A dance with a chef

by azbz235re

Summary:

After the final war Sanji moves to Dressrosa and opened a restaurant where he meats Viola, a dancer whose terrible past with men gets in the way of their growing relationship. However, even after they had dethorned Imu, there were still people who supported their cause and want to take revenge on anyone who had a connection with the revolution. Post final war/ somewhat modern AU

Chapter 1: The mysterious woman

SANJI POV 

The day the mysterious woman appeared in his restaurant had been one of clouds and rain. He was exhausted and under-slept so when she passed through the entrance he almost thought she was a mirage that his brain had invented to keep him from collapsing. 

The rose on her chocolate hair seemed to fill with colour this grey day, and even without the sun her olive skin shone as if she had bathed in its light for hours. Her hourglass figure along with her outfit made every step she took hypnotizing. She wore a long red skirt that had black dots and details all over it, accompanied by a short-sleeved black blouse with a large V-neck that exposed the base of her neck and clavicles. That right there is any vampire’s dream , he thought with amusement. 

The mysterious woman sat by one of the tables on the right edge of his restaurant. There the tables were small and round with only two chairs each but the view was spectacular. The massive glass walls Franky had implemented allowed his customers to enjoy the beauty of waves crashing on the shore of the beach below. 

Once she sat, Sanji returned momentarily to reality, noticing just how oblivious he looked standing in the middle of his restaurant doing nothing but stare. He coughed violently, aware of the looks that Patty and Arnold were giving him. He glanced back at them with an apologetic smile and rushed towards the woman before Arnold could claim the privilege of waitering at that table. 

“Hello my lady, welcome to the All Blue cafe, my name is Sanji and I will be your waiter. Would you care for a glass of water or tea as you look through our menu?” 

He placed the menu that he had grabbed on his way here on the table and made sure to note if she had any ring on her hand as she grabbed it. 

The woman’s eyes stared at him with an odd intensity and Sanji had to focus to avoid stuttering or mumbling. They were the same colour as her hair and had a fire on them that he had only seen on experienced marines, his crew, and comrades before and during battle. This woman will ruin me, he thought. And I’m completely fine with that.

After a silence that felt like an eternity the mysterious woman finally spoke. 

“A glass of water would be lovely sir.”

“On the way.” 

He could feel her beautiful eyes stare at him as he went to grab her glass of water. Does she hate me? Does she want me? Do I remind her of someone? Do I look funny? Do I smell bad? By the time he grabbed an empty glass and filled it with water, he had already asked himself at least fifty of those questions. 

When he returned with her water she had already picked what she wanted to eat. She ordered chicken broth with vegetables, green juice, and a croissant with jam and cream cheese.  

Her voice was as sweet as honey and it pained him to let her go once more as he returned to the kitchen to begin her order. The job was simple enough that it would usually fall to one of his apprentices or any other chef, but it was a slow day and he wanted to make this woman love the food with the hopes that she would come back another day—so he began to work. 

Fifteen minutes later he returned to her table with her order in hand. He found her reading a blue book, at first, he didn’t recognize it but that changed as he got closer. 

“Here is your order my lady.” He said as he placed the plates and cup on the table. “I’ll leave you the menu just in case and let me know if you need anything else, I’m at your service.” 

“Thank you.” She answered as she glanced at her food. “It looks lovely.” 

“Thanks, I’ll let the chef know that you enjoyed his plating. By the way, that’s a great book you have right there.” 

“Oh.” She said with genuine shock on her face. “Thanks. I have read some of the author’s previous works and a friend recommended this one.” 

“Well they have excellent taste I would say. I have yet to read a better book than the one you are holding.” 

The book was called A Thousand Days in the Desert. It was an Arabastian epic romantic novel written by a Nefertari princess three hundred years ago when the Nefertari were still royalty and not wealthy traders and businessmen.     

They exchanged a few more sentences before they parted ways. Sanji could see the urge the woman had to begin her meal and return to her book, so he let her be. 

He went back and forth from the kitchen to the hall, making sure that his team was handling business and trying his hardest to stop staring at the woman. He thought she caught him staring once but if she did she didn’t mention it when he went back to her table to ask if everything was in order. 

The moment she asked for the bill felt like a stab in the heart as he just realized that he didn’t know her name nor if he would see her ever again. But he had to comply, creeping her out would only make her not want to come back. 

“I hope you enjoyed your meal, my lady.” 

“Oh, I did. Please congratulate the chef, my food tasted just as amazingly as it looked.”

“Sure, I will. Have a good one.”

“You as well sir.”

The colour seemed to leave the room with her, and Sanji found himself once more daydreaming of her beauty. 

A clap on his back brought him back, and when he turned he found Patty standing there with a smug grin on her wrinkled face.

“Wake up charming prince, your damsel has left, it is time to actually do some work.”

At that, he just had to laugh.

“I’m your boss, you know.” 

“Oh please boy I had thirty years of experience before you were even conceived. You are good, I'll grant you that. But you’re like any young man. Sometimes you need to listen to an old hag to keep your feet on earth.” 

“You know Patty, sometimes it is just too hard to do that.”  

VIOLA POV 

“So what did you think about that place?” Maria asked enthusiastically. 

“It was lovely Maria.” She answered as she passed a towel through her face, wiping the sweat that flamenco practice always gave her. 

“I knew you would like it. A pity that I couldn’t go with you.” said the blonde girl after drinking from her bottle of water. 

“Well, you had a valid reason for it. I wouldn’t want to drag you with me on your anniversary, besides I needed time for myself.” 

“What did you think about the chefs?”  

The chefs? 

“I.. didn’t see any chef, just the waiters.” She answered uncertain as to where this conversation was going. 

“Oh, but one of the perks of that cage is that the food is so good that you can constantly see the chefs going out of the kitchen to receive compliments on their food. And trust me when I tell you, they are all snacks.” 

“Don’t you have a boyfriend?”

“I would never cheat on him, I love him. But I have eyes, and I can recognize a handsome man when I see one. There is one tall chef with brown hair and full of tattoos that drives one Lola crazy.”

“Well, Lola always liked men with bad boy energy.” 

“I know right? Next time you go look around and see if there is one that interests you. You saw that both servers and chefs wear similar all-black outfits, but you can identify the chefs because they wear a blue cloth on their chest pocket.” 

The conversation was cut short by Miss Damasku, who called all her dances to the floor once more to rehearse their choreography. But as she went toward the center a certain blonde man with a blue cloth in his pocket came to her mind.  

She had caught him staring from the moment she entered the place. At first, she didn’t pay him any mind, she received those looks everywhere she went. The man was cute, there was no denying that, but he was blonde. Blonde like… like him.  

Their break up had been catastrophic, and it had coincided with the revolution making it even more messed up. A year had passed but she still felt his shadow weighing down on her as if they had never broken up. 

When the waiter/chef approached her table she had been ready to stab him with the cutlery if he tried anything funny, she even gave her the death stare that had worked with countless other men, but the chef had simply smiled. 

She was now fully convinced that he had been the one to prepare her lunch. Remembering his smug smile as she complimented the chef was proof enough. The man had talent, and by his knowledge of literature, he seemed to be somewhat scholarly. She knew it was too early, she hadn’t healed properly and that long blonde hair of his did nothing but remind her of Doffy. But still… Another visit to that cafe wouldn’t hurt anyone. 

By the time they left the dance studio, the sun had begun to set. The sky was a beautiful orange with purple clouds all over it. She waited with Maria on the sidewalk for Maria’s boyfriend to pick them up. He arrived not even ten minutes later in his grey car. 

“Ladies.” He greeted them with a smile. “How was practice today?” 

They went inside the car and talked about their day as Marco, Maria’s black-haired and brown-skinned boyfriend, drove to her apartment to leave her there just like they had agreed that morning. 

SANJI POV 

He dreamt of the final battle. Bombs and riffles roared in all directions, combatants of the highest caliber clashing and corpses laying everywhere he looked around. Sanji had fought his fair share of battles leading to this one, but he usually operated as an intelligence member for the resistance and as the protector of the route of escape if something went amiss, so being on an open battlefield had been an experience that deeply haunted him until this day. A year has passed you softy, he thought as he made the effort to awake. It’s time to get over it. 

He woke up panting in a puddle of tears and sweat. He felt cold even with all the sheets covering him and the sweater he wore to sleep. 

Struggling, he headed towards his washroom where the mirror urged him to clean his face. Even after pouring cold water for minutes he still felt his face burning and his body freezing. It was almost two in the morning but he had no urge to sleep, so he grabbed some sweatpants, and a hoodie and decided to go on a run. 

He knew that Chopper would disagree, arguing that he could catch a fever or something worse, but his skin begged for fresh air and as time passed he felt more and more trapped in his room. 

The nights in the port city of Dressrosa were warm even in winter, but his proximity to the ocean made him able to enjoy cool and salty breezes as he ran, and he soon realized that he was the only soul outside. Dressrosa wasn’t a dangerous city, but it seemed that on this night no one wanted to be outside. 

He had been running for half an hour when he heard the screams. They were high-pitched and full of fear, and Sanji didn’t think twice before turning left and head towards where they came from. 

After a few moments of desperate rush, he found himself in an alley, at its end two men were grabbing and pushing a young girl who couldn’t be older than eighteen years old. 

“You two stop!” He yelled as he approached them. “Let her go on this instance and no one will get hurt!” 

One of the men turned around to face him. His clothes and ski mask were all black, only revealing his dark eyes. “Listen here pal this is none of—“

Sanji’s foot was already on his face before the man could finish his sentence. The man fell backward to the ground immediately, making a loud Thump sound as he fell. His partner didn’t have time to react either, he tried to pull himself behind the girl but Sanji was on him before he could do it, using Skywalk discreetly to shorten the distance.

First, he kicked the robber’s calf, making him kneel before him to then finish the man off with a high kick to the head that buried his face on the concrete. 

At the end of the alley, the girl looked relieved and terrified. Good job Sanji, now she is more afraid of you than of the criminals. 

“Are you okay my lady?” He asked in a soft voice as he put his hands in the air. “Were they trying to rob you?” 

The girl visibly relaxed at his actions. Aside from his sister, no one had pink hair, and hers was lighter than her sister’s. The dark sky made him unable to see details but he noticed that she looked somewhat familiar but couldn’t tell why. 

“Yes, I am fine. I am here to visit someone and I lost myself. Thanks for that, if it weren’t for you I don’t know what would have happened.” 

“No problem my lady.” He responded and he gave a glance to the knocked-down robbers. “Do you have a phone or someone you would like to call to pick you up? I can gladly give you company until you are safe with the people that you are visiting.” 

She answered by going over to the first robber he knocked down. The girl crouched and grabbed something from his pocket, it was a phone that Sanji guessed belonged to her. She unlocked it and began to scroll it. 

“Thanks for that.” She said, “I’ll call the person I’m visiting and they will come shortly after, thanks for the company.” 

Sanji discovered that the girl was visiting her aunt, and by the tone of the conversation either her aunt was around her age, or they had the greatest relationship Sanji had seen. After she was done with her call Sanji waited with her for around 20 minutes. A white car pulled up to the entrance of the alley, it was too far away to see it clearly, but he saw how the girl’s eyes lit up in recognition and relief and began to head towards the vehicle. 

He relaxed, finally able to lift the weight of responsibility out of his shoulders. But his relief was short-lived as the person who stepped out of the car to meet and hug the girl he had saved was none other than the mysterious woman from two days ago.

Chapter 2: Sudden and unwanted confrontations

Summary:

Sanji panics at the sight of a beautiful woman (just like me fr). And he has left the Baratie years ago, but the Baratie's spirit doesn't seem to have left him.

VIOLA POV  

When she got a call from her niece at two thirty a.m. Viola couldn’t help but to panic. Rebecca was supposed to be on the other side of the city with her parents so if she called something had happened to them. Fortunately no one in her family was hurt, but what she found out wasn’t encouraging either. 

She called Maria as soon as Rebecca hung up on her. Viola had a car of her own, but having company at this time of the night on the road was something she deemed imperative. Time was ticking, and while Rebecca seemed to have everything under control that control could vanish at any second. 

Viola picked Maria and her boyfriend Marco on her way to the alley, and filled them in on the gaps of the story that she had omitted to save time. When they reached the alley the three of them were ready to wreak havoc on anyone that dared to hurt her niece.

Once she saw that Rebecca was fine, she went straight to hug her. She had bruises in the wrists but aside from that she looked fine. 

Viola wanted to bombard her with questions and scold her for her recklessness but that was when she glanced at the man on her left. 

Rebecca had mentioned that a man had saved her and that he was making her company until she arrived, but she didn’t expect that person to be the cute chef from the other day. He wore some loose black pants, white runners and an orange hoodie. The dim light of the night made his light blonde hair shine like the sun. Doffy’s golden hair never did that, she realized.

“Well…” Rebecca interrupted her thoughts. “Viola, this is Sanji, my saviour. Sanji, this is Viola, my aunt. And those two over there are Maria and Marco.” 

Marco had just caught up with her, while Maria still trailed back. 

“Thank you.” She said sincerely. “Rebecca told me what happened in broad terms but what you did was very brave.” 

“It is nothing really.” Sanji responded with a warm smile while he rubbed his head. “Duty called. It was the right thing to do.” 

“Amen to that brother.” Said Marco and Viola could not help but lightly smile after rolling her eyes. 

“Well I’m glad that everything has been solved.” Sanji continued. “It was a pleasure to meet all of you although the conditions were less than ideal. Have a good night.” And with that he left. 

She called for him when it was too late. He was too far away to have heard her. From what she had gathered, despite his age the man was an old fashioned gentleman so she assumed he would not accept any form of compensation, but still she wanted to offer something. She would give up anything for her niece’s safety and consequently would reward anyone that kept her safe. 

With the adrenaline rush gone, the exhaustion returned as they all hopped back on the car. Even with that the mood was one of relief and celebration, and she could see Rebecca’s smile through the rear mirror. She drove Maria and Marco back to their place where they all hugged and congratulated Rebecca for how brave she had been. 

As they returned to the car Rebecca was still smiling and laughing from her conversation with Maria.

“Well that went great.” she said as she reclined the copilot seat. “We all can go home now.”

Viola slapped Rebecca’s hand as she tried to turn on the radio. 

“What do you mean by ‘that went well’ young lady? I’m glad that you are alive, but you have lots of explaining to do so you better start talking.” 

Sanji POV 

Why did you run you stupid? He asked himself as he continued to do so. 

In truth, the revelation didn’t surprise him. Before Viola had even arrived he had already started to see the similarities, but he took them for mere coincidence. That was why he was so angry with himself. He shouldn’t have run, he should have expected it or not let it impact his psyche that much. But he hadn’t, opting instead for the easy exit.

He had deviated enough from his original route that returning to it and then going to his house would be enough running for the night. That was very brave, she had said with her lovely voice. And suddenly the cold night wasn’t so cold. 

Even after he reached his house the thought of Viola kept him full of energy. Her lightly braided ponytail, along with her grey sweatpants and black crewneck fit her so well. He hoped that one day he would be able to see both faces daily. The fancy, stylized version of her in the evenings and the laid back and cozy version of her every morning and night. 

He hopped in the shower, hoping that the cold water would help him relax. He had grown accustomed to the cold sensation on his skin after dozens of adventures where hot water was scarce. 

It was past three a.m. by the time he was back on his bed. He grumbled, remembering that he needed to be up by six. Fortunately, the exhaustion had caught up with him and he was fast asleep soon after. 

His alarm woke him by the time Viola began to kiss him in his dreams. Its sound resembled the sound of a thousand voices laughing at him. 

Even after three hours of sleep Sanji never changed his morning routine. He woke up, brushed his teeth, took a quick shower, changed, made himself some breakfast, and brushed his teeth once more. It was ten minutes before seven by the time he was done. 

The benefit of living on top of his restaurant, aside from the great views on his rooftop and balcony, was the almost instant commute. He entered All Blue cafe by the back door and began to do the prep for the upcoming days. Which he finished doing just as his openers arrived at seven thirty. 

“Hello Boss.” said Marcy , a twenty-three year old cook of brown hair, tall stature and a bulky frame full with tattoos. “You look busy.” 

“Well, that is the life of a boss Marcy.” he said, trying his best to hide his fatigue. 

Sanji didn’t like Marcy. It was a fact that he had discovered a month after hiring him. The man was too immature and cocky for his own good. His skills wereundeniable, but at times his talent alone was not enough to justify his poor teamwork. Fortunately, Patty arrived soon after. 

Despite being the same age, him and Marcy couldn’t be more different. He loved order and preferred every space he was in to be pristine, while Marcy preferred practicality over aesthetics and hygiene. Also, it was common knowledge that Marcy would take home at least three new girls each week, but he only remembered the names of two or three of the women he slept with each month. Despite their differences Sanji had to admit that the man had talent and that he was reliable in the kitchen, and after working with him for four months Sanji now had to barely remind Marcy to clean his station—an achievement that he was very proud of.  

A couple of minutes later Patty entered the kitchen. 

“Morning Boss.” 

“Morning.” 

… 

It was thirty minutes past noon when Viola and Rebecca appeared at the restaurant. When that happened Sanji was busy in the kitchen teaching Marcy a more efficient way to cut zucchini. But when Gus , a thirty year old waiter of black hair and long nose, entered the kitchen and told him that two beautiful ladies were looking for him, he ditched Marcy immediately. 

The two of them were seated on the same spot that the Viola one had picked a couple of days ago. Viola wore a black compression shirt, with a denim jacket and a long wavy multicolored skirt. Her hair was braided the same way it had been the night before but this time it was done with more care and time. Rebecca on the other hand wore a white loose skirt and denim jeans, and had her pink hair tied on a loose ponytail. 

“Ladies.” he acknowledged them as he approached the table. “It is a pleasure to have you here. What can I do for you?” 

“Hello Sanji.” Rebecca answered with a bright smile on her face. “We were hungry and passing by the area, so we figured we could visit you.” 

“What my niece meant.” Viola said as she stared intently at his eyes, “Is that we wanted to thank you once more for what you did early in the morning… and we also wanted to eat delicious food.” 

God she is so pretty. 

“Well, you are in the best place for that. I’ll get you the menu right away.” he answered. “And about what happened last night, again, there is no need to thank me. I did it because it was the right thing to do, not for recognition.” 

“Alright brave man, we know that you are a gentleman.” said Rebecca. “Don’t take our gratitude if you want, but I’ll say it again. Thank you for what you did.” 

He nodded lightly and went to grab their menus. 

VIOLA POV 

By the third time her niece teased her about Sanji, Viola finally snapped and kicked her lightly on the thigh. 

“Ouch!” She complained. “You don’t need to get defensive over your man, I won’t steal him.” 

She was about to give her  a witty response when Sanji returned with the menus, two glasses, and a jar of water. 

“Here you go ladies. I also brought you some water to start, let me know if you need anything else.” 

“Thank you Sanji.” Rebecca answered. 

Viola secretly thanked her for that, as she wasn’t in the capacity to speak. God he looks so good. Why does he have to be blonde?  

The chef wore black dressing trousers that paired with his shiny shoes of the same color. And to complete his outfit the man decided to wear a light pink dressing shirt. He looked astonishing, but as she stared a question emerged on her mind. And so she gathered the courage. 

“Dear Sanji, beg your pardon but I do have a question.”

“Of course tell me.” 

“My friend Maria, you met her yesterday. She said that waiters and chefs  wear specific uniforms…” she hesitated for a moment. “Which you aren’t wearing either of them.”

There was a slight surprise on the man’s face, one that quickly turned into a wide grin. 

“Well dear Viola, when you happen to be the man that makes the rules in here you also get the privilege to break them now and then.” 

She could feel her cheeks begin to redden from the embarrassment. Not only a chef but also the owner of the establishment, oh my… why do you have to remind me of Doffy?

“Oh.” She managed to say. “Pardon me, I didn’t know you were the owner, you look so…” 

“Young?” He interrupted with a gentle tone. “Yeah I know. Some of my elder staff still struggle to see me as an authority figure at times for that, but I assure you I know what I’m doing.” 

She wanted to continue their conversation, but a loud roar by her stomach interrupted them. At this point her cheeks had long turned red.

To her shame Sanji laughed softly. Not in a bully way, but a tender one. 

“Well I guess I’ll let you be, we don’t want to delay hunger do we? I’ll let you look at the menu and I’ll come back in a bit. We have dozens of great options, but if you ask me our scrambled eggs and omelettes are the best you’ll have.” 

“And why is that?” She asked genuinely curious. 

“Well because I’m the one cooking them of course.” 

And with that he left, with a wolfish grin on that cute face of his. 

“Geez can you please keep it in your pants?” Rebecca asked, louder than she would have wanted. “You are practically drooling for him.”  

“I…”

“You know aunty.” Rebecca interrupted with a kind but serious tone. “It is okay to want him. You don’t need to be stuck in the past, especially after what you endured with that excuse of a man you called your boyfriend for far too long.” 

The memory of Doffy made her head throb. She could hear his laugh in the back of her mind, taunting her as if it knew that even if the man was behind bars he would never fully leave her alone. 

“Let's look at the menu.” she said as she stared at it. “I don’t know about you but I’m quite hungry.” 

SANJI POV

He was back in the kitchen cooking Rebecca’s and Viola’s order. The former had ordered scrambled eggs, orange juice and a salad, while the latter opted for omelets and coffee. He had made those dishes countless times, but today he decided to be extra careful. One mistake could cost him never seeing Viola again. I’m in business hours so I can’t directly flirt with her… but whatever I cook for her should hopefully be somewhat equivalent. 

When he reemerged on the front part of his restaurant with their orders he noticed that Viola sat alone. And Sanji noticed that she had sad eyes. She noticed him before he would have wanted to, and while she did a good job trying to hide her pain, to Sanji it was obvious enough. 

“Hello my lady.” he said, acting as casually as he could. “Here are your omelets and coffee and I’ll leave Rebecca’s order on her side. Is there anything else that I can do for you?”

She hesitated for a moment, clearly having something for him to do. Then she spoke. 

“Thank you Sanji, but right now I’m just fine.” 

“All right my lady I’ll be at your service if the situation changes.” 

Time went by, and noon had suddenly turned into almost two p.m.. He had gone constantly to their table to see if anything was amiss or if he could help with anything, but he only received compliments for his cooking and a couple of odd side eyes from Rebecca. 

The restaurant had become increasingly busy by that time. Most of the people that worked on the ports had just finished their morning shift, and the rest of Dressrosa that enjoyed the Sunday off liked to visit with their family around these hours. 

Gus, Flandre and Amy did the best he could, but he still had to step in and act as a full time waiter. Fortunately most sailors didn’t order anything complicated to cook, and the high competence of his kitchen staff helped him step in as a waiter without too much worry. 

By the time he was able to glance back at Viola’s table they were both done with their food and were talking amiably. God her smile is beautiful, he thought. And as if she had heard his thoughts Viola turned around, locking eyes with him. 

The only thing he could do is smile and act as if he wasn’t staring. 

Fortunately, at that moment Amy grabbed him by the shoulder, turning him around towards a table of three sailors who were causing a disturbance. Not again, he thought as he approached them. This is the third time this week. 

“I’m telling you Matheus that what I saw was real!” One yelled. He was a caucasian bald man with more chin than neck and as wide as a tank. “The sea king was blue not green you dumb fuck!” 

The ‘dumb fuck,’ a ginger man with a massive mustache, took offence at the name and responded. “Are you calling me a liar, you bald headed gorilla?” 

By that point Sanji could feel the entire restaurant watching. I guess I can leave the Baratie but the Baratie never leaves me. A pity, I wanted this establishment to not have the same infamy. 

“Gentleman please, I understand the urgency of solving this inquiry of yours, however you are causing a commotion. I urge you to lower your voice.” 

None of the men paid him any mind, and continued to shout insults and accusations at each other. 

He gave them another chance. 

“Gentleman. I urge you once more to lower the tone of your voice.” he placed his hands on the table, each right in front of one of them. “I will not repeat myself again. Lower your voice.” 

They didn’t. However they did go silent for a moment. 

“And who the hell are you?” said the bald one. He reeked of whiskey. 

“The owner of the place, and if you don’t shut up, your soon-to-be worst nightmare.” 

The ginger man was the first to act. He threw at Sanji his empty cup as soon as he finished saying nightmare. Of course, Sanji had seen that one coming. After he dodged it with ease his foot was already in the way towards the man’s neck.

He fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes. By the time his partner had realized what had happened Sanji had already kicked him in the gut. Both men were now unconscious on the floor, and all of the restaurant was staring at him. 

“I’m sorry for the disturbance my dear patrons. Please return to your meals and conversations, the situation has been handled.” 

After that he called Marcy to come and help him drag outside one of the sailors while he dragged the other one. 

“I watched all of it.” Marcy said. ”That was quite a scene boss, I didn’t know you knew how to fight.”

“And if it had gone my way you would have never known. Now this whole side of Dressrosa will think of us as an uncivilized restaurant.”

“Bullshit. They will know us as the badass restaurant.” 

When he came back through the main door the restaurant was as silent as a funeral. The customers tried unsuccessfully to continue with their conversations as if nothing had happened, and every eye on the restaurant looked at him as if he were on fire. 

“Please my dear patrons.” he said with the friendliest smile he could make and an amiable tone. “That was an extreme case, you are allowed to make noise in here. I won’t act like that unless you are causing a serious disturbance.”

He felt Viola’s hand rise before he saw it. Once he turned around Sanji saw that Rebecca had shining amazed eyes and was grinning to no end, while Viola simply stared at him with a neutral expression as if she were scanning him. Damn it, she will now think of me as a brute. 

Neither of their expressions changed once he arrived at their table, however Rebecca looked as if she were to explode from excitement.

“See, I told you that he knocked down those two robbers yesterday,” Rebecca said. “She did not believe me, Sanji. By the way, where did you learn to fight like that? Does it come with the culinary classes? Or are you also into mixed martial arts?” 

“It did come with the culinary training. In my third year of learning I had vegetables one-o-two at seven, broth two-o-four at nine, and taekwondo for chiefs one-o-one at noon. I usually don't tell this because it is one of the best well kept secrets of us chefs.” 

He heard Viola softly laugh at his comment, making this day the best he had had in a while. 

“You are a funny man.” she said, her voice sounding like a symphony. “And you were right, those were the best omelets I've ever had. Could you please bring us the bill?”

“Yes my lady, I'll be right back.” 

After giving them the bill, and trying his best to avoid answering Rebecca’s questions he let them be. Flandre called him to one of the tables on the other side so he could explain to a customer a new dish he had added to the menu. It was a salmon dish that he had tried on Elbaf once and adapted it to the ingredients he could find in Dressrosa. At the end the client opted for another dish, which was disappointing because he really wanted to cook it. However, the worst part was when he glanced back at Viola’s table and discovered that she was gone. 

They had put the money in the middle of the table on top of the bill and a folded napkin. He grabbed the cash and the bill, making the napkin slightly unfold, after he glanced at it, it was clear that there was something written on it. 

He had never been as happy as he was after unfolding it. He could feel his cheeks redden and his heart rate increase all because of the short message on witten on it. 

“ You are a cute and funny man. Here is my number chef, text me later. Viola <3”  

Notes:

Here is the second chapter! I wrote this chapter trying to show both sides of Sanji's personality around women. The one that doesn't know how to act around them, and the savy Mr. Prince that I have begged Oda to write again in the Manga. Also, I continued to develop the relationship between Viola and Doofy (which is cannonically an abusive relationship and perhaps worse) but I dont have much experience writing these sensitive topics. So if I offend someone, or if there is some feedback that you would like to give me to portray this dinamic as how awful it was while remaining respecful to Viola please let me know. The last thing that I want is for Viola to be poorly writen.

Also this goes without saying but sorry for any typos or grammatical errors, English is not my first language

Chapter 3: Date night

Summary:

Sanji and Viola text and decide to go to a fair as their first day.

Notes:

Here is chapter 3!
Disclaimer: There is mention of underage smoking in this chapter. DON'T DO IT!
I hope you enjoy this chapter

VIOLA POV

By the time she got Sanji’s text, the sun had set a while back. It was a simple “ Hello this is Sanji ” that left the responsibility of conversation in her hands. 

Today’s flamenco practice had been an exhausting one. The social dance event and the performance were right around the corner and she did not feel ready for it. But for now, she enjoyed the comfort of her bed as she stared at the phone. 

“Hi. ” She answered. “ Sorry that I didn’t say goodbye, but we were in a hurry.” 

“Don’t worry about it I understand, it was also a hectic day for me.” 

“Did you have to fight any more grumpy sailors after I left?” 

“No, thank God. The few more that came by had a scared look on their face, I guess the news spread out quickly.” 

“Well, a fighting chef is something that you don’t see that often.” 

“And here I thought that my fame was due to my amazing style and culinary skills.” 

She laughed softly, envisioning the wolfish smirk that Sanji would no doubt have while saying such a thing.

“I know right? Maybe that is a signal that you have to improve in those areas.” 

“Maybe it is.” 

There was a pause in the conversation after that. None seemed to know what to say, but after a while Sanji texted. 

“Are you free next Friday?” He asked. “There is a small festival/fair near the shore throughout the weekend. There is going to be music and street food.” 

“That sounds lovely! I'll be busy until seven if that is okay.” 

“Yeah, that is fine. I know you have a car but finding parking there is going to be hell. You can park in my restaurant’s parking lot and from there we can walk, it will take us around fifteen minutes to arrive from there. 

“That is a great idea, but how far is the restaurant from you? I could give you a ride if you want.”

“No need, I live in one of the apartments on top of the restaurant.”

“That sounds very convenient. I’ve seen the balconies. I envy your excellent view from there.”

“You can come and see them from yourself whenever you want.”

She found herself smiling like a little girl after her middle school crush told her that her shoes were cool.  

“I’ll take your word on that.”

“Sure thing. But for now,  I’ll see you on Friday.” 

“Yeah, see you soon <3”

A date. She hadn’t had one of those in at least three years. Ever since the honeymoon phase of his relationship with Doflamingo had ended she hadn’t gotten to go out and enjoy herself. With him, it had always been chilling in his house, or going out to events as a token and a trophy girlfriend rather than to have fun. And most of the time she was scared to death. Doflamingo was a bad man, but she knew that on those events her ex at times wasn’t even the fifth evilest man present. 

Her apartment felt quiet with Rebecca gone. Kyros had come to pick her up two hours ago, leaving her craving for company. It was only nine p.m. but her exhaustion was gaining the better of her. She went to bed soon after, thinking about her upcoming date and the possibility of finally choosing a good man. 

 

SANJI POV 

Friday came sooner than expected. The restaurant had been in a rush the entire week, making each day pass by as fast as a bullet. He noticed that there were fewer sailors than usual, and the ones present kept glancing at him anxiously. 

He made a point of waitering for them and showing his most gentle and chivalrous facet. Some of them relaxed at this while others tensed even more, but the rushes kept his mind and body busy enough to care. 

By the time he was done with his shift, or at least the hours he had decided to work, the sky had begun to turn orange. He went to his apartment to change his outfit for the occasion. He decided to go with some black trousers, his most polished black shoes, and a wine-coloured dressing shirt that he rocked with the two upper buttons undone and with its sleeves rolled up to his elbow. 

He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. It was a message from Viola. 

“I’ll be there in five.” 

He went out to his balcony before going down. The chilly air of the afternoon made him grab a khaki bomber jacket as he made his way out of his apartment. Then he waited by the parking lot. 

On that night he hadn’t paid much attention to Viola’s car. It was a nice white vehicle that she kept pristine and polished. She definitely has money. 

As she made her way towards him he could do nothing but gulp. She is astonishing, he thought for the hundredth time. Her beauty deserved every poem ever written and every song ever composed. If she had been born a thousand years ago people would make statues of her and worship her as a goddess, and even all of that wouldn’t be enough to make her justice. 

Her eyes were hidden behind some elegant black sunglasses. She wore some flared jeans that emphasized her toned legs, combined with a simple white blouse that exposed her tanned shoulders. Once again she had a flower tucked on her left ear, but this time it was a bright yellow one. 

“Hello!” she said. “Thanks for letting me park in your restaurant. There is no space anywhere else.” 

“Don’t worry about it,” he responded, battling his urge to drown her in compliments. “I like the flower, it combines with your outfit. What type of flower is it?” 

“Thanks, it is an elegant sunflower, a species originally from here.” 

“I didn’t know that Dressrosa had an endemic flower.” 

“Aha!” she exclaimed with excitement. “I was right, you are not from Dressrosa right?” 

“No, I’m not. What gave it away?” 

“Your accent, and the fact that you wanted to leave a good impression with the people in this area. If there is one thing Dressrosans don’t play about is their food. You can spit them in the face but as long as the food is good they will return for more.” 

“Good to know. I might start spitting on people as a marketing tactic.” 

She laughed softly at his comment. 

“You are a funny man. Shall we make our way to the fair?”

“Yeah, let's go.” 

They walked side by side towards the coastline, once there, they veered left and walked straight. The orange sky made Viola’s skin glow like the most polished copper. They talked about everything and nothing, at times enjoying the sounds of their voices and at times enjoying the peace of their silent presence. 

“So how long have you been cooking?” she asked. 

“Since I was around seven, but that was more a hobby than a career. I began working at a kitchen at ten.” 

“Wow, that is pretty young. Were your parents okay with letting you work at such a young age?”

He felt a light jab of pain in his heart and a swirl in his stomach.

“Well I began working at the family restaurant so my dad actually encouraged it.”

He hated lying to a pretty woman, but he was telling half-truths. Zeff did encourage him to work at the baratie at a young age, something that he will forever be grateful for. But he didn’t have the strength to remember, let alone tell, the full story. 

“But how about you? I heard you say that you dance?” 

He saw her eyes light with passion, the same way Nami had once described how his eyes lit up when talking about cooking.

“Yes, I do. I mostly dance flamenco, but I can do some other styles.”

“I’ve heard about flamenco and how it is deeply rooted in Dressrosan culture, but I’ve never seen it.”  

“Really? There are dozens of social dancing events around the city. You just need to go out on a Friday night anywhere and you will find one.”

“Unfortunately I’m usually busy on Friday night with the restaurant” 

“Oh! So am I your excuse to not be working right now?” 

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” 

VIOLA POV 

There was a sea of people at the fair. She recognized dozens of faces. She had gone to school with some of them, danced with others, and saw most of them at the social events that her family used to organize in Downtown Dressrosa. Those were simpler times. 

Ever since she had asked about Sanji’s passion for cooking the man had begun to act weirdly. He was present, but not entirely, his eyes looked at her as if she were a piece of art but she saw that somewhere down his consciousness those pupils stared at something else. I really need to have a good time, she thought, Sanji is cute but if he keeps it this way I need to take the lead. 

“ Look Sanji.” she pointed at some games. “Those look fun, let's go try them.”

In truth, she felt somewhat guilty of whatever had happened to him. God knew she had her traumas that would trigger sporadically, but she decided to turn that guilt into determination to have a memorable date. 

They played countless fair games before the sun fully set. They shot darts, something at which Sanji was surprisingly good, rode bumper cars, and ate cotton candy. By the time the orange in the sky had turned black, she was physically exhausted and tired of laughing. 

They were walking towards the washrooms when the chilly air began. She shivered while she cursed herself for believing she wouldn’t need a jacket. 

“Here,” Sanji said. “Have my jacket.”

“Are you sure? It is pretty cold.” 

“I know but I was born in the North, I can handle it.” 

His khaki jacket smelled of salt, tuna, and tobacco... But for some reason, this mixture of scents was welcomed by her nose. When they arrived at the washrooms both went their respective ways. 

The washrooms were located at the south end of the carnival right beside the shore. They were two simple wooden shacks whose “men” and “women” labels looked almost as old as the shacks themselves. Three women were waiting in line before her inside the washroom. Once her turn came, she had made up her mind about a topic that she had been debating throughout the date. If he invites me to his place I will stay the night.

Once outside she found Sanji smoking by the shore. The scene shocked her for a second, she had assumed that the tobacco smell was part of his cologne. Viola, she is a chef. What did you expect? She wasn’t against it, Doffy had done heavier stuff. But seeing this tender man who looked very similar to an enchanted prince smoking left her astonished for a second. 

“Oh Viola, I didn’t see you there. Should we go?” he asked as he lit off his cigarette. 

“Sure, let's go.” 

They hadn’t walked more than ten minutes back towards the restaurant when she decided that she could no longer hold her curiosity. 

“So when did you start smoking?” 

He turned and looked at her with genuine concern.

“Does that bother you?”

“Not really, but I didn’t take you for a smoker.” 

“I’m a chef, it comes with the profession.” 

“So did you start smoking at seven?”

“God no. To be honest I don’t remember, maybe at around fifteen?” he said, then he faintly laughed. “But I do remember the first ass-whooping my dad gave me when he found out.”

“He doesn’t smoke?”

“Nah he does, he is just an old hypocrite. But I guess it is a shocking image seeing your seventeen-year-old son smoking in the back of the kitchen.”

“And what did he do?”

“After getting tired of hitting me he grumbled and accepted that it was gonna happen eventually. But he did warn me to not do it in his presence.” 

She had no idea how to respond. His father had been gentle while raising her to the extent that when she was eleven she cried after finding out other parents hit their kids. Sanji must have noticed her awkwardness as he was quick to add. 

“He isn’t an abusive man if that was what you were wondering. He loves me in the best way an old-school sailor can. And regardless of his ways I still love him.”

“That is good,” she answered. 

It was past ten p.m. by the time they arrived at the restaurant. The place was deserted, not a single soul in sight. Even at night, the building looked classy. It was an old-school Dressrossan building of thick pink walls and large windows with elaborate granite frames. However, the aesthetic drastically changed if one looked up. Five floors stood over it, modern and new that were meant for condos. It saddened her in a way, knowing that this new modern architecture would end up replacing traditional Dressrosan aesthetics, but there was nothing she could do.

“I always wondered how they were able to build on top of it,” she said. 

“True, I have no idea either. I have a friend that might be able to tell me but until then I guess we need to live on with the intrigue.” 

They were heading toward her car. This is the moment of truth. 

She was reaching for her door, with the car keys in hand when he spoke. 

“Hey,” he said with doubt in his voice. “I have a new pasta recipe that I’ve been trying to implement to the restaurant’s menu. I was wondering… I was wondering if you are interested in trying it tonight. I have the ingredients in my kitchen and good wine that I would love for you to try.”

“Are you inviting me to stay for the night dear Sanji?” she asked, showing no trace of emotion. 

“Yes I am.”

“Good.” she smiled, offering her hand for him to hold. “That sounds like a lovely plan, please lead the way.”

As she made her way up the stairs towards Sanji’s apartment she couldn't help but grin hysterically in satisfaction. I cannot wait to tell Maria about tonight.

Chapter 4: Dinner

Summary:

Dinner over at Sanji's place where both learn a little about the other's past by both pleasant and unpleasant ways.
TW: SA talk, sex, and ptsd

VIOLA POV 

Sanji’s apartment was the perfect mixture of modern and classic. Its walls and structure were heavily inspired by modern architecture. Its wooden floor, decoration, and furniture reminded her of the old building that she, along with a dozen Dressrosan generations, had grown up around. 

He led her straight towards his kitchen, located to the left of the main entrance. The moment she saw it she couldn’t help but to gasp. 

Viola did not doubt that Sanji had talked to his landlord about upgrading his kitchen, as she couldn’t envision someone as passionate about cooking having one that was plain and boring. She hadn’t been wrong. Despite her minimal knowledge of the kitchen, she knew quality when she saw it. The counters and stove were white and so clean that they seemed to shine even at this late hour. The oven looked like a military computer of the most recent generation, and the fridge was almost as big as her wardrobe. At the far end to her right, there was a massive stone oven whose pipelines protruded from the wall and went up to the ceiling. She guessed that since Sanji lived in the highest condo, the owners were easier to convince. Nonetheless, she was impressed that they had actually let Sanji do all of his modifications. 

“Your kitchen is lovely.” she finally said as she turned around to face him. “Did it come like this or did you modify it?”

“I modified it. The landlord was hard to convince but after a little bit of begging, a little bit of bribing, and a couple of promises for free food he finally let me.” 

“Look at you, such a savvy negotiator.” 

“Haha, well you know… I have my charm.” 

She sat by the wooden counter right in front of the kitchen and was quick to notice that it was made of Adam’s Wood. How rich is this man? It was a question that she had been asking since she saw his kitchen but hadn’t found the right time to ask. Viola was the second born of Mr Riku and had known wealth all of her life. However, even the kitchen of his father’s private cook didn’t look as nice as this one. This only fired her curiosity even more. Sanji’s wealth wasn’t the reason she was going out with him, but deciphering how this foreign chef got so rich could be a reason why she stayed. Please let it be legal. She prayed in silence. I can’t date another blonde criminal. 

Her skin crawled just from the thought of that. 

Sanji, even as he was facing the other way while grabbing all the ingredients for the pasta, must have sensed that something was wrong. 

“Are you alright Viola?” he asked, his voice as tender as ever. “Is it cold? Do you want me to turn on the heater?” 

“I’m fine Sanji thanks.”

And so he began to cook, and she couldn’t help but stare. In the past, when people had praised her dance they would often say that her movements would induce them in a trance, and today she finally understood what they meant by that. 

He moved with such grace that at some points the man almost looked like a Waltz master in the middle of a performance. He does look good in a suit. There was no unnecessary movement, no flashy techniques with his knives, no slacking off in the kitchen. It was poetry in motion, the type of beauty that only those who dedicate their lives to a craft can understand. He had mastered the fundamentals of his craft to such a level that they alone could bewitch any viewers. And the worst part is that he did all of this while talking to her and constantly turning around to face her. 

She tried to ask what the ingredients were but he wouldn’t tell her. “It is a surprise, Viola,” he said with a smirk on his face. To then completely change to a face of realization and fear. “You don’t have any food allergies do you?” 

Cute. she thought. 

“Thanks for the concern but no, I don’t have any.” 

“Good. By the way, which wine do you want?” 

“What do you have?”

Sanji opened his fridge. 

“Let's see… I have a wine from Drum Island, another from Water Seven, one from Arabasta, and one from Dressrosa.” 

“Are you a big wine drinker?” 

“Not really, I like wine, don't get me wrong. But most of these are here for when I have friends coming over for brunch.” 

Oh, this is new. 

“How often do you host brunch?” 

“Not as often anymore. Most of my friends are scattered around the world so I barely see them now.” 

“Do you at least talk to them often?” 

“Yes, I do.”

“Well let's see… the easy choice would be to pick the Dressrosa wine, but I want to try something new. What do you recommend?”

“For the pasta that I’m planning to make I would recommend the Water Seven wine. They place it on a burned whisky barrel before packaging it, which gives it a smoky flavour so exquisite that I had to fight an angry local one time when I grabbed the last bottle in the store.” 

“Do you find yourself fighting often for food?” she asked, picturing the absurd story in her head with a smile on her face.

“This wine is worth the fight. And trust me, I fight for what I deem worthy,” he answered, shooting her a quick scanning glance that melted and rushed her heart. 

Every time he turned around to continue cooking she would stretch herself from her seat to try and get a peak of what Sanji was cooking. She saw a handful of vegetables but she was only able to recognize the garlic and cherry tomatoes. She also saw a large piece of meat. Ham? But she couldn’t tell. 

“Dear Sanji.” she practically purred after taking a sip of her whine and making sure that her lips were redder. ”If you are going to be so rude as to not tell me what you plan to cook can you at least tell me what inspired you to try this new recipe.” 

Despite him facing the other way she could practically see and feel his smile widen and his eyes lit up. Got you pretty boy. 

“Of course my lady,” he answered, turning around to face her while making sure that his body kept hidden the ingredients. “I designed this recipe from watching street cooks in Wano. Then, I added my expertise in pasta and blended it with a local Dressrosan style. Just wait and see.”

The redness of his cheeks and the quick glances that he had given to her lips didn’t go unnoticed. 

“Water Seven, Wano, Dressrosa. You are a traveled man,” she said, aware of the implications this might mean. I guess a wanderer is better than a drug kingpin. She mentally sighed. He might not be one thought. Besides… he is a gentleman. “How did that come to be?” 

He paused for a second, his eyes lost somewhere in the past. “It just happened. Chefs are indispensable for any crew at sea, and one that was trained at a famous floating restaurant has lots of demand in terms of clientele. I guarantee you…you would never believe the wild individuals that I had to share a ship with.”

“By famous floating restaurant, you mean the Baratie? I thought that was in the East.”

“Yes, I am talking about that one.”

“How?”

“Long story, and one for another day.” he turned around. “The pasta is almost ready.”   

The pasta was ready soon after. She had been drooling for a while due to its amazing smell, but when Sanji placed her dish in front of her she realized that the plate looked even better than it smelled. In the middle of her red plate, there was a mountain of black pasta noodles sprinkled with chopped scallions, zucchini, and cherry tomatoes, and on top of it all, there were a couple of slices of Iberian ham. 

“Here you go madame,” he said as he placed the plate in front of her. “Spaghetti al nero di seppia.” 

“Say what?”

“Spaghetti with squid ink,” he answered. “I figured that if I only did that you wouldn’t be as eager to try it, so I added some vegetables common in this region as well as the Iberian ham.” 

“Gosh, that sounds amazing.” 

“Please taste it and tell me if it tastes as amazing as it sounds.”

It didn’t. It tasted even better. 

The pasta was out of this world. The umami flavour of the skid ink, along with the warmth of the freshly cooked noodles made her feel as if she were tasting a blend of the tropical sea with a cold arctic ocean, and the pork and vegetables accentuated the flavour and gave it a unique blend of freshness and savory. 

“So… how does it taste?” he asked, his voice returning her to reality.

“Are you kidding?” she asked. “This is the best meal I’ve ever had! You are amazing!”

“I’m glad you liked it. Now have another bite of the pasta and then have a sip of wine and tell me how you like that.” 

Sanji was right. The wine was exquisite and it only made the dish taste even better by accentuating the freshness of the vegetables and the flavours of the pork. She was halfway through her dish when she realized that Sanji hadn’t even served his plate. 

“Where are my manners?” she wondered aloud. “Sanji, please serve yourself. I feel rude for eating and not waiting for you.” 

“Don’t worry about that,” he answered with a big smile. “In the end, I invited you to taste my new recipe so I’m fine if you enjoy the dish first.” 

In the end, he served his plate. But as soon as he sat she had already finished eating hers. Fortunately, and without even asking, he grabbed her plate and placed another serving on it—seemingly knowing that that was what she wanted. 

They talked for what seemed like days. The darkness of the night combined with the lowlights of the kitchen made for a romantic ambiance that caused her body to tremble. 

“Now that I think of it,” he wondered aloud. “I’ve never asked you how long you've been dancing.”

“A while,” she responded after finishing eating her mouthful. “I am not sure when I started but I think it is around ten years now.” 

“Oh wow,” he answered, and Viola noticed a faint uncertainty in his eyes. “I know it's not very gentlemanly of me but out of curiosity… How old are you?” he practically whispered that last part. “I'm twenty-three by the record,” he added quickly. 

Her world crumbled a little. He is younger than me?! Nonetheless, she kept her smile. 

“It's alright,” she responded. “I am twenty five darling.”  

There were a few moments of awkward tension when no one seemed to know what to say. It wasn’t until Sanji softly asked “Do you care that I’m younger than you” that their conversation continued. 

In truth, during that awkward period of time, she had quickly made up her mind about that situation. The age gap wasn’t as bad as she had feared, besides Sanji acted with a certain serenity that she knew she hadn’t had two years ago. It was as if the man had lived three lives in less time than she had lived one. I said that I was here to have a good time, she reminded herself. So fuck societal norms and role gender and just enjoy the company of this fine gentleman Viola. 

“Sanji look at me.” Once he did, she stared at those uncertain eyes for a moment. “Do I look like I care?” 

He couldn't help but smile, and she knew that she was getting dangerously addicted to that sight. 

“Good. I’m glad we got that confusion sorted out my lady.” and so they resumed their conversation as if nothing had happened. 

Viola had to give Sanji his props, he was a great listener. He had no problem in letting her guide the conversation while asking engaging questions and adding just the right amount of funny comments and compliments. He definitely has a sister, she thought. The thought of a baby Sanji growing up alongside this mysterious sister made her heart melt. 

They had long ago finished their dishes but they remained by the counter talking about life. As they did, she kept staring at that cute face of his. His blonde hair looked like gold against the dim lights, and his eyes were filled with admiration towards her. She liked the feeling but at the same time, she didn’t. Viola knew she was gorgeous. She had known this since the moment she hit puberty. However, every time someone gazed at her, their eyes carried a lust and a hunger that scared her. Those were evil eyes that could very well be expressing anger toward an enemy. Instead, it was lust towards her body. But Sanji seemed to be staring at her soul. As if her body, as beautiful as it was, was a secondary thing amidst the beauty of her presence. And that terrified her. 

Things had gone so well today, but she knew the truth about relationships. Doffy had taught her that no matter how good it all seems it can all fall apart in a matter of seconds. What if Sanji discovered that she wasn’t as marvelous as his eyes seemed to think? What if he was tricking her into a false sense of security? What if — 

Sanji’s hand on hers shut down all of her thoughts. 

“Are you alright?” he asked with genuine tender concern in his voice. 

“Yes, sorry. My mind just wandered off.” 

At first, she regretted saying that, afraid that Sanji would interpret this as a lack of interest. But he didn’t seem to mind. They continued to talk and drink. No matter how much he drank his gaze seemed to be as fixated on her as ever. After her third glass of wine, she decided that she had had enough doubts… and that it was time for Sanji to put into action what his eyes had said and begged for all night. 

She grabbed his arm gently. Then as their conversation continued she slowly raised her hand towards his shoulder, until they were both side to side and she had her hand massaging the base of his neck. Finally, Sanji’s eyes seemed to show signs of doubt. He is afraid, but the realization made her happy. Good, I’d rather have this man than one that thought it a guarantee to sleep with me on the first night. 

She got as close to his ear as she could without making contact with his head and whispered. “Where is your room?” 

That sentence transformed Sanji into a different beast. He grabbed her arm gently but firmly and rose from his seat. Then, he kissed her hand and told her to follow him. 

They went straight to his bed. The room was at the second door to her right. It was a spaced room with a queen-sized bed in the middle with blue blankets. To her left, a large glass window and a door led to the balcony that Sanji had bragged about where a small couch lay. To her right there was a desk with a lamp, a laptop, and a dozen books and papers scattered around. She wanted to scan the room even more. However, Sanji’s eagerness didn’t let her appreciate the rest of the details of the room. 

He led her straight to his bed and just then he began to kiss her. They were tender but hungry kisses. He began savoring her mouth. His tasted like pasta, wine, and tobacco, a mixture of flavours that she couldn’t get enough of. His hands caressed her cheeks, the back of her neck, her hair, and her scalp. Her body was burning within her. 

Then, his lips turned their attention towards her jawline. They went from her lobule to her chin and vice versa. He was taking his time, cooking her passion at a low temperature like the expert chef he was. But she wanted more. 

She let him know by grabbing him from the collar of his dressing shirt and leading him straight to her mouth. Then, she began to kiss him more aggressively, and fortunately, he took the hint. 

He abandoned her mouth and began to descend. First, he kissed his neck, then her collarbones. Once he was satisfied he lifted her arms and took her blouse off in a quick motion, revealing her cream bra to his wandering eyes. 

He didn’t move for a second, staring at her with even more amazement than before. She was growing desperate. She knew she was beautiful, but right now she wanted the man to touch her, to feel her, to—Sanji’s hungry mouth went straight for her collarbone once more, while his hands worked on her back to unravel her breasts. 

Once they were free, Sanji caressed them with a tenderness that melted her heart and sex. He kissed around them until he reached mere centimeters away from her areolas. At this point, she couldn’t resist anymore. 

“Sanji, please. I –” 

When he finally kissed her nipple it was as if she was born again. The ceiling was blurry and the floor seemed to shake. But Sanji didn’t care. He massaged the other nipple with his other hand, softly and gently but with the intent of the most insatiable lover. 

Once he thought he did enough he resumed his descent. Not before unbuttoning his shirt and throwing it somewhere behind her. 

The man was ripped. He wasn’t the most buffed guy, but he had a crazy definition. His slender build made his abs visible, and his shoulders and forearms were incredibly defined for a man who looked as elegant and refined as him. He looked more like a fighter than a chef, and considering what she had seen before the man just might be more experienced in the former than in the latter. 

He reached for her skirt in no time and began to unbutton it with the desperation of a starving animal, but never losing the gentleness in his movements. When her panties were the only thing separating her sex from his body he kissed and massaged her over the fabric until he considered her wet enough. Then he pulled them down. 

In the morning she considered the idea of shaving her bush entirely, but she thought that it would look desperate. So, she simply trimmed her pubic hair as short as possible. Regardless of what Sanji thought about that sight, he didn’t give her clues about it. He went straight to kissing her thighs and caressing her pubic mound. 

When the kiss on her sex finally came she dissolved in a waterfall of pleasure. She couldn’t think straight, she couldn't see or breathe normally. And because of this Sanji became more eager with his mouth, driving her even crazier. 

He stopped and rose. Placing himself over her so she could admire his toned body. She needed him, and Sanji seemed to share the sentiment. He unbuckled his pants, revealing his stiff shaft and increasing her hunger. She would eat this man alive. 

He placed his member on top of her vulva, making contact with her clit in a teasing manner that somehow reminded her of Sanji’s now characteristic sarcastic grins. 

He pressed his chest on top of her and whispered to her ears. 

“I know you want it. Don’t worry, I’ll let you have it, princess.” 

And everything went wrong after that. 

Princess. That is what Doffy used to call her. And suddenly all her memories came to her. 

The first time they met. The first time they went out. The first time they had sex. He had been so gentle until he wasn’t. The sex turned from passionate to forceful, a chore she had to do. Then she remembered the worst nights. The nights he returned from his hideout drunk or crossed. Somehow on those nights the glasses that he always wore looked darker than normal. He would smile and laugh outside, but once inside he was a different man. His smile would disappear, he would look for her, and then… and then… 

“WAIT!” she screamed. Pulling apart from Sainji with tears in her eyes.  

She could see Sanji’s panicked face through her watery eyes, that sight almost made her throw up. What was she thinking? Sanji wasn’t at fault. He wasn’t Doffy as far as she could tell. Now he would be mad at her. He would demand an explanation and finish what they started, just like what Doffy used to— 

“Shit. I'm sorry,” he said as he pulled back. “I didn’t mean anything. Did I do something wrong? I… I won't try anything I promise.” 

Her back was against the wall. She could hear her heavy breath and feel the transpiration of her skin. 

“Look,” said Sanji in the calmest tone he could produce. “I don’t know what happened or what I did wrong. Nor will I ask. But, it is too late and we are too drunk to drive. You can stay on my bed and I will sleep on the couch. You can lock the door if you want. Deal?”

The only thing she could do to that unexpected proposition was to nod weakly. 

“Ok. I’ll just grab some clothes from my closet and then I'll leave. Feel free to also grab some clothes from there as pajamas, I don’t mind.” 

Sanji grabbed his clothes in silence, without even looking at her naked body. Then he went through the door and began to close it. 

“Sanji.” she finally managed to say. 

“Uh?” 

“I’m sorry.” 

“You don’t have to apologize for anything,” he answered, shooting her one of his warmest yet faintest smiles. “Good night Viola.” Then he closed the door, leaving her in his room with her traumas and memories as her only company. 

She lay in bed for a while before she was able to sleep. The memories were still too fresh and she still felt her body shaking in fear. But she also felt immense regret and sadness. How would their relationship be after tonight? Had she squandered any chance she had with this caring man? Doffy was also caring at the beginning, she reminded herself. 

When sleep finally took her, it found her sad, angry, scared, but most importantly confused, nonetheless her tiredness was even greater than her confusion, and she soon found herself in the darkness of sleep. The last thing she heard before her conscience faded entirely was the characteristic laugh of Doffy. 

HEHEHEHEHEHE

 

Notes:

Hello! Sorry for the late upload I've had stuff to do.
I said that I would expand on Viola's traumas and well... here they are. I just hope I wrote the subject with the respect and severity it needs to be written, without diminishing her traumas. Still, feedback is welcomed.
I added some extra bits of world building but you will need to wait a few more chapters to discover what a "wanderer" is.
I hope you enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 5: The day after

Summary:

The day after and how each one of them reacted to it... Alongside a bit of worldbuilding and cannon divergence

Notes:

Hello! here is the new chapter I hope you like it! I decided to add more about the cannon divergence that I talked about in previou chapters, I hope you like my idea.

VIOLA POV

The smell of bacon, coffee, and eggs woke her up. She saw an unfamiliar ceiling, and she lay on an unfamiliar bed. But after a slight moment of panic and scanning her surroundings she remembered where she was. The clothes that she had grabbed from Sanji’s room were damped with sweat. They were simple red flannel pants and a sky-blue crewneck sweater. And as she was prepared to leave the bed, the memories from last night returned. 

Guilt and shame overtook her. Sanji was having a good time and because of her PTSD, she had to ruin the good time she was having. Yet, Sanji didn’t protest nor get mad at her, that was what bothered her. Her mind wanted to antagonize him for what had happened, as technically he had been the one to trigger her trauma. Still, she had grown too much thanks to her therapist to know that no one was at fault that night. Now her only worry was how awkward their interactions would be. 

She found Sanji in his kitchen humming as he cooked. At first, the man had his back against her and it took him a couple of seconds to realize that she had emerged from his room. He was wearing some purple flannel pants and a black apron, with no shirt in sight. When he turned around Viola could see the panic and uncertainty in his eyes. Nonetheless, he was the first to speak. 

“Good morning. Ah… I’m making breakfast. There is enough for the both of us if you want to stay and eat… if not, well… I can put it in a box and you can take it if you want.” 

“Thanks… I will stay for breakfast so don’t worry about it.”

“Good.” Then he rubbed the back of his nape. “Ah… I’m making black coffee for myself. Do you want some?” 

“Sure. Thanks.”  

She sat by the counter as she watched Sanji’s moves in silence. Despite the awkwardness between them, he seemed to be at peace when he cooked. Viola could swear that she even saw a faint smile from him. But when he passed her her plate and coffee and sat down, the joy and confidence in his face were nowhere to be seen. 

They ate in silence for a few minutes. Her eyes went from her plate to his bare chest to her plate again. She was glad that Sanji had taken off the apron with his back facing her, as she would have died from shame if he had caught her staring the way she had done it. 

Then, tired of the awkwardness and desperate to salvage whatever possibility she had of seeing this fine man again she spoke. 

“Look… I’m sorry for what happened yesterday.” she began, rapidly cutting him off the moment she saw he wanted to speak. “I just want to let you know that you did nothing physical that made me uncomfortable, it’s just that… I got a very unfortunately timed flashback of memories. And I’m sorry that they ruined the good time we were having.” 

“You said nothing physical,” he answered. “So what did I do that made you uncomfortable, if you don’t mind me asking? I just don't want to do that again.” 

“It's just… I don't like being called princess.” 

He nodded in silence and didn’t ask for more information about it. After a few seconds of him staring at her with those eyes full of love. Viola saw how they turned from worried, to relieved, to caring. How was he able to display such a range of emotions was a mystery that she wanted to have the time to figure out. 

“You don’t have to apologize for anything.” he began. “After the initial shock and after leaving the room I figured as much. So don’t worry, no one should apologize for being vulnerable.” 

“How did you know?” she asked, concerned about how transparent she had been with her traumas. 

“You are not the only one with shitty memories. I figured that leaving you some space might help, at least that is what helps me.” 

“It did. Thanks for that.” she stirred uncomfortably on her chair. “Look… despite everything I still want to see you again. What do you think?”

“Of course, I want to see you again. Whatever happened yesterday that stays in the past.” he scratched his chin. “However, maybe we should take things a little slower. I don’t want to rush you with anything. Let’s have a fun date without compromise and see what that leads us to.” 

“Without compromise?” she teased, relieved that her confidence had returned to the point of being able to do it. “You don’t desire me anymore?” 

“What?” he said startled, but then he saw her grin and matched her with his own. “I still do. But if I remember correctly last night I wasn’t the only one desiring the other.” 

“How observant of you.” she laughed. “Then it's a deal. We’ll have a fun date and see where that takes us.”

“Deal.” 

“How good can you dance?” she asked.

“Depends. I have a base in waltz and not a bad rhythm.”

“Have you ever danced flamenco?”

“No.”

“Good. Because there is an introductory free class next Friday in a dance studio nearby, and I know the instructor. Do you want to go with me?”

“Sure. But I thought you were a professional in this, I don’t know if I can match you.” 

“Oh don’t worry about it. Just focus on having fun and I’ll guide you if need be. I’ve seen you kick people and make it look graceful, trust me you will be fine.”

“Okay then. I will go.” 

After finishing their breakfast she went to his bathroom to change into her clothes from yesterday, went to the door, and gave Sanji a goodbye kiss on the cheek before leaving his place. The last time she saw the man that day was when she was starting her car from her rearview mirror. He stood shirtless on his balcony smoking a cigarette. When she started her motor he waved at her to then disappear as she made her way back to her apartment. 

SANJI POV

It took him more than an hour after Viola left for him to finally do something productive. He took a shower, then changed the bed sheets, and finally, cleaned his kitchen. He wanted to go to the restaurant and check in on how his crew was doing. However, today was his day off and he didn’t want to be the micromanaging boss that everyone hated. Still, he needed to do something. Being busy had always helped him keep the awkward and negative thoughts away, and he needed that today. 

He exhaled, letting the immeasurable tension that he had built these last hours escape his body. He had been so scared last night. The moment she had screamed ‘stop!’ a thousand scenarios ran through his mind, and even though she clarified the confusion and reassured him that she didn’t blame him, it still felt shitty knowing that he had a part to play in that mess. 

Sanji wasn't born yesterday. He knew that her trauma had something to do with men. It was obvious in the way she had looked at him with despise and fear in her eyes. Sanji knew that at that moment she was seeing another man, one that had done terrible things to her. But it still hurt that somehow he reminded her of that man. 

They had agreed to go out again, which was something that reassured him. But he wasn’t sure if their relationship would go anywhere. With the newly added context of her trauma, Sanji began to put the pieces together. Despite what Viola had said, it was obvious to him that the word princess wasn’t the only factor that triggered her response. And he knew that whatever this mysterious factor was, it had to do with his appearance. I’ll be damned. 

He always tried to be a gentleman with every woman he encountered. But with Viola, and the rest of women that had smitten him in his life, he always made the effort to be even more of a gentleman. After agreeing to another date he made the mental note to be gentler, but now he wasn’t sure if that was enough. As long as she sees me in him, then I don’t know if I have a chance. 

The air outside his balcony began to warm up as noon arrived. After finishing smoking his second cigarette of the day he went back to his room and decided to go for a walk. He didn’t need groceries or anything important to buy, but he decided to explore the city as he had only been in Dressrosa for less than half a year. So he grabbed a denim jacket that combined with his khaki pants and his light blue shirt and went outside. 

Dressrosa was a vibrant city like few he had visited. Arabasta and Water Seven were the only ones that could compete with the Dressrosan atmosphere. 

The air smelled of salt and he could hear music everywhere he went. There were guitars and claps of hands in basically every corner of the city, with beautiful ladies dressed in vibrant dresses. He decided to avoid the ports due to his previous incident, but even this deep in the city there were people, mostly ladies, glancing at him. Has the tale spread that far? He wondered. The last thing he wanted was for women to fear him. 

There was a market in a busy part of the city that he had heard was famous for the freshness of its fruits. At first, he had wanted them to be his provider of fruits for the restaurant but they didn’t do bulk deliveries. However, he had never been inside the market. So he decided to go in. 

It was as busy as it gets. With people shouting and moving everywhere. The market consisted of five large corridors, each with fruit and vegetable stands at each side of the corridors for people to grab. Behind these stands, individual vendors would weigh the amount that people grabbed and sell it on the spot. He had seen markets similar to this elsewhere, but he had never seen one so tightly packed and indoors. 

He went through all of the stands like a kid in a candy store. He soon found that its fame wasn’t a lie. These were truly some of the freshest fruits he had ever seen. The apples were redder than blood. The lemons were as yellow as the sun, and the carrots as orange as the sunset. He was truly in paradise, and he lost himself going through all the corridors and buying as many fruits as he could carry. 

He reached a tangerine stand that was at the far end of the market. The room had darkened, making Sanji assume that he had spent too much time in the market. He looked at his phone and realized that it was almost six p.m. and he wondered how he had spent that much time in the market without realizing it. 

Then as he went to pick up some of the juicy tangerines someone bumped him from behind. He turned around to see who had done it, and to apologize for any inconvenience, but a familiar voice spoke before he could do so. 

“I should have guessed that I would find you here, Sanji,” she said, in her usual cheerful but sly voice. 

A wide smile came to his face as he turned to face the orange-haired girl who he hadn’t seen in more than half a year. 

VIOLA POV 

The ride back home was a silent one. She had tried to put music on, but no tune seemed to lighten the mood. Her emotions and memories were too raw to try to deny them. She had to actively pay attention to the road to prevent her mind from drifting away. And when it did, the first thing that she heard was Doffy’s laugh. It was an echo that felt as if he were whispering on her nape, making her whole body tense and shiver. 

Fortunately, she was able to get to her apartment without any accidents. It was a small one-bedroom apartment between downtown and the shore. She took a shower and decided that she was too tired to go back outside. So, she put on her pajamas, a matching set of grey flannel pants, and a crewneck sweater, and laid on her bed. 

She turned on the TV in front of her bed that Rojas and Maria had helped her set up. At first, she had no idea what to watch so she decided to scroll through the channels and see if there was anything interesting on open TV. 

She passed through telenovelas, cartoons, and jeopardy until something caught her attention… and not in a good way. 

“News report from Oliver in Downtown Dressrosa. A group of extremists calling themselves ‘The Righteous People’ have vandalized three establishments, painting on their walls and placing posters and flyers around their walls. Their messaging is varied, but their goal is clear. They want to punish any ex-rebel that currently lives in Dressrosa, with messages such as ‘You Will Pay for the Crimes that You Masked as Freedom,’ or ‘Death to the rebel scum.’ The authorities have already mobilized and started an investigation. We will keep you informed of any future developments.”

She sighed. 

At times she still had a hard time believing how fast the world had changed this past year. At that time Imu was still the ruler of the entire world, along with the tyrannic Celestial dragons. Imun in particular was a problem, the rest of her kind were sadistic and narcissistic but without the wits to be a threat, Imu was a whole different story. She had ruled the world with an iron fist and was never shy to display her strength and her overwhelming presence. A world without her as the supreme ruler still didn’t make sense to Viola at times. She was still with Doffy. Her brother-in-law was still a fugitive for opposing the regime, and she was trapped between the responsibilities of the Riku family and the shady activities of Doffy. 

But then, the rebels changed everything. Brave men and women who took up arms and fought against Imu’s reign. As far as she knew there were dozens of factions of rebels. But the main one was led by Monkey D. Dragon. The man who was currently trying to establish a new world order where everyone was represented and had agency over important decisions. Her father, along with the rest of the Riku family, was heavily involved in this process. She was proud of that, but at the same time, it made her feel guilty. 

She knew that her father wasn’t doing this because he wanted to compensate for the damage that she had done by working with Doffy, but it felt like that regardless. He had played her good, making her fall in love with him so that he could get close to his father, and then blackmailing him into obedience and forcing him to ignore all the criminal activity that he did. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, that monster had forced her to work for him, acting as a spy that lured men into giving her information. Sometimes she wondered how many men that she had flirted with the night before had ended up dead the next morning. It wasn’t until the ragtag rebel crew that called themselves the Strawhats defeated Doffy that her torment finally ended. 

Because of this, she became obsessed with this crew. She searched everywhere for information about them that would lead her to find them and thank them for what they had done. So far she knew that there were four official members; the captain, the swordsman, a tall black-haired woman, and a sniper. She knew the face of the captain. The infamous Strawhat Luffy, the son of Dragon, who even with the family ties he had, apparently worked independently. But aside from that she had nothing. They moved quickly and struck even quicker, and most people didn’t even consider them rebels but wanderers. 

She had always wanted to be a wanderer, it sounded like a fun life. In a world where Imu controlled all the ocean routes to move from island to island and taxed everyone who used them, the wanderers were adventurers who used unrestricted routes, long detours, and sneaky paths to go from island to island and explore what each of them had to offer. Almost all pieces of art and culture that people knew from other islands before the revolution had been smuggled into their lives by wanderers. 

There were even rumors of extra members of the crew, like the so-called Mr. Prince that Arabastians swore he existed but they had seen him. But when she investigated this man the only testimonies she had were of a blonde man with glasses that moved at the speed of light. It must have been a mirage, she had assumed, remembering the water crisis that Arabasta country had back in the day. 

But bored of scrolling through open TV and thinking about her mistakes, she decided to watch her favourite show. She put the streaming service on, made some popcorn, and prepared herself to binge-watch the second season, her favourite, for the sixth time. That was when her phone rang. 

It was Maria. 

Reluctantly she picked up the phone. She would want copious details, details that she would not give her. So she decided to tell her that it went well but that they simply binge-watched a cooking reality show and fell asleep. Good enough answer, she thought. 

Despite Maria being her friend since elementary school there were some things that she didn’t and hadn’t shared with her. She had hidden the most horrible details of her relationship with Doofy to her, as well as the nature of his job. So even if she wanted to tell her about her panic attack there would need to be a long explanation on the background of it. 

“OMG, Viola,” Maria screamed cheerfully. “How did it go with the hot chef? Girl, Tell me everything.”

 

Chapter 6: tangerines and cigarettes

Summary:

Nami's and Sanji's reunion + more of worldbuilding, and Viola making progress in her personal journey

Notes:

Here is the new chapter I hope you like it!!
I want to write more on Nami but I don't know yethow will I implement her in the story so you just have to wait and see.

Also Nami x Vivi is cannon I will fight anyone who disagrees (this also applies for frobin but that is another story...)

Enjoy it :)

SANJI POV

The cool breeze, along with twilight’s orange light made Nami’s hair glow. She had always had radiant hair, but today it shone like the sun. They were both sitting on the small couch he had outside his balcony. In front of them, on a small and low table, was his ashtray and beside it a bowl with tangerines and tangerine skin. 

When he found his ex-crewmate on the market she found her wearing some denim overalls, on top of a short white tank top and some white sneakers. Her face was hidden behind large, round, and orange sunglasses and a navy blue fisher hat. If someone were to look at her at that moment they would never guess just how good of a thief and navigator she was. Probably the best in the world on both skills, he thought. 

Neither of them had to ask, they both instinctively began to walk towards his apartment. Even if the sun had slowly begun to set by that time, somehow the day felt warmer. When they reached his apartment they had done enough talking for Sanji to realize that something had gone wrong. 

He should have guessed something was amiss the moment he saw Vivi wasn't around. Ever since they became a couple two years ago they had become inseparable. But he waited until Nami verbalized his suspicions. 

“Yeah we had a fight.” she said in a sad tone, after inhaling Sanji’s cigarette and returning it to him. “It's about something dumb, but she doesn’t want to see me right now so I figured I could stay the night here and try again tomorrow.” 

Nami wasn’t a smoker, but at times, even back when their crew consisted of only five people, she would ask him for a smoke after a stressful day. At first he had been apprehensive, not wanting another person to fall into the same stupid addiction he had fallen to. But after she threatened to throw him over the board they agreed that she would only smoke from the same cigarette as Sanji and in small quantities. 

“And do you think that is time enough for her to cool down and forgive you?”

“Why do you assume that I was in the wrong?”   

“Because you are the one looking for a place to stay the night.” 

“Touche pretty boy, touche.” 

“Shut up.” 

After a long break of silence where the only thing he could do was look at the sky and think of past times he asked. 

“What made her angry? You can not tell me if you want, but I just want to see if my perspective on the problem can help.” 

She smiled, and that smile made him realize why he had been so bewitched to her charm a while back. Of course it had long passed, and that adoration had turned into platonic affection. But that didn’t stop him from mentally congratulating Vivi for pulling her. 

“Like I said, it is silly. And you are right, I was in the wrong. I reached that conclusion five minutes after she kicked me out of our hotel room, but what can I do now? We had just arrived and were putting all our luggage in bed when a news report of some extremist group that targeted ex-revolutionaries appeared on TV. She got scared, I joked about it, arguing that realistically there was no way those Cypher Pol wannabes could do me any harm. And that even if they were a serious threat, I was one of the strawhats who the public knows the least about, except of you of course. She disagreed with me, we argued, she cried, called me selfish and insensitive. I tried to calm her down but some jokes slipped out of my mouth and suddenly I was out of the room.” 

“Well good thing that I live on the island. If not you would have been forced to look for another hotel room and I know those aren’t cheap.” 

“Well… she kicked me out mainly because you lived here Sanji.” she laughed. “She specifically said, ‘ Go to Sanji’s and don’t come back tomorrow. Maybe you can goof around and joke the rest of the day like you always do in serious situations so that tomorrow we can have a serious conversation like adults.’ So I am here now… Tu casa is my casa now."

“You are impossible at times you know?” 

“Yes I know, that is part of my charm. But enough about me. How about you, how have you been?” 

Nami had been at the inauguration of his restaurant almost eight months ago. And had stuck around with Vivi in Dressrosa a couple of days before the couple decided to travel all around the world in one of Nefertari’s newest high end private small ships. Since then he hadn’t seen her. 

So he told her about the first couple of months of the restaurant. Told her about the process of hiring new people, and how each time he interviewed them he could see the doubt in their eyes about working for someone that young. He also told her about his romantic life. He began with Andrea, the beautiful tall blonde woman that he had met in a bar the first weeks after Nami left, and how it didn’t work because she was still attached to her ex. Then he told her about Samantha, a journalist that had come to make an article about his restaurant and how that didn’t work because she didn’t like that he smoked. Then he told her about Viola. 

“Damn she sounds beautiful.” she said. “And do you think that you will also fumble her?” 

“Thanks for the confidence booster.” 

“I’m just noticing trends.” 

“Well…” 

Sanji told her about last night. He didn’t go into much detail but he made clear that something had triggered Viola that made her stop any advance that could have happened. 

“Today she kept saying that it wasn’t my fault and that she is sorry but that isn’t reassuring at all. It is clear that I triggered some deep trauma by calling her princess, and by the way she looks at me it is also obvious that I remind him of someone.”  

“But you didn’t mean to. That is why she was telling you that it wasn’t your fault.” 

“If you shoot a gun towards the air and accidentally kill a bird it is still your fault, even if you didn’t want to kill it.”

“You are overthinking it, as always. She stayed in your house for God’s sake! She wouldn’t have done that if she didn’t feel safe. Just give her a couple of days and then text her back to ask her out again.” 

“Ah… actually, she invited me to a beginners dance class this Friday.”

“Oh my God Sanji you are insurefable sometimes! Then why are you worrying about that much?” 

He had no answer to that question, realizing how dumb he sounded. So he excused himself and went to the washroom. After he was done he went to the balcony once more and sat there with Nami until the air came chill enough to pull both of them inside. 

“Come on,” he began. “Let's go inside, I'll cook some dinner.” 

“I get to eat one of the famous Sanji’s personal dinners? Ha! And Vivi thought this was a punishment. Let's go inside, pretty boy, it is getting cold here.” 

“Can you not call me that? It is the worst nickname you have ever given me.” 

“That is a bold statement from someone who calls women ‘princess’ while going down on them.” 

“Very funny. You will go to sleep without dinner.” he said, then turned around and smirked at her. “Besides, I'm willing to bet my restaurant that you have called Vivi that same word when getting intimate.” 

He got her. 

“First of all, we are in a relationship, and pet names are allowed in relationships. Secondly, the Nefertari’s were technically royalty back in the day. And thirdly… stop smirking or I'll kick you in the balls.” 

Once inside, they continued to talk about past times as he cooked a bolognese pasta and warmed up some garlic bread that he had made a while back and stored in his fridge. 

When bed time came he once again slept on the couch. Nami had insisted that it wasn’t necessary but Sanji would be damned if he didn’t let the lady sleep in the most comfortable place of his apartment. 

When he closed his eyes the only thing he could see was Viola’s face staring at him. It seemed to change with every second that passed. He first saw her smiling, just like she had done last night as they ate. Then she saw her serious, like when she was reading in his restaurant. For a fraction of a second he saw her face damped in passion the same way she had been before he screwed everything. But the face that he kept seeing the most was her scared and panicked face. Those eyes that stared at him with terror made it almost impossible to fall asleep, but when he did the last thing he recalled before falling into it was the loud ‘stop!’ that she had yelled. The sound had been faint as a distant echo that faded in the distance, just as if her voice was by the shore and he were slowly drowning. 

 

VIOLA POV 

The virtual meeting with his father had taken almost all of her energy for the day, despite being only two hours long, mainly because her mind wasn’t fully there. A day had passed since she left Sanji’s apartment and she still had her brain replaying every bit of interaction she had had with the man. It was all so foreign and scary that it felt exciting. Their ease of speech, bantering like an old married couple, how easy it was for him to make her laugh, and how passionate he had been to adore her. That had been the most foreign of all of Sanji’s qualities. Even before their date, in the restaurant she caught him staring multiple times, like she had done with countless men, but everytime she did his eyes put her in stride. She could identify lust in a man’s eyes. That was the first skill she had learned in her adolescence. But somehow there wasn’t any in Sanji’s eyes. Everytime he stared at her there was only adoration. The only time she had seen something like that was when his father had taken her to a museum as a child. The look he had when staring at a statue depicting the founder of the Riku family was the same Sanji gave her. If you think that I’m some sort of untouchable art I’m sorry but you are bound for disappointment. She had thought. 

But somehow, that night she was the one that had underestimated the other. She knew that he had stared at her physical beauty, and she didn’t mind—they hadn’t met, and he didn’t disrespect her. But when they went to his bed was when Viola understood how short minded her idea of him had been. 

He had worshiped her body, as if she were a goddess and him a mere servant. Every touch he did was as soft as a pillow but as passionate as a bonfire. She had never experienced such a combination. It was either men filled by lust that treated her body like high end meat ready to be devoured, and not like a person capable of feeling pain. Or they were as shy as a maiden and had the idea that she was some sort of glass work that would break at the slightest touch. Either way she always felt like an object. 

But with Sanji it had been different. At that moment, it was as if his existence had the only purpose of pleasing her. He caressed her just like she wanted, even without having to ask. Even when her body craved for a change of pace or hand placement he seemed to listen to it and execute its orders. There was lust in his eyes, but even his lust was unique. It wasn't centered on making himself feel good, there was purpose in those eyes, a goal that his whole body kept screaming at her. I want to GIVE YOU an orgasm. 

She shuddered. 

She went and closed the large opened window by the living room. The sky looked beautiful this evening, just like it had done yesterday. The orange ceiling combined with the purple clouds that informed of twilight’s arrival filled her apartment with light. She looked at the people walking on the sidewalk below. There were students returning to their homes, street food vendors setting up and moving away their food stands, and dozens of adults who each looked like they had a different profession going back and forth to no end—suddenly she was even more determined to prove her father wrong. 

Her lemon balm tea was finally ready. She poured the liquid in a big red mug, and went towards her desk beside her bed, where her laptop awaited. 

She opened it and continued to edit her spreadsheet. Ever since the previous government had been defeated she had asked her father to let her help. She desperately needed to feel like she was helping her family, instead of hurting them. Viola had never gone to business school, but her early childhood was dedicated to studying Dressrosa’s economy, its rules of imports and exports, and how to make profit, alongside her sister. And, despite Doffy’s distrust, she spent a month and a half running Doffy’s numbers when his accountant had gone missing. Still, her father denied her pleas, arguing that she needed to take a break before coming back to the business. 

In hindsight he had been right, but at the time she was enraged. When she talked to him today, he still believed that she wasn’t ready to return. However, after pleading for almost two hours, and telling him about significant memories she had made through the year and how those had helped her in her healing journey she knew she almost got him—she just needed one last push. 

“Honestly dad, what else do you want? I'm more into dance than ever, I regularly go out with my friends, I even started dating again for God’s sake. What else do you want?” 

“Wait…  you have a boyfriend?”

Got him. 

“Nothing serious dad, we have gone on a couple of dates by the harbor, that’s it.”

“Who is this man? Is he from the harbor? Tell me his name, I might know him.”

“You don’t. He is foreign, from the north he said.” 

He remained quiet for a while, seemingly not sure as to how to process that information. However, after a while he simply said that he was glad that she had returned to her former self but that he still was apprehensive about her return. One last plea was enough to persuade him. They ended up agreeing on a partial return. She would begin to digitally record all the money that moved in the eastern port and go there from time to time for any extra documents and to inspect the place. It wasn’t the amount of responsibility that she had hoped for, but it was a start. 

The evening seemed to have flown away.  She didn’t even realize that night had arrived until her eyes could no longer ignore the pain that the contrast of the brightness of her laptop with the darkness of her room produced. She closed her curtains, turned on the light and continued editing the last spreadsheet. She was done less than twenty minutes later and her body craved for a bath. 

After she was done with that she laid on her bed, turned off all lights but one, opened A Thousand Days in the Desert by Abacura Nefertari on page two hundred and seventeen and continued to read. 

She was ten pages deep when her phone began to buzz. At first, she paid it no mind. But it buzzed again, and a quick glance at her phone made her spot a name that she couldn’t ignore. 

“Hello aunty, ” Rebecca wrote. “ How is it going?... I need to tell you something.” 

“Hi Reb, sure what happened?”

“So, one of my friends was looking for a place to move near the port this summer. We have a groupchat, so another of my friends drove around there and took some pictures of apartments today, and I just wanted to confirm if this was Sanji’s apartment?” 

The photo that she sent after the text made her blood freeze. 

A drop dead gorgeous woman sat alone on the couch of Sanji’s balcony. Her orange hair seemed to shine in the light of dawn, and despite the overalls that she wore it was evident that the body beneath that would be as beautiful as her face. The large tattoo on her left arm convinced Viola that the woman was a tough one, just like a line chef. But Maria never mentioned female chiefs. 

“Yes it is.”

“Oh… I’m sorry. Let's hope that it is just a friend.”

“Yeah, let's hope.” 

She went to sleep after she had thought about a thousand different possibilities on who exactly this mysterious woman might be. She was tempted to simply ask Sanji, but sleep overtook her before she could gather the courage. That night, as she slept she felt like she was drowning in an ocean of her own emotions. 

Chapter 7: Flamenco class

Summary:

The long awaited flamenco class is finally here! And both of them will have to deal with uncertainty and jelousy as they dance.

Notes:

Sooooo this is my longest chapter yet and I felt that I could have added more (never write about teaching a dance that you don't dance, it is a pain in the ass) and this trend for slightly longer chapters might continue.

Let me know what you think about
I hope you enjoy it!!

SANJI POV

Despite the sunny sky, the day was surprisingly chilly. Waves of cold and salty breezes came and went as he walked towards the dance studio, inhibiting his attempts at lighting up a cigarette to calm his nerves. 

Why are you nervous, you fool? He asked himself as he walked. It is just a casual hangout with no compromises. 

But he knew that wasn’t the case. It would be disingenuous to not acknowledge what happened in his house, and what didn’t happen. And while Viola hammered home the message that it wasn’t his fault, his biggest fear was that his touch would trigger her trauma once more, this time not within their privacy but during the middle of the class. 

He made his way through restaurants, local shops, and residences until he finally arrived at his destination. The facade of the dance studio was a simple one, cream coloured walls with a pair of large windows at each side of the main entrance. On top of it, the words ‘Damasku’s & Rodrigo’s Dance Studio’ were painted in a vibrant red. He tried to peek inside the building through the windows, but their white curtains prevented him from doing so. 

Before entering, he stepped aside towards a fabric shop to the right of the studio. Once there, he stared at his reflection on the large glass walls, inspecting his outfit one last time. He knew he had style, at least compared to the rest of his friends except for Nami and Robin. However, it had been a while since a woman had made him self-conscious of his appearance. Don’t mess this up Sanji. 

He had a hard time not overdressing. His style was already classy, and he wanted to be impeccable to meet Viola. In the end, he decided to wear khaki dressing trousers, combined with a light blue dressing shirt with its sleeves rolled up to his elbows, alongside his newest pair of black shoes, and a black leather jacket. 

The inside of the building was nothing like the outside. It had a smooth light wooden floor, and three of its four walls were covered with mirrors. A brunette woman in her mid-thirties sat by a small desk to his left near the entrance. She hadn’t seen him enter. She was too busy typing on a computer. 

“Hello,” he said to her. “I am here for the Flamenco for beginners class at five p.m.” 

She flinched in surprise after hearing his voice. But she used the inertia of her sudden movement to glance up at him. “Awesome! Is this your first time here?” 

“Yes it is”

“Ok, so you can either pay the walk-in, which is fifty berries, or pay a membership for the month which gets you access to all the flamenco classes, no matter the level, for three hundred berries.”  

“I’ll pay for the walk-in today, thank you.” 

“Great! There is currently an advanced waltz class of waltz going, but you can wait by those chairs over there until it's over and Flamenco starts.” 

“Thank you.” 

Five plastic chairs lined horizontally from one another sat to the right of the main entrance. Beside the farthest one from the main entrance, a bunch of bags, backpacks, shoes, and clothes lay in an unorganized pile. In front of him, eleven pairs of dancers paid close attention to a tall man with silver hair and a long nose dancing with a chubby brunette lady in her mid-thirties. Both of them moved gracefully through the front, with the students struggling to keep up. 

Viola was also there.  Her chocolate hair was tied in a ponytail. She wore a loose white skirt with red and black dots on it and a tight black sports tank top that left her smooth arms exposed. She was paired with a tall man who had a similar outfit to his but with a light pink dressing shirt instead of a blue one and a darker shade of pants. He had olive skin, long jet-black hair combed backward, and a wide moustache that covered his entire upper lip. They were the only pair able to keep up with the instructor, and to Sanji’s annoyance, they managed to do so while maintaining electric eye contact with each other. 

At one point, as they made an elegant turn, that man made a comment that caused her to laugh. That was the first time the sound of her laugh did not soothe him. 

“Well, thanks for coming in today.” The old man at the front said. “Flamenco for beginners will start in around five minutes, please stay for that it will be fun. Aside from that, thank you so much for coming back. I’ll see you next week.”

And with that, the pairs disbanded, except for Viola’s because Moustache-man kept talking to her while being too close for Sanji’s comfort. Get a grip Sanji, he told himself. Getting jealous doesn’t help anyone. 

As if she had heard his thoughts, Viola turned around and noticed his presence. Sanji couldn’t help but grin when she went straight towards him, ditching whatever boring conversation she was having with Moustache-man. 

“Hi, Sanji!” She said while waving and getting closer to him. “I’m glad you were able to make it.”

“Me too dear Viola.” He answered as he took his leather jacket off. “I arrived earlier and saw you dance waltz for a bit. You are amazing at it.” 

Her cheeks blushed a little, and the world suddenly became less grim.  “Thanks, it’s probably the style of dance that I need to work on the most. 

He chuckled. “Well, I’ll be damned. Waltz is what I dance the best and I’m nowhere near your level.” 

A short lady with black hair and cinnamon skin, who he assumed had to be Ms Damasku, called everyone in a loud voice. “Welcome ladies and gentlemen, welcome! Please come to the middle, flamenco for beginners is about to start!”

VIOLA POV 

Her plan had worked. She had spent days trying to ease her mind, but the picture of the orange-haired woman on Sanji’s balcony kept haunting her. She could have asked for answers. Sanji had shown to be gentle and considerate enough to give them to her. However, she couldn’t bring herself to do it.  What right do I have over his life? For now, as far as she was aware and to her dislike, Sanji was simply another situationship. One that she thought had potential for much more, but a situationship nonetheless. 

So, she decided to toy a little bit with Sanji’s emotions to see where his heart was. It was petty, she knew. But that photo had toyed with her emotions, she was entitled to a payback. 

Despite pretending that she hadn’t, she had noticed Sanji the moment he entered the building. His tobacco scent blended with his fresh cologne had been the one to inform her of his presence. The scent was very faint. But after what happened in his room, despite how it ended, her entire body wouldn't let her nose and brain forget that smell. 

Like always, his outfit was impeccable and she found herself wondering how on earth did he acquire such swagger. Because, despite her efforts for not falling for a stereotype. Viola was convinced that no cook or chef around Sanji during his childhood knew how to dress.  

While Sanji made his way towards the chairs, she made a point to grab herself closer to Emilio. He reached accordingly, surprised but eager by her unexpected shift in attitude. The only thing she regretted about her petty was using Emilio. Yet, he was a well-known womanizer, and due to his age he could also be her father, so maybe he also deserved a bit of payback. 

However, she had overplayed her cards and therefore found herself relieved when she got freed from the uncomfortable hold of Emilio’s hands. He was an alright guy most of the time, and he was somewhat funny. But after laughing with Sanji and experiencing his touch, Emilio simply couldn't compete. 

She dragged Sanji by the arm towards the center of the studio. She could feel his worries manifest in his hand by how this shook and recoiled a bit the moment she grabbed it. So, to reassure him that his touch was welcomed she smiled at him and caressed the back of his hand as they walked. 

“Welcome ladies and gentlemen.”Ms. Damasku began. “Welcome to Flamenco for beginners. I see a couple of familiar faces and some who are new, so let us begin.” 

This was the first time she had attended a beginners' class with Ms. Damasku. Her mother had taught her most of her fundamentals, going through the ‘zapateo,’ ‘brazeo,’ and hand movement until it became natural to her. Therefore, she was surprised at the gentleness with which Ms. Damasku talked to this group. She was used to being yelled at and pushed to the limit by her. 

She arranged them in pairs as they formed a circle. Usually, flamenco was a solo dance. However, Ms. Damasku taught the variant that had pairs in her beginners' class to make it more interactive and get more people hooked on the dance. In this version the follows, traditionally women, were at the centre, moving around at the tempo of the leads, traditionally men. With the former doing all the fancy twists and movements, and the latter enhancing their partner’s movements with intense and direct movements of their own. 

She was coupled with Sanji, but she could see the excitement in his eyes falter when Ms. Damasku told them that they would be rotating so that everyone danced with everyone. Fortunately, there were only seven couples in total, so she would have plenty of opportunities to dance with him. 

Aside from Emilio, who was three couples to her right, she knew no one in this class. Maria only came to advanced flamenco on Saturdays and Sundays, and her friends in advanced waltz had just left the venue. 

Ms. Damasku and Rodrigo, her common law, gave each person a set of flamenco shoes. These had low heels, but their singularity was the nails in their shoe sole. They also gave all the ladies long skirts, except for her because she already had one. 

“Alright friends let’s start with what we call ‘zapateo,’ the basis of flamenco.” Ms Damasku began. “There are four ways we can make sound with our feet. ‘Planta,’ here we use the ball of our foot.” she stepped loudly on the floor. “Always bend your knees slightly, it will make the movement easier. Then we have ‘tacon,’ which involves hitting the floor with the heel once the ball of your foot is in the ground. The third one is the same as before but with the rest of your foot up the ground, having your feet make the point of your foot go upwards. And the last one is ‘golpe,’ which involves using all your feet to make sound with a violent step.”

While Ms Damasku showed them how to make each move, and Sanji followed her instructions. Viola decided to continue with phase two of her plan—ask him about that night. 

“So Sanji, how was your week?”  

“Good.” He answered in a whisper, glancing back and forth from her face to his feet, to Ms Damasku, carefully avoiding disrupting the class with the volume of his voice. “We’ve been busy at the restaurant, but I was able to go and explore one of the inner markets near downtown. I’ve never seen fresher fruits.” 

“I’m glad to hear that.” She answered, surprised at how much joy it brought her to watch this man talk about his passion. “But aside from your duties as a chef did you do something fun?” 

Sanji tried a simple combination of ‘planta, tacon, planta, golpe’, misplacing his steps in the middle of it, but rapidly correcting his mistake. In part, because he had his attentive eyes focused on copying the movement of her feet. 

“Well… I consider the ‘chef stuff’ as fun. But if we are not counting that, then the only interesting thing that happened is that one of my friends who I hadn’t seen in a while visited me.”

Friend or girlfriend dear Sanji? That is what I want to know. But she had to act as if she had no idea of who he was talking about. 

“Oh that’s nice,” she responded. “How did you—”

“Okay, ladies and gentlemen you are doing great at the ‘zapateo’!” Ms Damasku interrupted her. “Leads please, switch to your left, we are going to try and add upper body movements to your steps.” 

SANJI POV 

Sanji could no longer feel his feet by the time his footwork was finally decent. Those same feet had broken bones, splintered wood, and even cracked concrete, but now they were being battered by the mighty flamenco. 

His handwork was horrible. The more time passed and the more he failed, the larger his admiration for Viola grew. And he became more grateful for the fact that the pairs had switched enough times to dance with her again. 

She was brilliant. Despite the added difficulty of the women’s hand movement, she executed it to perfection. Her hands moved like soothing waves in a peaceful sea, while his were robotic and slow like an old machine. 

“You are so good at this.” Was all he managed to say, his voice still low so as to not disturb the class. 

She smiled and laughed faintly. “Of course I am you silly man, I’ve been practicing all my life.” Her chocolate eyes scanned him up and down. “You are doing great for your first time.”

He could feel his cheeks get redder. Her soft voice, fainter than normal like his, was the most beautiful symphony he had ever heard. “Thanks, I’m trying.” 

“I know, I can see you thinking about coordinating your upper and lower body. Trust me, I’ve been there.” 

They remained silent for a while, him staring intently at Ms Damasku’s instructions while Viola watched him.  

Her gaze was potent. At first, Sanji thought that she was judging his dancing level, but as time went on she kept reassuring him of his supposed great job, so he discarded the idea. 

“You forgot to finish your story about meeting with your friend,” Viola said with an uncharacteristic intensity in her voice. “How was that? Did you have a good time with him?”

They made a spin move together,  with Viola at the center while he moved around her. She never broke eye contact with him. She is so skilled at this, he thought with admiration. 

“It’s actually a ‘her,’” he began. “We’ve been friends for a long time. She and her girlfriend are in town right now so she visited me.” 

“Oh” Viola responded with a surprised tone, then she chuckled. “Did you also hang out with her girlfriend?”

“Nah, those two fought and my friend got kicked out of their hotel. I had to let her stay in my place until her girlfriend cooled down. I’m also friends with her girlfriend but she is terrifying when angry.” 

For a split second Viola scrunched her nose as if she had smelled something funny. For a moment he panicked thinking that he had forgotten to put cologne this morning, but after reenacting the first hours of his day in his mind, he realized that that wasn’t the case. Most likely it wasn’t anything you overthinking fool, he thought. Just keep dancing and don’t mess this up.

They continued dancing in silence for a while. Viola had been patient enough to slow down her movements so that he could follow, but Sanji could see that she was beginning to move at her own pace. 

“Wait for me please.” He pleaded. “I love seeing you dance, but I can’t keep up with you.” 

She turned around with an oblivious face. “Oh I’m sorry, I’ll slow down.” After that, she made a complex combination of zapateo, too advanced for him to comprehend, spun around while waving her long skirt like a master, and then looked at him intently with those lovely eyes. “Oh, so you love seeing me dance?… interesting.” 

From the corner of his eye, Sanji could see and feel the discomfort on Moustache-man’s face, who had stared at them all class long. Focus on your partner, you asshole. The thought made him gain a bravado that he didn’t though he had on him. 

He quickly darted towards Viola with the most flashy combination of moves he could muster. That caught her unaware, and because of it, she tried to spin again to create some distance. But Sanji didn’t let her. He followed her around until they were face to face and closer than they had been initially, to the point that he could feel her breathe on his nose. “Don’t mind me if I do.” He whispered as he smirked. “Last time I checked, admiring beauty wasn’t a crime.” 

The class ended soon after. He was sweaty and tired but he was happy that he had decided to come. Ms Damasku gathered everyone at the center to congratulate them and ask them to return their flamenco shoes and skirts. 

As they all returned the borrowed items and chatted with each other, Moustache-man began to approach them. Sanji sensed Viola’s shift in mood as he did. Instinctively he placed himself closer to her and greeted the man before he could begin speaking. 

“Hello man,” he said loudly. “I saw your dance movements over there. You are an expert at it.” 

Sanji could see the surprise on Moustache-man’s face, but to his displeasure the man quickly recomposed. “Thanks. You were doing a decent job as well… I'm assuming that you and Viola are friends?”

Why do you care, asshole? “Yes, we are. She invited me to come and I couldn't say no.” 

“Good for you man,” he said as he awkwardly shifted his attention towards Viola. “So Viola, about that coffee date…”

“I’m sorry Emilio.” she interrupted, stepping slightly closer to Sanji. “Like I said before. I’m really busy these next two weeks, and I'll be focusing a lot on the rehearsal for the Gala Night. I won't have time for a date.”

Sanji saw the frustration grow on Moustache-man’s face. “Oh… it's okay, we can still go to the Gala Night together right?”

Somehow, Sanji’s bravado had disappeared the moment after he had whispered that playfully flirty line to Viola. Therefore, when she unexpectedly grabbed him by the arm and pressed her chest slightly towards his torso he almost lost his mind. “Actually, I’m going to the Gala Night with Sanji. Sorry.” 

Moustache-man smiled faintly as he left. 

Despite the sun still being up, the chilly air made him grateful that he had brought a jacket. He wasn’t cold, but Viola was. 

She had parked three blocks away from the dance studio and had thought that the weather would be warm enough to have a pleasant walk after class. She had been wrong. 

“Are you sure Sanji?” she asked. “This is the second time you have lent me your jacket. I don’t want you to get cold.” 

“Like I said before, I don’t mind the cold. And you’ve been sweating more than I have, you will catch a cold if you don’t have my jacket.” 

“Are you a doctor now? What a multi-talented man you are.” 

He chuckled. “I’m not, but I have experience in dealing with changing weather conditions.” 

His courage to ask what he wanted finally came by the time they arrived at the last block, where her car was parked.

“So… A little bird told me that you want me to go to the Gala Night, is that true?” 

She turned around and looked him intently in the eyes. “Yes, that is true. It's a social dance event in a special location where the advanced flamenco team will perform, and like the name indicates its theme is gala night and red carpet so grab your finest outfit.” 

“And when is this event?” 

“The Friday in two weeks from now. I'll text you the address later.” They arrived at her car and she began to look for her keys in her purse. “So what do you say?”

“You’ll see me there.” 

She opened the door of her car and stared at its interior for a moment. After that, she suddenly turned around, and before he knew it, Viola was mere centimeters away from his face. “No Sanji, I won’t see you there. You will pick me up, and we will go together there… is that clear?” 

He gulped, ashamed of how horny that interaction got him. “Yes, mam.” 

She handed him his jacket. 

“Good.” she entered her car, not before giving him a small kiss on the cheeks. The motor began to roar, but before she drove away she pulled down her window, revealing that she was now wearing black sunglasses. “Oh and one more thing dear Sanji. If they’re still around, bring your friend and her girlfriend, I would like to meet them.”

His face was still bright red even after her car had disappeared on the horizon.

 

Chapter 8: The days prior

Summary:

slice of life chapter in preparation for the Gala night with set up, drama, etc. Enjoy!

SANJI POV 

Vivi invited him for brunch after she and Nami had reconciled. He had insisted on meeting in their restaurant, but Vivi had argued that if they met there his attention would be split between their conversations and supervising his business. So they met in a local coffee shop two blocks away from the hotel they were staying at. 

The place was beside a large closed street where dozens of pedestrians passed by. They sat on the outdoor part of the coffee shop, where small round tables with red umbrellas lined beside the street. 

“So Sanji, what do you think about this place?” Nami asked. 

That was something that she always did. She would ask for his opinion of every food place they visited. He didn’t know why she asked, she knew that he would never say something negative about a dish unless it was literally poisonous. But he wasn’t about to question her. 

“I like it, their bread has a traditional flavour to it and it looks like they use fresh fruits, which is always a plus.” 

“Why is that a plus?” Asked Vivi as she gave a sip of her green tea. “I thought having fresh fruits was a basic standard in the kitchen.” 

“You would be surprised how many restaurants don’t have them.” 

Despite being the beginning of the week, and summer almost ending, there were lots of tourists walking by. That made him smile. Just a year ago global tourism was nothing more than a dream, but after countless sacrifices, it has become a reality. 

Vivi and Nami sat across from him, smiling and bickering as if they hadn’t fought just days ago. Vivi wore a light white dress and pink sneakers while Nami wore black parachute pants and a white crop top. Both of their hats and sunglasses sat beside them or in Vivi’s purse. 

“There is no other way to tell you this Sanji but you messed up.” Said Nami in a disappointed voice. “You messed up really bad. I’m surprised she still has patience for you.” 

“Don’t be rude Nami, he didn’t know.” Interrupted Vivi as she ate her sliced apricots. 

“Yeah, that’s the problem!” 

He had told them about his dance date with Viola. They had been supportive all the way through his telling, laughing at him when he told them about his dance struggles, and agreeing with him on how much of a weirdo Moustache man had been. But it all fell apart when he told them that Viola had invited them to the social event, and the reason as to why she knew of their existence. 

“But I made it clear that you two were a thing!” He argued. “That should be enough to clear the waters right?” 

“Oh, Sanji you sweet fool.” Said Vivi with pity in her voice and eyes. “That is not enough, now she will think that… how can I say it?… She will—“ 

“She thinks that we are having a three-way Sanji! or that I’m cheating on her with you!” Interrupted Nami exasperated. “‘Oh yeah, so my friend who I haven’t seen in a while got into a fight with her partner and came to my place to spend the night,’ seriously? What were you thinking? She invited us to see how you interact with us and confirm or discard her suspicions.” She exhaled. “It could have gotten way worse, you know? She could have ignored your attempts to explain why I spent the night in your flat and instead kicked you out of the class and her life, so consider yourself lucky.” 

He must have had the most pathetic puppy face ever because after Nami was done talking Vivi extended her hand and reassuringly grabbed his. “Nami is right, Sanji, but she is also being rude.” She glanced at her girlfriend. “Nonetheless, we have to go. Otherwise, she might think that we are hiding something.” She paused for a moment to get another sip of her green tea, then she exhaled. “Enough with the brooding and the insults, let's change the subject. I still haven’t told you about our visit to Wetheria, it was lovely” 

VIOLA POV 

The early morning at the eastern port was a cold one. The chilly oceanic breeze went through her black puffer jacket as if it were a thin piece of fabric, and she had long since lost sensibility on her nose, ears, and hands.   

She looked at her phone, it was 5 a.m. Claire had tried to persuade her to schedule their meeting at a later time, but the port began operating at this hour. If she wanted to be respected here, she needed to prove that her commitment to the company would be bigger than her comfortable position as ‘daddy’s girl.’ 

As she made her way towards the reception, a loud GOONG roared in the distance. A large vessel waving a Kozuki family banner approached from the horizon, most likely filled with enough rice and ink to supply the whole of Dressrosa for a month. 

Once inside the only corporate building at the port, Viola stopped shaking, and she could finally feel her hands again. She took her mittens off, sat on one of the waiting chairs by the right wall, and waited. Claire arrived soon after.

“Welcome to the eastern port Viola,” Claire began. “I’m glad to finally meet you in person and I hope we can achieve great things together.” 

 She was a plump woman with a gentle smile and bifocals as round as her face. Her light brown hair was styled in a simple but elegant bun, and she wore corporate clothes despite the cold weather. They shook hands, and she offered to prepare some hot chocolate for Viola. Then, they sat on each side of the large oak desk, designated to the receptionists, at the far end of the room, only after both women had a hot mug in their hands. 

As far as Viola knew, Claire had operated as the interim manager of the port for the last five months. After the rebellion, and even during it, the turnover rates at Riku’s enterprises had skyrocketed. Some quit for the lack of action, or due to tariffs and marine blockades imposed by Imu. Others quit because they were too afraid of attacks at the port from both rebels and marines, and others tragically passed away during the conflict. 

Claire had been the secretary of the previous manager, Romario. He left the company after his son tragically passed away in the battle at the northern harbour, where Rebel forces were able to capture the telecommunication base and take five hundred marines and fifty Cipher pol agents as hostages. His dad tried to contact Romario after the rebellion to offer him his job back, but they discovered that Romario’s wounded heart never fully healed. He hung himself from the balcony of his house. 

Claire had stepped up and done an amazing job since then, but it was obvious that she needed help. They ran the numbers, revising both Claire’s notes and Viola’s spreadsheets. Almost everything matched, except for some products that each had decided to label differently, such as considering avocado from the Kingdom of Shishano as “vegetables” instead of “fruits” from Claire’s part.  

By the time they cleared up the numbers, the sun had begun to rise. Viola could hear more GONGs in the distance and saw ships come and go from where she stood. Sometimes, some of the employees would come to Claire for questions and clarifications, and every time that happened Claire had been able to solve all their inquiries—Viola could only stare in admiration as the plump woman explained the intricate workings of a port as if she were explaining what was two plus two to a four-year-old. 

“I can see why my father promoted you,” she said. “You do know what you are doing.” 

“Thanks,” the newly promoted general manager responded with a soft smile. ”But don’t discredit yourself, being able to rely on your expertise with numbers is one of the reasons why I was promoted. Soon, we will both have this place running at a capacity never seen before!” 

Some of the employees who came for Claire’s aid lingered their eyes on her as they made their way in and out of the building. At first, she thought that they were men simply staring at her beauty as always. But the slight disapproval that she saw in their eyes for splits of a second told her that they knew who she was. Still, some of these employees had an additional fire in their eyes that she was unable to decipher. 

Are they mad at the nepotism? She could understand that. No one here knew how good she was with numbers, and she couldn’t go around telling people what had been her experience as an accountant in real life, that would put her in jail. I guess I just need to work harder to demonstrate why I was hired. 

Her position as the new accounting supervisor was guaranteed. This meeting was simply to lay down the process for her integration into the workforce. In the end, they decided that for the next three months, Viola would supervise Claire’s accounting team. Throughout that period, Claire was welcomed to supervise Viola’s work here and there to not look invasive but also not look disinterested. Additionally, in those three months, Viola was expected to analyze the current team’s performance and add, promote, or replace staff as she saw fit. She would direct all of this remotely. However, she would meet with her team twice a week online, and visit the port once a week. 

The two women shook hands once everything was clarified. Claire’s grasp was tender but intense, like a mother scolding her children. Then, Claire offered to give her a tour around the port. At first, she had rejected it, arguing that she had already taken enough of Claire’s time. But the older woman countered that if Viola was to have a high-importance position in the company, she needed to know the place she was running and be seen around the port.

They went through the remaining rooms of the main building. It was a structure of two stories with grey walls and stilted by wide metal rods that sat in the middle of the discharge area of the port. It served not only as the headquarters of the port’s operations but also as an elite place for surveilling the place. 

Claire’s new office, previously owned by Romario, was filled with boxes with papers, binders, lamps, and multiple items for decoration. It looked like Claire hadn’t moved here while she was the interim manager. The room for the accounting department was on the second floor beside the manager’s office. It was a large room with rows of computers, sheets, folders, and even a mainframe. There were only two people in there at the moment, a woman in her mid-twenties with curly brunette hair that looked like the definition of ‘bookworm,’ and a chubby balding man in his mid-thirties. Their names were Alicia and Dane. 

After introducing herself to this small fraction of her new team, both women went outside to continue their tour.  

They walked the entire coastline of the port, watching employees move around products in and out of ships. Looking at the multiple flags on them made Viola emotional. Before the revolution, the only flag that any ship waved was the coat of arms of the World Government. Now, these same ships waved the colours and sigils of their country of origin prouder than they had waved any other flag before. 

Throughout the tour, Viola could feel the workers stare at her. Just like before, she initially thought that they did that out of lust, but she was growing convinced that wasn’t the case, there was something deeper in those eyes. They don’t want me here, she realized. That saddened her, but she had endured worse evils than hateful and envious coworkers. 

Fortunately, those intriguing eyes were the minority, the majority stared at her with curiosity or lust of course. After keeping track of the stares they gave her, Viola realized that for every five welcoming workers, one disapproving person was staring at her from a distance. And not all eyes were hostile or inquiring. Viola met lovely people in every department of the port who welcomed her with open arms. 

At first, she tried to identify a pattern in them. Maybe those were the old guys who resented her for getting such a high position due to her family name, or overexploited women who saw her as a corporate token for feminism, but she couldn’t find any pattern at all. They might be angry at the poor management of businesses and resources of my family during the revolution, and that now I’m the only Riku face that they can recognize. Either way, this was extra pressure on her to deliver good results in this job—just what she needed. 

By the time they finished their tour, noon was about to arrive. The sun was out and the breezes had calmed down, but the weather still demanded her to wear her puffer jacket, a sign of the imminent end of summer and the beginning of fall. 

“It was a pleasure to finally meet you,” Claire said. “Your father spoke very highly of you, and I’m eager to work with you.” 

Once she was alone in her car, her emotions overtook her. Her arms began to shake, and her eyes began to water. Soon she was fully sobbing and laughing at the same time. She had done it, she had finally returned to some sort of normality. There was still a long way ahead for her, but the fact that she had given the first and scariest step was enough to overwhelm her. 

For a moment that felt like an eternity, her mind was entirely in the present. And the flashbacks of Doffy’s laugh, his touch, the look full of disappointment and pity from her father, and the constant stress that pained her stomach and squeezed her lungs were nowhere to be seen. Right now, nothing and nobody else mattered. 

She emerged from her car and walked through her condo’s parking lot as a changed woman. She gave long and confident strides, never lowering her gaze. 

The woman who entered her apartment was one that the world hadn’t seen for almost a decade. Viola Riku was finally back in control of her life, and she will live it on her own terms. 

SANJI POV 

Their routine had begun five days ago when Viola sent her the first picture. He was on one of his smoke breaks by the parking lot when the notification made his phone buzz. Viola has sent you a photo, it read. 

His pulse suddenly rose, and a dirty but impossible thought came to his mind. Don’t be stupid Sanji, it’s not that.

When he opened their chat, he was greeted with a picture of a rice bowl dipped in soy sauce and with chopped veggies. Look what I made. I feel like a proper chef, are you hiring? The caption read.  

He chuckled. Impressive, he responded. Keep sending your resume as a cook and I might hire you. I can see some of the ingredients, but how did you make it?

The sky was cloudy despite it being almost noon. Even though he didn’t suffer from it, he could feel the cold wind rush through his skin. He closed his eyes and soaked in the air that hit his face for a couple of minutes, wondering if he would ever feel cold in Dressrosa. 

Her response came just as he was making his way back to the restaurant. It was a call. 

He panicked, almost dropping his phone. 

“Hello.” She said, “Are you busy? You answered so I figured you are not in the kitchen but I don’t know if you can talk.” 

For you, I’m always available. “I just went outside for my smoke break. So I have a couple of minutes, what did you want to talk about?” 

There was a short but uncharacteristic silence at the other end of the line. “Thanks for saying that the dish looks good, I also think that. But…. I kinda messed up the seasoning and I put too much salt. I was wondering… I was wondering if you could teach me how to properly season my food. When you are not busy of course.” 

He was glad that the call wasn’t a video call because she would find him grinning like an idiot. 

“Yeah of course Viola I’m always glad to help people improve their cooking.” he inhaled deeply. “I’ll tell you what, I’m out of the restaurant in four hours. If you aren’t busy I’ll Facetime you cooking that recipe so you can follow along or take notes while I’m cooking… what do you say?” 

“That sounds like a lovely idea. Although I’m probably going to embarrass myself. I’ve never cooked much, and I'm just now getting into the kitchen as an adult so don’t judge me too hard.” 

You sweet woman. “Don’t worry about it. Not long ago I was the one embarrassing myself on the dance floor. No one is great at anything when they first start doing it, and I seem to remember you telling me that as we danced.” 

And so they Facetimed that night. She wasn’t following along as she didn’t have the ingredients, but she was looking intently at him as he cooked. He decided to show her the basics of how to hold a knife and how to chop certain vegetables. Then he gave her extra tips for seasoning and kitchen maintenance as he cooked. 

But food wasn’t the only topic they talked about. They chatted about their days, what each of them was wearing, about their plans for the upcoming days, and about anything that came to their minds. 

They Facetimed again the next day, this time in the morning. Viola wanted to learn how to cook his famous scrambled eggs. 

“You know, now that I think about it, I feel like I’ve been taken advantage of.” 

“How so dear Sanji?” she asked with a fake oblivious tone as she ate her breakfast. Despite being so early in the morning she already had make-up on and was wearing a white dressing shirt with her wavy hair tied in a bun.

“Well, I am giving you all of my recipes and knowledge for free. I’m being ripped off.” 

She laughed, covering her mouth with one hand as she did. “That is rude, I thought my lovely company was enough payment for you.” 

He smirked. “Your company is definitely lovely, but I was hoping for a different sort of payment. Let's see…. How about a date? Let's go to an arcade, or for a walk on the harbour, and you will have me spilling all the culinary secrets I know while we Facetime the day after.”

Her smile faltered a little. “I’m sorry Sanji, but what I said to Emilio was true. I’m very busy right now. But after that Gala Night things should calm down for a bit, we can go on a date then.” 

He didn’t argue with that. He simply grew appreciative of the fact that she had decided to spend the little free time she had talking to him. 

By the fourth day, they were Facetiming without the need for any of them to be cooking. And that is why today they were arguing about which was the best sitcom as he sat by his balcony smoking, and she lay comfily in her bed. 

“I’m telling you Sanji, ‘Dressrosan shenanigans’ is the best sitcom ever made. It has everything, clever jokes, good characters, good ships, and it ended when it needed to end.” 

“See I agree with all of that Viola, ‘Dressrosan shenanigans’ is really good. But ‘Ice treatment’ is still better.” 

“I don’t even know that series!” she complained. 

“Well, we better change that, it's time for you to experience the best show ever.” 

“Yeah right. I thought you would prefer, I don’t know ‘Nightmares in the Kitchen,’ ‘Chef Master,’ or ‘Burning Hot.’”

“I began smoking because of the stress that cooking gave me. So unless I am cooking for me or for someone who I appreciate, I am not thinking about the kitchen when I don’t have to, despite how much I love cooking.” 

She smirked, and Sanji knew exactly the trap he had fallen into. 

“Ohh, interesting. Am I someone who you appreciate?” 

“Yes Viola you are, I thought that we already established that. Despite not having the greatest taste in what you watch, I do appreciate you.” 

“Good, because if you were someone else I would already hang up on you for daring to insult Dressrosan shenanigans. I don’t play about that show.” 

He laughed.

“Good to know.” 

VIOLA POV

She spent almost as much time finishing her report as she did gathering the courage to step into Sanji’s restaurant. 

It was the beginning of the week of the Gala Night, and she had spent almost the entire past week focused on her responsibilities—except when she made the time to Facetime Sanji of course. But today she finally had enough time to go out for a breather. She still needed to work, but she decided to do so outside. 

She wasn’t a fool, she knew that if she went to work at Sanji’s restaurant nothing would be done. So she decided to go to one of her favourite coffee shops, which coincidentally was near Sanji’s place, and finish her daily report. 

The place was in a vintage red building with green doors and window frames. Inside, its furniture and decor matched the classic style of its facade, but with modern elements like air conditioner and wifi. The place had been busy, but not busy enough to distract her from work. She ordered a black coffee, and a bowl of Greek yogurt with fruits and began to work. 

Halfway through her task, the thought popped into her mind. Should I visit Sanji? She had told him that she would be busy this whole week, but she knew that if she showed up the man wouldn’t complain. However, she didn’t want him to think that she had lied about being busy. 

After pondering the idea for a while, making her work slower than usual, her growling stomach convinced her to do so. It's time for lunch. 

She stepped out of the coffee shop having finished with no more reports to do. She and her team would have their online meeting tomorrow, and she would finally meet the rest of the people who integrated it. 

It was just past noon, but the air was still chilly. This time she hadn’t worn her puffer jacket, opting for a denim one that combined with her brown dressing pants and her white shirt, but she realized that had been a mistake. At least the cold weather made her walk faster towards Sanji’s restaurant. 

After walking for ten minutes through five blocks she finally arrived. The air was colder in here because of the open sea to her left. But seeing that the restaurant wasn’t as busy warmed her up. He will have time to chat. 

She sat by the same table she had sat the first time she visited the restaurant. As she walked towards it, Viola could see the waiters react to her presence with weary looks and sassy side eyes. Sanji appeared on her table less than two minutes after she sat. 

He was dressed almost the same way he had dressed when she visited the restaurant with her niece. Black dressing pants, black shoes, and a light pink dressing shirt. However this time he also had a black dressing vest. This last piece elevated his outfit. The man could wear any colour and it would look fantastic, but pink was the last favourable colour for him to wear. She had a suspicion as to why that might be the case, but days ago she had decided to not be a slave of her past, so she let the thought wander away.  

“Well hello,” he began with a smirk. “To what do I owe you your lovely presence? Are you here to demand all the culinary secrets from me?”

She laughed. “Oh don’t flatter yourself Sanji. I was hungry and nearby, I just wanted to eat good food for my lunch.” 

He smiled. “Well, I can certainly offer that.” 

Viola ordered a pair of omelettes, a glass of orange juice, and a bowl of fruit. Sanji wrote her order diligently, although something told Viola that he didn’t need the list to remind her order. Then, he left for the kitchen. Minutes later he returned with her order, placed it in front of her, and sat across her. 

“I’m glad that you came in,” he said. “But I thought you were busy.” 

Of course he remembers. “I’ve been busy. Today is the first day since the flamenco class that I have been able to go outside without having to go to work or to dance rehearsal.”

“And you decided to come visit? How lucky of me.”

Her cheeks reddened, and to her shame, she discovered that she had no rebuttal. Her time facetiming the man had made her forget just how different his presence was in person. If only you knew how you make me feel. But the thought, despite its innocent nature, made her skin crawl, and she had to take a large sip of her juice to calm herself down. 

They began talking about their day just like they had done for the past couple of days. Sanji would glance around from time to time, inspecting the state of his restaurant to see if his staff needed his help, but so far that hadn’t been the case. 

She told him about her days at the port, and how she had done in those days. She hadn’t told him entirely about the nature of her new job until then. Before, she would simply say that she was an accountant for the family business. Last time she had revealed too much information too early into a relationship that had ended in a disaster, but she had learned from her mistakes and made sure that Sanji hadn’t investigated her background before inviting him to the flamenco class. It had been reassuring to know that he hadn’t, but it had also been frustrating to not find anything about his past when she investigated him. 

Nonetheless, the hopeful side of her heart told her that there wasn’t anything to worry about him so far. And the multiple interactions she had had with the man seemed to confirm this. So, she told him about the nature of her family business. He seemed surprised, but not caught off guard. Then she remembered that she had shown him her car, which was probably one of the reasons why he wasn’t surprised when she revealed she came from old money. He reacted to that fact so casually that a suspicion that he also came from old money grew within her, but she would have to wait to know if she was right. 

When he asked why she had just started to work under her dad she told him that she had taken a break from it all. As she said that, Viola had already started plotting the excuse that she would tell him when he asked his follow-up question, but he didn’t. He simply nodded and the conversation continued. Then, the conversation arrived at the tensions between her and some of the employees. 

“That is curious,” Sanji responded. “I can’t imagine one, let alone a couple dozen, people disliking you. I bet they’re just jealous.” 

“I appreciate the comment, but I don’t think it's jealousy.” she paused for a second to gather her thoughts. “I tried to talk to some of them, trying to make them see that I was committed to the job and their wellbeing in the company, but that didn’t seem to work either. I think it's an ideological clash; that’s the only thing that makes sense to me. You are a traveled man, and most likely you know of more ways to view the world than I do. Do you have any idea what could go through these people’s minds?”

He pondered for a second. His body language told her that he craved a cigarette, instead, he simply drank water. “Well… Now that I know that you are a Riku, they might be anti-royalists. I know that the Celestial Dragons abolished all forms of royalty centuries ago when they came to power, but most of the families still stand, and a lot of people don’t like that you still hold lots of power within your islands. Or they could be part of a union, I don’t know the working conditions at the port, and I’m not implying that your father exploits them, but almost every industry would do well to increase their standards of work and the safety of their workers.” 

He just spoke his mind, why was that so attractive? … Focus Viola, these are serious matters. “So then what do you think I should do?” 

“Talk to your father to see if he can find anything about these individuals. Look for patterns in places they were born, raised, or schooled. I don’t think they are dangerous but it's better to be cautious and prepared. Also, I would plan my trips to the port on different days each week, keep it unpredictable you know?” he smiled. “That should be enough really, just make sure you make a good impression and work on your goals, and they should see how capable you are at your job.” 

His words surprised her. He was so detailed in his instructions that he had to have experience in espionage or something similar. She had grown accustomed to the fact that he had been a wanderer. They never talked about it, but she knew, and it seemed that Sanji knew that she knew. But this was entirely different. Suddenly an old memory reappeared in her mind. A different blonde man, wearing pink and planning with similar details his new atrocity. Her skin crawled. 

“Thanks Sanji… I’ll keep your advice in mind.” she glanced at her clock. Almost three p.m.. “Oh, I gotta go, sorry, I need to go to the flamenco rehearsal. I’ll call you tonight once I’m done if that works for you.” 

Sanji was dumbfounded but he accepted her words with a kind nod. That broke her heart. The man’s only crime was looking like her ex, and she was punishing him because of it. He is hiding something Viola, she reminded herself to reassure her conviction to leave. Don’t forget that. 

After paying and tipping for the service, despite Sanji’s reluctance to let her do the latter, she stepped out of the restaurant with more bottled feelings than she had entered. Sanji was a kind man, but his past was unknown. He seemed to have the right intentions, but with Doffy it had been the same. She exhaled deeply, wondering if smoking was as relaxing as Sanji’s face made it seem. She didn’t like this new uncertainty, but there was nothing she could do about it. 

I guess it all comes down to the Gala Night, she thought as she made her way back home.

Notes:

AHHHHHHHH finally done with this one.
this has been the longest chapter yet, and honestly one of the most fun to write.
Sorry to disappoint and not write the gala night just yet, but I needed to set up some stuff for that event.

Chapter 9: Gala Night

Summary:

The much anticipated Gala Night... enjoy

SANJI POV 

The night was warm and cloudless, and all the stars seemed to stare down at them as if they wanted a peak at Viola’s beauty. 

Three nights ago, Viola had texted him the colour palette that she wanted his outfit to be based on. Black, red, white, or wine, those had been the colours allowed. In the end, he opted for a wine-coloured two-piece suit, a black dressing shirt, black flamenco shoes (courtesy of Viola), and a wine-coloured tie that he had loosened to remain comfortable as he waited. 

Viola’s apartment building sat beside a medium-sized grocery store. She had told him that there was an underground parking lot for tenants, but he was waiting by the grocery store’s parking lot, smoking a cigarette as he reclined his back on his car. It was a modern, navy-blue car that he barely used, preferring to walk instead. So he always had it rotting in his building’s parking lot.  

His phone buzzed, bringing his wandering mind back to reality. It was Viola. ‘I’m going down.’ 

Minutes later, just as he was finishing the roach of his cigarette, Viola made good on her promise. She was stunning. 

Ever since he saw her, Sanji’s instincts told him that she was some sort of performer. The rose that she wore that day, the perfectly combined outfits that all had the same vibe to them, and the confidence and mastery of her body language suggested that possibility. But it wasn’t until she told him that she danced that all the pieces clicked together. 

So, he had expected Viola to look her best tonight, as all good performers did when it was their time to shine. But her beauty exceeded even his highest expectations. 

The roses behind her right ear were as red as blood, and when the moonlight shone on them, their petals glowed like rubies. Her white dress covered in dark dots accentuated her hourglass figure to perfection. He tried to look away, not wanting to look so starved, but the way the dress’s fabric moved as Viola walked was hypnotizing. If the light on the shining golden earring that she wore hadn’t reflected on his face, he would have continued to stare at her hips until the end of eternity. 

“Eyes up here Mr,” she said playfully. Her lips were as red as the roses on her hair. And her makeup made her cinnamon skin glow as if it were gold. Then, she grabbed him by the collar and began adjusting his tie. “Sorry that I made you wait this much. My dad forgot that today I was busy and called me. I had to make some conversation with him before hanging up. If I don't he gets really mad.” 

“Don’t worry about it,” he answered more calmly than he felt. She smells amazing. “I like your perfume, it smells awesome.” 

“Thanks. It was a gift from a friend.” 

He opened the copilot door of his car and invited her in. Once she was inside, he walked towards the driver’s door as he began chewing gum. Then, he sprayed some mild cologne on his neck, a routine that he had mastered while growing up with Zeff when he used to sneak out and smoke. 

Before starting the engine, he gave her the aux cord and told her to put on any type of music she wanted. Once she did, they began to move. 

In reality, Sanji had hoped that she would play flamenco music so he could re-familiarize himself with the rhythms. Instead, she had opted for soul and R&B. It suited the lovely night around them, and its rhythms began to ease his anxiety. But he would have still hoped that his plan had worked. 

“So where are your friends?” she asked. They didn’t make eye contact, but after Nami’s explanations, Sanji could finally feel her cold stare and the weight of her words. I really messed up. 

“They will meet us there. Their visit to the island is almost over, so they decided to travel within the island as much as possible. Right now they should be getting ready, I’ll present them to you once they arrive.” 

They remained in silence vibing to the music for a couple of minutes, but they felt like an eternity. So, he decided this was a great moment for her to solve some of his questions regarding this event. 

“I remember you telling me about this social dance event,” he began. “Unfortunately we were too busy talking about sitcoms for me to properly digest the information you told me about it. Can you tell me again how this all works, it's my first time in these sorts of events and I don’t want to mess it up.” 

“Sure, no problem. Basically, in a social dance event, we all gather to dance, which is self-explanatory. Usually, and this one will be one of those cases, the DJ plays songs to dance different styles so that you can have breaks if you don’t know a certain style or so that you can try dancing new styles. But this is a social event, so you can dance with anyone here. Just ask them to dance and they will most likely accept your offer.  We will be doing that until it hits 10:30 pm, that’s when I will perform, and after that, the event ends at 11 pm.” 

“Is that the one you’ve been rehearsing these past weeks?” 

“Yes, that's the one. Everyone in the advanced flamenco classes has been working tirelessly in this performance. I am sure you will like it.” 

He continued driving for another ten minutes. The ballroom where the Gala night would be held was at the northern end of town. Here, the buildings were older than in the south or downtown. The streets were wider, and there were fewer pole lights around. Viola explained that this area had suffered the most during the Rebellion and that even before that, the Riku family had wanted to modernize it. 

“I know it looks spooky,” she said. “But it isn't. This area has historically been occupied by telecommunication workers and downtown workers who can’t afford rent or want a quieter place to live. I’ve always enjoyed coming here.” 

He understood why she said it. The place looked like a setting for a romantic movie, similar to some of the middle levels in Water Seven. Nonetheless, the lack of light rubbed him the wrong way. Minutes later, they arrived. 

‘Rosemead Ballroom’ was located on a wide road. There were only six pole lights as far as Sanji could see, and the ballroom’s lights made up half of the street's illumination. It had a wooden facade with a bright billboard on top of its entrance that read ‘Gala night is tonight! Come and enjoy!’ Below that, the name of the business was displayed in the same way but with smaller letters. 

 More than two dozen people lined up beside the street, all dressed in elegant suits and vibrant dresses, and almost the same amount of parked vehicles lined both sides of the sidewalk. 

He parked almost at the end of the block, then went outside his door, walked past his car’s hood, and opened Viola’s door. She took his offering hand and pulled herself towards him as she stood up. Then, they walked towards the entrance. 

The line moved fast. By the time they arrived at its end, the number of people waiting for entrance had reduced by half. The couple in front of them were both part of Viola’s advanced flamenco group. Castan and Lisa were their names.

“You weren’t lying when you said you would bring a fine man.” the blonde woman jokingly said. She wore an aqua velvet dress and a shining pearl collar. “I wonder what Emilio will think.” 

Sanji saw Viola tense at the mention of Moustache-man, but Castan, a tall brunette man with bifocals who wore a black tuxedo, simply chuckled. “That man has no right to criticize anyone’s decisions on who to bring tonight,” he said. “Last time I checked with Amy, the man has gone to the last six flamenco for beginners classes with six different women.” 

“Since when do you and Amy talk?” asked Viola. 

“For a while now. She has been my cousin’s girlfriend for the past six months.” 

“Damn,” Lisa said. Then she laughed. “Having direct communication with the receptionist is messed up dude. Now I have to be on my best behaviour every time I see her so that she isn’t incentivized in snitching on me.”  

By the time it was their turn in the line, Nami had texted him that they were on their way. At the entrance one lone security guard and one employee awaited them. The former was a bald old man with a barrel chest and a raspy voice. The latter was Amy, the receptionist at Damasku’s & Rodrigo’s Dance Studio. She wore a fancy black dress and a lone pink rose behind her right ear, while the security guard wore black jeans and a thick black jacket. 

“Hello there!” she began. “Oh my god Viola! You look amazing! I will just need both of your tickets please, or if you don’t have you can buy them here.” 

Viola had bought them their tickets, fifteen berries each. After she showed them, the security guard proceeded to inspect them and then let them in. When it was his turn to be inspected, the geezer stared at him as if he were some sort of unwanted pest. It's not my fault that you prefer to touch pretty girls instead of doing your job, pervert. But, he simply smiled at the old man and let him ‘work.’ 

As he entered the venue, a golden light surrounded and overwhelmed him, and the bright dresses and the lavish jewelry of some of the attendants reflected just as intensely. It was as if he were staring directly at the sun. But once his eyes adjusted he realized how beautiful the venue was.

But his ears had adjusted before his eyes. And he had begun hearing the music ever since he was waiting in line. Firstly, he heard waltz, then flamenco, then, was that swing? He wasn’t sure. Then line dance, and then Latin hustle. Upon hearing that, he began to panic. He didn’t know half the dances. But Viola seemed to sense this, and she grabbed his arms gently and whispered at him. “Don’t worry about anything. If you don’t know a dance I’ll teach it to you." The extasis that her voice brought him made his eyes adjust to the light faster. 

It was a large room, three or four times the size of his restaurant. There was a wooden dance floor in the middle, a bar to the left with tables around it, more tables to the right of the dance floor, and a stair that took them to a second level that had even more tables and another bar. But this second level was only wide enough to fit two tables from end to end and was only at the wall where the entrance was. The room seemed to have been stuck in time twenty years ago, perfect for the theme of the night. At the very end of the wooden dance floor, there was a raised platform of the same material with red theater curtains at its sides. So that is where she will perform. 

Seeing the room made him anxious once more. The venue was magnificent, but it was too lavish for his taste… and too royal. I need a drink. 

After asking her if she wanted to come, he grabbed Viola’s hand and directed her towards the bar. There, he ordered a margarita, while Viola ordered sparkling water. But just before the bartender gave them their drinks his phone buzzed. 

We are here. Nami texted. 

VIOLA POV

Both women were beautiful. They were young and radiant, each with a smile that could melt someone’s heart, but in different ways. The blue-haired woman’s smile was full of innocence and tenderness, it reminded her of Rebecca’s smile. The orange-haired woman, on the other hand, had a wolfish smirk similar to Sanji’s, but hers was more self-aware of how attractive she was. This woman knows how to get what she wants. And that worried her. 

The former wore an elegant and slim black dress that revealed almost all of her back. Her red shoes shone, thanks to all the lightning in the room, and the vibrant yellow flower on her left ear combined perfectly with her hair. The latter wore a plain satin red dress with slim straps and a tight fit, elegant but not flashy, alongside black shoes. Her body was the outfit. It was slim but curvy where it had to be. Viola was no better than a man, and she found herself staring at the woman’s breasts and things. But soon enough, she found her tattoo more interesting than her body and wondered what had made such a young lady decide to have a piece that big on her arm. 

This is it I guess, she thought as Sanji made his way towards them. Suddenly, she regretted not ordering the margarita that Sanji had offered her. The man went ahead and spoke to both women for a second. Then, the orange-haired one glanced at her and said something to Sanji. After that, the three of them returned to where Viola stood. 

“Viola,” Sanji began. “These are my friends whom I talked about.” he pointed at the orange-haired woman. “Nami, and her girlfriend, Vivi.” he pointed at the blue-haired one. 

“Nice to meet you, Sanji told me about you two. But first let me say, you both look amazing.” 

“Thanks!” said Vivi. “You also look amazing. I was wondering if Sanji was exaggerating but now I see that he was underplaying your beauty.” 

She could feel her cheeks redden and her temperature rise, mainly because of the comment but also because of Sanji’s reaction to it. Viola couldn’t tell whose cheeks were redder. 

“Thanks for inviting us,” Nami began. “I am not a dancer but this place is amazing.” Suddenly, she placed her hand on Vivi's hip and dragged the woman closer to herself. Then, she looked her in the eyes. “And I can’t wait to dance with you all night, or at least try to.” Vivi laughed.  

Viola’s shoulders hadn’t felt this light in almost two weeks. “That is the spirit Nami, as long as you are willing to have a good time you will crush it on the dance floor. If you don’t believe me, ask Sanji.” 

The man laughed timidly. “Well I did try hard.” he turned and stared at her. “Although I did have a great teacher.” 

Nami laughed. “Well, it seems that we both have plans for the night Sanji.”  She turned again to face her girlfriend. “Madam, it seems that the dance floor awaits us, and quite frankly I am a little tired of third-wheeling when I have you to enjoy this event with.” Embraced, the two of them went towards the dance floor, passing right by Viola and Sanji. While they did this, Nami made sure to wink at Viola when their eyes met. The message was clear. He is all yours.

Beside her, Sanji coughed softly, as if hearing his voice would offend her. She turned to face him and found the man grinning like an idiot. “Well, what do you think of my friends?” 

The tone of his voice made it clear that he had figured out her suspicions, and she couldn’t help but feel like a kid caught in the middle of a mischief by her parents. He is so insightful, I should have known. But that made her question, why had the man told her such a suggestive tale? Was it to mock her? Or had he genuinely not realized the implications of his words at the time? 

“I liked them,” she managed to say. “They look mad in love, I wonder what could have possibly been discussed between them to have such an intense fight?” 

“I fear that you would need to ask Nami about that, she didn’t tell me the reason for their fight.” 

They remained at the bar for a couple more minutes watching the people on the dance floor. There were at least a dozen pairs dancing swing at the moment, Viola recognized some of them, but overall there were almost as many unfamiliar faces in the room as familiar ones. Lisa and Castan had made their way almost to the center of the dancefloor. Their chemistry was immaculate, a result of three years of practicing as a pair. Miss Damasku and Rodrigo danced to Viola’s right, beside the entrance, and greeted everyone that entered without missing a beat or misstepping a note. Esperanza and Arthur danced by the far end of the dancefloor, beside the scenery where they would perform. Esperanza’s long brunette curly hair was styled in one thick braid that reached her small back, and she wore a yellow dress that contrasted with her shining copper skin. Arthur, on the other hand, wore a plain but elegant black suit that made him look classy and serious—qualities that the dorky ginger man wasn’t characterized for having. 

By the right side of the room and in front of her, Emilio sat by one of the tables talking to a woman. Viola didn’t recognize her, she had long black hair that made her skin look paler than what it already was. Her shiny purple dress exposed her toned shoulders, and it took Viola a second to notice the black roses that adorned the woman’s hair. Those two were immersed in their conversation, but from time to time Viola could swear that Emilio was giving her quick side glances. The thought made her shudder. 

After she was done with Sanji’s margarita. (The man had offered her to switch drinks as if he knew by reading her mind that she craved liquor). She extended her hand towards him and offered him to dance. The DJ was playing a flamenco song. 

“My performance isn’t until 10:30 p.m. so we have an hour and a half to go and sweat the margarita out. You don’t want people to blame you for getting one of the performers drunk do you?” 

Sanji laughed, and despite the amount of lights that were already present in the room, his smile seemed to lighten brighter than them all. He took her hand in a firm but gentle grasp. Then, in a sudden motion, he pulled her towards him and spun at the same time. Now, he was the one who had his back towards the dance floor, and the one directing her towards it.  

Her body didn’t resist his push. He guided her through the crowd and towards the center like the wind guides dandelion petals through the air. She felt light and free. Her worries about Nami seemed to have been the result of her overthinking. All of her dancing friends were in attendance, except for Maria and her annoying trend of arriving late at everything. Sanji was as handsome as ever, and she would be dancing with him throughout the whole night. This is going to be a great night. 

SANJI POV

He was having the time of his life. He was dampened with sweat from how much he was dancing, but he felt fresher than ever. He had danced waltz with Lisa and Vivi, line dance with Esperanza, flamenco with Ms Damasku, and swing with Nami. But not before he had danced all those styles with Viola first. She taught him the basic steps and a couple of spins for each dance style, encouraging him in every step. Overall, he had danced with Viola for a longer time than with the rest of the women combined. 

‘Dancing with her’ was really hyperbole. In reality, he was mostly a spectator of Viola’s mastery while trying his best to keep up. Even in waltz, the simplest dance style of the night and one that he knew, Viola outshined him and everyone on the dance floor. In part because the sweat running down her cinnamon skin reflected all the lights around her. He knew it could be considered blasphemy, but by the way she was glowing, Sanji couldn’t help to compare her with the Sun God. 

“Eyes up here dear Sanji,” she said teasingly as their eyes began to meet after he had made her spin. “Or will I get tired of repeating that phrase throughout the night?”

He smiled. “It’s not my fault that I am making sure that I’m not stepping on you,” he switched his tone to a sarcastically offended one “But you interpret my kindness as me being a mere lustful man… How dare you!?” 

It was her turn to show her beautiful smile. They were dancing tango, or at least trying to. She didn’t respond to his comment. Her attention was more focused on teaching Sanji the basic steps and adorning her body movements to make him look like a better lead than he actually was. But then, suddenly, she charged at him, placing her breasts on his chest and her mouth beside his left ear. “Lying doesn’t suit you, Mr Chef. I know how lustful you can get.”  

His mind shut off, and he felt his legs wobble. They finished dancing the rest of the song in silence. 

He met Maria at the bar on the second floor. The only washrooms open to the public, aside from the ones that performers used backstage, were beside it, and Viola had asked him to accompany her. After she was done, she told him that Maria had texted her that she had just arrived. She and her boyfriend climbed up the steps while talking to each other. But when Maria saw Viola, she strode forward and threw herself for a hug. Fortunately, Viola was able to catch her. 

He had seen both of them before, he even exchanged a few words with the boyfriend the night he saved Rebecca, but this was the first time he stopped and let his eyes analyze their faces. Maria was almost ten centimeters shorter than Viola. She had blonde hair and a round face. Her emerald eyes shone amidst all the lights, and her smile was warm and welcoming. Her boyfriend, Marco, on the other hand, was almost as tall as him, but brunette instead of blonde. He had a sharp nose and sly eyes. He looked like he was trying to grow a beard, but he had a long way to go until then. 

They had matching outfits. Both his suit and her dress were red. She had a darker hue on her dress, and the dress’s fabric was sparkly, while his suit was on the lighter side that combined with his white dressing shirt and his red ribbon. 

“Well hello there,” Maria said to him with a smile on her face. “Long time not seeing you Mr Chef. I am glad that this time we can meet in a place like this, and not in a dark alley late at night.” 

He laughed, “Yeah you are right. But to be honest, I don’t count that day as meeting any of your three. So it is nice to finally meet you.” 

Marco stepped forward and shook Sanji’s hand. “Then it is good to meet you too, man. Are you enjoying the night so far?” 

“Yes I am, it's been really fun so far.” 

“I bet it has,” Maria answered, then she bumped her elbow a couple of times in Viola’s arm. “I mean, how could you not? You got the privilege of dancing with this bombshell. Am I right?” 

Viola’s face was red, and she couldn’t meet his eyes. 

“Yes you are right Maria, I am a lucky man.” Then he turned towards Marco. “And you are also a lucky man, dude.” Now he was looking at Maria. “Your matching outfits look very good on both of you.” 

Maria laughed. “Good lord. You are as charming as she said you were. Let's go, babe. I want to dance and I feel like we’ve overstayed our welcome.” Marco shook his hand as a goodbye, then Maria did the same. After that, the blonde woman hugged Viola and whispered something to her that made Viola laugh. Once they were gone, both he and Viola stayed silent for a while, staring at the dance floor below them filled with people dancing swing. 

“How are you feeling?” she asked, “Are you ready for another round or do you need more time to regain your energy.” 

“For you, I am ready for as many rounds as you want and at any time that you want them,” he said while smirking.

In response to his comment, Viola laughed and then pushed him away lightly by the chest. “Well then, I hope you make good on your promise, because we are about to increase the speed and complexity at what we are dancing.” 

He gulped. Then offered his hand as support as they went down the stairs. “You are a cruel woman you know? Unfortunately for you, I like it that way.” 

He heard her make a faint surprised sound, and he could feel her skin grow hotter. They descended the steps without uttering any other words, but when he looked at her eyes he could see that she wanted to say lots of things. Just give me a chance, beautiful, he thought. I want to make you comfortable enough to tell me everything that you want to say. But after he thought that, he knew he was being hypocritical because he probably had just as many things that he wanted to say to her but didn’t have the courage to do so. 

… 

He was dancing waltz with Vivi. She knew the dance well, and their previous dancing session had built them some chemistry. They were dancing slowly, or at least slower than most, simply enjoying each other’s company while they talked about their time sailing in the Going Merry. 

“So, how did it go with your girlfriend?” Vivi asked playfully. 

“We aren’t a couple, at least yet.” 

“Sorry. How did it go with your soon-to-be girlfriend?” 

“Good. It seems that the confusion got cleared up and we’ve been having a great time so far.” 

“That’s awesome!” She smiled, but then she grinned. “And do you have anything planned for after the event?” 

The question caught him off guard. The truth was, he had been so nervous preparing for the Gala night, that he had forgotten to think what to do, or where to invite Viola after it.

“Not really. I gave her a ride here so I’m going to take her back to her place. If she asks me to stay I will, but I won’t pry, that has never worked for me.” 

“I guess that is true. But I got to say, I’ve never seen a woman that in love with you. I bet that if you talk nicely, and with a little bit of flattery, you can ask propose any plan for later and she would accept it.” 

“Maybe you are right, but even if that is the case I need a little bit of time to think about it. I don’t want to invite Viola to do something lame even if she accepts doing it.”

“What a gentleman you are. Nami could learn a couple of things from you. Two months ago she invited me to watch her pickpocket homophobes at a protest against gay rights.” 

He burst out laughing. “What do you mean? That sounds like an awesome plan.”

“In hindsight it was. But put yourself in my position. She suggested the plan the morning after I had invited her to date at the best spring waters in Dressrosa, and then to a fancy restaurant by the pyramids.”  

“Oh so now you are fancy? I remember that half of the crew had better hygiene than Miss Wednesday.” 

She stepped on him. She smiled as he grunted in pain. “That was because I was undercover and Baroque Works was never a sanitary organization. So forget what I just said asshole,” she said the last word playfully. “I hope next time you dance with her you trip and fall.” They laughed together and continued dancing even slower than before for the remainder of the song. 

… 

Now, he sat by the first-floor bar with Nami to his right. She was sipping on a mimosa while he drank another margarita. She was watching Vivi and Castan dance line dance, while he watched Viola and Maria doing the same.  

“How are you liking it so far?” He asked. 

“It’s been awesome! I’ve almost forgiven you for making me look like a cheater.” She laughed. “Unfortunately, my bad rhythm has been exposed throughout the night.” 

They laughed, then continued to drink in silence. Even in a dance as simple and classy as line dance, Viola somehow managed to dance it sensually. Not in a vulgar way, it was more of a sensuality evoked by a fit body moving as smoothly as it could. Suddenly, the music around him wasn’t as loud. 

But then, Emilio and the black-haired woman with whom he was dancing, bumped into Viola and Maria. It was nothing major, they simply apologized and each pair continued on their way, but not before Emilio discretely turned around and gave a quick glance at Viola’s ass. 

He was about to begin venting to Nami, but she was quicker with her words. “He’s been eyeing her all night. I hope you are aware of that.” 

Much to his shame, he hadn’t. He did notice that there had been a weird vibe in the room ever since he entered it, but his excitement for getting to dance with Viola had overwhelmed that faint and sketchy vibe. Now, it all made sense. 

“So what now? I want to kick him so badly, but I guess that goes against the policies of this place.” He said, suddenly craving a cigarette. 

“He for sure deserves a beat down, but so far he is just being a creep. Keep an eye on him, and if he continues behaving that way,  just confront him in a civilized way after the event or when it is about to finish. You don’t want to ruin the hype of Viola’s performance by doing so earlier.” 

“I guess you are right.” He responded. Then he chugged what remained of his margarita, never taking his eyes off that creep who called himself a man. 

VIOLA POV 

“You are a quick learner, Sanji.” She said amazed. 

The last time she had checked the clock, she still had thirty minutes before she had to go backstage to get ready for the performance. So, ten minutes ago she had decided to go find Sanji and spend her remaining time dancing with him. She found him dancing waltz with Lisa. Both of them seemed to shine thanks to the lights reflecting on their blonde hair, and they danced with a back-and-forth chemistry similar to flames dancing on a bonfire. 

When the song was over, she asked for Sanji’s hand while she gave an apologetic look to Lisa. The blonde woman simply smiled mischievously as she handed Sanji to her. 

“Thanks,” Sanji responded to her compliment. “You were right, I just needed practice.” 

And he had practiced. So far, throughout the night Sanji had danced with five different women, not including her, and he had done it well. 

She should have known better, after all, she had plenty of experience in social dancing. Nonetheless, she couldn’t help but feel jealous every time she saw Sanji dancing with someone else. Yet, the more she rationalized her jealousy, the more she understood how inexperienced she was in this particular situation. In the past, every time she and Doffy would go out to an event, he would be too busy scheming his next evil act to dance, and when he danced he would do so only with her. It was a humiliation ritual for those who knew how Dressrosan politics worked. The message was simple, look at me you low-life criminals, I am Donquixote Doflamingo, and I have the Riku family dancing in the palm of my hand. Also, she would only be allowed to dance with the men that Doffy had as a target, luring them into a false sense of security so then Doffy could kill them. Now that she thought about it, it had been a while since she had had this much fun dancing. 

They had been dancing Latin hustle for a while, but when the song ended they went to the bar for a glass of water. Both of them were tired and sweaty, but when the flamenco song began, they both went straight to the dance floor and began dancing as if they weren’t panting in exhaustion mere minutes ago. 

They stood side by side, stomping their feet in an intermediate-level pattern so that Sanji could keep up, with her occasional bursts of inspiration that resulted in quick but complex ‘zapateo’ combinations. Then, she spun until her back was mere centimeters from his chest and stomach. Once there, she bent down and began to rise as she waved her arms. Sanji understood the assignment and began shadowing her arm movements with his arms. His chin was beside her right ear, so close that she could hear and smell his breaths. 

After a couple of minutes of waving her arms around and thinking of places where Sanji’s lovely mouth could kiss her, she spun forward until they were looking at each other at arm’s length. Then, they began mirroring each other’s spins and stomps while they went back and forth in a line. Whoever walked forward was the one who dictated the rhythm and the steps. When it was Sanji’s turn, he made her do intermediate zapateo combinations with a couple of twists and hand gestures that didn’t match his silhouette but definitely enhanced hers. When she was in the lead, she made him do complex twists, zapateo combinations, and body movements that the poor man was barely able to follow. He is trying tho. In reality, she just wanted to make the man pant and let her imagination run wild. 

When the final crescendo of the song began, indicating that the song’s end was near, she made her turns and spins even more complex than before. She saw that Sanji almost tripped twice, but managed to regain his balance. Then, as the final notes began to play she threw herself at him. Once he held her in his arms, one arm on her back while the other on her hamstrings just below her ass, she told him to spin her around. Once he obeyed, she extended one of her legs, and her neck as she delicately waved her arms. It had been a while since she felt like the star of the show in one of these events, and she was loving feeling like that once again. 

His hold was firm but respectful. His left hand moved up and down her back to balance her weight, but his right hand stood firm in its place, at times going down but never up. Oh darling you can touch it, trust me I won't bite. By the time the music was done, she realized that everyone had made room for them to spin and that almost everyone was staring. 

She would have loved to stay still and stare at Sanji’s eyes for an eternity, but she knew what time it was, and duty called. 

“You are an excellent dancer,” she told her as he put her down. “And I would love to dance with you even more, but I have to go. I have to get ready for the performance.”

She could see the disappointment in his eyes and how he lowered his gaze. So before she left she held his chin, lifted it, and made him stare at her. “Don’t worry about it, I’ll be right back. Just sit back and enjoy the show.” she lowered her eyes to scan her own body. “One more thing… “ she grabbed him by the collar, pulled him towards him, and kissed him passionately for a few seconds. “Don’t miss me too much.”

…

She got out of the bathroom stall after she had finished changing into her performance costume. It consisted of a red satin dress with a lace-trim tiered skirt, a black sports bra, and a tiara decorated with red roses. 

On one of the sinks, Maria stared at one of the mirrors as she put on her red lip gloss, beside her, Lisa was finishing her makeup. 

“How do I look?” she asked both women. 

“Stunning,” said Maria. 

“Gorgeous,” said Lisa. 

Once both of them were done, she began doing her makeup and putting on her lip gloss. She had dreaded the time when she had to debrief how her night with Sanji had been going so far, but fortunately, they kept their questions short and scarce. Most likely they saw most of what they wanted to ask, because she got more compliments about her dance with Sanji than questions about him. Maria had told the rest of the girls that Sanji was a chef, and all of them had asked her what had he cooked for her so far. When she told them they all began to giggle. 

“Oh, I love a man that can cook.”

“Dining pasta and wine in his house? I would have married him on the spot.” 

Ms. Damasku entered the bathroom and asked them if they were ready, and aside from Sofia, a brunette short woman with hazel eyes and a smile with a tooth gap in the middle, they all were. Three minutes later, the ten of them were ready to go. 

Ten men awaited them in the hallway behind the scenario, all dressed in black dressing pants, a white dressing shirt, a black dressing vest, and a black pork pie hat. Once the twenty of them were gathered, each of them got together with their designated pair. 

She found Arthur chatting with Emilio. When the ginger man saw her he went for the hug. She accepted it, but couldn’t help but notice Emilio’s awkward glance when they embraced. 

“Are you ready Arthur?” she asked her pair. 

The man rubbed his nape as his cheeks reddened. “Kind of, I am a little bit nervous.” 

“Oh don’t worry about it. I know it is your first performance but you are in the advanced class for a reason. I’ve seen you dance and I’ve danced with you, trust in what you are doing because your body knows what to do.” 

The man laughed timidly. “Thanks, coming from you, that means a lot.” 

Emilio’s awkward presence had become unbearable, but the man refused to leave despite Sofia calling for him. So, Viola turned around and faced him.

“Hi Emilio, how is your night going?” 

The man smiled, but his smile didn’t have any warmth. “So far pretty good, my date seemed to be enjoying it so that is all I need.”

“Oh that's right I saw you with her,” she began. “She is gorgeous, how did you meet her?” 

“Her name is Gaele, I met her at a house party from one of my friends this past week. You should have come, it was really fun.” 

A grown adult ten years my senior talking about house parties? “Oh I’m glad to hear, but like I told you before I have been pretty busy these past weeks. Sorry, maybe next time.” 

The man simply nodded and passed by her, finally joining his dance partner. 

“Man he is dense,” Arthur whispered beside her. 

“He sure is.” 

… 

“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I AM HONOURED TO PRESENT YOU ‘AMOR MIO, AMOR INALCANZABLE’ PERFORMED BY THE ADVANCED FLAMENCO TEAM!”

A roar of claps followed as they advanced in a line holding hands with their partners. She looked for Sanji through the audience and found him standing almost in the front row, just behind Ms Damasku, Rodrigo, and the cameramen. Nami and Vivi were at one of the tables to her right, beside the first-floor bar, drinking cocktails as they watched. 

Their staging consisted of two rows with five pairs each. She began the choreography in the front row. To her right were Lisa and Castan, and to her left were Esperanza and Julio. Emilio and Sofia were in the left corner of the first row while Maria and Orlando were in the middle of the second row. 

The music began. Every pair stared at each other at arm's length, giving their side profile to the audience. They walked towards each other while doing zapateo combinations and brazeo movements. Once they were close enough to each other, she spun to place her back against his chest and look at each other’s eyes. They made a couple of body pulsations while they walked to the front. Then, Arthur grabbed her right shoulder with his right hand and spun her towards him, but before they were face to face again, he turned around to give her his back and began to wave his arms to accentuate his broad chest in macho-like movements. She shadowed him for a while, then moved and spun around him as if she were the moon and he was Earth. Then, as she was at the edge of the scenario and facing the audience, he strode quickly towards her, grabbed her waist, and began shadowing her movements. She was waving her arms above her head in a way that displayed the entire silhouette of her upper body. At times he would wave his arms beside her hips to accentuate the other half of her silhouette, and sometimes he would step sideways and stare at her while she moved, playfully shaking his hand in approval. All part of the choreography. 

Performing hadn’t felt this good in a while. Aside from Sanji, she couldn’t have asked for a better partner to perform. Arthur was an awkward guy who despite repeating all those teasing moves throughout rehearsal, when he had to do them was just as timid as the first time they practiced together. But despite that, his moves were still confident and decisive. 

The guitars had begun to accelerate their tempo, a sign that the performance was about to be finished. They were spinning together as they stared at each other. Her hands clasped behind her back, while he had one on his hip and the other one above his head. She was smiling, in part because of the joy that performing with Arthur brought her, but also because she had felt Sanji’s jealous stares all throughout the performance. She knew she was a hypocrite for enjoying that, but the feeling of being selfishly desired by Sanji gave her hope that their relationship would prosper. 

The two rows had swapped positions, and they were now on the back row. Nonetheless, they had positioned themselves in a way that the audience was able to see their favourite performer regardless of the row they were in. She was in the middle of a spin to close distance with Arthur when the explosion occurred. Total chaos followed. 

Suddenly, the lights went off. Viola heard people screaming and running. Her ears began to ring, and her head to spin. Two people ran past her, making her fall. She called for Arthur, then for Sanji, but no one could hear her amidst the storm of voices. Then, two strong hands grabbed her from behind. One of them from the waist while the other covered her mouth and nose. The latter hand had a sweet odor, but she knew what it was. Desperate, she tried to punch whoever was holding her from behind, but the chloroform knocked her down before she could connect a good hit. She knew nothing else after that. 

 

Notes:

Writing this was... a lot. I had to do three edits, and redo the original script because I didn't liked it, so I hope the wait was worth it.

I believe that the next chapter is also going to be a lenghty one, so I might also have to take a while in that. But for now, enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think!!

Chapter 10: The Righteous People

Summary:

Viola's experience as a hostage while she is being tormented by her memories.

TW: SA talk, non-consentual acts being performed, and talk of hate, death, and racism. Procede with caution.

VIOLA POV 

She woke up in total darkness. Her head was warm and she had trouble breathing. A mask, she realized. 

She was sitting on an old wooden chair with her hands tied to her back with an old itchy rope. They hadn’t muzzled her, but she was in no rush to talk. Instead, she opted to wait and hear. 

“I told you already,” said a raspy voice that sounded vaguely familiar. “She was at the event. I used to work as a guard at Drum Island, I’ve seen her before.” 

“Well, you should have said something,” a woman responded. “If your old ass had told me quicker we might have two princesses to leverage instead of just one.” 

She had a thousand questions running wildly within her mind. She wasn’t a princess, but she was fairly sure they were talking about her. But who was the second one? Also, what will they be leveraging? But most importantly, who were these people? 

She remained still and silent, selling the idea that she was still unconscious. The two voices talked a bit more. And as they did, she grew certain that she had heard the raspy voice before. 

Thanks to them, she gathered that they had kidnapped most of the flamenco performers, as well as a couple more attendees of the event. She tried to listen for the other victims’ presence, but she heard nothing. Either they were still unconscious, or they had been placed in a separate room, which was possible considering they only seemed to have a particular interest in her. 

But that knowledge made her question a thousand more things. Had they captured Maria? What about Lisa? Or Esperanza? Thanks to her time with Doffy, her mind went to very dark places. She prayed for her girls’ safety, as well as for the safety of any other women kidnapped. 

After the voices disappeared, she didn’t hear anything but her breath for a while. The room she was in was warm and moist. It smelled like rusty iron and smoke. What happened to Sanji? She wondered. The man was quick and he could fight, but no human could see in the dark, and whoever these people were, it was clear that they were armed and organized. 

And what about his friends? Had they suffered the same destiny as her? They were attractive enough to be the target of a man’s perversion. She shuddered. Suddenly, breathing became even harder. 

But when she began to hear the steps coming at her and the voices reappeared, she realized that as she worried about everyone else, she had forgotten to worry about herself. 

The steps came from in front of her. The echo in the room made it hard to count, but she was sure that at least three pairs of feet walked toward her. 

“How long until we make our demands.” Asked the raspy voice from before. “Surely by now, people have realized that this was a massive kidnapping.” 

“Yes they have,” answered an abnormally deep voice, only capable with a voice modulator. “But we won’t do that yet. Crime is like cooking, and a great dish can only be possible if you let your ingredients simmer for a while.”  

No, no, no, no, no. Please don’t. He would never. He wasn’t like that… was he? Please no. For the love of God, not him. Her body had forgotten that she was pretending to be unconscious, so she began to tremble uncontrollably in rage and disbelief. Her captors caught that. 

“Well look at that,” said the unnaturally deep voice. “It seems that our princess is awake. We can finally question her and let her know that it is hopeless to resist.” 

Despite trying her best to not let them out, when her captors took out the hood that covered her face they found her with tears running down her cheeks. 

Two tall figures stood in front of her. They were dressed in black gowns, and their limbs were hidden in the dark fabric, making them look like shadows. Each of them had a white dragon mask covering their heads. Their eyes and teeth were golden, and their whiskers were blue. Celestial Dragons. She was at the hands of The Righteous People. Her body began to tremble with more intensity. 

The extremist closest to her realized that and chucked faintly, revealing that they were the one with the voice modulator. The poor illumination in the room and her current sitting position made it hard to determine their height, but this wicked person was approximately as tall as a certain gentle chef. 

The extremist stepped closer to her. Then, they revélese one of their arms. It was a large arm covered in more black fabric and a black glove. The black hand grabbed her angrily by the chin, shook her head a couple of times, and then forced her to look up and stare at the dragon’s eyes. 

“Hello there beautiful,” the voice laughed. “Please don’t cry princess, we are not going to hurt you. We just want our demands to be met, and you are going to help us accomplish that.”

Despite her sobs being loud, their laughs were even louder. 

NAMI POV 

When the lights finally returned, she found Vivi on the floor by the tables closer to the main entrance beside the first-floor bar. Her head was bruised and her dress slightly ragged, but aside from that she was all right. 

Nami had bruises all over her arms, and her ears hadn’t stopped ringing. Countless people had bumped into her when the lights had gone off. She was able to maintain her balance, but amidst the chaos she had lost her princess. 

“I’m here I’m here,” Nami said as she bent down to hug her girlfriend and inspect her bruises “How are you? Can you stand? Do you need any help?”  

Vivi looked at her with confused eyes at first, but after a couple of seconds, she processed what had happened and began to stand up. 

Despite the lights having returned, there was chaos all over the place. People screamed, searching for their friends and families, while security guards and men ran all over trying to find them. Everyone was acting like headless chickens. 

The explosion had occurred on the second floor beside the bar. The right side of the bar was completely demolished and a bartender lay dead on the wall with his head red and beyond recognition. His coworker hugged his corpse, and their wails could be heard loudly even amidst the chaos. 

Nami could hear sirens in the distance. Inside the building security guards began to try to calm the crown with little success. She recognized most of their faces. She always made a point to locate security everywhere she went, but she didn’t see the bald man who stood at the entrance. Just then she realized that there were only four performers left in the room, and Viola wasn’t one of them.  

After she and Vivi scanned the place in more detail, they realized that the six performers were not the only people missing. Five more people had disappeared. Two old ladies, a man in his forties, a young man who had been welcomed into adulthood two weeks ago, and Sanji. They were all gone. 

***

The pigs arrived fifteen minutes later. They had questioned everyone present on the street, while a squad entered the ballroom and searched the whole place. 

The night was cold and windy. The streets seemed to wail every time a breeze passed through them, and the lights were dimmer than before. Beside her, Vivi tried to maintain her composure, but Nami could see that she was faltering. Nami was also paranoid, but the absence of Sanji, in a weird way, reassured her. Vivi had only witnessed it once, but Nami had witnessed multiple times just how effective Sanji was at sneaking in places where he shouldn’t. If there was a man who could find the missing people before the pigs did, it was definitely Sanji. 

Ten more minutes passed and she hadn’t heard a thing from Sanji. The squad that had entered the ballroom exited from it. Two pigs from the squad went and squealed to their chief on the other side of the street, while the rest of them got into black vans and drove away. They are truly gone, she realized. She had hoped, and apparently the pigs had also hoped, that whoever took those people as hostages had remained inside the building, but that wasn’t the case. 

She stared at the text message she had sent Sanji a while back. Where are you? And how can I help? But so far he hadn’t even received the text. Even if he had, it wouldn’t have made much of a difference. The man was stubborn to a fault, and up until recently, he would rather die than ask for help. Now, with his lover in danger, she assumed that he would go back to his old habits. Just stay safe Sanji, please.

Her phone, along with all the phones around her, began to buzz. As soon as she unlocked it, her shocked reaction almost made her drop it. A woman wailed beside her, and Vivi hugged her tightly. 

A video was playing on her phone. On it, seven black figures with white dragon masks stood behind the four missing civilians and all missing performers. The hostages were sitting on a semicircle of wooden chairs. Their hands were tied behind their backs, and their eyes were covered with black strips of fabric that looked tighter than they needed to be. 

Viola’s chair was positioned in the middle of the circle, with one of the extremists standing to her left.

“Hello people of Dressrosa,” spoke the one beside Viola in a deep synthesized voice. “We are The Righteous People and we have some people you might recognize. If you don’t want any harm to come to them, then listen carefully and meet our demands. Let’s negotiate like the civilized people we all are.” 

VIOLA POV 

She only realized they had stopped filming when the lights stopped burning her face. Before they even took her out of the room, they made her swallow three pale pink pills. She tried to fight back, but one of the extremists pinched her nose while pulling her hair down. They made her swallow them as soon as she opened her mouth to breathe. 

Soon after, her head began to spin. She could feel her bowels move and her heartbeat accelerate. Everything around her was ringing, and she felt as if she was levitating. That’s why she barely felt anything when they tied the bandanna around her eyes and lifted her toward a different room. 

She wanted to vomit so badly, but no matter how hard she tried, she wasn’t able to do so. Her throat was dry as the Arabastian desert, and every time she gulped saliva it felt as if she was swallowing razor blades. 

She had heard the deep voice beside her talk to the cameras, but she couldn’t understand the words they were saying. She knew what they were demanding, they had told her before forcing the pills on her. In exchange for liberating the hostages intact, The Righteous People demanded that they be accepted in the Dressrosan parliament as a pro-royalist party. It was ludicrous, madness even. But with all the celestial dragons gone, that was the only way for them to be recognized as a legitimate alternative way of government. 

She dreaded the idea of giving them what they wanted. There is no greater mistake than to give a movement fuel by hate the possibility of governing. But she didn’t doubt that the video would reach her father, and if there was someone who had the power to influénciate parliament to meet those demands, it was him. 

They were carrying her back towards the room she had woken up. Despite her intoxicated state, the extremists didn’t take any chances and carried her in the chair she was tied to. “If our demands are met within a reasonable time we won’t hurt you,” the deep voice had said. But what if they didn't meet in said time? 

At first, she had been sure they wouldn’t rape her, after all, she was their most valuable hostage, but now she wasn’t sure. And what about the rest of the women they had kidnapped? At least she knew that that horrendous destiny wouldn’t come to her any time soon, it would only come if it took a while to meet the extremist needs. But as far as she knew, the sexual well-being of the rest of the hostages didn’t matter to these wicked people. She grinned her teeth.

Inhale deeply and think of a happy memory of your childhood, she pleaded to the rest of the hostages in her thoughts, as if they could hear her. She had learned that trick while she was still with Doffy. If she insisted enough with her refusals for intercourse, the man would simply grumble, hit a hole in the closest wall from her, and go to sleep angrily. But most of the time, she ended up complying despite her initial refusal, not wanting him to explode in rage. 

She was back in the room where this nightmare started, or at least she assumed she was. There was no one in the room besides herself. They had taken the bandana off, but they had replaced it with the hood from before. 

Her body was still being affected by the pills. Her skin burned, and she found it difficult to breathe. The ringing in her ears had begun to sound like Doffy’s laugh. It was loud, wicked, and overwhelming. She could feel her body tremble violently, and her mind began to drown her with memories. 

First, she appeared in the bar where she first met him. That night she wasn’t supposed to be out, but Maria had convinced her at the last second to go. He was tall, blonde, and charming. His smile had a smugness that she had never seen, and his stare, even with his eyes hidden in those ridiculous glasses, had a fire that had burned her from within. He invited her for a drink, then that turned into two, then three, four, five. By the time she recovered her consciousness, she lay naked beside him in a room she hadn’t remembered entering. 

Then, she saw the countless dates that she had gone with him. The ones where he was still gentle, like when they used to walk by the shore for hours. The fancy dinner dates, staring at the fireworks by the harbour. The first time he hit her… 

Her nausea got worse, and she could feel the vomit rise through her throat, but it always fell back to her stomach before she could expel it from her body. 

She was once again on one of her dates with Doffy. This time she saw the time when she first saw his cruel nature. They had gone out with his friends to a bar. He would never let her invite her friends. A drunken young man had complimented her more than Doffy liked, and she was forced to watch how he beat the boy to a pulp in the back alley of the bar. His bloodied face still gave her nightmares. But something was different. She saw more of her days with Doffy, but from time to time, Doffy’s face would switch and become Sanji’s face. His face would appear sporadically when her hallucinations showed her dinners, nightclub nights, social dancing events, and countless other days she had spent with Doffy. 

The first time she saw the chef, she couldn’t help but notice the similarities, but the more Sanji’s face appeared on Doffy’s body, the more she realized just how different the two of them were. Sanji’s face was soft and gentle, while Doffy’s was sharp and angry. Both men had noticeable jawlines and features, but Sanji’s were elegant in their sharpness, like a marble sculpture on a temple, while Doffy’s were ridiculously pointy, like the result of an artist experimenting with their sculpting skills on a clay model. 

Both men liked to smirk, but Doffy’s smirk assimilated that of a wolf who knew their prey had no escape. Sanji’s smirk resembled one of a fox proud of showing someone the newest mischief they had pulled off.

But the biggest difference between the two men was their eyes. Doffy’s eyes were chilling. Even when they were fired with anger or lust, their flames chilled her soul, like flames from the underworld. Sanji’s were passionate. It seemed ironic, but his eyes had a welcoming warmth like a gentle flame used for cooking food for the ones in need. But she had also seen herself be consumed by the overwhelming heat of this flame, even if it was for a short period of time. But its heat was gentle, like the sun at noon on a day in spring, or like the warmth of a heating pad when you are sick, or like the love of someone who appreciates you for who you are… 

The laughter of the deeply modulated voice and its steps entering the room snapped her back to reality. “Hello there princess. I hope you didn’t miss me too much.” she could feel their voice getting closer and closer, and his steps louder and louder. “Your father hasn’t sent a proper response, but the police have started to mobilize. So, is there anything you want me to tell me about your father? Any weaknesses we can exploit aside from kidnapping his daughter? The effects of the pills should be wearing off by now, so I need you to start talking." There was silence for a second, then a click crawled her skin and arched her back like a cornered stray cat. Even with the hood standing between them, the gun barrel felt cold on her forehead. “Or things will start to get ugly for you and your friends.” 

VIVI POV

The distance between her and Nami had started to widen. She could see her girlfriend’s wavy orange hair run farther and farther away from her. Vivi wanted to call her, tell her to slow down, and wait for her, but she couldn’t stomach herself doing so. 

When Sanji had sent them the text message with his location, Nami had simply darted towards there. For her gorgeous girlfriend, it didn't seem to matter that she was wearing a tight dress and heels. She ran like she was wearing the newest run gear on the market. In any other situation, she would find this hot. The ability in which she ran with heels on, the way her dress enhanced the shape of her butt, and the sound of her panting… the elements were certainly there. She reprimanded herself for thinking that way and began to run faster. 

Sanji hadn’t said a word, he simply shared his location with them, but both of them knew what it meant—although Vivi had to admit that she caught the meaning of it a couple of minutes after she began following her running girlfriend. He found them. 

How? She didn’t have the slightest clue. She had heard Nami talk about Mr Prince’s exploits on Arabasta and a little bit of what he did on Water Seven, but to be frank she couldn’t believe it. She wasn’t downplaying Sanji’s abilities, she knew just how deadly the man could be in a fight. But it amazed her that Sanji could go in full serious mode for a prolonged amount of time without falling for the first woman he saw. 

They ran towards an abandoned warehouse further up north of the island. As they went, the streets became quieter, the dim lights became even dimmer, and the air became even colder. She could hear the ocean crash on Dressrosa’s rocky northern shore. Having a cartographer girlfriend forced her to learn the map of every island they visited. 

Nami glanced back and de-accelerated to close the distance between them. That made her feel guilty. After all, she was not the royal descendant that they were trying to rescue and protect, but Nami seemed to read what she was thinking and was quick to reassure her. 

“Hey,” she began. “Don’t push yourself too hard. We are more helpful if we stay together than if we separate.” 

They veered to the left, then to the right, and the left again. Two blocks passed until they turned right once more. She had no idea where she was. It wasn’t until Nami stopped suddenly and raised her hand to block Vivi’s path, that she stopped to analyze her surroundings. 

They stood at the beginning of a block filled with residential buildings. They were made of bricks, and the window frames were made of wood. A few windows had their lights on, and the few that did had a pisslike yellow colour to them. Two blocks in front of them, the warehouse where Sanji had sent his location lay, separated from this residential area by a big metallic fence. 

 

??? POV 

He wasn’t an extremist, he had never been. He was hungry, the night was cold, and this stupid dragon mask didn’t let him breathe properly. It had been a while since the last time he had to use the mask. Usually, that ‘honour’ was reserved for the ones more devoted to the cause like Oilime or Fisto, and sometimes his cousin.

Every time he saw Elga wear the mask he had to contain his laughter. He still remembered fondly the day he discovered how much money they could make as extremists. The joy he and his cousin shared as they planned their way into the ranks of the organization and how they would climb its social hierarchy. Every time Elga said something outlandish he would remember how they had practiced it the night before. They would go over how to say it, when to say it, and to whom they would say it. Along the way, he had said his fair share of hateful things and killed his fair share of minorities, but nothing as crazy as his cousin. He wasn’t a good actor.

Soon, they went from affiliated acquaintances to official members, to security staff, to then Elga becoming part of the board of directors. All because the bastards were too busy hating people inferior to me. He wasn’t a racist, he believed that anyone could achieve anything. Mainly because everyone is a fool. Still, he wouldn’t mind that the world had a couple of slaves here and there so he could dine caviar seven days a week. 

The new guys were doing a passable job at best. They all had that fuel that he always lacked to reach the very top of this organization, but they lacked the vision for it. Too loud, too irrational, too obvious, and too predictable. There isn’t a worse butcher than the one who alerts his pigs when he is going to kill them. But for tonight, their muscles and their guns would suffice. 

He had just returned from taking a piss at one of the corners of the fence near the beginning of the rocky shore. As he walked back to his position at the main entrance of the warehouse, he saw how two of the new guys shared a smoke nearby. A cigarette would do him good, the stress of waiting had him hyperventilating. But this wasn’t the time. Smoking meant taking off his mask, and if someone were to see his face it would all be over, and the new guys hadn’t earned the privilege to see his face either. 

He returned to his post, turning away from the new guys for a second while he opened the heavy warehouse’s door. It made an ugly cranky sound, like an old hag wailing in pain. He could see a group of the less important hostages sitting a couple of meters away from him. There were only eight of them. He smiled. Oilime’s plan seemed to be working for now. Still, he was a bit worried. The only way their Oilime could get away with his plan depended on their informants by the residence buildings nearby. He never trusted third-party informants. 

He turned around to lock the door but found that the new guys were nowhere to be seen. Lazy bastards, this isn’t the moment to slack around. Soon the police would arrive to exchange hostages and meet their demands. He stepped outside the warehouse, pulling the door back until ajar. The nights got colder, and he began to shrivel. 

He gave one step forward, then two, three, four, and five, but he couldn’t see the newbies. He looked left and right countless times, but he only saw darkness and shadows. He wanted to scream for them, but he knew that was a horrible idea. He had raised his gun a while back, but his shivering hands made his rifle clank. 

Something moved to his right. But when he turned and faced it with his finger rubbing the trigger, he realized that it had only been a trick of the moonlight on a shadow, like a mirage. He began stepping back to the warehouse while scanning all his surroundings. Someone was here, he knew it. His palms were sweating and he had begun to pant. Suddenly, the mask was even hotter. He couldn’t even see the newbies’ knocked-out bodies, or their corpses if they had been unlucky. It was as if they had been abducted by a demon, never to be seen again in the mortal realm. 

Tsk, tsk. He heard. 

Where? He looked frantically around. 

Tsk, tsk. 

The shadows were moving even more, and the moon seemed to be judging him. His rifle felt hot, and his finger began to itch. Where are you? You shouldn’t be here. We were not informed. 

He smelt the lit cigarette before he saw it. But by the time he saw a blur of it, he was already falling to the ground with his nose broken, and half his teeth gone. The last thing he saw was an imposing blonde man staring down at him. He almost had a heart attack before falling unconscious. Through his blurry vision, the man looked exactly like Donxijote Doflamingo. The man who killed his brother. 

VIOLA POV

She had told the man everything. He hadn’t taken his mask off, although he had taken her hood off, letting her stare at that horrible mask. Nonetheless, he didn’t have to. His height was a big indicator, but it wasn’t the only one. The arrogance, the lust that emanated from his silhouette, the entitlement. This was a man who didn’t believe in a ‘no’ as an answer. And that terrified her. 

She told him about his father’s weakness in his family. How he would sacrifice everything for the well-being of them, even if this family had done countless things to not deserve his help. She told him that his father wasn’t a prideful man. He couldn’t be bothered about defending the name of the Riku family, but he would fight tooth and nail to defend his businesses, the wellbeing of his employees, and every inhabitant of Dressrosa. She told him that his father was a gentle man, too gentle for his own good. And that hurting the other hostages would make him less cooperative, but more desperate. She wished she hadn’t said that last part. 

Why had she said it? She had no clue. Throughout her kidnapping, she had begun to hallucinate and self-reflect. Why had she hidden her relationship with Doffy from her father for so long? If she hadn’t, then maybe he could have investigated him more and found out the monster that he was before it had been too late. Why had she agreed to have drinks with him that one night? She was supposed to be up early the next morning. If she had been just a little more responsible with her sleep schedule, she wouldn't have even met the man. Why hadn’t she been more insistent in saying no when he demanded her body? Because I was afraid. I was afraid of what he was capable of, and afraid that despite that I wouldn’t leave him. I couldn’t. The tears had been pouring down her cheeks for a while. 

While she spoke, the man simply stared at her with that horrible mask of his. He looked impatient, even uncomfortable. It seemed that The Righteous People didn’t spend every day in those gowns, as the man kept moving the fabric around his wrists and neck. He is used to wearing suits, she realized. But the man didn’t smell like cigarettes. No one could possibly fake a smoking addiction just to improve their disguise… right? 

She was alone once more. The man had gone outside in a rush. Maybe the police are finally here. He hadn’t put the hood back on her head, but that didn’t matter. The amount of tears in her eyes was enough to blind her from her surroundings. 

She was coming to terms with her naiveness when she heard rifles open fire. Her body tensed, realizing just how exposed she was. If a single loose bullet hit her it would be her end. Cops? This fast? She could not believe it. By now, knowing her father, he would still be debating whether or not to meet all the extremists’ demands, or if he should aim to negotiate for a middle ground. Besides, Doffy had shown her how little coin it was needed to turn an entire police department into a bunch of useless bootlickers.

More shots were fired. Somehow, these sounded desperate and frantic. She heard men yell commands, curses, and pleas. One by one, the rifles seemed to shut up. After a couple of them fell silent, an extremist came running at her and positioned themself behind her. His heavy panting through his voice modulator revealed him as the man from before. He was angry and desperate. And she was alone and scared. She pulled her legs closer to each other and slowed down her breathing, with not much success. 

“Who are you looking at, bitch?” he said in an angry voice. Then, he pulled out a gun from his back and aimed it at her. “Fuck, this is all your fault.” 

Her legs wobbled, and her hands went numb. She tried to ask for an explanation of what she had done. So far she had complied. But her words failed her, and she simply responded to the accusation with a ramble of intelligent sounds. 

“Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!” He put the gun barrel on her ear while he pulled her hair down. “I don’t want to hear your excuses. Did you tell him? How does he know? Did you share your location?” 

She had no idea what he was referring to. But before she could answer, a man flew from the entrance of the room and fell a few meters away from her. His dragon mask was shattered, his blonde hair was tainted in blood, and she recognized this man as an ex-henchman of the Donquixote family. Oh my god, Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. He escaped prison. He is here to get his revenge, he is—a blonde man entered the room. His wine suit was covered in blood, more so in his dressing pants. He stared at the man behind him with the angriest eyes she had ever seen. The smell of cigarettes on him was the sweetest scent she had ever smelt. 

Notes:

Hellooo, sorry If I left you waiting for a while, I've been really busy as of lately. I hope you like the chapter, it wasn't a fun experience writing Viola's POV, but I had lots of fun writing the extremist's monologue, I hope it conveyed the message that I was trying to deliver. Also, sorry if you were expecting Sanji's POV, I promise that you will have plenty of it next chapter.

I miss when these chapters were 3k words max lol, but the extra work has been personally ery rewarding.

Chapter 11: The gun, the dancer, and the chef

Summary:

Sanji plans a way to rescue Viola from her captors, while she reflects on what she know about Sanji and how much he means to her.

TW: explicit language, and mention of violence

Notes:

Helloooo! here is the newest chapter I hope you enjoy it.

I played a bit with the POV switch so that it wouldn't interfeer with the flow of the chapter, I hope you like it and that it is easy to understand

SANJI POV 

His eyes couldn’t believe what he was seeing. One of the cowards who was able to escape his wrath held a gun to Viola’s head. He cursed himself for not knocking him down when he had the chance. The man had danced around his kicks as swiftly as the wind. His footwork had amazed him, but Sanji was at least able to connect two kicks to the extremist’s stomach. Even with his ears ringing with rage, he could hear the extremist panting in pain as he held Viola. 

His haki was at a level where he could sense if someone was a man or a woman. He had troubles distinguishing queer folks, but to his fortune none of the extremists were part of this demographic.

Nami and Vivi were taking care of the only extremist woman and a bunch of their henchmen, while he dealt with the rest of the extremists. Ever since their expedition in Wano, he had an easier time delegating combat responsibilities to the women he trusted. And there wasn’t a woman he trusted more than Nami eager to show off her combat skills to her girlfriend. 

He took a small step. But just as he did, the extremist pulled Viola’s hair down with more force and began to yell. 

“Stay right there asshole!” His voice was trembling, and the voice modulator had begun to fail. “If you move I’m going to blow the head of this bitch!” 

Sanji wanted to kill him, but Viola’s hesitant and scared eyes froze him. She looked terrified, but there was something else in those eyes that perturbed him. She looked at him as if he were a ghost, and he got the sense that somehow she was terrified of him.

 

    The man on the floor looked worse than any of Doffy’s victims had ever looked. If it wasn’t for the half-moon tattoo on the left side of his face, Viola wouldn’t have recognized him. His nose was shattered. He couldn’t open one of his eyes, and the other one had a colour between red and purple. His chin was covered in blood, and when he opened his mouth to wail, Viola saw that he only had a handful of teeth remaining. He did this. Sanji is capable of this. Suddenly, the blonde hair of the bloodied man turned brunette, and his face became the one she saw every day in the reflection of her bathroom mirror. 

As the bloodied man wailed, she could feel the gun barrel tremble in her ear, and the man holding it grunt. 

Sanji raised his hands slowly, letting the extremist know that he posed no threat. Contrary to the rest of his body, his hands looked pristine. How? There wasn’t a single bruise on them, and she couldn’t see any blood on them either. Did he take the lives of these men as a game? Those were the same strong but delicate hands she had been dancing with all night, but suddenly, she didn’t recognize them anymore. 

The bloodied man on the floor began to turn around on his back. He stood face down for a while, vomiting blood while he cried. Then, he began to crawl towards her. 

“I am not moving,” Sanji said with a loud voice she had never heard, but that seemed to come naturally to him. “So tell your man to stay where he is.” 

The man behind her laughed, but the voice modulator failed him a couple of times. She had heard that voice before. “Who do you think you are? Look around you! You have no right to make demands right now!” 

Sanji smirked wolfishly, making her body tremble. “Sorry if I am wrong. I tend to have a very bad memory. But I seem to remember hearing rifles firing not long ago, but now I hear nothing. Do you also remember them, or was that just a trick of my mind?” 

The gun barrel trembled even more, and suddenly, Viola realized how overwhelmingly silent the room had become. I knew of another man who loved to make jokes in high-tension moments. “Please, man, lower your gun. Those who got rid of your men were not police, but we can negotiate. No one needs to get hurt.” 

The man behind her somehow managed to panic even more. She wanted to yell at Sanji to shut up, that teasing a cornered beast was a bad idea. But she was unable to speak. The gun barrel on her ear muzzled her, and she wasn’t sure of which man she was most afraid of at the moment. 

 

    The cold and dusty floor was his only comfort. His head pounded like an agitated heart, and everything hurt every time he breathed. The air he inhaled hurt the exposed flesh where his nose had been this morning. And when he exhaled, he felt as if his lungs were burning. 

Fucking Morgan. It’s all his fault. He wanted to scream and curse him, to tell Oilime that he had been right about him and Elga all along. But when he tried to speak, he began to sob. I knew that someone who had crossed Doffy wouldn’t be good for us. But Oilime had argued that they needed manpower, and that Morgan’s philosophy and goals aligned with theirs. And there was no way to convince the man that he might be in the wrong. 

He could see Oilime panic, and he had tons of reasons to do so. Black Leg had whooped their strongest men, and those two women had gotten rid of the rest of them just as easily. 

Black leg, that name brought unpleasant memories. He could still remember the beating that Doffy gave him after those two had clashed. That day, he learned that you need to pray that Doffy catches his prey, or you will suffer the consequences of his failure. Still, that beating had been merciful compared to this one. 

It happened in the blink of an eye. He aimed his rifle at the shadows where the sound came from, but as soon as he did, he was on the floor begging for mercy. He had heard that when crossing the Strawhats, one needed to avoid the Pirate hunter and the Demonic child at all costs, that those two were the most ruthless of their crew. If that was the case, then those two were at least five times as sadistic as Doffy had been, considering that Black Leg was at least three times more violent than Doffy. 

Somehow, from time to time, he would find himself missing Doffy. The man was a monster, and countless times, he had doubted that Doffy had a soul. But he was a monster that you wanted to follow to the end of the world. Maybe because you wanted to see just how far his craziness could take him, or maybe because you wanted to see how much of his personality you could withstand. The day he got captured, all of Dressrosa’s slums went into a frenzy. That is why he joined The Righteous People. Because life had taught him that to maintain order, you needed a sadistic authority who was capable of doing whatever was necessary for the survival of the empire they had built. 

But right now, as he lay half-dead on the floor, he couldn’t care less about whatever empire Oilime wanted to build.

 

    They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. The golden eyes of that ugly mask were really bad at hiding the terrified eyes of the man beneath them. Sanji could sense that the man wanted to do something stupid, but the sight of his comrade on the floor prevented him from acting. At least for now. 

He had played these games before. For two years, he had been in charge of the espionage and rescue team of Ivankov’s revolutionary branch. And in that time, he had lost count of the times he had been in an exchange of hostages. It always involves pretty girls. He understood why the kidnappers did this. There was a certain tragedy in a pretty girl getting ravished by an evil man, that said evil man could leverage to get a better deal. But if this man didn’t come to his senses, Sanji feared that he might murder him. 

But Viola made him hesitate. Before, every time he had been in this situation, the hostages looked surprised and a bit confused, but always relieved. Instead, she looked even more terrified. 

Her eyes darted nervously between him, the bloodied henchman, and the gun pointed at her. For the second time ever since he met her, she looked small and out of place. 

He smiled at her, trying to ease her nerves. But that only seemed to make matters worse. Now, he was the one terrified. I’ve messed up. His body began to tremble, unable to contain his nervousness as the same scared and confused eyes of that fateful night in his apartment stared back at him. 

 

    Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. He is even worse than Doffy. Why? It was all going so good. Why does he have to be even more violent? Her heart began to ache, and her skin began to burn. The coldness of the gun barrel seemed more comforting every second that passed. 

The bloodied man began to roll over his back once more. He had managed to crawl a bit towards her, but it was clear that the man could no longer do it. Once his face stared at the ceiling, he began to gasp loudly. He was breathing through his mouth, whining in pain with each breath. 

“Do… do as he says.” The bloodied man whispered. “You have no chance… he… he is Black leg Sanji… a member of the strawhats… that fucker clashed with Doffy and lived to tell the tale… just lower your gun.” 

What!?

 

    Fuck, they know me. He hid his frustration as best as he could. One of the main reasons for his success in these sorts of scenarios was the little information his enemies had of him. But now it had all gone to the drain. 

However, what the extremist said caught his attention. The man had been part of the Donquixote family, which made sense why he wanted to restore the previous world order. But, how did he know him? Last time, he had barely been in Dressrosa, only being at one port. He had clashed with Doflamingo, but that had happened on their ship. Did Doflamingo tell his subordinates about me? Sanji’s fight with the man had lasted mere seconds, but from that, he didn’t get the impression that Doflamingo was a man eager to share his failures. I guess I have to play with the cards that life gives me. 

“You heard your comrade,” he began. “There are two more strawhats in the way. It is pointless to resist. I’m not a policeman. Let the lady go, and you can figure out your escape plan from there.” 

The man holding the gun laughed. It was a cruel and desperate sound, and Sanji could see how the gun trembled even more. He could also hear Viola’s sobs grow louder. Stay still, Viola, just give me a few minutes, and this will all be solved. 

“Do you take me for an idiot?” the man screamed. “I don’t care who you are! I don’t care for your stupid nickname, or who you are affiliated with! I have a gun pointed mere millimeters away from your lover! You are going to stay there, still as a statue, or I will blow her brain out!!” 

My lover? How does he know? Suddenly, the man’s frame seemed oddly familiar, and Sanji could swear that he had seen this man without his ridiculous costume not so long ago. Viola seemed to be thinking the same. 

 

    Who is he? I should know him. Viola’s headache was agonizing. She needed to gather her thoughts, but she didn’t know where to start. Sanji, a Strawhat? It all made sense now. His secrecy, how much he seemed to know about the world, and the violence he was able to produce. She felt ignorant for not catching it earlier. But how could she have done it? She had done her research. Not only about his past but also of the strawhats, and none matched the— Is he Mr. Prince? Her head spun even faster. 

At last, she was able to remember the bloodied man’s name. Stanson. He had never been important in Doffy’s organization. But he had been close to her enough times to be able to identify her in a crowd. He had also been famous for abusing girls in the brothels. He is probably the one who decided that kidnapping me was a good idea. Suddenly, seeing him in such a bloodied state didn’t bother her that much. 

But this man knew Sanji. He clashed with Doffy and lived to tell the tale. The idea that Sanji had been in Dressrosa flipped her world. He clashed with Doffy and lived to tell the tale. When the Stawhats came to defeat Doffy, they had done so quietly. They arrived on the island, infiltrated the coliseum, destroyed Doffy’s bases, defeated Doffy, and left. She had glanced at their captain at a distance for a couple of seconds, but aside from that, she hadn’t been involved in the action. Instead, she had been too busy running with Kyros and Scarlett towards her father, towards safety.  He clashed with Doffy and lived to tell the tale. For the first time since waking up here, the ringing in her ears didn’t resemble Doffy’s laugh. 

 

    Moustache-man, it had to be him. He had to fight the urge to laugh at the man. How stupid could he be? He wasn’t surprised by his stupidity, but he was surprised as to how a man like him could reach a position of leadership in any organization. They want to bring back the celestial dragon system without having the lineage or the power to justify it. I guess an idiot like him is the least idiot of them all. But the man still had a gun, so he had to move carefully. 

He could see the air behind Viola begin to move weirdly, forming mirages in the background. From the corner of his eye, he saw Nami and Vivi move swiftly inside the dark edges of the room towards Viola. He had to suppress his smile. 

The air grew heavy, and Sanji could see the armed man begin to ease his tensed body. They were mere moments away from breaking through him and retrieving Viola. But then, the sirens began to roar. 

 

    She could feel the bullet shatter her skull closer than ever before. Behind her, the man was panting heavily, even louder than before. 

She saw Sanji’s expression darken, which made her spine tremble. She had seen the man kick grumpy sailors, and she knew that he had saved Rebecca from some robbers, but suddenly she was in awe, finally completely aware of his true power. But now, despite staring at Sanji’s darkened eyes, she didn’t feel threatened by them. 

The man behind her grabbed her from the nape angrily, making her wail in pain. Then he yelled. “Don’t move! Nobody fucking move!” He moved his head in all directions frantically, as if he could see people on the walls. The air was growing hotter. 

Sanji, as if he had read the man’s mind, began talking softly. “I am not your enemy; those people outside are. Please, man, lower your weapon and run away. We don’t need to do this the hard way.” 

Her frustrations with Sanji reignited, because what do you mean do this the hard way? Sanji was strong, but there was a bullet grazing her head. Just shut up and let the cops handle it. 

She was having a harder time breathing, and her skin was drenched in sweat. But she had no idea if it was because of the stress she felt or because of the increasing temperature of the room. From the corner of her eye, she could see how the walls and shadows began to wave, and Sanji’s face began to blur. 

The man behind her laughed loudly. “Have you considered your position? Yes, you are strong and fast, but that won’t be enough!” He pointed the gun at Sanji. “I want you on your knees asshole! Now!” 

 

    Nami didn’t understand why Sanji was meeting the extremist’s demands. Her clima tact was working, and soon the mirages would be potent enough to trick the hooded man into giving Sanji a gap to rescue Viola. They hadn’t discussed this plan. Sanji had been rushing his way towards the gorgeous dancer with such a hurry that they were only able to exchange a few words. But by now, especially with the increase in room temperature, he should know what she was planning.

The bloodied man on the floor had stopped moving. He lay on the floor like a stranded whale on a beach, but the man holding the gun seemed to have absorbed the energy of his fallen comrade. His hands were shaking, and even with his mask, Nami could see that he was beginning to overheat. We had it right there, Sanji. Why are you doing this?

When she glanced back at her girlfriend. Vivi looked just as confused as she was. They stood hidden behind one of the rusty pillars on the edges of the room. She had wanted to arrive earlier, but they spent more time gathering the unconscious extremists and tying them down than it took them to beat them. Viola and the man holding her were mere meters away from them, and she had to fight the urge to ignore whatever Sanji was doing and simply go and rescue Viola. 

She shook her head while staring at Vivi’s confused eyes. Not yet, princess, let Sanji do his thing. At least for now. 

 

    The sirens roared louder than ever. She could even see the red and blue lights of their police cars reflect on the ceiling of the room. Despite the room getting increasingly hotter and her clothes being fully damped in sweat, she was finally able to breathe. Until then, she had no idea how badly she had held her breath while the gun had been pointed at her. But now it's pointed at him. 

Sanji had one knee on the floor, and the other one was soon to follow. The gun barrel was aiming at his head, but she could see that his eyes weren’t paying attention to it. Instead, they were focused on her. 

They looked at her with such care and concern that she thought she might melt. She wanted to scream at the man that he was the one in immediate danger, but even if she found the courage to speak, she knew that he wouldn’t care. The idea that this man was so caring with her despite the little time they had known each other, and that she had rejected his advances that one time, terrified her. Why? She was a Riku, but the man didn’t seem to care about that fact. She was hot, but Sanji’s lust came from a desire to please her, not to display her as a trophy. Then why? Why are you doing all of this, Sanji? Why are you going through all this trouble? 

The air was hotter than ever, and she could swear that she was seeing multiple Sanjis kneeling one beside the other. 

 

    It was almost time. He could feel Nami’s clima tact start to affect him. Beneath his suit, all of his skin was sweaty, and he lamented that once he had Viola safely in his arms, she would have to endure his smelly clothes. He could see in Viola’s eyes and in the hooded man’s body language that they had begun to see multiple versions of him. 

He began faking that he was overheating. The extremist had no reason to distrust him; after all, the man had begun overheating ages ago. He began to pant heavily, then placed both of his hands on the ground, while he discreetly positioned his legs in a sprint position. 

The sirens roared all around them, and Sanji could sense that dozens of officers had begun to surround the warehouse. 

His plan didn't work entirely. The extremist still held the gun at him, and Sanji could see that the extremist's arm had relaxed significantly. The problem was that the piece of shit still held Viola’s nape and hair violently. He could run and snatch Viola out of that man’s grasp, but if she didn’t untense her body, he would most likely break her neck. 

He inhaled deeply and then simply decided to look intently at Viola. He had done that before, countless times. He had stared at her, trying to grasp the beauty of her body. He had stared at her while dancing so they could be in sync. He had stared at her while she cooked her dinner to let her know that he was proud of her improvements. He had conveyed all of his emotions through his eyes in the short time they had known each other. For the most part, she seemed to catch what his eyes said. But there were times when she would stare back at him as if his eyes were speaking a foreign language, or as if his eyes were another person’s eyes. He prayed that this wasn’t one of those times. 

 

    Five pairs of Sanji’s eyes stared at her soul. They had a fiery passion in them, but also a tender nature. She knew that this man loved to talk through his eyes; that was one of the reasons she had fallen for him. Every time she stared at them, it was as if Sanji let her stare at his soul. She hadn’t always understood them. Sanji’s soul was a complex thing that at times reminded her of her own soul, at times of Doffy’s soul, and at times it resembled a completely different person who was the total opposite of the things she had learned to associate with Sanji. But right now, the message was clear. Please trust me.  

She wanted to, she really did. But every time her conscious mind was on the brink of convincing her unconscious thoughts, the similarities between him and Doffy reemerged from her memory. 

But despite visualizing Doffy’s features on Sanji all over again, Sanji’s eyes remained the same. She had seen those eyes before, but just for a brief moment. They had stared at her in his bedroom right after she had asked him to stop. It was a stare full of devotion and worry for her. Both times she had seen that stare, she felt like his queen, despite also feeling extremely vulnerable. Right now, for Sanji, her word was law. 

 

    Viola nodded fairly. Her head movement was so discreet that any other person wouldn’t have noticed it. But Sanji wasn’t like any other person. 

He knew he didn’t have much time. He could hear the shouts of police officers outside this room, and he could see the gunman begin to panic. But the gun is still aimed at me. 

He exhaled deeply, preparing himself for what he was about to do. He shook his head, pretending he was having a migraine. This got the result he intended, as the extremist’s attention refocused entirely on him. The arm that held the gun tensed once again, and Sanji could hear the heavy breaths of the man. 

“What are you doing!?” the man asked. “Stop moving!” 

“Sorry,” he answered. “The heat… the heat is too much to bear.” 

He saw the man hesitate, confused about what he had just said. That was all he needed. He darted forward, eager to hold Viola in his arms once again. 

 

    She heard a loud BANG! That made her ears stop working. She had closed her eyes instinctively. So when the pressure on her neck was gone, she wobbled her head around until a sturdy pair of hands grabbed her from behind. 

She held her breath and drew her legs together. But when she opened her eyes, she was staring at Sanji’s caring eyes. Her tears began to pour down immediately after that. 

He held her tightly in his chest. There, she wept until the police arrived at the room, unaware and unbothered by what had happened to his captors. It wasn’t until an officer asked her to make a statement that she moved from the comfort of Sanji’s arms. But when she gave her statement, he stood by her side holding her trembling hands on her lap. As she spoke, she kept shooting glances at him, and every time she did, his face became clearer and clearer, and by the time the police officer let her go, she no longer saw any resemblance to any other man she had ever met in Sanji’s face. It was just Sanji. Her Sanji. 

 

Notes:

This chapter was trickier than expected, I hope that Viola's trauma didn't sounded redundant, but I had to make emphasis in it because of the stressfull situation she was in. I hope yall like the chapter and how the story is playing out. There are at least a couple more chapters left to go, but I'll let you know my plans for the future of this story.

ALSO, I will be on a trip for the next two weeks until the middle of July. I will do my best to write the next chapter(s) so that when I come back I would only need to edit them to then post them, but expect a new chapter no sooner than July 16th (sorry)

Chapter 12: A conversation long overdue

Summary:

Sanji and Viola have a heart to heart conversation about their past after a night out. Feelings are shared, secrets are unwraveled, and tears are shed.

VIOLA POV 

The dim sunlight at twilight warmed her face as she stared at the shore from Sanji’s balcony. The smell of cigarettes around her had become familiar to her nose, although not always pleasant. It smelled like security. It smelled like home. 

Sanji sat beside her, peeling an orange. He wore a navy blue hoodie, some black shorts, large white socks, and grey slippers. He placed all sections of the peeled orange in a bowl, ate a couple of them, and then passed the bowl to her. 

A month had passed since her kidnapping. Emilio, no, Oilime, stood behind bars alongside the rest of The Righteous People. He had almost gotten away with his plan. It had consisted of faking being one of the kidnapped for the video where they said their demands, then once the recording was over, he switched places with a mute man who resembled him a lot and who had gone missing a few months earlier. Then, when the police came, the idea was that the police would assume that the man had lost his voice because of the shock and trauma. A smart plan, but useless against the might of Sanji’s power. 

The man placed his left arm around her and pulled her towards his chest. Once she was there, she hugged him. They stayed silent for a while, enjoying each other’s company while they looked at the fleeting sun. 

They had just come back from a social dancing event by the shore, where they danced flamenco, waltz, and a bit of salsa that she had begun to teach him a week ago. They took turns showering in his apartment. If he had asked her to shower with him, she would have accepted his offer. But after everything that happened, they hadn’t had the time to spend much quality time with each other, and they both felt awkward about acts of intimacy beyond cuddles. Besides, she had the suspicion that Sanji wanted to save the special occasion of seeing her naked body again once they were in the privacy of his bed. 

They hadn’t had sex ever since that fateful night, which meant that they hadn’t had sex at all.. And she was grateful for that. It wasn’t like she didn’t desire this man. She wanted to devour every piece of his body at least ten times and then repeat it all over again. But she hadn’t been in the right state of mind. At first, she had been scared that he wouldn’t understand it, but Sanji had reassured her that that wasn’t the case. He told her that he would wait until the end of time if it was necessary, that it was her body, and that she would decide when he would have the privilege of touching it, or if he even got to gain that privilege at all. Sanji spent the rest of that night comforting her in his arms as she sobbed.  

Comfortable. That was the best way to describe what she had with Sanji. The man could be passionate like no other she had ever met. He could be encouraging and funny. But what she appreciated the most about him was that he let her be herself, no matter if it was her flashy social dance self or the traumatized woman who couldn’t stop sobbing. 

The red flannel pants and the grey oversized hoodie he had lent her were some of the most comfortable clothes she had ever worn. Her hair was styled in a messy bun that Sanji had made. The sun had begun to set, and the winds had begun to chill. They stood on the balcony for a bit longer, only going back to his apartment when the heat of their intertwined bodies wasn’t enough to warm them. 

SANJI POV

Viola sat by his kitchen’s wooden counter. Her lovely eyes stared at him with such love that it made his body tremble. He was able to keep his cool, but not able to stop his face from blushing as he served her dinner. 

He cooked pasta with garlic sauce and caramelized onions, accompanied by mashed potatoes and a glass of wine. When she tasted the food, her eyes lit up, and he couldn’t help but smile in gratitude. 

“Did you like it?” He already knew the answer, but he wanted to hear Viola say it. He loved hearing her speak. 

“I loved it! You are the best chef I’ve ever known!” 

His smile turned into a smirk. “Really? And how many chefs do you know, my lady?” he sat across from her and stared at her eyes mischievously. “We chefs are well known for our love for women. Is there someone I should be worried about?” 

She rolled her eyes, but her smile was dazzling. “I just know one, and he happens to be insufferable at times.” 

“Really? He sounds like an asshole. Are you still seeing him?”

“Unfortunately.” 

They laughed, enjoying the light banter that they both seemed to have missed a lot. 

…

Their plates had been empty for a while, but they hadn’t stood up from the kitchen counter. They were done with the small talk and the bantering, and a heavy silence loomed over them. It is finally time we talk.

Both of them had been avoiding this talk. They had gone to a couple of short dates before today, but they all felt like middle school dates. They would meet in a fun place, do a certain activity, and then part ways where they had met. He didn’t mind that, no matter how it was, time spent with Viola was quality time. But it felt shallow. I guess we are both afraid of what is going to be said tonight.

He coughed, which granted him the attention that he wanted. Viola’s eyes stared at him understandingly, but afraid. He almost lit a cigarette. 

“So…” he began, rubbing his nape as he spoke. “I guess I owe you an explanation for a lot of things. Where do you want to start?” 

He could see the numerous questions rushing through Viola’s eyes, and he realized how unfair he had been with her. She introduced me to her life, to her passions, and even to her traumas, just for me to hide everything from her. I don’t deserve this woman.

“I don’t know Sanji, there is so much that I want to know that it overwhelms me.” She looked away from him. Then she spoke in a soft voice. “I guess I want you to tell me your story, chronologically, I think that’s the only way I can begin to understand you.” 

He tried his best to hide his shudder. Despite his previous thoughts, he wasn’t ready to tell her his whole story, at least not yet. Their eyes met again. He smiled at her, inhaled deeply, and began to talk. 

VIOLA POV 

She thought she was prepared for the truth. She wasn’t. He told her about his father, Zeff, and how they got stranded on an island for days with very few rations. He told her about his days at the East Blue, cooking for the Baratie, the world-renowned floating restaurant. When he spoke about this part of his life, his eyes turned into an unfamiliar shade. There was a nostalgic melancholy to them, but also an additional emotion she couldn’t figure out. Sadness? Guilt? Shame? It was difficult to tell. 

Then, he told her about the Strawhats. She knew most of the general information. They were a crew of wanderers who had made waves due to the bold personality and decisions of their captain, the man who would eventually end her nightmare. But apparently Monkey D. Luffy wasn’t a criminal mastermind; instead, he was a man ruled by impulse and inertia, more concerned with eating banquets than planning his next move. 

When he began telling about his tenure in Arabasta, she questioned him once more. 

“So you are telling me that you are Mr. Prince?” She asked, eager to get confirmation of this. 

Sanji was shocked at her question, and he almost dropped the glass of water he had in his hand. “How do you know that name?”

She blushed. “When we get to that point in the story, I’ll tell you in more detail, but let’s just say that your captain helped me unknowingly, so I began to investigate your crew in more detail.”

“I guess that makes sense, Luffy did spend a while in Dressrosa.”

“But you didn’t?”

“You said it yourself. When we get to that part of the story, I’ll add the details.”

His smirk warmed her heart. At this point, she couldn't imagine her life without Sanji’s obnoxiously cute, sarcastic remarks. 

After he was done telling her all he did on Arabasta, she couldn’t find her words. No wonder he had found her so easily, the man was an expert in that. She had heard Arabastians speak of Mr. Prince as if he were a mythological creature, most of them skeptical of his existence. But after hearing his side of the story, it only made the tales she had heard sound like they wanted to undermine what Sanji had done. It was mind-boggling. 

After that, she began to hear his tale differently. He kept undermining what he had done, as he always did, but this time she didn’t let him. 

She had lost count of the number of times she had told him ‘You were awesome!’ or ‘Wow, the Strawhats wouldn’t have made it out of there without you!’ but no matter how much she repeated it, he seemed not to believe her. 

The tale continued from island to island until it arrived at Sabaody. Hearing that name made her shudder, and she realized that Sanji had noticed. She began to scramble an excuse for her reaction, but he gently grabbed her hands with his and smiled at her before she could do it. 

The guilt was consuming her as Sanji described the slave auction house to her. She knew it had belonged to Doffy, and as she heard the tragedies that occurred there, she lamented never having the courage to slit his throat on one of the countless nights he lay asleep and naked beside her. I could have prevented all of this. But Sanji read her guilt, and once again reassured her with a smile and his steady hands on her shaky hands. His eyes were kind, but they began to understand her past. And she didn’t think she was ready for that conversation. 

But her worries were buried deep within her mind when Sanji began to tell the tragedy that befell his crew in Sabaody. As he did, she could see that he was suppressing tears, tears that she cried for him. He paused, whipping away the tears in her cheeks with his fingers and smiling at her once more. Then, he simply stared at the ceiling for a couple of moments without saying a word. Then, he exhaled deeply and began to light a cigarette. 

SANJI POV 

The tobacco he inhaled cleansed his mind. He hadn’t expected the memory of Sabaody to still hurt as much as it did, but if he hadn’t stopped for a smoke, he would be bawling his eyes out, just like Viola was doing. 

Seeing her cry hurt him. Not only because he was the reason for her tears, but also because he hadn’t even told her about his childhood with Judge. That will have to wait.

But soon, his words turned her bawling face into a surprised one. He had been afraid of telling her about his involvement with the revolutionaries. Everyone agreed that Imu’s reign was terrible, but Dragon’s fight had caused so much death that civilians at times scorned the revolutionaries, despite knowing that the revolutionaries were trying to make a better world for all of them. 

That wasn’t the case with Viola. She embraced this fact of his life as if it were the most pleasant of news. Like when telling about Mr. Prince, she kept asking questions with the eagerness of a kid in a candy store. He answered as best as he could, avoiding the more gruesome details of the revolution. Midnight arrived by the time he finished talking about his time with Ivankov. 

The rest of the tale went quickly. Mostly because he was exhausted from talking and because most of the world already knew that part. The Strawhats returned to the game, they made important strikes in Dressrosa, Wano, and Egghead, then joined forces with the revolutionaries and defeated Imu. Viola’s face told him that she still wanted to bombard him with questions, but she didn’t. His exhaustion must be palpable. 

He placed the roach of his cigarette on his ashtray. Then, he went up for a bottle of wine in the fridge and refilled their cups. My turn. He had promised himself to only smoke one cigarette at the time when Viola was present, but he needed another one for what he was about to ask. The tobacco didn’t cleanse his mind this time.

“I already told you my story. Would you care to tell me yours, milady?” Are you going to tell me about him?

He was a jealous guy; he couldn’t deny it. He knew that this conversation would hurt him, but he also knew that Viola needed to let it all out to not only have a better relationship with him, but also, and more importantly, to heal. 

She sensed his true intentions, and her body shuddered. He felt guilty about her reaction, but she had seemed ready to talk about him. 

Donxijote Doflamingo was her ex. The thought daunted him. He had put the pieces together a couple of days after the warehouse incident. One of the extremists had recognized her, and the police had determined that some ex-members of the Donxijote Family were part of the group. He had already figured that her ex looked similar to him, that remorseful gaze she gave him when she thought he wasn’t looking had told him that. Still, Donxijote Doflamingo was her ex. 

I will never wear sunglasses or pink shirts again. 

She stared at the ceiling for what felt like hours, to the point that Sanji feared he had pushed her too far and too soon. But then she began to speak. 

“My childhood was good. Both my parents have always been caring and attentive, and my sister has always been there for me. But… but I always felt this sense of having to prove myself, being the second born of a powerful family does that to you.” She paused to inhale deeply. “That’s why I fell for Doffy’s trap.”

Doffy. He didn’t like that. But he assumed it was more familiarity and custom than still having feelings for that man. Nonetheless, maintaining his face neutral was harder than he expected. 

“We met one night in a bar. Then we kept talking. He was great at not telling me what he did. Sometimes he was a businessman, other times an entrepreneur, or a patron. By the time I discovered who he really was, he already had enough private information about my family to use as leverage for me to stay with him. And so I did, despite how miserable he made my life while I was with him.” Her eyes had grown watery, and she had stopped looking at him a while back. 

He had no idea what to say. It wasn’t your fault, he played you. That was obvious, and it would seem that he was calling her dumb. Gosh, he is a horrible man. Duh, she knows that more than anyone. In the end, he simply said, "I'm sorry for what happened to you.” 

She looked at him. “Don’t be. I don’t want to feel pity about my past anymore.” 

She is such a strong woman. “That is so admirable on your part.”

She smiled meekly, and her eyes seemed to have dried up a bit. “Thanks.” 

They stared at each other for seconds that lasted a lifetime. Both of them considering what to do or say next. He was still processing the information he had received. He knew there was more to the story than that, and she probably skipped the more gruesome details of their relationship. But only time would make her comfortable enough to tell them to him, if she ever wanted to tell them at all. Whatever she decided was fine.  

In the end, they decided to hug. She pressed her wet face on his chest, and every time she sobbed, a part of Sanji's soul got crushed. Especially because after every sob she did, she would follow them by whispering, “I’m sorry. You shouldn’t be comforting me about this. I'm sorry.” He stayed silent and let her sob until she slept on her arms. 

VIOLA POV 

She woke up with puffy eyes and a sore throat. She recognized the scent of the room before she recognized the room. It smells like Sanji. But he was nowhere to be seen. The room’s curtains on the glass doors that led to the balcony were closed, but the door that led to the living room was partially open, and through the gap, she could see the moonlight reflected on the door. 

She went to the kitchen, but he wasn’t there either. The moon shone brightly in the sky as she stared at it through the main window. Beside it, she saw Sanji’s silhouette sitting on his balcony reflected on the balcony’s door. 

She went outside and discovered Sanji staring at the moon. He glanced and smiled at her, then placed himself farther away from her to give her space to sit beside him. Then he went back to stare at the moon. 

He put down the cigarette that he was smoking on the ashtray, and quickly put chewing gum in his mouth from a package that he had in his pocket. She still didn’t have a clear stance on what her opinion of his smoking habit was. She had never liked the smell, but he made an effort to minimize it every time she was present. Besides, if he was patient with her and all of her traumas, the least she could do is be understanding of his habits. But it's not just a habit, it's a coping mechanism. A faint voice in the back of her mind whispered. 

“Enjoying the night view?” she asked as she sat beside him. 

“Yeah,” he responded after a moment of silence, still looking at the moon. 

His side profile was magnificent. The moonlight brightened his smooth skin and made his blonde hair shine like gold. But it also revealed more clearly the conflict in his eyes. She felt guilty. It is my fault. He had wanted to know, and she answered him. But perhaps she should have said it more vaguely, or waited more time to say it. She had omitted the fact that she slept with him the first night they met, but Sanji wasn’t stupid, and if he hadn’t guessed that, he at least knew that the man had had his way with her body earlier than he had. She knew that he wasn't precisely mad about that; Sanji was too much of a gentleman for that; rather, he was mad that she trusted Doffy with his body earlier than him. Or at least that was what his eyes had told her. 

“You okay?” she asked, fearful of what his answer might be. Do you think I’m fucking okay! Are you dumb!? Doffy had responded to her like that once. 

“I think so.” He responded, turning around to meet her eyes. “I just have a lot of things in my mind, don’t worry about it.” 

“But I want to.” She held his arm and pulled herself closer to him. “You’ve always been there for me, either in my weakest moments, sharing my passions, and literally saving my life. How can I not worry about you? What monster do you think I am?” 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean it that–” 

“I know you didn’t. You are the gentlest soul I’ve known. I’m just saying that sometimes you worry about me so much that you forget that other people worry about you just as much. So tell me, please, I want to help. What is in your mind?” 

He looked back at the moon. Then he spoke in a soft voice. “I don’t know how to say it, but I cannot stop thinking about what you said today. I’ve always been the jealous type, so at first I thought it was jealousy. But it isn’t. When I hear you talk about your past, I just want to shield you, and I know that you don’t want that, nor do you need it, but I still feel that urge. I think… I think that subconsciously I need to, and sorry for using this word, I feel like I need to ‘fix’ how we interact in order to get to the end goal were I see us going, but then I feel guilty about that need because I have no authority over your mind, and that has led to a downward spiral that has drained me.” he chuckled faintly. “Sorry if I rambled, my brain is a mess right now.” 

She hugged him. “Don’t be sorry for expressing your emotions. I love that kind side of yours. If I'm being honest, I also have that dilemma of wanting to fix what we have for the better, but if the stable relationship of my sister has taught me anything is that the ‘fixing’ only happens with time and trust, even though sometimes I forget that. I understand your frustrations. I would be frustrated too if I were dealing with myself and my unexpected mood swings. Don’t look at me that way. I know I shouldn’t apologize for that. But what I’m saying is that I really like you, Sanji. And I really want to see where this relationship goes. Thanks for sticking with me throughout, and once again, thanks for saving my life. There are a lot of unknowns in my life. But you are the only certainty that I want to have. I want to be by your side, and I want you to be by my side. So please,” her voice turned into sobs, “please don’t give up on us just yet.” 

She could feel his gaze on her, but she didn’t meet it, deciding instead to bury her face on his chest. Sanji stayed silent, and for a moment she thought that he wouldn’t answer her. But then he did. It wasn't with words; instead, he answered her by grabbing her gently by the chin and lifting her head, then wiping away tears that she didn’t know she had, and then kissed her gently beneath the full moon.

 

Notes:

Well.... Im back. Thanks for the wait and sorry for the chapter being somewhat short. The story is reaching its end, and I plan to make these two lovebirds enjoy the pleasure of having each other before it ends, so wait for that. Aside from that, this chapter was somewhat difficult to write with my ever changing scenary and me trying not to make Sanji a jelous asshole and Viola a unseless crybaby. I think I managed to acomplish my goal, but let me know what you think.

Chapter 13: Intertwined bodies

Summary:

Finally some smut between these two. Enjoy

Notes:

I decided to change the rate of this work to mature for chapters like this. I am not very experienced in writing smut so I hope yall like it!

VIOLA POV 

Sanji’s mattress and bedding felt cold against her burning skin. The hoodie he had lent him lay somewhere in the ground, and by the looks of it, the flannel pants she wore were soon to follow. 

She could barely breathe. Sanji’s kisses were hungry and desperate, and in the scarce moments where he gave her a gap to breathe, he would do something to make her gasp, moan, or pant. It was the sweetest torture she had experienced. 

Currently, he was descending from her jaw to her clavicles with a trail of kisses. He had tried to gently pull her hair down to stretch her neck. But this caused the memories of the warehouse to resurface. However, this time, instead of shutting down and panicking, she gently grabbed his arm and asked him not to do that. He simply nodded and continued to kiss her.

The tears she was about to shed due to his compliance were interrupted by her moans. His wet lips kissed gently the tip of her left nipple. This direct contact after minutes of teasing and edging her made her body jolt, causing her back to arch and her head to lean back. His hands weren’t standing still. With his right hand, he began to rub her right boob around the nipple, while his left hand gently lifted her left boob as he licked. 

The overwhelming pleasure made her reminisce about how they had gotten here. Their kiss on the balcony had been a tender one, more of love than of lust. Sanji had to keep wiping tears off her face, and she was sure that he had tasted just as much of her tears as he had her saliva. She didn’t remember who initiated it, at this point she didn’t care, but somehow she ended up on top of him as he lay on the couch. Her arms wrapped around his neck while he wrapped her by the waist. He felt him stiffen beneath her, and so she intensified the passion of her kisses. But then he lifted her suddenly, the surprise almost made her fall, but Sanji caught her before that could happen. 

He carried her face-to-face to his room. Throughout it, they only stopped kissing when he went to open the curtains of his room to let the moonlight pass, arguing that he wanted to see her as they did it. 

His blatant desire to have her made her body shudder with excitement. She no longer felt the anxiety to perform, or to fake excitement, or the fear of how she would react to certain touches. She was with Sanji. She was safe. 

She returned to the present thanks to Sanji’s tongue switching its attention to her other nipple. She gasped loudly and grabbed Sanji’s hair with both her arms as she squeezed his head closer to her. 

“Keep going,” she panted. “Please don’t stop.” And he obeyed.  

He kept caressing her nipples with such care that she was losing her mind. She didn’t remember when Sanji took off his hoodie, but she could feel herself scratching Sanji’s naked back constantly as he worked his way with her breasts. She knew her scratches must hurt, especially because of the nails she had, but the man never complained or grunted in pain. His only focus seemed to be on pleasing her. 

But then he stopped. Her blurry sight returned to normal at this sudden pause, and she stared at him cluelessly. But her confusion didn’t last long. He saw her bewildered face and returned to action. He grabbed both her arms and placed them above her head, then he went back to kissing her fervently on the lips. He lay on top of her, and she began to feel his hard manhood press against her lower abdomen. She smiled meekly, and she began to rub her legs against each other in anticipation. 

Sanji was done with her mouth soon after, and he began to kiss her biceps as he pressed his hand gently on top of her hands to keep her in position. 

She shuddered at this change, but she welcomed it. She was worried that her traumas would reemerge when he first grabbed her arms. But Sanji made sure that she saw his face at all times as he did this. In the past, she had been held roughly and angrily. Sanji also considered this, so he held her firmly but caringly, and when her hands were locked in place above her head, he would constantly caress her palms and wrists. She would cry in happiness if he let her. 

But he didn’t. His trail of kisses went down her arms until his lips kissed her mere centimeters above her armpits. Then he began to kiss and gently bite her clavicles. She heard herself moan louder than before.  

Despite the overwhelming pleasure she felt, her body craved more. Her sex was palpitating like an overworked heart, and her wetness dripped from her legs and began to damp Sanji’s bed.. 

And just like always, Sanji acted as if he could read her mind. He began to kiss her abdomen, and then slowly made his way down. He released her hands and used his hands to slowly pull down her flannel pants, making sure her underwear was kept in place. 

A sudden panic rose in her as she remembered a key fact. I haven’t shaved. But Sanji seemed to read her thoughts, and she was sure he could feel her bush underneath her panties. He massaged her pubic mound tenderly, and whispered in her ear. “Pubic hair, smell, or blood, I don’t care. The only thing that would stop me from going down on you is if you don’t want it.” 

She couldn’t find her words. How could a man love her this much? She wanted to cry, to embrace him until the end of time and tell him how much he meant to her, but couldn’t do it. Right now, she was completely at Sanji’s mercy—not that she was complaining.  

She embraced herself for whatever Sanji was going to do to her, her sex eager to finally get some love. But when she saw Sanji’s smirk, she knew that the man wouldn’t act just yet. She would have to endure more teasing and edging until she finally got what she wanted. And unfortunately, she was right.  

He began by humming on the fabric of her panties as he caressed her hips with his hands, making her whole body tremble. 

Then, right as she was beginning to lose her mind from the humming, he began to gently trace his finger back and forth in the middle of her lips, and with his mouth, he was kissing her pubic mound and biting the upper edge of her panties. It was madness. 

Her panties were soaked by the time he pulled them down. And her sex was palpitating even harder than before. When his tongue touched her lips and clit she gave the loudest cry of pleasure of her life. She was sure that the whole building had heard her scream, but she didn't care. 

His tongue worked miracles on her sex. Going up and down, side to side, and in and out. She twitched and shook constantly, but Sanji’s steady hold kept her in place. This was the first time she had ever enjoyed being held in place. She groaned loudly as she climaxed. Her body movements were stronger than before, but Sanji still held her in place. 

“God, you are so beautiful.” He whispered in her ear. And before she could blush at his compliment, he grabbed her by the hips and pulled her towards his groin. 

He rubbed his sweatpants where his protruding manhood stood on her pubic mound, and only pulled his shaft out until he deemed her desperate enough.

At the sight of his manhood, she got the urge to suck it. It was beautiful, and it needed some love. She began to stand up and shift her body to reach its head, but Sanji’s steady hold pulled her down before she could do so. 

“Not now, beautiful.” He whispered. “This is not the night for that. Tonight I want to savour you. I want to drown you in pleasure.” 

She knew he was being selfish. She knew she wanted to give him pleasure as well. But as much as she tried, she couldn’t go against his wishes. She felt so wanted that she could cry. Sanji didn’t want her body because of how attractive it was. He wanted her body because it was hers. 

He inserted one finger. She moaned. He inserted a second finger. She moaned even louder. He began to hit her G spot with those two fingers. His sudden kisses on her mouth didn’t allow her to moan anymore. 

She climaxed again, this time more intensely than before. As she panted and recovered, she saw him lick his fingers and make a face as if her fluids were the most delicious meal he had ever had. 

“How are you feeling, darling?” He asked. 

“Good,” she managed to say. “I’m exhausted… but… but I also want to feel you in… I need to feel you in.” She had never been this blatant to a sexual partner, and anytime she tried to be, she would blush in shame. But with Sanji, it was different. She felt free to say whatever she wanted in front of this man, and she knew he wouldn’t shame her or get mad at her. His kindness towards her made her sex crave him more intensely. 

He smiled and gave her another kiss. Then he stepped aside and grabbed his sweatpants. He put his hand on one of its pockets and took his wallet out. Then he opened the wallet and pulled out a condom. She giggled. 

“Oh, so you were already prepared for this?” She managed to ask teasingly. “Was this your plan all along, Mr. Chef?” 

“Maybe,” he grinned. “But you want me in, and your desires are orders.” 

But what if I desire to please you? Somehow, she knew that that would be her only desire he wouldn’t fulfill. There was something there, something in the way he gracefully avoided anything that would give him comfort. If this was truly going to last, they would have to address this at some point. But tonight wasn’t the night for that. Besides, by the looks of his manhood, giving her pleasure pleased him. 

They embraced once more in cuddles and kisses. He lay on top of her and would frequently tease her with his shaft by sliding it between her lips or rubbing it against her clit, but he wouldn’t put it in. 

“Please, Sanji… I need you… just do it, please.” 

He looked at her with playful eyes.

“Do what, my love? Could you be clearer, please?” 

This man is going to be the death of me.

She grabbed him by the nape with both hands. Then she pulled him closer until his ear stood beside her mouth and she whispered. “I want you to fuck me, Sanji. Do you want it like that or even clearer?” 

She heard him gulp, and a smirk of satisfaction appeared on her face. 

“Yes, ma’am.” 

At first, he only inserted the tip. Then he moved his shaft back and forth, and every time he thrusted, he went deeper and deeper. It was the best sensation she had ever had. 

“God, you feel so good,” he mumbled. 

His thrusting was similar to his dance, steady but timid. When they danced, he always seemed to be worried about stepping on her, and here it seemed that he was paranoid of hurting her. I love this man. 

“Sanji, dear. Could you go faster, please?” 

He leaned forward and placed his hands on the mattress beside her shoulders. Then he kissed her. “Of course, my love.” 

His thrusts were not only faster but deeper. It seemed that his initial shyness was gone, and she loved it. 

“Yes, like that. Just like that– Ahhh! Oh God, you are so good. You are so good to me. MMM! Keep going, Sanji, keep going.” 

When Sanji began to rub her clit with his thumb, her spine arched to the point of almost hurting. She could only moan and shake helplessly as she got overwhelmed by pleasure. 

“You look so hot right now.” He said, and for the first time in a long time, a comment about her physical attractiveness made her blush. “You are a Goddess.” 

His thrusts were making her lose her mind. She had lost count of how many times her vision had turned blurry due to the overwhelming pleasure. She could feel her whole body covered in sweat, and her arms had barely any strength left after clutching at Sanji’s back and scratching it. 

“I’m so close, love,” he said. “Ahh! I’m about to cum.” 

She could feel that her third climax of the night was close by. She wanted to cum at the same time as Sanji, but she didn’t know if she had the willpower left to hold it. 

“Me too, Sanji. I’m also– Ahhhhh!” 

She collapsed on his bed, exhausted and fulfilled. Her world spun around, but she felt it when he pulled his shaft outside of her and rubbed it on her clit as he jerked off. The rubbing made her squeal, and soon enough, Sanji climaxed. It hurt that he didn’t do it with her, but she was too tired that it wouldn't have been possible. 

Sanji must have read her face because he gave her a sweet kiss on the forehead and said, “Don’t worry about me. You were exhausted. We will have lots more opportunities to coordinate orgasms.” he smirked. “I'm going to pee and then I'll bring you some water and a towel. Stay there, I'll be right back.” He kissed her again on the forehead and left.  

She didn't have the strength to argue. And in her brief time alone, she could only stare at the ceiling and try to regulate her breathing. She was still trying to steady her breath by the time Sanji came back. 

They lay naked on his bed. She had her face on his chest, and he had his arms on her waist and butt. They didn’t have the need to talk; enjoying each other's company was enough. 

“We should take a shower before we sleep,” she suggested. “I don’t want your bedding to get dirtier than it is right now.” 

“Nah, that's fine. They are dirty enough that if we shower, we will be just as dirty as we are right now in the morning. I’ll probably just put them in the washing machine tomorrow. Besides…” he dug his nose into one of her shoulders and inhaled deeply. “I love how you smell.” 

She moved her shoulder away from him and turned her head around to hide her blush. “You are impossible at times.” 

“And yet you still love me.” 

“Shut up.” 

Exhaustion soon overtook them. They slept in each other’s arms with their sweat acting as an adhesive for their bodies and their hearts. She had the best sleep she had had ever since she was a child, and tonight, no warehouse or warlord appeared in her dreams. 

 

SANJI POV

He woke up at 6 am. Despite his exhaustion, his routine as a chef was stronger. He would have to go to the restaurant at noon, and for the first time in a while, he wasn’t excited about that. But for now, he had another problem at hand; he had to figure out how to get up from his bed without waking up Viola. 

Her face lay on his chest, and her arms wrapped around his torso. She was smiling even though she looked like she was in a deep sleep. An angel was sleeping on top of him.  

It took him around twenty minutes to slowly separate himself from her. It hurt his soul to do so. And when he glanced back one last time, the sight of her naked beauty almost made him return to bed. But he couldn’t, he had a task to do. 

He walked quickly towards his closet. Opening his curtains had sounded like a good idea yesterday, but today it exposed his nakedness to the world. He hoped he hadn’t flashed anyone. 

He put on some shorts, a pair of white socks, and his flippers. When he tried to put on a shirt, his back hurt at the touch of the fabric. I thought she hadn’t scratched me that much. He smiled in satisfaction, remembering how much pleasure he gave her. I guess I’ll go shirtless. 

He washed his face and brushed his teeth. Then, he went to the kitchen and began to cook breakfast. 

Despite being so early, the sun had begun to rise. The purple sky and the few orange rays at its horizon were almost as beautiful as Viola, and he began to crave smoking a cigarette by the balcony. But he had to feed both of them first. 

He was in the middle of frying the bacon when two steady hands grabbed his chest from the back. The contact between his back and her chest made him wince. Viola quickly let go of him and began to apologize. 

“Oh my God, I’m sorry, Sanji. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” 

He turned around. She was wearing one of his white shirts that was clearly too big for her and the flannel pants from yesterday. She looked gorgeous. 

“Really? My back seems to disagree,” he said as he smirked. Viola blushed and looked down in shame. “It’s fine, don’t worry about it. Breakfast is almost ready, just give me ten minutes.” 

“What are you cooking?” 

“You already know how this goes. I won’t tell you until I serve you.” 

She smiled and kissed him on the cheek, which reset his brain. “OK. Then I’ll go to wash my face while I wait.” 

By the time she returned, he was done cooking breakfast and was serving their plates on the counter. She wore the same clothes from before, but her face seemed to shine. She did her hair in a high, messy bun. Despite her hair still being damped by sweat, or maybe because of it, it seemed to shine like it had a life of its own, and he found himself once again comparing her to the Sun God. Bonney would kill me if she knew of my blasphemous thoughts. 

He was finishing serving their plates when she went towards him and kissed him on the cheek. “Thanks for the breakfast. It looks delicious.” He almost dropped the plates.

“Don’t worry about it. It's my pleasure. You like your coffee black, correct?”

“Yes, please.”  

He had cooked sunny-side eggs, fried bacon, and sliced some melon. It was a simple breakfast, but he was running low on groceries, and he had to go to work in three hours. He hoped she didn’t mind. 

She smiled after her first bite of breakfast, and her eyes shone like stars. He had seen this reaction a thousand times from a thousand different people. He wasn’t oblivious. He knew he might be the best chef in the world. But seeing Viola do this face always brightened his day. Aside from Zeff, Reiju, and the Strawhats, Viola was the only one who could make him proud of his cooking skills. 

“Enjoying yourself?” he asked with a smirk.

“I don’t know how you do it. These are the best sunny-side eggs I’ve ever had!” 

“I’m glad to hear that,” my love. Why didn't I say that? 

She seemed to have also caught the omission of a pet name. As he reminisced about last night, he realized how many pet names he had called her, and felt ashamed of his reluctance to do so here. They stood in a weird space. They were very good friends, complementing each other’s humour and interests, but they were much more than friends. Not friends with benefits, their interactions were too intimate for that. But they weren’t a couple either. He hadn’t asked her to be his girlfriend. They had sex yesterday, which complicated things a lot more. What would their relationship be after last night? How would he need to call her? Babe? Love? Did she even want to continue with this ambiguity? Had she assumed that they were already a couple? Did he have to–

 “Sanji.” 

Her voice returned him to reality, and he realized that she was looking at him with confusion but also with conviction. He gulped in anticipation. 

“I don’t know or I don’t remember if we explicitly talked about this. But just to make things clear. Do you want to be my boyfriend?” 

His world spun around, and for a while, he couldn’t find his voice. But after a for awkward moments, he was able to mumble a faint. “Yes.” 

She smiled. “Sorry, I didn’t hear you, Sanji. Could you be clearer?”  

To answer her, in an act of madness and excitement, he went over the counter and kissed her passionately. At first, she jolted in surprise, but soon after, her tongue joined his in that passionate back-and-forth dance. After a while, he broke their lips apart. 

“Yes, Viola, my answer is yes.” He kissed her again, this time more tenderly than passionately. “Ever since I saw you walk into my restaurant, I wanted to be your man.” He kissed her again. “So yes, Viola. God damn yes!” 

She responded to his answer by grabbing his face and looking lovely and intently at him. “You have no idea how happy that makes me. But I’m hungry, and your food is delicious. So let’s finish it and then we’ll talk about what our future entails.” 

His stomach agreed with her. “Yes, ma’am.”

As they ate their breakfast, they talked about how their friends and family would react to their relationship. She was especially interested in what Zeff would think about her, and it seemed to worry her to some extent. 

“Oh, don’t worry about that old jerk. He is only a jerk to me. He would love you, and probably ask you why in the world you would decide to date me.”

According to her, most of her friends already thought they were dating, so they would most likely tease them for taking so long to make it official, which was a fair criticism. 

They were done with their breakfast soon after, which gave him two more hours until he had to go to work. But both their eyes were still hungry, and were staring at each other. 

They launched at each other at the same time. They crashed and rolled, making them land at the wall to his right. His back was against the wall, and her chest was against his. 

He winced in pain, but still pulled her closer to him. Their kisses were hungry and savage, like a wolf fighting a bear, each aiming to attain dominance over the other. 

When the pain in his back grew too much to bear, he spun around and pinned her back against the wall. She tried to protest, but he shut her up with even more passionate kisses. He rubbed his hardened shaft against her sex, causing the fabrics that separated them to overheat. She moaned loudly and dug her nails once more into his back. This time, he didn’t wince. Instead, he got closer, bent his knees, and continued to rub their passion organs, but this time he aimed his shaft's stride upwards. 

After a few strokes, she moaned and darted upwards. He caught her by her small back and lifted her slightly upwards. He then put his knee between her legs so he could begin playing with her breasts. But unlike with her sex, he wasn’t patient when it came to her boobs. 

He could feel his whole body cooking itself up, but when he unveiled Viola’s boobs, his skin got even hotter. 

They perked like cupcake frosting, and her nipples were as red as cherries. He licked around them fervently, alternating from one breast to the other every couple of seconds. Her skin tasted like undercooked steak, and the dried sweat all over her gave her an extra exotic salty flavour. She was delicious. 

Her sporadic moans turned into constant ones once he began to trace his kisses downwards. Once his lips reached her belly, he switched his hand placement, putting one on each side of her hips. He could feel that she had her phone in the left pocket of her pants, but his lust was such that he didn’t care if he accidentally damaged the device. Her pants needed to come off—immediately. 

He pulled them down quickly, causing Viola to react in surprise with a yelp. Her sex smelled like an aphrodisiac, and it pulsated just as hard as his shaft. 

He jolted towards it. By this point, he was on his knees, worshiping her like the goddess she was. He began by kissing her pubic mound tenderly. Then, when he deemed her wet enough, he began to lick both of her pair of lips, but not her clit. At least not yet. 

Her body was twitching, and her hands were dug into his nape, but the more she dug them, the more he licked her. 

“Sanji, please, oh God! Sanji, please keep going!” 

He obeyed. 

Her moans began to sound raspy, and her voice sounded tired. But he wanted to hear her voice even more, so he began to lick her clit and inserted a finger into her. 

“Ohh.. AAWWW! OH SANJI! OHH GOD!”

Her legs were trembling, and she lost her footing more than once. But his steady hands prevented her from faltering. 

“Don’t worry, dear, I've got you. You just keep enjoying yourself.” 

He began to put more emphasis on his finger, moving it up and pulling it towards him over and over again. He gave sporadic licks to her clit that didn’t follow any pattern. He could see that his unpredictability was driving her mad. He was proud of that. 

He put another finger in, and the moan that followed resembled a shriek. His nape was just as red as his back had been yesterday. But just like yesterday, he didn’t care. 

Her moaning was becoming maddening to him. Her voice threatened to make him lose control of his senses, and he needed those senses to keep enjoying the view. So he departed his lips from her clit and rushed his head towards hers so he could kiss her. He dug his fingers deeper in her as he ascended, and he got to her mouth in time to shut the loud moan she was about to utter. 

Her arms darted all around as she tried not to lose her mind. He grabbed her hands softly with his free hand and placed them on top of her head. He had tried the same move yesterday, and to his surprise, she seemed to like it. He had assumed she wouldn’t, but yesterday’s madness had made him forget about her traumas. He knew it was a selfish thought, and he hated himself for having it, but he enjoyed being the only man who Viola enjoyed being held in place by. 

The wet sounds of her sex were louder than ever, and he knew she was close to cum. If she could, she would be moaning as loud as her tired vocal chords allowed her, but his tongue on hers made that impossible. 

His shaft was so hard it hurt. It pushed through the fabric of his shorts, threatening to poke a hole in them. She knew this and instinctively moved her sex closer to his tip. But his hand on her pushed her back, and when she tried to complain, he used his thumb to rub on her clit while his other two fingers kept fingering her. 

When the explosion came, he quickly pulled his fingers outside of her to not interrupt the flood. Her fluids leaked from her directly onto his floor. He knew she would complain or try to stop them, so he kissed her even more passionately to prevent that. This is not the time for doubting my love, just enjoy yourself and let me serve you.

“Hmmmm… Huhhh! Hmm ugghhh!” She mumbled as she came. Their tongues were so intertwined and deep in each other’s throats that they could almost touch each other’s souls. 

She plummeted on his shoulders. Even after her orgasm, her sex was still dripping wet. He hadn’t cum, but he didn’t mind. Seeing her overwhelmed by the pleasure he gave her was enough for him. 

She panted for a couple of minutes until she had the strength to utter words. “That… that was amazing Sanji, let me… let me do you… please.” 

She began to reach for his manhood before he could answer. He tried to muster a response, but only unintelligent mumbles came from his mouth. He didn’t want to deny her, nor to flinch back for fear of hurting her feelings, but this hadn’t been his plan. He needed more time, he needed—

RING! RING! 

They both jolted. 

RING! RING! 

The sound came from her pants. She tried to reach for her phone, but her legs were still too weak. So he was the one who grabbed it. The time was 11:10 a.m., and the screen had only one phrase, but the phrase was as terrifying as the worst horrors he had seen while traveling as a Strawhat. Incoming call from ‘Dad’. 

“It's your father.” 

“Shit, is it FaceTime?” 

“No, just a regular call.” 

“Here, pass it to me.” 

As she answered the phone call, he went for two glasses of water. He passed one to Viola and chugged the other one. He needed to run. He was the boss, so technically, he couldn’t get in trouble for arriving late, but he had to set the standard. Besides, if his staff ever discovered the reason why he arrived late, he would never hear the end of it. 

“Yes, Dad. I will have the spreadsheets ready by the end of today, don’t worry about them.” 

He went to his room to grab today's outfit, some black dressing trousers, a blue dressing shirt, some socks, and his black dressing shoes. He returned to the living room and found Viola still on the phone with his dad, talking about mundane things while she put on the clothes that he had just taken off her. He smiled, seeing her in her lavish dresses was breathtaking, but seeing her in such casual attire was heartwarming. We are a couple now. I love my life. 

He waved his hand to gain her attention and asked for permission to talk. 

“Hey Dad, just give me one second,” she said and then pulled her phone away from her ear. “What happened?” she whispered. 

“I know it is a bummer,” he whispered. “And sorry for this to be abrupt. I promise I’ll make it up to you, my love, but I need to be at the restaurant by noon. I am going to get ready, but feel free to stay and take your time. You are welcome to take a shower and grab some of my clean clothes, as well as grab anything from the kitchen for a snack if you are still hungry. I’ll be closing the restaurant today, but I still want to see you. So if you can, please come by the restaurant for dinner. It is in the house,” he kissed her and watched her nod. 

He could still hear her talking to her dad while he prepared to shower. He wondered if she was telling him about their relationship, but he figured she wouldn't. The context was too intimate for Mr. Riku to know just yet, but maybe by tomorrow, he would be aware that his daughter wasn’t single anymore. 

The cold water on his skin made it hiss like a newly forged blade when plunged into water. His manhood had softened and hung flaccid as if it were expressing disappointment. Sorry big guy, you already know me. Giving pleasure does it for me. 

His manhood didn’t respond. And as the cold water cleansed his body, he couldn't stop thinking about what excuse he would use next time she tried to suck him. I’m a fucking mess. 

Notes:

Finally these two leave all the bullshit and simply enjoy each other's company. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. I don't know what I will do when I finish this story and have to stop writing Viola Pov's, these genuelly are some of my favourite pieces I've written ever. Nonetheless there are still some chapters left as I need to solve a looming threat to Sanji's and Viola's relationship. I'm sure that after reading this chapter yall might know what that is. But that will be for next chapters.

Chapter 14: Sanji's flaw

Summary:

Sanji and Viola address some of their differences in their relationship, tackling a long overdue conversation about Sanji's way of loving.

VIOLA POV 

Her frustration with Sanji was growing every day that passed. She still loved the man, at times too much that her heart ached every time he wasn’t around. But despite all of his virtues, the man had a flaw that pissed her off. 

The man had no sense of worth. 

It wasn’t as if their relationship was unilateral. They took turns organizing their dates, and when it was her turn, she would make sure to go places she thought he would like. Most of the time, she was right, but even if she wasn’t, he would never complain. And despite him being the chef, she would often cook for the two of them when she wanted to impress him or when he looked too tired to cook. She knew her cooking was improving, but it still wasn’t great, and sometimes she would undercook the meat, or put too much salt, or not enough. But regardless of how she messed up the food at times, he would never complain. It wasn’t infuriating. 

He was the first man to see her insecurities and traumas and still love her. She loved that about him, but for some reason, it was as if she could do no wrong towards him. She could arrive late and he wouldn’t complain, she could be moody all day and he would understand; it was as if he accommodated to whatever she gave him and was happy with it. 

At first, she tried to make him mad. She knew it was petty and toxic, but that was the only way she knew to make a man demonstrate their love for her. She arrived late, didn’t read his messages, and she even flirted for a couple of seconds with other men at social dance events. Sanji’s face would twist in anger, but he would never act upon it. Instead, he would react by being even more of a gentleman than he already was, showering her with compliments and special treatments, and once they were alone, their make-up sex would be Sanji eating her and fingering her until she passed out. It was great, but it wasn’t what she wanted. I want you to take me, Sanji. I want you to make me feel yours. But he wouldn’t do it. His way of remedying her shitty behaviour was to serve her even more. 

Months had passed since the first two times they had sex, but she still remembered them vividly. It was a fond memory that at times made her sex wet, but what stuck in her mind the most was Sanji’s reluctance to be sucked. A trend that would continue to this day. 

It wasn’t as if she hadn’t licked his manhood at all. She had done it a couple of times, but this was usually after either begging him to let her do it or after catching him off guard. He would never ask for it despite how much she knew he enjoyed it. She felt as if in his mind it was a sin to receive pleasure when he couldn’t reciprocate at the same time. 

She had talked about this with Nami multiple times. They had exchanged numbers a few days after the warehouse incident and had kept in contact since. She had excluded the explicit details of their sexual life, but her point was still the same. Sanji doesn’t know how to be loved unconditionally. He always needs to give something in return. It saddened her more than it frustrated her, but she would be lying if she said she didn’t find this habit infuriating. 

In return, Nami had responded with a vague answer, something about his past and that it made sense for him, and that with time, he would open up to her. She explained that this didn’t seem to be working, that she hadn’t seen much progress ever since they started dating. And Nami would simply suggest that she take the initiative and force him to enjoy himself, but every time she tried, Sanji seemed to smell her intent and find an excuse to escape her plans. 

They lay on her couch as they watched a documentary on the Kung-fu Dugongs. He wore some blue shorts, a black crewneck, and white socks. The man had let his hair grow these past few months. Before, only his forehead and face were covered by the length of his hair, but now it began to fall to his shoulders and nape, revealing a wavy texture that he didn’t know he had. She wore her sky blue pajama pants and a grey hoodie that had once belonged to Sanji, with nothing but her naked torso underneath it. Sanji had made her hair into a loose ponytail that he kept playing with, wiggling it around as he massaged her nape. 

“Hmmm, I love your messages, dear.” She said half asleep. She had had a long week. She had to go to the port twice this week, as well as file double the spreadsheets because her father had decided to change oil suppliers. She also had to update payroll. After the warehouse incident, the police began to investigate the whole island, and they found that some of the employees who had shot their disapproving glances at her all those months ago were linked with The Righteous People. Some were informants, others full-time members; nonetheless, they had to fill in the twenty vacant spots that they left in the company. 

“And I love giving them to you.” 

His voice was steady, almost hiding the exhaustion in it. But she knew him well, and throughout the week he had smelled more intensely of tobacco than any other week, which only meant one thing: a rough week at the restaurant. 

“Do you want a massage, dear?” She asked, even though she already knew the answer. 

“I’m fine, love, you seem to need it more.” 

She pulled herself away from Sanji gently. If he wouldn’t let himself get pampered, she wouldn’t let him pamper her. Maybe this way, he will change.

“Where are you going, my love?” He asked cluelessly. 

She gulped, realizing that this could end in their first full-on fight as a couple. Once she had gathered enough courage, she spoke.

“Sanji, I have a deal for you. I know you want to give me a massage, and I really want to receive it. But I won’t accept a massage from you until you let me massage you first. Deal?” 

He looked bewildered and didn’t speak for a while. Her heart was racing, and her palms were sweaty. She knew that he wouldn’t yell at her, but her fears of the past still lingered. What if this is the first time he does? Doffy also had a first time. She didn’t realize she was shaking until Sanji grabbed her hands gently and asked. “Are you alright, my love?” 

She pulled herself away from his hold. “Yes, I am fine. Now answer my question. Do we have a deal or not?” 

He looked heartbroken, and for a second she almost faltered. But she didn’t, and instead kept staring at him with loving but determined eyes. 

“Can I ask why you are doing this?” He said timidly. “You look very tired. I can simply give you your massage, and then you can give me one.” 

Her tears began to flow. Why can’t you let me love you? “No!” She yelled louder than she expected. “Because I know what comes next. You always do that! You say that you are going to accept my love, but first I have to accept yours, but once I do, you invent some bullshit excuse to not receive the love that I want to give you! Why Sanji!? Why!? Am I doing something wrong? Just tell me, please. Tell me so I can change it, please. I just need to know.” Those last words came as an unintelligent plea, full of tears and sobs. She felt exposed, almost as vulnerable as she had felt in that warehouse. This time, she didn’t fear for her life; she feared for her relationship with Sanji, and knowing that if all went to hell here, she would still be living after it, almost made it worse. 

He stared at her with indescribable eyes. At times, they seemed to reflect shame, then regret, then pride, and then sadness. It was maddening. After three eternities, he finally answered, but he didn’t meet her eyes. Instead, he looked down at the couch as he scratched his head with both hands above his ears. 

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry if I made you feel like this was your fault. You are right, I don’t know how to act when someone does something kind for me. It’s because… well, it's complicated. Let's just say that when I told you my story, I didn’t tell you all of it. At the time, I justified it by telling myself that you weren’t ready to hear it because of all the traumatic events that had happened at the time. But in truth, I was the one who wasn’t ready to relive it. And I don’t know if I’m ready now. I’ve been wanting to tell you, but every time that idea pops into my mind, I have this urge to shut it down.” He laughed faintly, and she knew that he was holding back tears. “I’m sorry.” He looked at her. His eyes were watery. “I’m sorry for being such a nuisance. I’m sorry that I’ve been pushing you away without telling you why. That’s just the way I am. It's the way I've always been. Every time you try to do something kind to me and I shut it down, I feel oh so guilty. I see your eyes, and I see that you hate that side of me, but trust me, no one hates that side of me more than myself. It's just that… It’s just that.” He couldn't finish his sentence. His words got stuck in his throat, and his tears began to roll down his cheeks. 

She sprinted towards him and hugged him. He hugged her back, but for the first time, his embrace wasn’t steady. She could feel his hands trembling on her back, and she could feel his efforts to wipe away her tears so as not to stain her hoodie with them. Oh, sweet man, you don’t have to be considerate all the time. She hugged him tighter. 

After a while, she lifted his head gently. His eyes looked like those of a lost puppy, and she got an irrational urge to protect him from the world. She kissed him on the forehead. “So what do you say, do you want the massage?” 

He nodded. 

…

Sanji lay face down on her bed with his naked torso. She stood beside him, rubbing jojoba oil in her palms. An old blues album was playing in the background, making the mood even more relaxing than it already was. Sanji had picked the music, but not before arguing that she should pick it because she was the one doing the massage. She didn’t entertain the conversation, and Sanji seemed to be learning quickly because he simply nodded and played the music. 

She was nervous. At the time, giving him a massage sounded like the best idea ever. But she hadn't given one in a while. Her sister had received the last one almost half a decade ago. She had considered giving massages to Doffy at the beginning of their relationship, but after seeing how he expected repeated favours from people who had given him favours in the past, she never offered to give him one. Why if I do a bad job? What if Sanji uses that as an excuse to never accept something nice from me again? His back had never been the widest or the mightiest, but it had always felt safe. Now it felt imposing, like a tall mountain she needed to climb. 

She began the massage by rubbing her hands on his trapezius. He moaned lightly. “Oh, that feels so good.” And you didn’t want a massage. 

She then went to his shoulders, where she could feel a couple of muscle knots on each one of them. He grunted in pain as she massaged them, and she could see him kicking his legs as she did this. Cute. “So dear Sanji, you said before you were fine and didn’t need a massage. Are you sure now?” She used her most endearing voice for this, with enough sarcasm to make it clear that this wasn’t an accusation. She had debated whether to say this or not. She didn’t want to shame his vulnerabilities, but she wanted to address them with the normality that a day in their relationship had, which included light and incredibly sexy banter.

He laughed timidly, and she could feel his eyes soften. She took her time with his shoulders, massaging them thrice before switching her attention to his rhomboids. Once she did, he grunted again. His back was as solid as a rock, and his skin was stiff as leather. If she didn’t know him, she would never guess that he was a chef. A back this sturdy and damaged belonged to a man used to carrying the load for others. But she knew him, and carrying the load for others was Sanji’s specialty. 

His lower back was just as stiff as his upper back, perhaps even more. Throughout the massage, Sanji had only grunted in pain or laughed at her sassy comments. She could almost feel his brain working overtime. And she could only hear one phrase repeat over and over again in her mind: You weren’t ready to hear it because of all the traumatic events that had happened at the time. What could that mean? He had told her his story, and it was a pretty grim one. Did he mean that he hadn’t told her the most gruesome details of his life? How could his life have possibly been any worse? 

The song playing in the background was soft and melancholic. The singer’s voice sounded like a wife singing to the shore, expecting her sailor husband who would never return. The trumpets were faint like a whisper, and the base sounded like a heartbeat slowly dying out. Finally, he spoke. 

“Zeff is not my father, at least not my biological father. He raised me, fed me, and gave me a passion, something to look forward to, which is why I consider him my father. But he isn’t.” He paused, and his back tensed to the point that it felt as if she hadn’t given him a massage at all. “My biological father’s name is Vinsmoke Judge, king of the Germa kingdom in the North Blue. Any other person would brag about being a prince, but I never wanted to be one, and my father never wanted me to be one. He would rather have me be a bastard son he never knew of or straight up death. Growing up, I was the disappointment of the family. I was always shamed because of my lack of skill at arms and hand-to-hand combat, but mostly for my love for cooking. I don't want to get into details about it, at least not today, but I left that family very young, younger than ten. I still dream about those days. I still dream about Judge’s disappointed eyes every time he saw me. How those pupils seemed to yell, ‘You are not enough. Try harder, you are not enough.’” He sighed loudly, and his back slowly eased back into a relaxing state, but not entirely. “Look, I’m not trying to justify my shitty behaviour towards you. And I know I can be frustrating to deal with, but as pathetic as it may sound, the idea of being worthy of love was foreign to me until a few years ago. I love Zeff to death, and those feelings are reciprocal, but he is not the affectionate kind. So I ended up like this, sorry.” 

She had no idea what to respond. Sanji wasn’t crying, but he was on the verge of doing so. She had stopped massaging him a while back and simply stood still and listened. He turned his head around and met her eyes. Both pairs were watery, but when he saw her saddened eyes, a tone of compassion appeared in his irises. It made her guts twist. I’m the one supposed to comfort you. 

“It’s okay,” he said. “It happened a long time ago.”

That triggered something in her, like on that one night on his balcony months ago. She turned him around with a strength she didn’t know she had. Her bedding was now stained with oil, but she didn’t care. Then, she placed herself on top of him. Sanji instinctively reached for her hips with his hands, but she quickly slapped them away. “You are the most frustrating man that I’ve ever known, do you know that?” Her face was mere centimeters apart from his, and she had her index finger dug in the middle of his chest accusatorily. “But you are my frustrating man. And when I am around, anything that bothers you isn't simply ‘okay.’ I get that you’ve had a traumatic childhood, and I get if it takes you time to tell it to me, or if you decide not to tell me at all. But I want to love you as much as I want you to love me, so the dynamic has to change, no, it's going to change. You helped me a lot, more than you realize. I used to hate blonde men and had terrible sleep because of nightmares. Now I sleep comfortably in the arms of a blonde man every night. I used to believe that having sex was an act of submission, and now every time we have sex, I feel worshipped like a goddess. And I could tell you countless more examples that it would take me hours to finish listing them. You are a good man, Snaji, the best one I’ve ever met. And good people attract good things towards them, but you don’t let that happen. And I know it's going to be a long process. After all, you had to be patient with me, but we are going to go through it together. I am not forcing you to change radically, I’m just asking you to accept the small details that I give you, which I’m going to give you. Then we can talk about bigger details, because even if you don’t think you deserve them, you do. Trust me, Sanji, you deserve the world.” 

By that point, both of them were crying. She was bawling out, but he only had a few timid tears running down his face. His eyes were filled with guilt, and it felt as if she were staring at a mirror. How many times had Sanji seen this expression on her face? How many times had he heard her speak about giving her time? But he didn’t speak; it was as if speaking about his struggles was a sin, and she realized that his insecurities were deeply rooted within him, perhaps even deeper than hers had ever been. But this didn’t discourage her; it only fueled her determination. You are going to be loved, whether you like it or not. 

He smiled meekly, as if smiling hurt. He couldn’t meet her eyes, and he spoke like a scared child. “Thanks, I think I needed to hear that. I… I will try my best. I don’t think I’ll be able to dissipate your frustrations with me any time soon, but I promise I’ll do my best. Thanks, thanks for not giving up on me.” 

She kissed him like the first time they did. “Of course, you silly man. How could I give up on you? Now turn around and let me finish the massage.” 

He obeyed, and this time Viola had a much better time massaging his back. She worked her way down his relaxed back as they listened to his favourite music, and from time to time, Sanji would hum the tune of a song. 

 

Notes:

A shorter chapter this time addressing one of my favourite character traits of Sanji. I was debating wether to have a Sanji POV but decided against it, not only becasue I love writing Viola's POV, but because I felt like not knowing what is going on in Sanji's mind makes this moment more intimate.
Also I don't like fanfics where once the couple is finally together every single chapter is smut (I will still write smut about these two because its fun) So I decided to extend a little bit more my plan for this fanfic and just write character analysis and how these two manage their relationship with a couple of smut scenes here and there, hope yall like it.

Chapter 15: Sanji's Birthday

Summary:

Sanji's birthday and Viola's preparation for this special day. Where she battled with the difficulty of picking a gift for her man, and gathering the courage for one final proposal to make their bond as a couple stronger... But only if Sanji lets her.

SANJI POV 

His reflection looked even more tired than how he felt. His eyes had no life, and there were dark eye bags beneath them. His skinny frame looked even skinnier, and despite his best efforts to style his long hair, it still looked like bed hair. 

He sighed. 

It was barely past noon, and it had already been the longest day of the year at the restaurant. Before opening, he had to break down an argument between two of his chefs. Then, he got into an argument with Marcy about the man’s cleaning habits, or the lack of them, in his station; Sanji was especially irritated at how loose Marcy’s ponytail was. It reeked of incoming disaster, but the young and cocky chef didn’t seem to care. 

Two hours hadn’t passed since they opened when he had to kick out a group of five drunk sailors, and soon after that, he went to talk with the new dishwasher and the boy accidentally sprayed him, dampening all the cigarettes in his pocket. At least I won’t smoke today. Viola will be happy about that. 

Ever since the day Viola gave him the massage, he had been trying to reduce his smoking. He knew that quitting was impossible; he was too deep into the nicotine dependency for that, but he would at least try not to reek of tobacco whenever he was near her, which fortunately now was almost always. 

His phone buzzed, notifying him of Viola’s latest text. Is everything good at work? I’ll see you when you are done. Have a good one, babe!

All good, love. I look forward to seeing you. Suddenly, his day was a good one, and his reflection in the washroom’s mirror had a smile. So, he left that room and went back to work. 

The kitchen was in chaos. Line cooks ran everywhere, the chefs yelled at everyone, and the servers tried to keep up. He felt at home. 

“Chef Sanji,” Patty said, intercepting him as he walked. “Could you please go help Pablo? Three orders came a while back, and in total, he has to make eight omelets. He has made a couple of them, but he is slow. I would go help, but as you see, I am very busy." She pointed at her station, the cold side, where Sanji could see that she was in the middle of making five BLTs.    

“Sure.” 

Pablo was the newest line cook and the youngest of the crew at seventeen years old. Sanji had hired him two months ago because of his eagerness to learn, but the boy didn’t have much experience in the kitchen. He reminded Sanji a little bit of his younger self, but he would never tell that to anyone. 

Sanji found Pablo struggling to cook two omelets at the time. He had just finished three of them, but the waiter hadn’t come to pick them up; therefore, there were more to make before the order was completed. He snuck beside the redhead boy, taking him by surprise. Pablo’s green eyes widened in shock, but then they began to shine in admiration. It was endearing seeing this boy be so bewitched by his presence, but it also hurt knowing that he would never meet the expectations that Pablo had made of him in his mind. 

“Those omelets look good, Pablo. But you are a bit slow. Concentrate on one pan, and I’ll help you with the other one.”

“Yes–Yes Chef!” The boy answered with a tone that was identical to how Chopper answered Zoro every time that smelly swordsman told him to do something manly. 

They finished all the omelets in less than twenty minutes. Throughout the process, Sanji kept telling Pablo when to flip the omelet in the pan and how to improve his technique for the next omelet. The kid had talent, and while it was clear which omelet was done by him or by Sanji, by the end, the difference was barely noticeable. 

After that, he went to the back of the kitchen to start the prep work for next week. It was only Friday, but they were running low on most of their chopped produce. In most kitchens, the line cooks would do prep work, but this activity soothed him, so if no one else was doing it, he would do it. Fifteen minutes hadn’t even passed since he began when Arnold, the server, called for him. 

Arnold’s face was sweaty, and his eyes were filled with anxiety. The brunette man kept glancing back and forth towards him and towards the tables. He got right beside Sanji and whispered in his ear. “There is a customer complaining about the food. Normally, I wouldn’t have come to you, but the situation is escalating out of control.” 

“Who made the food?” 

“Marcy.” 

Every customer in the restaurant stared at the table where the conflict was happening. Two waiters stood between Sanji’s vision and the angry customer, but he could hear their pitchy voices all the way from the entrance towards the kitchen. 

He arrived at the table to find a tall-looking woman yelling at Flandre, one of his servers. She was dressed in a fancy red dress, had golden earrings that shone almost as bright as her blonde hair or her blue eyes, and she was beyond pissed. 

“How dare you do this to me! And this was supposed to be one of the top recommended spots on this island?! Pathetic!” 

Sanji lightly patted Flandre’s shoulder and signaled him and the other waiter, Amy, to leave the table. Then he spoke. 

“Hello Madam, I hear you have a complaint. I am the owner of this place. What seems to be the problem? I am eager to help.” 

She turned around to face him, and for a split second, Sanji thought that her eyes softened as she scanned him, but her anger persisted. 

“You are the owner? Good, because I am doing you a favour. It can’t be that a restaurant as famous as yours commits such blunders with its food. Look!” 

She pointed at her plate, a carrot cream with croutons to the side. But within the cream, a couple of long brown hairs could be seen. I’m going to kill Marcy. 

“I am so sorry about that, madam. I will take that plate back to the kitchen and tell them to redo it.” 

She seemed to ponder his suggestion for a while, but when she spoke, something changed in her eyes. 

“That is a good offer, Mr. Owner. No wonder you have a successful business. But that won't suffice. See, I am a notable food reviewer, with two books published on cuisines from dozens of islands and a couple of deals to write for prestigious magazines. If I accept your offer, I would be lying to my readers about the sanity standards of this establishment, and that would be immoral, don’t you think?” She was staring at him, and while she had spoken, she had placed herself closer to him to the point that he could smell her cologne and breath. She then lifted her arm and placed her index finger on his chest. “But, we can make other sorts of arrangements. I know of a place with better sanitary policies, not so far from here, where we could share a glass of wine and discuss what I will write about your establishment in my next book… Deal?” 

He could feel every pair of eyes in the restaurant staring at him, and the long nail of the blonde woman digging deeper and deeper into his chest. Before, he would have folded, but despite this woman wearing the same set of nails that Viola sometimes wore, those weren’t Viola’s. He chuckled. 

“That is a good offer, Lady writer. No wonder you have so many successful books. But I cannot accept your offer. Bribing a reviewer to get positive feedback would be lying to potential customers, and that would be immoral, don’t you think?” He smiled at her. “My offer still stands, but if you are so hesitant about it, I can give you a refund and you can go on your way, not before you tip your server, of course.” 

They stared at each other with a tension only found on the battlefield until she decided to make her move. He saw through it even before she started to move, so when the plate went flying at him, he was the only one who wasn’t surprised. Nonetheless, he didn't dodge. He knew the plate wouldn’t hurt him, and this way, most of the cream would land on him, making the waste of food significantly less compared to the scenario where he decided to dodge. When the hit landed, the loud CRACK! was followed by an overwhelming silence. It was as if everyone around him was holding their breath to see how he would react. 

He inhaled deeply, suppressing his anger because of the waste of food and remembering his and Zeff’s code. Men don’t hit women; it is a law as old as dinosaurs. He rubbed a finger through his chest, where most of the cream had splashed, and tasted it. At least the asshole seasoned it correctly. “I’m sorry you feel this way, madam, and I’m sorry it had to come to this. But I will politely ask you to leave this place. If you don’t, I will be forced to call the police.” 

She crossed her arms and walked towards the door as she yelled. “I gave you a chance, you stupid man! I will make sure all of my readers know how shitty this place is! I hope you enjoy bankruptcy!" She slammed the front doors when she left. 

The restaurant was still dead silent, and as he looked around, he noticed that no one was able to meet his eyes. He sighed. 

“Sorry you had to watch this incident, and I am sorry that it has become a recurrent theme in this restaurant. Please continue to enjoy your meals. Our lovely servers will pass around every table with the drinks menu. Please pick your favourite. The next round is on the house.”  

He shut the door behind him as he entered the kitchen as gently as possible, but it still sounded like he had slammed it. All of his kitchen staff stared at him, and he ordered them to ignore him and return to their duties. He was on his way towards his office when Marcy intercepted him. The tall, bulky man somehow looked small. 

“Hey man, I’m sorry for—” 

“Shut up, Marcy! How many times have I told you to be more careful in your station? Anywhere else, you would have already been fired, but I trusted in your talent, and this is how you pay me? Gather your stuff and leave. You are done for the day, and next time you are here, I don't want to see a single stain in your station. I also want you with a hair net and a chef hat on, or preferably with a buzz cut. If I see any dirt in your station, you are done here. Heard?” 

“Heard, Chef,” the man said with a weak mumble as he stared at the floor. 

“All right, staff, I’ll be right back. I’m going to my apartment to take a shower, and then I’ll come back. Viola is supposed to come in a bit. If she does before I’m back, tell her that I went grocery shopping with Marcy. Heard?” 

“Heard, chef!” they all yelled in unison. 

“Oh, and Marcy, one more thing!” he yelled at the man as he was changing his kitchen uniform to regular clothes at the very end of the kitchen.

“Yes?” 

“I saw you on a smoke break a while back. Give me your pack of smokes before you leave.” 

 

VIOLA POV 

The drive back home from the harbour was a peaceful one. She had been there all morning, inspecting the area, talking to her team, and planning for the future. But as she did all of this, she kept asking herself the same question in the back of her mind. What should I give Sanji for his birthday? 

She parked in her parking spot and went straight towards her apartment. Her clock marked 2 p.m., and she wanted to be at Sanji’s restaurant by 3:30 p.m.. Once in her apartment, she checked her phone. Sanji hadn’t sent her any more texts, and while sometimes this bothered her, she had grown accustomed to the man’s lack of texting skills. 

Just got to the apartment. I’ll take a shower and go there. Love you. 

The cold shower on her body seemed to cleanse the fog in her mind, but the question that had bothered her all day still lingered. Should I give him clothes? Sanji was a fashionista; he always had a clean outfit ready to go. She figured that he would wear proudly whatever clothes she got him, but she was scared of buying something that might mess up his style. Besides, buying him a tie or a dressing shirt didn’t feel intimate enough. 

A while back, she saw fancy-looking Zippo lighters at a mall. Some of them were embroidered with gold and had clean designs that she was sure Sanji would love. But she had seen the man attempt to reduce his tobacco consumption. Gifting him a Zippo would only enable his addiction and would be an insult to his commitment to that difficult goal. 

She still had time. His birthday was March the second, and they were only on February the twentieth, but still, she wanted to be prepared. Sanji always seemed to know what to gift her, and every time she thought of a good gift idea, she would remember their Saint Valentine's Day and compare it to that. So far, none of her ideas had come close to equaling that day. 

That day had been magical. Sanji had woken her up by bringing her favourite breakfast to their bed and fucked her real good after she was done eating it. Then, they went for a walk at the harbour where their first date had been, although this time there wasn't any fair going on. They stood there for a while, admiring the ocean while enjoying each other’s company. After that, they returned to his apartment, where he then dropped her off at her place after dropping the news that they were going to a fancy restaurant uptown and he wanted her to put on her favourite dress for it. He picked her up an hour later, dressed in khaki dressing pants and a wine dressing shirt that combined with her light yellow dress. 

The restaurant they went to was one that she had mentioned a while back she wanted to visit. It stood at the north side of the island and served New World food. Everything tasted exquisite, but Sanji’s cooking remained unbeaten. Once they were done eating, and as they enjoyed a glass of wine, Sanji dropped the bomb. He pulled from his pocket two tickets for a flamenco social dance event happening that night. She was stunned by the kind gesture, but even more surprised by the fact that she had no idea this event was happening. She must have looked deeply shocked because Sanji then explained that he had asked the organizers and her dance friends not to tell her about it. 

It wasn’t as if she hadn’t done anything for him that day. Before going to the harbour, she gave him a cake that she had baked for him the night before and brought it to his apartment in secret. Then, before going into the fancy restaurant, she took him to a kitten cafe, where Sanji seemed to be more interested in feeding the kittens than in drinking his coffee, and then, after the social dance event, she took him to a private lookout to watch the fireworks at midnight. But what she remembered most fondly about that day was what happened after the fireworks at his bed. 

The memory of it made her skin heat up, and for a moment she imagined the cold droplets of water evaporate as they touched her skin. Their sex had begun like always: with him overwhelming her with pleasure during foreplay and then going down on her with his magical tongue. After the first round, and thanks to the boost of confidence from his constant praise for her throughout the day, she decided to take the initiative. 

She gently threw him towards his bed face up. When he tried to argue or ask for an explanation, she kissed him gently and whispered, “Do you trust me?” he nodded as a response. That was the first night she rode him. 

Remembering that made her sex wet even with the coldness around her. Keep your cool, Viola. It's not even three p.m.. You cannot be this horny. But she couldn't help it. The memory of that night was just too intense. Sanji always called her a goddess when they had sex, and that word had quickly become her favorite pet name, making her blush every time he used it. But that night, as she rode him in the pace she pleased while seeing the man drowned in pleasure, unable to speak a word, was the first time she truly felt like a goddess. She had gone back and forth as she pleased, like the unruly waves of the northern ocean. Her body had glowed in sweat and ecstasy, and Sanji stood below her like a helpless believer, victim of his goddess’s greed. 

Unfortunately, that amazing moment didn't last long. The man wasn’t used to being at the bottom, and he came mere minutes after she began riding him. During the aftercare, Sanji had bombarded her with apologies, offering to eat her out again to ‘finish the job,’ taking her to a fancy dinner date, and much more. But she quickly shut him up. 

“You did nothing wrong, Sanji. But now that you are so insistent on giving an apology, the only apology I will accept to make it up to me for tonight is that you let me ride you more often! I know why you are hesitant about it, you don’t have to repeat it, but I’m not asking you to do it every night. We can start slowly. I’ll be considerate with your inner struggles, but I will ride you again! Do you hear me?” 

“Yes, ma’am.” 

Remembering Sanji’s bewildered face still made her grin like a little girl. 

Sanji’s call caught her changing into her outfit to go see him. The buzz of her phone startled her, but she quickly picked it up when she saw who was calling. 

“Hello, darling,” Viola began speaking before he could. “How’s the day going?” 

Sanji wasn’t usually the one who called her during his shift; it was always the other way around. Which meant that either the restaurant was really slow, or that he desperately wanted to talk to her. 

“It’s going fine,” he answered. “I was just calling you to confirm that you are coming in a bit.” 

“Of course I am! You just called me as I am changing to go see you. I think you will love my outfit.” 

“Oh, really? Can I see it?” 

She laughed. “No. It’s a surprise. Besides, I don’t have it on me just yet; I’m in my underwear. What will your employees think if they glance at your phone and find me half naked?” 

“They will think that I am the luckiest man on the planet. But you don’t have to worry about that, I’m in my flat.”

“Why?” 

“I spilled carrot cream on me, so I had to come here, take a shower, and change. I’m heading back to finish my shift, so I’ll meet you there.” He said with a familiar tone that made her blood boil. It was the same tone he used when he described his childhood with Zeff for the first time, as well as when he told her about his travels through the seas. He is telling half of the truth. But why? She knew the nature of his lie. He was omitting information that would make her feel bad for him; She wasn’t wondering that. Instead, she was wondering why Sanji still had the necessity to lie to her. It made her angry and made her insecurities come back. Maybe he doesn’t love me enough to tell me. Maybe I need to try harder. She shuddered, and suddenly, the courage she had gathered these past days to propose to him the surprise she had for his birthday crumbled. 

“Oh,” she managed to say. “That’s unfortunate. But are you all right?” 

“Yeah. Yeah, everything is fine.” Liar.“ I’ll see you in a bit. I’ll wait.” 

That’s when she realized why his tone sounded so familiar. It wasn’t only the undertone of guilt that he had, but also the raspiness of his voice that told her he had been smoking. Something really bad must have happened.

“I also can’t wait to see you,” she responded. “Now go back to the kitchen, or your workers will miss you. I’ll see you in a bit.” 

She was ready to go fifteen minutes after hanging up. She wore some jeans that accentuated her silhouette to perfection (Sanji’s favourite), a loose white blouse with wavy fabric at its short sleeves and its bottom that revealed her belly, an oversized leather jacket, and some black sunglasses. Alongside making her hair in a ponytail, just like Sanji loved. 

She stepped into her car with the sole purpose of figuring out what had ruined her man’s day. 

… 

Sanji’s orgasm came before hers like all the other times she had been on top. She watched from above how the man melted into his blankets, drained with exhaustion and drowned in shame. 

Everything about being on top felt weird. She took such pride in not only riding the first man who truly loved her, but also in the fact that Sanji of all people let her take charge, but it also saddened her that they couldn’t combine climaxes. Furthermore, seeing Sanji so ashamed of his futile performances made her heart ache, but it also enraged her that his response to this was to go back to the old days of unhealthy servitude. Only time can improve this dynamic, and we have our entire lives to do so. We will get there, Sanji. I promise.

She fell beside him and cut him off before he could even speak. “I don’t want to hear your offers of compensation. Just come here and hug me.” 

Their bodies stood intertwined for a long period of time, blending their sweat and bodily fluids into a homogenous mix. Throughout all of it, Viola’s mind ran rampant, desperate to find ideas as to what she would gift Sanji for his birthday, aside from that final surprise. There are only seven days to go.

“What are you thinking about?” Sanji asked beside her. 

His voice startled, making her body jump slightly in surprise and her heart go into chaos. 

She loved beyond measure how much Sanji knew her, but it made her feel so vulnerable when he anticipated what she was thinking. She knew her feelings and thoughts were in safe hands with him, but her old fears still lingered. Besides, whenever she guessed what she thought, she couldn’t help but remember how little she knew him in comparison. 

“I was just thinking about food,” she said, improvising her lie as she spoke. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind. Besides, I need answers. “A while back, I was looking at places we could go to eat, but then I remembered that you are not only a chef, but also a traveler. I was hoping you could give me a list of places you haven’t really experienced their cuisine to go try them together.”  

She could feel his whole demeanour change, just like every time they talked about food or cooking, and she was glad he had taken the bait. 

“Well,” he began saying as he thought. “I’ve tried most of the North Blue, Grandline, and New World’s cuisines. I haven’t tried most of the South or the West blue, and I definitely want to try them. Unfortunately, those cuisines are not very popular here.”

“And what cuisines that we have restaurants for in here have you not experienced fully?”

“I would say Water Seven,” he said after a minute of silence. “When we were there, there was a lot going on, so we couldn’t really experience the culture. I remember seeing street vendors of noodles that would have their stand in a boat and use a very peculiar kitchen knife that I haven’t seen again.”  

She almost blew her front by giggling. She finally knew what Sanji’s present would be. Or at least I know what physical object I can gift him. Hopefully, he also accepts my other surprise…

SANJI POV 

March the second. He knew this date pretty well. This was the day Sora’s Vinsmoke fate was sealed. Every memory he had of his mother, he remembered her as a weak woman on the brink of death. Some days, he wondered how she had managed to give birth to four kids in a day, but thinking about it saddened him, so he didn’t do it often. 

He stood up from his empty bed and went to take a shower. Today, Viola had to go to the port to meet with her team. She had apologized to him a dozen times before he convinced her that he was fine with it, that they could meet later in the day to celebrate his birthday. 

My birthday. He sighed. He had celebrated very few of those, only four times with Zeff, and two times with the straw hats, after they forced him to tell them when his birthday was. For most of his life, he hadn’t celebrated it. There was nothing to celebrate that day. He had begun to change this mindset ever since he escaped the Vinsmokes, but old ideas die hard. 

The first Strawhat to call him was Robin, as she was the one with the most similar schedule to his. She congratulated him, and then they began to talk about life. For two years, he had fawned over her, but after Wano and after she got with Franky, their relationship began to change. Robin was no longer a platonic crush he wished he could be with. Instead, she had become a sort of older sister figure that Reiju was never fully able to fulfill. 

Franky pooped into the conversation soon after. He congratulated Sanji with his ever-loud but charismatic voice. 

“Have a SUPER birthday, Sanji!” The cyborg yelled. “I hope to see you again soon! I heard you got knocked down by a beautiful woman. But of course not as beautiful as my SUPER wife!” 

“Franky dear, please calm down,” Robin said. Sanji could hear her take the phone away from Franky’s hands. “I apologize for this dork. You know how he gets. But on a serious note, happy birthday, Sanji. Please enjoy it. You deserve it.” 

“Thanks, Robin,” he managed to respond with the knot that had formed in his throat. “I’ll keep it in mind.” 

“Now go and celebrate with that pretty girl you got. Nami told me that you couldn’t handle all of that, so go and prove her wrong.” 

Nami’s call was the second to arrive. It caught him while he stood shirtless on his balcony smoking a cigarette while watching the early morning sky light up. 

“Helloooo, pretty boy, how’s it going? I hope you are having a fantastic birthday!” 

“It’s 9 a.m., it's too early in the morning to say that I’m having a fantastic day.” 

“I love that enthusiastic side of yours.” 

“Shut up.” 

By the time they were done updating each other's lives, the sun shone brightly above him, and there were no workers running towards their jobs beneath his building. But he couldn't have a conversation with Nami without her bringing up Viola and teasing him about it. 

“So how has it been with your goddess of a girlfriend?” she asked, and Sanji could picture clearly the smug face that Nami had at the moment. “Is it going well, or do I have to convince you again that you are a lucky man?” 

“I know I am, but thanks for the reminder. It's been going good. We are planning to move in together in the near future, and somehow she becomes even more beautiful, physically and as a person, the more time I spend with her.” 

“Eww, I forgot how sappy you can get.” She paused for a moment long enough for him to give a good hit to his cigarette. “But seriously, Sanji, I am very happy for you.”

“Thanks,” he interrupted before Nami said something about him ‘deserving it.’ He knew everyone who said that had good intentions, but every time he heard it, it made him feel guilty for being a drag and needed to be reminded of his worth. It must be taxing dealing with me. 

He smirked. “But are you really happy for me? A little bird told me that you thought I couldn’t handle such a beautiful woman.” 

“Ohh, shut up. I remember what happened to you on Fishman Island. So don’t come here and act cocky.” 

“We don’t talk about Fishman Island.”

“See! I have my reasons to doubt. But jokes aside, it's not only that you are lucky to be with her; she is equally lucky to be with you.”

“Thanks.”

… 

By the time Viola arrived at his apartment, all of the Strawhats had contacted him to congratulate him. Luffy, Usopp, Chopper, and Jimbei called him. While Zoro and Brook simply texted him. Sanji knew that Brook was on a world tour, but Zoro was the embodiment of unemployment, so he found it funny that he wouldn’t call him. To be fair, on his last birthday, I didn’t call him either. He smiled, remembering the angry call back he got from the swordsman when Sanji’s gift arrived at his dojo: A fifty-kilogram order of moss. 

Viola looked astonishing. Her perfect silhouette was enhanced by those jeans he loved so much. The smooth and tanned skin of her belly was visible thanks to the short black tank top she wore that combined perfectly with her wine coloured varsity jacket, and her eyes shone as bright as the long golden earrings that she wore. 

“How are you doing, darling?” She asked with a smirk on her face as she placed her back sunglasses on the neck of her tank top. “Are you ready for me to take you out, or do you need more time, sweetheart?”

He laughed. “What? Are you going to reverse our roles for tonight?”

“Of course,” she went past him towards the kitchen, not before slapping his ass as she passed by him. “I’ll grab some water, and let me know when you are ready to go.”   

After inspecting his outfit in the large mirror that Viola had brought to his room a week ago, and deciding that he liked what he was wearing, he was ready to go. For his outfit, he opted for a bright red shirt, black dress pants, black dress shoes, and a khaki bomber jacket. Before, he was hesitant to wear reds and pinks due to the fear of making Viola remember Doflamingo when she saw him; that’s why he had grown out his hair. His hair wasn’t long enough to make him able to wear pink again, but red should be fine. I just won’t wear any sunglasses with those colours. 

“We really need to find a place for that mirror, dear.” He said as he opened the door of his apartment for her. “I don’t think that leaving it leaned back on the wall beside my door is particularly safe.” 

“Yeah, you are right. But it can stay there for tonight. We can figure out its new placement later.” 

Once he got into the car, after reluctantly accepting the role of passenger, not because of a lack of trust in Viola’s driving skills, but because of his stupid urge not to be a burden, they went straight towards the restaurant. It stood at the southern side of the island by the shore, where the sea was the fiercest and the winds the coldest. Just enjoy this day, you fool. Why are you making it hard for everyone else all the time with your traumas? He knew that Viola would wack him if she were able to read his mind, and he knew that his thoughts were wrong, but this mindset had been tattooed in his brain for more than a decade; it wouldn’t go away in half a year. 

‘The taste of the port’ was a fancy Water Seven restaurant where the parking valet and the waiter were dressed even fancier than how he dressed in the regular at his restaurant. They sat by a large balcony that led to a view of the entire island, with candles all around them that smelled of cinnamon, lavender, and vanilla. 

“Fancy place. How did you find it?” 

“I subscribed to some cooking magazines and checked their recommended restaurants. I began by subscribing to only one, but that one, for some reason, gave a really bad review of your restaurant, so I knew their opinion wasn’t worth it. This place was recommended by all five magazines I subscribed to, so I assumed it was a good bet.” 

So that angry woman wasn’t lying. He smiled. “Well, thanks, it looks amazing. I cannot wait to try the food.” 

She ordered a salmon filet with mashed potatoes and fried asparagus as a side. He ordered noodles with fish broth, shrimps, and chopped green onions. Both ordered a glass of wine. 

“How do you like the food?” she asked, with doubt in her eyes. This was one of the worst parts of being a great chef; People assumed that every time he ate out, he was judging the food and comparing it with his’, but reality couldn’t be farther away from the truth. He could eat raw meat and dirty onions and be satisfied by it. 

“It’s really good. You picked a great restaurant. And I love the view, it highlights how beautiful your hometown is.” 

Viola blushed at this, and her face shone even brighter than the sun above them. “Thanks, Sanji, I’m glad you liked it.”

“How about your food? It looks delicious.”

“I loved it. I mean, I also love how you cook salmon, but this one is really good, only second to yours, of course.” 

He smiled and caressed her hand. “You don’t have to compliment my cooking every time we go out. I am an amazing chef, but it’s fine if you like some dishes better in certain restaurants than how I cook them. I won’t get offended by that.”

“I wasn’t lying. This is delicious, but I like yours better.” 

“Well, thanks for the compliment, it means a lot. But never feel guilty of enjoying a meal not cooked by me.” 

As they ate, he couldn’t help but marvel at her beauty. Evening had arrived, and the sun had begun to set, making Viola’s tanned skin shine like the finest copper money could buy. Her smile was radiant, and he felt a deep sense of pride every time he made her smile, and her eyes beamed with love, love towards him. His stomach twisted with guilt as a familiar pattern appeared in his mind. I don’t deserve her, but she told me that I do. Why am I questioning this again? I am being a burden. I don’t deserve her… he took a long sip of wine. 

They were done with their food soon after, but they stayed a little longer on the balcony to talk as they drank their second glass of wine. Her face was already reddened by the liquor, making her look even cuter than she already was. Unfortunately, thanks to Judge’s modifications, he couldn't really get drunk. His body would process the alcohol too fast for it to have a significant effect on him, but he loved the taste of wine and the company that it brought. 

A chilly breeze made her shudder, and after that, they both decided to head back to his place. This time, he drove her car. The road was unfamiliar to him, so he had to pay close attention to it, but his eyes still caught the weird glances that Viola gave him occasionally. 

He had no idea if it was due to the alcohol or something else, but her eyes had an unfamiliar hue. It was clear that she was in deep thought, but he had no idea what she could be thinking about. His pessimistic side immediately assumed the worst, that she was pondering breaking up with him, but he quickly dismissed those thoughts. He sighed and decided to let her be. She wasn’t like him; if something bothered her, she would eventually say it. 

Once he parked in his parking spot, he went towards her door and opened it for her. Time had worn off some of her drunkenness, but she was still tipsy. She fell into his chest as soon as she walked out of the car, giggling as she caressed his pecs like they were pillows. That made him smile. 

“You have a very sexy body,” she said. “Has anyone told you that?” 

“I believe you have.” 

“‘I believe you have’ What? I guess I have to tell you more often,” she smiled shyly, and that smile revealed a hidden intent behind it that he still hadn’t figured out. At least now I know for certain that she won’t leave me. “But before I forget. I have a present for you. It is in the trunk, so let me go get it.” 

She stumbled towards it, but he went and reached for her before she could fall. They opened the trunk together, revealing a medium-sized package wrapped in blue wrapping paper decorated with dozens of little rubber ducks with smirks on their faces. She looked at him with the same expression as they had on her face. 

“They reminded me of you.” 

“Haha, very funny. Can I open it now?” 

“Nop. Don’t be impatient. You’ll open it once we are at your place.”

“Deal.” 

They sat across from each other in his kitchen, each with a glass of wine by their side. She had taken off her jacket and her earrings. He had unbuttoned the top button of his shirt and rolled his sleeves back. The present sat between them.  

“Now you can open it,” she said with a tender smile. “I hope you like it.” 

“I don’t know what it is, but it came from you; there is no way I don’t like it.” 

Her eyes softened as she began to open his gift, and he could see a faint glimpse of doubt in her eyes. Once he had gotten rid of the wrapping paper, he found an artisan wooden box that he recognized immediately.  

“No!” he yelled, jumping out of his seat and throwing himself towards Viola to embrace her in a hug. “How did you find them? I’ve been looking for them for ages.” 

“Those are the privileges of dating someone who is in the trading business. I have contacts all over the world. But I got to say, they were tricky to find.”

Inside the box, Sanji found a pair of cooking knives endemic to Water Seven. They were two blades with no wooden handle and as sharp as a razor. Instead, each had a hole built into the back of the blade that served as a handle. These were difficult to use and even more difficult to find. As far as Sanji knew, these knives were invented by the locals of Water Seven when the wood was scarce due to the construction of the rails of the Sea Train. But because of its complexity, very few chefs continued to use them after the Sea Train was done. In his time in Water Seven, he saw an old chef cook with them, but when Sanji asked him about them, the guy shut the conversation down. After cooking for a bit with the old man, he finally agreed to show him how to use them. It took him a while to get used to them, but when he was finally getting the hang of it, Garp showed up, making them immediately run away from the island. Ever since then, he has dreamt of getting a pair of them. 

He immediately went to wash them and dried them with a cloth. He was planning to make ground beef with vegetables for dinner tomorrow, so he grabbed three bell peppers and began to chop them. Just like he had expected, it took him a while to remember how to use them. The balance fell off, and the grip was alien, but by the third pepper, he was cutting almost as fast as he did with a regular knife, all while Viola watched in awe. 

“Thanks for the gift, my love. I love it.” 

“I’m glad to know that. At first, I was wondering if giving you something kitchen-related would be a bad call, but I should have known better.” 

They were on their third cup of wine in his apartment by the time Viola’s mood began to shift. Her doubtful glances became more recurrent, and her body language became uncertain. He knew that pressing her about it would only shut her down, so he suggested they finish their cups of wine on his balcony, where they could cuddle. 

Once there, as they embraced each other and enjoyed the sight of the early night sky, she finally spoke. 

“Hey, Sanji. I have something to ask you.” 

“Sure, go ahead.”

“But I need you to listen entirely to what I have to say without interrupting me. Please.” 

“Of course, my love. But I usually don’t interrupt you.”

“You are right, most of the time you don't, but when it comes to this matter, you tend to. But to be fair, you have improved a lot in this.”

His mind was being overworked with questions. He had a couple of ideas as to what this might be, but was too scared to ask. She is not going to leave me. She wants the best for me. 

“Ok. I promise not to interrupt,” an idea popped into his mind, and he was uncertain as to whether to feel scared, excited, or both. “Does whatever you have to tell me have to do with the mirror we brought into my room the other day?” 

She gulped. “Yes.” 

He breathed deeply. The picture of her intent was growing clearer, and he finally understood why she had been so hesitant to tell him. God, she is so patient with me. I don’t know–no, I deserve her. But sometimes it feels that I don’t. He was also in awe of her bravery, understanding the trust she was putting on Sanji and the trust she wanted back from him to ask what she was about to ask. She does seem to enjoy being in control in those instances. 

“Okay then. I’m all ears.”

VIOLA POV

Sanji’s usual broad and confident shoulders stood shyly hunched back as his naked body sat by the end of his bed. She stood behind him, rubbing his back tenderly as both stared at their reflection on the mirror that stood beside the room’s door. 

She wasn’t naked, but she knew that Sanji wouldn’t mind. She was wearing Sanji’s favourite set of lingerie: A black bra thin enough to make visible her aureolas, combined with black panties with red ribbons at her hips, black fishnet stockings, and black garter belts to hold them in place. 

“Breathe deeply, Sanji. Close your eyes if you are comfortable, but I need you to relax. I got you.” 

He did, and his shoulders slowly went back to their usual position. God, he has such a sexy back. 

“Good,” she said as she began to caress his nape and scalp. “Now look at me through the mirror and keep your eyes on my reflection. Can you do that?”

“Yes.” 

“Good. Now, what were the safe words we agreed on?”

“Green, yellow, and red, to describe how I feel about any propositions you have and whether I like them or not. ‘Cutting board’ for stopping everything.” 

“Awesome. What colour are we on?”

“Green.” 

She kissed his cheek. “Good.” 

She would be ecstatic to say that they were trying something really kinky, because if there was a person she would like to experiment with, it was Sanji. But in reality, they were staring way simpler, but that didn’t make this any easier. She would never say it to him, but it frustrated her a bit that she had to rely on BDSM conduct of practice to do a simple worship session, but if that is what her man needed, then so be it. 

She began caressing his chest as she kissed the side of his neck and whispered in his ear. 

“I’m going to go down slowly through your amazing body, dear. Not because I’m repaying a favour for the number of times you’ve pleasured me with your tongue, or the countless other things you have done for me. I’m doing this because you have an amazing body, and I want to pleasure you. Okay?” 

“Okay.” 

“Good boy.” 

He shuddered, making her heart melt with affection. 

After caressing his chest for a bit more, she began to descend towards his abdomen, kissing his shoulders as she did. Sanji’s body began to relax more and more, and his blood began to flow towards his manhood. 

“Oh? So you do like this.” She said teasingly. Then, she bit him ever so gently on his shoulder. “I like this too.” 

After grabbing two pillows and placing them right behind her, she put each of her legs beside Sanji’s hips. Then, she reclined on him so that her breasts were pressed against his back. And finally, she reached for his thighs and began to massage them teasingly. 

“I want you to watch, dear. How do we feel about that?” 

“Ah… Yellow, I think.”

“Okay. Keep your eyes closed if you want. But let me know if you feel confident to watch.” 

He nodded. 

His manhood began to harden even more the more she caressed his thighs. Sporadically, she would tease him by rubbing the skin on top of his pubic bone and grazing the bottom of his testicles. Soon after, his shaft was as hard as a rock, and his head was as red as blood. 

He began to grunt even louder, and she knew that his erection was so great that it hurt. She smiled with satisfaction. 

“Breathe slowly, dear. Yeah, just like that.” She began to kiss his shoulders and back. “I’m going to begin, my love. How are we feeling?” 

“Green,” he said with his eyes still closed. 

“Good.”

His shaft was as hot as a stove, and it pulsated like an overworked heart. 

“You have a beautiful penis, do you know that?” 

He grunted. 

She began playing with his tip with one hand as she caressed his shaft and balls with the other, all while kissing his neck as he rested on her chest. “But not only that. I love your eyes, how they lit with passion every time someone mentions food. How they spark with kindness every time you interact with people, and how they soften with compassion whenever you realize someone is in need.” His eyelids had begun to relax, but his eyes were still closed, so she kissed his cheek and then whispered in his ear. “If you don’t want to see your reflection, that is fine, I respect it. But I want to see your eyes. How do we feel about just looking at me?” 

“Green.”

She kissed him tenderly on his forehead. “Thanks. I love you.”

His eyes were uncertain but eager to continue, like those of a child walking on a dark corridor where their parents stood at the end of it. He stared at her with such intensity that it made her shudder, realizing the immense responsibility she carried. She took one hand off his manhood and placed it tenderly on his chest, caressing his defined pecs, all while continuing to pleasure his shaft with her other hand. “I love your chest and how broad it is. It makes sense that it is this way. After all, it has to contain your big heart within it. I know that you might get tired of hearing it, but Sanji, you are a good person. Every day I spend with you, I realize that you can be even kinder than I knew you could.” She stopped teasing his tip and began properly jerking him off, tenderly but intently. “I love your hair and how it shines in the sun almost as much as your smile shines. The mere sight of seeing you happy brightens my day, and it makes me even happier to know that sometimes I am the reason why you are smiling.” 

His grunts were even louder, and the flood of pleasure seemed to be overwhelming his body. Nonetheless, he kept staring at her, purposely avoiding the mirror as if seeing his reflection would petrify him. 

Her reasoning for bringing the mirror was that if Sanji could see just how much she enjoyed pleasuring him, and how beautiful he looked from an outside perspective, he might be more open to repeat these sessions, but so far, that had proven to be wrong. She would ask him later about his opinion of the mirror, but for now, she had a task to complete. 

She accelerated the speed of her strokes, placing her free hand back towards his testicles, and rubbing them like massage balls. Sanji kept twitching and grunting in pleasure. These noises were the most beautiful symphony she had ever heard, but she knew she could make him moan even harder. 

“I love your back,” she said as she kissed it. “I love how broad it is, reflecting your protective nature. I love how stable it is, reflecting how resilient you are, because despite all of it, your kindness and loving personality remain. Like a rose in the middle of a snowy winter, your beauty still stands, and there is nothing more admirable than that.”

She began to stroke his manhood with both hands, one focusing on the shaft while the other twisted gently his head. “You see kindness and struggle in people and you herald them, just like you did to me. But baby, let me tell you, you are the most impressive of us all. You are tired of hearing that you deserve love, but I am tired of saying it, so from now on, I’ll just give you love and not say a thing if that is what you want. The love that you deserve, even if it is an insurmountable amount that I might struggle to give. I don’t care. I’ll give you the moon and the stars, and even then, that is not enough for such an amazing person as you. I love you.”

She could feel Sanji’s restraint begin to dwindle. His manhood trembled with anticipation, and she knew he was close. She sped up. 

“You are gorgeous, my love. From the inside and the outside. I desire every single cell of your body, and I love every single aspect of your being. I need you more than anything, not because of what you can give me or how you could serve me. But because your brightness lights my life by just being present. I’m not asking you to change, I’m pleading with you to be yourself, and I will love you until eternity for that.” 

“Oh my god!” he mumbled, and then he came all over her hands. He plummeted on top of her, and she welcomed his broad frame with extended arms, hugging him as he did. After a few moments of heavy panting, he finally spoke. 

“Thank you so much for that.” He said. “I… I didn’t know how much I needed to hear that, and sorry for not using the mirror.”

“Don’t be sorry about anything, you silly man. It was my pleasure to do it, and if you want, we can do it again and again. I’ll do anything for you, my love. You deserve the world.” 

And for the first time since she met him, Sanji didn’t flinch or make an awkward face when she told him that he deserved something. Instead, he embraced her back and intertwined their souls in an intimate hug.

 

Notes:

Soooo, it's been a while. I believe this is the longest chapter so far, and it marks 'the end' of this fanfic. I'm still going to write a prologue, so wait for that to come out. But I decided to conclude Sanji's and Viola's main character arcs here. I loved this whole process, and I can't wait for it to do more in the future, but for now, it's the prologue, and that's it for me for a while. I hope you enjoyed my work. I began to write it as an impulse of seeing a TikTok edit of this ship with "Love in Portofino" by Dalida, so I hope my fanfic was able to evoke what I felt seeing that edit.

Special thanks to one_day_after_life, without your comments and feedback, I don't think I would have the motivation to finish this story.

Notes:

I might need to estalish this in more detail later on but in this AU devil friuts don't exist and haki and rokushiki techniques are very limited. Also, becasue Kyros never turned into a toy that allowed Rebecca to grow up in a good environmet. So I'm going to write her more outgoing