An Opportunity (Sanji x Nami)

Chapter 2: Thoughts

She hadn't realized how much she missed the village she grew up in until she saw the modest dock from which she had set sail so many times in the distance.

Everyone was overjoyed and came to greet her as soon as they heard of her return, thanks to Genzo, who was the first to run and give her a warm welcome. He was surprised to see how much Nami had developed; obviously, the posters and newspapers hadn't captured her dazzling beauty at all.

As for Nami, she was very happy and exhausted, so after greeting the inhabitants of her beloved village, she continued her way to the house that held the best and worst memories of her childhood. 

Nojiko welcomed her with open arms, and amid tears, they reunited after what had seemed like an eternity. The rest of the afternoon was spent catching up on what had happened in each other's lives. To her surprise, Nojiko was dating a researcher who lived in the neighboring village and was an expert in literature. Nami was taken aback. She knew it was completely normal, but it was the first time her sister was in love, so she didn't know what to say and simply kept silent while listening to Nojiko's stories.

In the first few weeks, the redhead relaxed by taking care of the tangerine trees, helping the villagers, teaching the children what she had learned on her journey, and so on. But over time, she felt she had fallen into monotony. She missed the constant commotion on deck, the frequent problems, and most of all, her nakamas. 

Who wouldn't miss Chopper's sweetness, Brook's beautiful compositions, Usopp's constant antics, Robin's wisdom, Jimbe's maturity, Zoro's seriousness, Franky's inventions, Luffy's constant foolishness, and Sanji's company?

She missed his delicious dishes, his pampering, and even his "annoying" flirtations. It was strange. Although she had a good relationship with all her nakamas and understood that it was natural to miss them, she didn't understand why the cook was the one who occupied her thoughts the most. After thinking about it for a while, she decided not to dwell on it.

One day, Nojiko organized a special lunch where Nami finally got to meet Shiro, Nojiko's boyfriend. The redhead was particularly struck by how cultured he was, being a traveler from the South Blue who had come to the island thanks to his research on common legends among the four seas. But the more he talked about himself, the more Nami worried about the situation. That is, he would have to leave the island sooner or later, and that could hurt Nojiko, so she decided to intervene; she wouldn't let anyone hurt her dear sister.

- When will you finish your research? - she asked with an innocent smile.

- In a few months, I still need to gather information from the surrounding villages.

- Wow, and once you finish, will you leave? - she asked directly and kindly. She knew Nojiko could take care of herself, but she also knew that people in love could become blind; she didn't like the idea of him playing with her feelings.

- Actually... - he said, softening his gaze - once I finish, I'll send the data to my colleagues and stay here, on the island - he gently took her sister's hand while Nojiko smiled amusedly, knowing that Nami would act protectively - in fact, I would like to move to Cocoyashi Village after a while, of course, if Nojiko accepts me - he said, directing his glaucous eyes to his partner's, then looked back ahead - I've always wanted a peaceful life with the woman I love, and I'm very happy to have found her - he mentioned before gently caressing his partner's hand.

Nami sighed. He was a good man, intelligent, responsible, hardworking, cultured, and above all, he loved her dear sister. She was really happy that Nojiko had met him.

- Take good care of her - she said seriously and then relaxed her gaze, congratulating them before continuing to enjoy the delicious soup Nojiko had cooked.

That night, she had a strange dream.

She remembered standing on a beach watching the sunset when Sanji immediately caught her attention, slowly approaching while holding a modest picnic basket in his right hand. Suddenly, she found herself lying on an extensive green blanket, and beside her, the cook was looking directly into her eyes. 

His gaze alone sent shivers down her spine, so she directed hers to his blond hair, illuminated by the few rays of light the sleeping sun offered. The slight waves of his fringe adorned his masculine face, giving a beautiful depth and shine to his blue eyes. This mesmerized her, causing her to gently caress his cheeks, observing his silent lips, which looked extremely attractive and delicious. Her mind kept repeating how "exquisite it would be to taste them" as she slowly leaned towards him...

Knock, knock, knock...

She woke up with flushed cheeks and labored breathing.

- Nami, it's time for breakfast - said Nojiko before going downstairs.

The rest of the day, she couldn't stop thinking about that strange dream. She constantly wondered if she had gone crazy. In her life, she had never, but NEVER, had dreams like that; she had always been too busy to indulge in thoughts of romance. Maybe Nojiko's recent relationship, combined with the absence of her nakamas, was wreaking havoc on her. Not even when she was in Weatheria did something like this happen.

But even so, she wondered, why "Sanji kun"? Although she had dreamed of him before, never in that way. Just remembering the strange sensations from the dream made her feel out of place; she would never do that, and she would never have those thoughts about him. They were just nakamas.

At the end of the day, she decided not to give it any more importance and to try to forget it. After all, she had no reason to dwell on that darn dream. She knew that dreams generally tended to be irrational, and she probably wouldn't experience anything like it again.

Three weeks later, a small boat arrived at Cocoyashi Village, where a young man, blond and with a smoking cigarette in his lips, could be seen.

To be continued...

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