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The first time wasn’t really the first because Nami was beautiful, intelligent, gorgeous, kind, striking, witty, cute, he could go on and on about her attributes all day but Sanji wasn’t silly, he wasn’t the only one with eyes, so jealously was something he was very familiar with ever since he met her.
Something he was grappling with currently.
They’d all agreed to meet at a local pub after a day of exploring before going back to the ship. He could easily cook something but he agreed it was nice to try local cuisine and it was a great way of finding new inspiration. He was currently the first one there and angled towards the door after having secured a U-shaped booth that would fit everyone.
He was busy looking through his shopping list, double checking he’d got everything when the doors opened. His attention was soon caught when he heard hushed whispers from the table next to him.
“Twelve-o-clock,” a voice said, full of admiration, “she’s beautiful.”
The other man whistled lowly in agreement and it was then that his gaze followed where they were looking.
It was Nami.
Of course it was.
“What I would give to have a woman like that.” It was a voice from another table and he glowered at the man, not that he saw, his attention was elsewhere.
His glower was wiped off his face as she caught his eye, waving over at him as he waved back and it should have been enough to settle the jealous prickle in his stomach because she hadn’t given a single person a second glance. Except as she made her way over, eyes followed her, heads craning as she passed as people nudged their friends.
Some of the stares didn’t bother him as much as others. It was the leering stares he despised, filled with ill intentions that didn’t care about who she was. And yes, he could tell the difference.
He realised he could be seen as a tiny bit hypocritical but he did it because he was in love with her, there were no ill intentions coming from him.
“Hey, are we the first ones here?” Nami greeted and instead of sliding in opposite him, she slotted in next to him. His arm was on the back of the booth and she had no qualms as she settled in front of it. It was small, but he’d take it as a win.
They chatted about what they had done throughout the day before the others arrived and he was aware of the looks thrown his way, looking between the two of them. Which he could understand because she was wow - to put it lightly - compared to him.
It was as she was telling him about the good discount she got at a clothing store that he noticed a back and forth between two guys a few tables away who had leered at her. They both kept looking their way, one of them on his feet and the other one holding his arm, from the looks of it, trying to persuade him to sit back down. And that was when he realised, the guy on his feet was going to come over here to speak to her. It was ballsy whilst he was here and he didn’t know if he admired it or was offended he wasn’t enough of a deterrent.
“Are you okay?” Nami asked and she must have realised he’d drifted. Shit, she didn’t ask a question, did she? He was being so rude.
“I’m fine but I could use a drink, what would you like?” And it was enough to distract her as she looked through the wine list.
As he looked back up, the man was making his way across the crowded bar, nervously looking between him and her. Sanji glared in response, his expression darkening the closer he got, trying to warn him off but the man didn’t take the glaringly obvious hint to abort.
Instead, he arrived at their table, lingering awkwardly between Sanji glaring and Nami seemingly unaware as to what was going on. It was another moment until she looked up, surprised at another person at the end of the table and the man looked dazzled. For a split second, Sanji felt sympathetic, he’d been there many a time with Nami, she just had that effect- it was like being shot through the chest.
Another moment passed as the man didn’t speak and when she raised an eyebrow in silent question, all he could do was let out an undignified cross between a squeak and gurgle before turning around and walking back to his table.
She then turned to him, like he would have an answer but he was too busy trying to keep the shit eating grin off of his face as the man’s friends heckled him. He just shrugged in response.
No one else bothered them for the rest of the evening.
The second time was kind of his fault.
They’d reached a new island and had heard rumours of treasure. As an almost constantly cash strapped crew, they’d jumped at the chance and led by Nami, their searches had been narrowed down to a particularly nasty pirate crew in the area that had managed to evade Marine interest so far. They had a reputation of backhand dealings and preying on the poor that had led to an easy decision to rob them blind.
They’d split up into groups.
Luffy, Brook and Chopper were stationed at his mansion.
Zoro and Franky not far away at their main hideout.
Unfortunately, they were still missing some key information, such as where the money was exactly and how to access it.
Even more unfortunately for Sanji, the captain of the crew had a well-known weakness for young, attractive women.
The last group was Nami, Robin, Usopp and Sanji.
Nami was the lead, she’d go into his local haunt, some seedy rundown tavern, and would flirt her way onto his table to get more information from him. Something that wouldn’t be hard to do with the dress she had on, Sanji’d barely been able to hold himself together when he’d first seen it. It was a deep red silk with an open back that draped at the front and had a split up the side.
Sanji had insisted on coming with them.
He was previously allocated to one of the groups stationed at the buildings, ready so that when they knew where the money was, they could strike whilst Nami wrapped up and split. Robin and Usopp were there as backup, both specialising in distance attacks and would make sure she got out safe. And whilst Sanji trusted them and knew their strength, he had to be there too. He needed to make sure she was okay with his own eyes.
Which he partially regretted now.
“You’re smoking, pull yourself together,” Usopp harshly whispered, trying to subtly waft away the smoke coming from Sanji’s leg.
“He’s touching her thigh!”
It was torture. Nami had not only caught the captains eye as she’d walked in, something Sanji wouldn’t forget himself as he’d been hypnotised by the swing of her hips and the way she’d swept her hair to the side to reveal her bare back, but also been invited to the his table.
“What did you think was going to happen?!”
Honestly, he hadn’t thought that far ahead.
Ever since she’d sat at his table, Sanji had burned. The man had not wasted anytime in putting his hands on her, leaning in to whisper in her ear and listening to her giggle in response with downright smugness over his face.
They all had in ear communications but Sanji hadn’t heard a word from the moment he’d toyed with her hair, rubbing it between his fingers and bringing it to his nose to smell. Nami was playing the part well too, fluttering lashes, lidded eyes and words filled with praise and heavy with implications.
Sanji couldn’t wait to kick that man in the face.
“Bingo,” Usopp whispered next to him and Sanji was pulled from his thoughts.
Trying to catch up on what he’d missed, he subtly looked over to the table from where him and Usopp were stationed to see the man twiddling a key between his fingers, no doubt bragging about how much money he had as Nami wore an expression of awe.
But it went south quickly after that when the man slipped the key back into his pocket and Robin’s hand a few moments later went after it. The captain caught the fake hand and it fluttered away in petals.
Sanji tensed as the man growled distantly through the line, “Nico Robin.”
Shit.
“And Cat Burglar Nami, you didn’t think I knew who you were, did you?” He grabbed the top of Nami’s arm as she tried to rear back and as she winced, Sanji saw red.
It was a blur after that as Usopp fired off a smoke bomb and Sanji’s chair hit the floor as he launched himself across the tavern. He finally got the satisfaction of kicking him in the face, and the crunch of his nose breaking as he howled, falling to the floor. The latter was a bonus.
There was a mixture of shouting and screaming as people fought their way through the smoke, either to them or fleeing away from the scene and yet he still heard the snap of spines courtesy of Robin. He wasn’t going to hang around there any longer though as he scooped Nami up, trying not to think of the smooth, soft skin of her thighs and back in his hands and made his way for the back door.
“Are you okay?” He asked, jumping over a fallen chair and saw Usopp and Robin just up ahead. He was annoyed with himself that he’d let someone put their hands on her maliciously.
“I’m fine,” she replied, arms looping around his neck and looking far too pleased considering the failure and her soon to be bruised arm.
“Sorry it was a bust, Nami-san.”
“I wouldn’t call it that,” she coyly replied, winking as she fished the same very key out off the top of her dress. “Luffy’s group move in. Zoro and Franky make your way over and we’ll meet you there,” she barked her orders into her earpiece, hearing an affirmative back.
A night of jealously was worth it when he ended up with her in his arms, happily smiling as Luffy’s chaotic laugh filled their ears.
The third time was something he’d secretly feared all along.
Ever since that night, something had changed between him and Nami. It was like they’d reached tipping point. At least, he thought it had but it wasn’t easy to be objective when his imagination had no problems leading him on. He struggled to explain it but she was softer with him. Casual touches to his arm, shoulder, and she was around him a lot more. Whether that was in the kitchen, going into town together or when they inevitably found chaos on an island.
He was sure he wasn’t imagining it.
Until now.
Because he’d turned the corner of the busy market square and saw Nami speaking to a man. A very good-looking man who was very interested in her, based on his body language – not that he could blame him.
But what ground his gears and spun him into turmoil, was that he couldn’t do anything about this one. Nami was smiling genuinely, chatting care free with the man before her and had his rapt attention. He couldn’t detect even an ounce discomfort from her or lechery from him. So he wouldn’t do anything. Even if he didn’t like it, it wasn’t his place; she was free to talk to whoever she wanted and do whatever she wanted to. He was the last person that wanted to keep her caged.
So instead, he ground the cigarette filter between his teeth, the taste souring his mouth and tried to count to ten.
As he got to three, he thought how it would be so much easier if the guy was a creep or leered at her, he could give into the twitch in his leg, like he’d been able to a week ago at the tavern. The thought didn’t calm him down and the counting crap was doing nothing but riling him up further.
At six, he was wondering if he should take a walk around the market again. To get rid of the bubbling bitterness in the pit of his stomach and so that hopefully, maybe, he could tastefully interrupt if he caught her eye.
At nine that plan came to a grounding halt.
As if sensing his presence, Nami’s eyes flicked past the man in front of her to land on him and she smiled at him, face brightening and gaze lighting up in recognition. It was dazzling and he wanted to spend the rest of his life bathing in that warmth.
The way she smiled at him made everything else disappear.
He let himself hope foolishly for a moment, that maybe that smile meant more and he let the feeling float in his ribcage for a second longer until it was over, telling himself not to be so ridiculous. He’d just witnessed first-hand how hard the crash was and it would ultimately hurt worse the higher he flew. Also, he didn’t want to tarnish his friendship with her by placing his expectations or feelings on her.
She left the man with not much more than a goodbye, from what he could tell, and walked to meet him halfway. He took the shopping bag from her, looping it over his shoulder and in a display of confidence, put his hand in the small of her back, guiding her away from the market.
The previously deflated feeling in his lungs soared when she smiled up at him, moving that bit closer so she could lean into the arm around her.
She didn’t look back at the man she’d been speaking to but he did and his cigarette didn’t taste so bitter anymore at the mans disappointed face.
Nami had long since learned that her annoyance with Sanji’s flirtatious ways were perhaps not completely annoyance and that maybe, a bit of jealousy was mixed in there too.
Luckily for her, Sanji was a bit hopeless. He seemed like he knew what he was doing with women, until someone took a genuine interest in him and flirted with him. Then he had no clue. Nor did he pursue it.
Which was great because she didn’t have to worry about other women but on the other hand, she didn’t know what her and Sanji were doing anymore. It was painfully obvious he had a crush on her and it only became clearer when a man was around her, especially someone outside of the crew. Not that she was purposefully making Sanji jealous, of course not. It was more of a check for herself and maybe a bit of a morale boost when he did nothing about his feelings for her.
They’d been in limbo for a few weeks now.
She’d seen him sending scathing looks to men that tried to approach her, she’d seen the look on his face, and heard from Usopp, his reaction to not only her dress but the pirate Captain putting his hands on her. She wasn’t oblivious. But neither had nudged him into making a move. Until the man in town. Don’t get her wrong, the man had been very pleasant but it just wasn’t the man she wanted. The man she did want had reacted exactly how she’d expected. She’d seen Sanji’s tight expression, riddled with indecision and posture tense and she thought she’d given him the push he needed. Leaning into the hand on her back, walking that bit closer and dropping her gaze to his lips when he spoke.
Yet nothing.
What she hadn’t expected was for the tables to be turned on her.
Inadvertently, but still.
The same man she’d been talking to yesterday had told her about a great tavern in town and she suspected he was leading into asking her on her date there until she’d seen Sanji approaching. It was probably a bit cold to then tell Sanji about it until the whole crew was having an evening out there.
She’d been having a nice evening so far, laughing, joking and laying it on thick with Sanji sat beside her. It was only when he’d gone to get her a drink and was taking far too long that her eyes had scanned the room, trying to figure out where he’d gone.
And that was when she’d seen him talking to a woman at the bar. A woman that was very clearly interested in him, based on the rapt attention she was giving him and how close she was standing. Her eyes lidded in annoyance and breath puffed out between her teeth.
“So that expression is jealously, I’d always thought it was annoyance,” Usopp cut through her thoughts and she turned back to him.
“I am annoyed, I don’t have my drink.”
It was currently in Sanji’s hand getting warm as he spoke to a woman at the bar.
What bothered her more was that Sanji had her drink and was still at the bar. He’d always made it clear she came first. He’d always notice if she was gone, in danger, needed a drink. It rattled her that suddenly she wasn’t.
“And it has nothing to do with Sanji talking to the pretty woman?”
It did.
“It doesn’t.”
He ignored her lie. “Sanji wears a similar expression when he’s jealous of men talking to you, too,” he said almost conversationally and it made her feel better. “Although he grinds his teeth and if provoked, will turn to violence.”
She wasn’t ruling that out yet.
“I’m just more surprised that you’re letting her carry on.”
And it was the finishing blow. It was the reality check she needed. Because what was she doing? She always went after what we she wanted and wasn’t about to have it taken from out under her nose.
The woman chose that moment to lightly touch his hand, laughing at something he said and Nami saw red.
Nami’s chair scraped against the floor at her sudden move and she took a deep breath to compose herself before she fluffed her hair, placed a smile on her face and approached. And if she exaggerated the swing in her hips, that was no one’s business but hers and Sanji’s.
Sometimes she wondered if he had a radar for her because the moment she was in the vicinity, his eyes found her. She fought to keep the smugness off her face when he looked her up and down. The women shot an uneasy look between the two of them as she noticed his distraction.
“Sorry Nami, this young lady was asking for cooking tips,” Sanji explained when she reached them and that told her everything she needed to know. Sanji loved talking about cooking.
“Sanji’s our chef, you won’t find anyone finer than him,” Nami added and he blushed lightly at the praise. It only darkened when she leaned into him, putting a hand to his chest.
The woman smiled warily, still eyeing the two of them.
“Sorry to cut in but I need to steal him from you.” It was said kindly but there was a heavy undertone that both women understood.
There was no room for argument after that, the woman said a quick goodbye and disappeared into the crowd.
She rounded on him now that she was gone.
“Sorry, this is probably warm now, I’ll get you a new one,” he said, still oblivious to what had happened.
“She was flirting with you, Sanji,” she deadpanned, ignoring the comment about getting her a new drink.
“I don’t think so, she just wanted help with a recipe.”
She rolled her eyes, patience thinning with him now. Surely, he wasn’t this oblivious? She’d have to show him.
“I don’t know what was said exactly, but at some point she found out you were a chef and I imagine it went something like this-”
“Oh, you’re a chef?” Her tone went up a pitch, excited and eyes widening as she her face lit up.
He nodded, looking bewildered at the sudden turn of events.
“I could tell, you have the hands for it.” And her hand was featherlight as it skimmed down his forearm, fingers teasingly grazing the palm of his hands.
He gulped, eyes nervously flicking down to her hand.
She took a step forward, crowding into him slightly and his eyes widened at the close proximity. She practically purred, “That’s so handy, I’ve been really struggling with a recipe, would you help me?”
It seemed she’d caught his tongue already when all he could do was nod at her again.
“That’s so kind of you,” her hand pressed to his chest and she smiled up at him dreamily.
His cheeks were burning red now, eyes wide like saucers and she was pretty sure he’d stopped breathing. She was incredibly smug that he hadn’t had that reaction to the other woman previously.
Except, he wasn’t stunned for long, instead it looked like he was on the edge of an epiphany. He soon stole the wind from her sails when he finally found his tongue again and the first thing he’d said was-
“Were- were you jealous?” His tone was tentative but hopeful and, somehow, she was charmed by that combination.
“Maybe.”
“You were jealous?” His tone was incredulous.
“You don’t need to sound so happy about it!”
“No, I just-” Air puffed out from his mouth, hand ruffling his hair like he didn’t know what do to. “I just can’t believe it.”
“What’s so hard to believe?”
“That you, with me?”
She almost wanted to laugh at how flustered he was with so little but his disbelief was starting to make her realise why exactly he hadn’t made a move. Once again, she’d have to be the one to move this forward otherwise they’d be going in circles the rest of the evening, if not longer.
“Do you like me?” It sounded so childish, but how else could it be phrased?
“I’m in love with you,” he breathed out all in one, like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders with the declaration.
It was so him and so genuine that she smiled, her cheeks flushing pink and her stomach fluttered.
“Then ask me out.”
And for some reason, that seemed to put the wind back into his sails. He straightened, standing tall and took her hand into his, face serious as his gaze grew serious. It was so formal that she worried for a second he was going to drop down onto one knee.
“Would you do me the honour of accompanying me to dinner tomorrow night?”
“I’d love to,” the words floated from her mouth. Her grin turned giddy when he brought her hand to his mouth, kissing her knuckles and looking up at her like she’d personally hung the stars in the sky for him.
A sharp wolf-whistle popped their private moment from behind and when they looked back, the crew was watching them. She didn’t know who whistled (her money was on Franky, he looked too pleased with himself) but they were grinning at them like fools. Usopp and Luffy were waggling their eyebrows and even Zoro spared a smirk for the moment.
Which soon turned into a scowl when he looked at Sanji, “Get a room, you’re going to make me sick.”
“Don’t be so crass to Nami-san, you oaf!” Sanji replied, walking back hand in hand with her to their table.
And maybe a little bit of jealously wasn’t such a bad thing if it meant Sanji put his arm around her properly when they sat back down and later on, she found out just how good of a kisser he was.