Death Do Us Part

XIII

Lovely slaps her hands on the sides of her face. Her brows turned down with frustration. "Why? Why is he here now out of all days?"

"Who's Sanji?" Luffy asks.

"I'll explain who he is later!" Lovely looks at Usopp and Chopper. They nod and wait outside the room for her. "He's someone that shouldn't know you're here!"

"Why? Was he one of my friends when I was alive, too?"

"Yes."

"Then it's alright if I meet him, too."

Lovely pushes him back until he sits on the edge of her bed. "No. Sanji might react differently from Usopp and Chopper. We can't risk you causing panic here again. And it'll be worse if he runs his mouth to the village. The people will round up the hunters and try to kill you."

Luffy frowns, looking at the ground. "Will you tell him that I'm here?"

"I could, but he wouldn't believe me." Lovely looks inside the closet and wraps a skirt around herself. "'It's just grief, Lovely. People go mad when the ones they love die.' That's what they always tell me."

Luffy blushed. "You...loved me?"

Lovely shakes her head, her heart fluttering. "Not in a 'romantic' way. It's a friendship-type love. You had a wife, Luffy. Remember?"

Luffy looks at the ground and chuckles. "Right."

Lovely was surprised at how disappointed he sounded. She quickly put a slight smile on her face. "How about this? While Usopp, Chopper, and I have dinner with Sanji, you can stay here. And once we're done, I'll tell you anything you want to know about your wife."

Luffy lifts his head to look at her. "You will?!"

"Of course. Anything to help you remember who you were."

He smiles and happily cheers.

Lovely put a finger to her lips, hushing him. "But only if you stay here. Don't even sneak a peek downstairs. The only place you can move around is in this room. Don't go to the guest or any other room on this floor. We don't want you or us to get into any trouble."

"What if he has to use the bathroom?" Chopper asks.

"I don't need to," Luffy says.

"Then how do you pass the blood you drink?" Usopp asks.

"I don't. Ace told me that vampires absorb the blood they drink. It makes our skin glow and makes it look nice and fresh."

"No wonder you vamps look so young," Lovely breathes.

The sound of footsteps startles everyone except for Luffy. Lovely quickly runs outside the room and shuts the door behind her just in time to see Sanji ascending the stairs. He stops halfway up and gapes. Lovely smiles awkwardly, trying to pull the corners of her lips up to her ears.

"Lovely-dear~!! It's been so long since I've seen you!!" Sanji smiles, making his way up the stairs. He gently placed his hands on her cheeks. "You look lovelier each time I see you, my love."

Lovely chuckles. "That's flattering," she says through her teeth.

Sanji raises a brow. "What's wrong, Lovely-dear? You look tense."

"I'm deathly hungry. My stomach is aching for your wonderful culinary delights."

"Well," Sanji takes her arm, "shall we tame the savage beast that runs rampant?"

Lovely laughs and descends the stairs, still arm-in-arm with Sanji. She glances at Usopp and Chopper and nudges her head to them, then the door. Usopp nods and turns his head to the door.