𝔸 ℂ𝕠𝕝𝕕 ℝ𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕤𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟

Chapter 19

So far, Luffy was still acting like he hadn't crossed every single boundary between them that Nami had ever made in her head. He'd claimed her mouth and heart with a single kiss, she'd been dizzy for hours afterwards, to the point where Chopper even said she was showing fever-like symptoms. After the kiss, Luffy had let her go, to her dismay, it was obvious he was being considerate. She'd been a little stiff, if she were to be completely honest, but not because it hadn't felt good.

On the contrary, it had felt so good that she wasn't sure what to do with herself, and she hadn't expected that from the childish, idiotic Luffy of all people. Before she'd even managed to compute the situation, Luffy had already let her go and she'd shut the infirmary door behind herself. She'd run on the spot and squealed like a little girl, hands covering her red face as she broke down.

She had been happy beyond words, but knew she wasn't ready to do more than that, she hadn't even been ready for the kiss at the time. When she had removed her hands from her face and calmed down, she'd gotten more than a few confused stares. Although she could see the recognition on some of her crewmates faces, she was beet-red after all.

Her lips were swollen and puffy, there was no way they wouldn't notice, Robin Zoro and Franky had been the only ones to notice. Luckily Sanji hadn't seen, he probably would have fought Luffy, no matter how injured he was.

She'd always flirted and prodded men where she knew it made them ache for more, but it was never more than that. Never more than passing sultry glances, seductive words and subtle brushes of skin against skin, but with Luffy, it was different. It was hot and passionate and breathtaking, And she was completely unprepared for it. It just made her lose every bit of her common sense, that screamed at her that this could change everything.

For better, or for worse.

___

They'd arrived at the Baratie after a few days travel, the restaurant had been repaired in all their years away and a multitude of customers were sailing in. The Thousand Sunny hoisted their sails and set anchor and made their way inside. It hadn't changed at all, except for the several levels that had been added to the top of the ship.

Luffy couldn't help but remember his days as a chore boy, he was a lot more lucid today, Chopper had managed to get supplies in loguetown to make a less drowsy and hallucinatory medicine. They all wondered in, their appearances attracting the attention of the diners at multiple tables. They sat down, awaiting a waiter that would recognise the return of Sanji.

It came in the form of a rude "Hey, you have to wait to be seated!" One of the motley chefs of the Baratie scowled.

"I sat myself you damn bastard," Sanji grouched right back, there was a moment of recognition before the cook ripped Sanji up out of his seat into a bearhug, Sanji's feet hung off the ground and his arms were squished at his side as the chef cried liberally. He called out to the other chefs in the kitchen and the diners tried their best to act like they weren't watching every moment of this reunion.

"Sanji's home! Zeff, the boy's back!" He yelled, Patty exploded from the kitchen, his profiterol chin still just as prominent as ever. He scanned the restaurant with cruel eyes before spotting Sanji, he crossed his arms and took in the crew. Sanji separated himself from the cook who had grabbed him, and stared at Patty with an evil grin.

"So you came crawling back did you? Pathetic!" He spat, a vein throbbed in Sanji's forehead with anger.

"You should be praising the ground I walk on, you're lucky a chef as good as me even bothered to come back here!" Apparently, even after years of separation, they still couldn't manage a positive reunion. But this had always been how they functioned, how the chefs on the Baratie showed affection and trust.