the desk and a picture of herself and Sanji sat on the other - her two favorite photos.
There was still access to the girls’ bathroom from this new bedroom, albeit the room now had additional doors, one of which Nami assumed opened up into what must have been Robin’s new room. Otherwise the bathroom had simply been cleaned and mostly left alone - not a shocker, but still a nice touch.
There was a wardrobe in the corner, with one door left ajar and one drawer open, where all of her clothing and shoes could be found. Still, it looked like it would be a little too big to hold ever her wardrobe, and she had a sneaking suspicion this wasn’t necessarily meant to be her bedroom alone.
Nami looked at the new queen sized bed next to the closet, her eyes scanning over over the soft, cream colored comforter with blue and orange embroidery (another sign that SOMEONE thought he might be sharing this room with her) and the pillows to match. The headboard was the same wood and design style as the desk - simple, but still pretty.
It was an awful lot to take in.
“You guys gave me my own bedroom?” Nami said slowly, finally turning back to Sanji.
“Yeah. Robin picked out everything in the room and Franky did most of the construction, though he got Usopp and Chopper to help out,” he hugged her from behind and whispered into his ear. “And the other idiots helped out a little, too. Well, mostly with the money part of it so it’s kind of from everyone. Your own room.”
Nami looked at the bedspread. “So you’re not moving in here, too?” She pointed at the colors. “The orange is definitely me but you’re the blue. And it’s definitely bigger than my old bed.” Nami frowned at the memory of trying to share her old bunk with Sanji - sure it was “cozy” but it usually took a while before they were both comfortable and every other time Sanji ended up on the floor in the middle of the night. If he spent the night with her in this bed there was plenty of room for both of them.
“Robin picked it out, not me - I guess she just assumed you’d invite me to stay,” he said.
“So that’s why it’s a bigger bed,” Nami said, turning her head and smirking at him.
“I wasn’t exactly thinking that . . . although I know Franky and Robin are moving in together,” Sanji asked. His eyes widened. “Are you asking me to move in?” He lit up at the notion - he looked adorable with that look on his face, but Nami bit her bottom lip as she thought about it. Did she want a roommate? Or just an occasional visitor?
“Hmm,” Nami said, swaying her hips. She kicked off her shoes and flopped backwards onto the middle of the bed. Sanji walked over to the foot, watching her with interest. “I do like the bed. A lot. It’s comfy and big and roomy.” She sat up and sighed, putting her hand on Sanji’s shoulder. She closed her eyes - an idea popped into her head. “I love you, Sanji-kun, but moving in together is a very big step.”
“So it’s a no?”
Nami closed her eyes and shook her head, the idea tinkering around in her head. “I never said that, I’m just . . . well, I want you to answer a question first,” she said. Nami patted the space on the bed next to her. Sanji sat down, taking her hand in confusion. “I need a minute to think.” She leaned her head against Sanji’s shoulder, her mind spinning. She thought everything they’d gone through since he’d first laid eyes on her and immediately started to try and romance her, to all the steps in between leading up to their first kiss, the first time they made love, their first date . . . and now the possibility of living together. If things kept going the way they were . . .
The cook looked at her in concern. “Nami-chan, what are you trying to do?”
Nami looked him in the eyes. They had been through a lot together as friends and as crewmates, and in the past four months or so as lovers. She loved everyone on the ship dearly but loved Sanji differently. She couldn’t listen to her head - she needed to listen to her heart and let her heart say what needed to be said.
“Nami-chan . . . what’s the question?”
“Sanji-kun . . . will you marry me?”
Nami watched Sanji’s jaw drop in surprise as he stared at her in shock. Odd little squeaking noises came out of the back of his throat. Nami looked him over in concern. “Oh! Was I too forward?” she asked. “I know it’s been four months - well, less than that - but we’ve been doing so well together and we were friends for such a long time so it’s not like we haven’t known each other for a while and you did all this for me and, well . . . I thought it would be a good idea to ask.”
Sanji shook his head, regaining his composure. “I just thought you wanted to top tonight or something - I didn’t see it coming, that’s all,” he said. He took her hands and laughed. “I see what you meant with that first question though - I guess I figured when the day came I’d be the one asking you to marry me, that’s all.”
Nami smiled. “So you were planning on asking me anyways?”
Sanji closed his eyes, and nodded. “Yes, I was. It just wasn’t planned for, well, tonight.”
“Are you okay with me asking?”
The cook closed his eyes. “Well, could I still buy you a ring?”
“Sanji-kun, how long have you known me again?”
“Right,” he said, laughing a little nervously.
“I’ll probably get you one, too,” she said.
“You don’t have to do that.”
Nami kissed his cheek. “But I want to.”
Sanji smiled. “So, what was that you wanted to ask me again?”
Nami took a deep breath, looking into his eyes as she squeezed his hands. “Will you marry me?”
They kissed as Sanji gently leaned Nami back onto the bed. “Yes.”
~
Nami decided that celebratory engagement sex was the best sex she and Sanji had ever had. Somehow everything was new and exciting - even though it was far from their first time together, it was their first time as an engaged man and woman, and they were both a little euphoric over the turn their relationship had taken. What a way to christen their new bedroom (THEIR BEDROOM!). It had been romantic (which, the presence of chocolate and wine showed that romance had been planned, but the exact nature of the wooing was a surprise to even the mastermind behind it all), tender, and so right-feeling that Sanji joked they should get engaged every night.
They were going to need to figure out how to handle telling their crewmates the following morning - it would be no surprise that Sanji would be moving out of the men’s quarters, but the decision to get married would be a big one. They were rather young to be making that kind of a commitment, but once the heat of the moment was over and done with they had a serious discussion about how everything would work, decided they were satisfied with it, and then somehow ended up back in the throes of passion.
She was also going to have to write Nojiko and Genzo a letter in the morning - she was overdue anyways and decided it would be cute to add her engagement as a post script. She knew Sanji would have some words for his loved ones as well. That would lead to some interesting letters from home for sure.
Sanji was already asleep, spooning her from behind with his arms wrapped around her waist. She looked back at him and smiled. The novelty hadn’t worn off yet and she still felt excited. She knew that they would both come back from cloud nine in a couple of days and, soon enough, their engagement would only be of particular interest for people who were just finding out for the first time. It wasn’t going to change much aside from their sleeping arrangements and the frequency with which they made love (which Nami guessed was going to increase now that they didn’t need to plan everything around who was taking what watch and when they’d be able to sneak off to an inn somewhere). In the end he was still going to be her Sanji, and she didn’t think she was going to be much different for him either.
What do you think, Bellemere-san? I was wrong, wasn’t I? I’m going to get married someday, Nami sighed, smiling at the image of her mother. The last time she had thought about marriage and her mother had been the night she’d been caught in the bowels of a pirate ship. The smelly, middle aged pirate who was likely old enough to be her father had threatened to kill her until some small of her brain shoved her emotions and fear into a dark corner and offered her virginity in exchange for her life, resulting in a rough, painful, and frightening induction into womanhood. She’d cried when it was over, ashamed of what her mother would think if she knew her daughter had been fucked by a nameless pirate, taking away the only bit of childhood she had left after Arlong had enslaved her and rendering her unwanted by most men for anything more than a quick tumble in the sheets.
Nami hadn’t counted on meeting Sanji. Sanji, the man who had tried to romance her from the moment he first saw her. Sanji, the man whom she figured had a sexual history a mile long but ended up giving his virginity to her even though he knew her history. Sanji, the man who, somehow, someway, had convinced Nami that she could be loved despite everything and in the end became the man she was now promised to marry. The man she would build her life with, maybe raise a family with.
Do you approve, Bellemere-san? He loves me, but do you approve? Sanji nuzzled closer to her in his sleep and Nami shifted a little to relax in her arms. I know he was a handful when I first met him. But he loves me. He protects me. I know that you won’t have to worry about me when I’m with him - he won’t even hurt a girl who’s trying to kill him. She muffled a giggle - Sanji made a whining noise in response but didn’t wake up.
Nami heard the sounds of the weather changing outside and turned her body to face the port hole. The deluge from earlier, when she and Sanji had sat there shivering naked in the barn, had returned. She relaxed into her fiancé’s embrace, sighing and smiling as she watched the rain come down, pattering on the wood of the ship.
It’s raining . . . and it’s beautiful.
Title: Raindrops
Rating: PG-13 to be safe
Pairings: Sanji x Nami (or maybe Nami x Sanji?)
Summary: It's Nami's birthday and she's upset that her birthday plans have been ruined by the rain. Sanji says he still has something in store for her, and something neither of them expected happens.
This one KIND OF takes place in the Angel of Death Fruit time line - a few months after the final story in the series, actually - but can be read independently of the series and contains no spoilers for Lifeline or End of the Line. It also doesn't have to take place in it if you don't want it to :)
Based on something kittychan1986 said in an MSN chat. Also the high amount of cheese might be some kind of reaction to "Caught" and Sanji's surprise is a result of watching too much of a certain TV show.
Raindrops
By Dixxy Mouri
It’s raining . . . I hate it!
It had started off as a relatively quiet land leave - she and Sanji were going to resupply the ship and he was going to take her out for a picnic lunch and shoe shopping, a task none of the other male Straw Hats would ever agree to do even if threatened, never mind volunteer for as the cook had done. But, then again, they were just her friends, Sanji was her boyfriend, and it was her birthday.
But on their way into town from where they’d docked the ship, it started to rain. Downpour. Deluge. Soak. Get things wet. It was as if someone had simply dropped the entire ocean into a giant colander over the island and just let it drain. It was one of the worst rains Nami had ever seen unaccompanied by wind and waves, and having traveled for so long on the Grand Line that was some feat. This required the two of them to take refuge in a nearby barn, where it was smelly and kind of dirty and filled with animals, but it was dry.
That is how the two of them ended up sitting side by side naked in the hay loft, waiting for the rain to pass, their knees curled to their chests and their bodies shivering as their clothing hung from the rafters. Sanji was particularly cranky because his cigarettes and matchbook were soaked through as well. Nami was just glad they were in a relationship - otherwise Sanji seeing her naked would have been a big deal.
Somewhere down below, a pig was squealing.
“I should pick up some hams when we get into town,” Sanji said.
Nami nodded. “You make a good ham.”
“Thanks.”
They sat in silence again, their eyes on the world outside the barn, waiting for the end of the rain and watching for signs of farmers or Marines coming to investigate the hayloft or seek shelter as they had. Then again, there were a lot of farms and barns on the island. It was an autumn island and was extremely green, making it perfect for lots of agriculture to prosper.
She felt Sanji creeping closer to her, settling behind her and pulling her back towards him - his chest was cold and when he looked down at her, water from his hair dripped into her face. “Warmer?” he asked.
“I thought you were cranky.”
“But being with you makes up for my cigarettes, Nami-chan.” He moved his hand to her hip.
“Not right now - I can’t get in the mood when it smells like a barn in here.”
“I wasn’t thinking about THAT,” said Sanji. He grinned. “Though since you asked, maybe later?”
Nami sighed. “I’m cold, wet, and cranky, Sanji-kun - I’m really not in the mood.”
Sanji lay down beside her, coaxing her to do the same. Begrudgingly, she did and let him pull her into his arms. “What’s wrong, Nami-chan?” He stroked the side of her face and she relaxed into his arms. She was still wet and cranky and disappointed with how her day was going, but at least someone cared about her day.
“This wasn’t how I planned our afternoon,” she said. “I wanted us to have a nice lunch somewhere and go shopping and do the resupplying and now this happened. We never get to have time to ourselves on the ship and when we do you get to do the Walk of Shame in the morning with the peanut gallery choir hooting and hollering over it and we never get to do anything special. We can’t even count on Robin not walking in on us the morning after anymore, what with the last several times.”
They both cringed at the memory.
Sanji was the first to compose himself. “Well, I have to admit it, Nami-chan - I was planning on getting you naked today but I didn’t think it would happen quite like this,” Sanji confessed playfully. Nami frowned at him, elbowing him in the gut. “Aw, I was only half-joking.”
“And I only half-elbowed you,” she said with a sigh. “I love you Sanji-kun but I’m really pissed right now. Today was supposed to be better than this.” She rolled around to face her lover with a pout. “It was supposed to be romantic and relaxing and . . . now this. This isn’t romantic. This is . . . I don’t know what this is but I wanted things to go better.”
Sanji started to kiss her neck. “You don’t find the danger of getting caught exciting?”
“No. I’d rather not. I’d be too worried about getting caught to enjoy it. I don’t find that sexy.”
The cook sighed. “Well, we’re here now, we’re alone.”
“The animals are here.”
“I don’t care about the animals - like they care. But if you’re not in the mood, then that’s fine. Let’s just . . . enjoy each other’s company for a little bit.” Sanji kissed her cheek and pulled her back into his arms. “We’ll have plenty of other opportunities to be alone together, on and off the ship. I promise. I’ll find time for us to be alone together.”
“I wish my birthday date had gone better.”
Sanji kissed the top of her head. “I’m sure things will improve.”
“How so?”
Sanji kissed the back of her head. “I’ve got a surprise for you back on the ship.”
Nami closed her eyes. “A surprise? What kind of surprise?”
“You’ll see.”
Nami didn’t feel like pressing the matter further. “Okay.”
The rain poured on.
~
Nami sighed contentedly in the bubbles of the bath, letting the smell of lilac and vanilla ease the tension in her muscles. After another couple of hours, the rain had let up and they’d been able to get dressed, get to town, and restock the supplies. Sanji still bought her dinner, but it wasn’t the nice sit down in a restaurant they’d been hoping for - it was sandwiches on the way back to ship.
Sanji insisted she take a bath when they got back, even if it was just to calm her nerves. She’d readily complied, although frowned when Sanji insisted he get her a dry change of clothing. Nami agreed to this, but only if he brought himself a dry change of clothing for after the bath as well. “If you’re going to surprise me with something special tonight, let’s not smell like a barn,” she’d said as she pulled off her t-shirt. When he returned, the two lathered each other up, had a brief splashing war, and then cuddled with for a few minutes.
After wrapping a towel around his waist, Sanji had insisted Nami stay and enjoy the soak for a little longer - he said he needed to check on her surprise and make sure it was ready before she saw it. Feeling much better than she had earlier that evening, Nami nodded and playfully shooed him out of the bathroom.
She started to feel her skin wrinkle, so she stood up and pulled the drain on the tub. She rinsed the bubbles off her skin and pulled on the dress, panties, and bra Sanji had brought her to change into, stuffing her dirty clothing into a bag. Nami took a seat on the edge of the tub and began pulling her shoes on, then sighed sadly.
It was late, which meant it was time for bed, and time to share her room with Robin in awkward silence.
It wasn’t to say that Nami and Robin were having a big fight or anything - the navigator didn’t hate the archaeologist and she didn’t think the reverse was true, but their old arrangement of having their respective boyfriends spend the night in their room when the other had watch duty was . . . falling apart.
Essentially, the two couples were getting closer and closer and the weeks turned into months, and it was becoming harder and harder to send the cook and shipwright out of the girls’ room in the morning for their Walk of Shame back to the men’s quarters. Adding to the problem was the temptation for a little good morning sex, which had resulted in Robin catching Nami and Sanji in a number of compromising positions and Nami seeing just how “creative” Robin could be with her Devil Fruit ability in the bedroom.
This had resulted in a series of awkward silences, a decrease in what had previously been cheerful, sisterly conversation, and perhaps even a little resentment. It was also straining Robin’s friendship with Sanji (as the archaeologist was now terrified to go to the kitchen unless it was meal time) and Nami’s friendship with Franky (resulting in fumbling conversation every time the navigator needed to know something special about the ship as she tried to suppress images of him getting felt up by no less than twelve arms).
Nami stepped out of the bathroom to find Sanji waiting for her, dressed in his usual shirt and pants but a new tie and shirt, leaning against the wall opposite the bathroom. “Hello my little tangerine princess,” he said, pulling her into his arms and kissing her forehead. Nami rolled her eyes and sighed a smile, letting him do whatever it was he was doing. “Are you ready for your surprise?”
“Sure Sanji-kun. Whatever.”
Sanji held up a blindfold. “Put this on.”
Nami was unimpressed. “If your surprise is ‘kinky sex’ we’re waiting for YOUR birthday.”
Sanji glared and gritted his teeth. “The surprise is not ‘kinky sex’!” he said irritably. Then he took a deep breath. “If you wanted to do that in addition TO the surprise, though, I won’t turn down the offer.” He winked at her.
Nami rolled her eyes, put on the blindfold, and held out her hand. “Okay Sanji-kun.”
“I’m going to be more romantic than that,” he said, getting behind her a scooping her up in his arms. Nami let out a slight yelp, but put her arms around his neck and let him carry her to wherever it is he was going. “I have to admit - I had other ulterior motives to getting you off the ship today,” he confessed.
Nami frowned. “Why?”
“Because the surprise was going to take a long time to set up and we needed you off the ship.”
“Sanji-kun . . .” she complained. “What did you do?”
Sanji didn’t say anything, which was frustrating Nami a little bit. She whimpered, resting her head against his shoulder. What was he up to? Sanji might have not been the smartest man on the crew (although, she realized, he was probably smarter than MOST of the men on the crew, including and especially their captain) but he was pretty creative when he wanted to be.
Nami wasn’t sure where she preferred his creativity - in the kitchen or in the bedroom.
“Can I guess?”
“You probably won’t.”
“. . . jewelry?”
“Nope.”
“ . . . a puppy?”
“We have Chopper, what do we need a puppy for?”
“ . . . you’re right, that is close enough.”
“Anymore guesses?”
“Um, cake?”
“No, but there is some wine and chocolate.”
Nami grinned. “Oh, I get it. You’re having the picnic out on the deck. That’s adorable.”
“Nope.”
The navigator whined. They were outside now and, judging by the fact they’d gone up some stairs, they were standing outside the girls’ room. She sighed. “So your big surprise is Robin’s staying out of the room tonight? Sanji-kun . . .” Oh joy, he’d gotten her a self-serving gift. Wasn’t that usually her shtick?
But Sanji seemed to think otherwise. “Oh my pretty little tangerine, you have no idea,” Sanji said. He put his back to the door and opened it, stepped in, then closed the door. He put her down and held his breath, then kissed her cheek. “I . . . really hope you like it. Because if you don’t I’m dead. Happy Birthday, Nami-chan.”
Sanji pulled off the blindfold and Nami gasped.
This was not the bedroom she shared with Robin.
For one, it was about half the size - clearly, someone had put up a wall between the two rooms, and this alone explained why Sanji needed to get her away from the ship for a day - the construction alone would have taken a few hours. But the new wall blended in beautifully with the other three, making it seem as if it had been there all along.
But it wasn’t just a construction job - the room had been arranged . . . perfectly for her. There was a desk near the door with some of her personal supplies, including some of her favorite books between two bookends and a brand new journal and pen sitting there waiting for her. A picture of Bellemere-san, Nojiko, and her younger self sat in a frame on one side of the desk and a picture of herself and Sanji sat on the other - her two favorite photos.
There was still access to the girls’ bathroom from this new bedroom, albeit the room now had additional doors, one of which Nami assumed opened up into what must have been Robin’s new room. Otherwise the bathroom had simply been cleaned and mostly left alone - not a shocker, but still a nice touch.
There was a wardrobe in the corner, with one door left ajar and one drawer open, where all of her clothing and shoes could be found. Still, it looked like it would be a little too big to hold ever her wardrobe, and she had a sneaking suspicion this wasn’t necessarily meant to be her bedroom alone.
Nami looked at the new queen sized bed next to the closet, her eyes scanning over over the soft, cream colored comforter with blue and orange embroidery (another sign that SOMEONE thought he might be sharing this room with her) and the pillows to match. The headboard was the same wood and design style as the desk - simple, but still pretty.
It was an awful lot to take in.
“You guys gave me my own bedroom?” Nami said slowly, finally turning back to Sanji.
“Yeah. Robin picked out everything in the room and Franky did most of the construction, though he got Usopp and Chopper to help out,” he hugged her from behind and whispered into his ear. “And the other idiots helped out a little, too. Well, mostly with the money part of it so it’s kind of from everyone. Your own room.”
Nami looked at the bedspread. “So you’re not moving in here, too?” She pointed at the colors. “The orange is definitely me but you’re the blue. And it’s definitely bigger than my old bed.” Nami frowned at the memory of trying to share her old bunk with Sanji - sure it was “cozy” but it usually took a while before they were both comfortable and every other time Sanji ended up on the floor in the middle of the night. If he spent the night with her in this bed there was plenty of room for both of them.
“Robin picked it out, not me - I guess she just assumed you’d invite me to stay,” he said.
“So that’s why it’s a bigger bed,” Nami said, turning her head and smirking at him.
“I wasn’t exactly thinking that . . . although I know Franky and Robin are moving in together,” Sanji asked. His eyes widened. “Are you asking me to move in?” He lit up at the notion - he looked adorable with that look on his face, but Nami bit her bottom lip as she thought about it. Did she want a roommate? Or just an occasional visitor?
“Hmm,” Nami said, swaying her hips. She kicked off her shoes and flopped backwards onto the middle of the bed. Sanji walked over to the foot, watching her with interest. “I do like the bed. A lot. It’s comfy and big and roomy.” She sat up and sighed, putting her hand on Sanji’s shoulder. She closed her eyes - an idea popped into her head. “I love you, Sanji-kun, but moving in together is a very big step.”
“So it’s a no?”
Nami closed her eyes and shook her head, the idea tinkering around in her head. “I never said that, I’m just . . . well, I want you to answer a question first,” she said. Nami patted the space on the bed next to her. Sanji sat down, taking her hand in confusion. “I need a minute to think.” She leaned her head against Sanji’s shoulder, her mind spinning. She thought everything they’d gone through since he’d first laid eyes on her and immediately started to try and romance her, to all the steps in between leading up to their first kiss, the first time they made love, their first date . . . and now the possibility of living together. If things kept going the way they were . . .
The cook looked at her in concern. “Nami-chan, what are you trying to do?”
Nami looked him in the eyes. They had been through a lot together as friends and as crewmates, and in the past four months or so as lovers. She loved everyone on the ship dearly but loved Sanji differently. She couldn’t listen to her head - she needed to listen to her heart and let her heart say what needed to be said.
“Nami-chan . . . what’s the question?”
“Sanji-kun . . . will you marry me?”
Nami watched Sanji’s jaw drop in surprise as he stared at her in shock. Odd little squeaking noises came out of the back of his throat. Nami looked him over in concern. “Oh! Was I too forward?” she asked. “I know it’s been four months - well, less than that - but we’ve been doing so well together and we were friends for such a long time so it’s not like we haven’t known each other for a while and you did all this for me and, well . . . I thought it would be a good idea to ask.”
Sanji shook his head, regaining his composure. “I just thought you wanted to top tonight or something - I didn’t see it coming, that’s all,” he said. He took her hands and laughed. “I see what you meant with that first question though - I guess I figured when the day came I’d be the one asking you to marry me, that’s all.”
Nami smiled. “So you were planning on asking me anyways?”
Sanji closed his eyes, and nodded. “Yes, I was. It just wasn’t planned for, well, tonight.”
“Are you okay with me asking?”
The cook closed his eyes. “Well, could I still buy you a ring?”
“Sanji-kun, how long have you known me again?”
“Right,” he said, laughing a little nervously.
“I’ll probably get you one, too,” she said.
“You don’t have to do that.”
Nami kissed his cheek. “But I want to.”
Sanji smiled. “So, what was that you wanted to ask me again?”
Nami took a deep breath, looking into his eyes as she squeezed his hands. “Will you marry me?”
They kissed as Sanji gently leaned Nami back onto the bed. “Yes.”
~
Nami decided that celebratory engagement sex was the best sex she and Sanji had ever had. Somehow everything was new and exciting - even though it was far from their first time together, it was their first time as an engaged man and woman, and they were both a little euphoric over the turn their relationship had taken. What a way to christen their new bedroom (THEIR BEDROOM!). It had been romantic (which, the presence of chocolate and wine showed that romance had been planned, but the exact nature of the wooing was a surprise to even the mastermind behind it all), tender, and so right-feeling that Sanji joked they should get engaged every night.
They were going to need to figure out how to handle telling their crewmates the following morning - it would be no surprise that Sanji would be moving out of the men’s quarters, but the decision to get married would be a big one. They were rather young to be making that kind of a commitment, but once the heat of the moment was over and done with they had a serious discussion about how everything would work, decided they were satisfied with it, and then somehow ended up back in the throes of passion.
She was also going to have to write Nojiko and Genzo a letter in the morning - she was overdue anyways and decided it would be cute to add her engagement as a post script. She knew Sanji would have some words for his loved ones as well. That would lead to some interesting letters from home for sure.
Sanji was already asleep, spooning her from behind with his arms wrapped around her waist. She looked back at him and smiled. The novelty hadn’t worn off yet and she still felt excited. She knew that they would both come back from cloud nine in a couple of days and, soon enough, their engagement would only be of particular interest for people who were just finding out for the first time. It wasn’t going to change much aside from their sleeping arrangements and the frequency with which they made love (which Nami guessed was going to increase now that they didn’t need to plan everything around who was taking what watch and when they’d be able to sneak off to an inn somewhere). In the end he was still going to be her Sanji, and she didn’t think she was going to be much different for him either.
What do you think, Bellemere-san? I was wrong, wasn’t I? I’m going to get married someday, Nami sighed, smiling at the image of her mother. The last time she had thought about marriage and her mother had been the night she’d been caught in the bowels of a pirate ship. The smelly, middle aged pirate who was likely old enough to be her father had threatened to kill her until some small of her brain shoved her emotions and fear into a dark corner and offered her virginity in exchange for her life, resulting in a rough, painful, and frightening induction into womanhood. She’d cried when it was over, ashamed of what her mother would think if she knew her daughter had been fucked by a nameless pirate, taking away the only bit of childhood she had left after Arlong had enslaved her and rendering her unwanted by most men for anything more than a quick tumble in the sheets.
Nami hadn’t counted on meeting Sanji. Sanji, the man who had tried to romance her from the moment he first saw her. Sanji, the man whom she figured had a sexual history a mile long but ended up giving his virginity to her even though he knew her history. Sanji, the man who, somehow, someway, had convinced Nami that she could be loved despite everything and in the end became the man she was now promised to marry. The man she would build her life with, maybe raise a family with.
Do you approve, Bellemere-san? He loves me, but do you approve? Sanji nuzzled closer to her in his sleep and Nami shifted a little to relax in her arms. I know he was a handful when I first met him. But he loves me. He protects me. I know that you won’t have to worry about me when I’m with him - he won’t even hurt a girl who’s trying to kill him. She muffled a giggle - Sanji made a whining noise in response but didn’t wake up.
Nami heard the sounds of the weather changing outside and turned her body to face the port hole. The deluge from earlier, when she and Sanji had sat there shivering naked in the barn, had returned. She relaxed into her fiancé’s embrace, sighing and smiling as she watched the rain come down, pattering on the wood of the ship.
It’s raining . . . and it’s beautiful.