mikangirl | [Voice]

[He might find the kitchen is occupied, then... though she closed the door behind her to avoid waking her crew. Nami's making herself a cup of tea. She's been asleep, if only for a few hours. The usual round of dreams have driven her out of bed, and she doesn't really intend to be up long if she can manage it-- early starts and all.

Though admittedly, breakfast is a lot easier to handle making with Luffy gone.

When she hears someone at the door, she doesn't turn around, but merely murmurs an excuse in her own defence.] It's cold out. Just warming up. You want one?

[Nojiko or Vivi. One of them. Sure as hell isn't going to be Brook.]

[... Oh.

The lack of response would be made all the more obvious if Sanji allowed himself a sharp intake of breath, but he manages to hold it in and stares instead. She'll turn soon enough - and right now, he needs this, with her back facing him.

He should -- no, he is happy to see her, and he can feel the honest excitement that always follows her arrival, especially having expected not to see her here. Home just hasn't felt the same since she left them. He just...

He never expected this to hurt so much, either, and Sanji curls the hand hidden by the door into a fist. Damn it, she should't be here; she never should've been. And that it only took having to kill one of their own nakama to realize how much he wants her to stay home fills him with a grief he's unsure how to hide, or handle gracefully.]

... Yeah, I was thinking about tea, Nami-san. [He's always been good at hiding what he needs to, and his tone is light - tired, but light. When she turns, he'll be smiling at her, albeit a little sadly]

[The sound of his voice makes her turn fast enough, teaspoon in hand, and her expression brightens.] Sanji-kun! You're--

[Back. He doesn't know about Luffy. Or how things have been. Or-- heck, she has no idea if he was even here when Zoro returned.

...and that makes her face fall again, by degrees, until she's staring at him uncertainly. She has fresher memories of Sanji at home, fonder ones (ones of him being a pain in the ass besides, but she's happy for those now.) But now she also remembers the terms they parted on here.

But he's smiling.

Mostly.

Too much to tell him and too much to think about besides. She glances at the spoon caught in her fingers, then back up and smiles tentatively.]

...hey. Welcome back.

[He watches her excitement slowly dissipate and glances to the side himself, already sensing this upcoming conversation will no doubt be awkward in spades. Fuck his luck; he is not prepared for this.]

Maaah, when did you get back? [A tiny laugh] Oi, if I'd known, I would've tried getting back here sooner! [The truth of that statement is a warm, comforting beacon in the sea of his uncertainty, enough to dislodge him from his subconsciously defensive position by the door.

Calm down already, chef. She looks happy to see you. That's a good sign.]

The same day you left, I heard. [Her smile is a little pained, though that's not exactly Sanji's fault. It wasn't a particularly good day. The laugh is a little relieving to hear; she can feel the awkwardness in the air, but it's something they can get over. She hopes.

...it's been a while since then.]

Have a seat. If you don't mind me making your tea. [She's using that as an excuse to put off anything more serious, at any rate, and after another quick smile Nami turns back to the kettle as it starts to whistle.]

You're not hurt? Everything's okay, uh... mission-wise?

[Any other time he'd protest, and insist on doing the work for her - like he always does.

He doesn't this time; all his energy has gone into focusing on her question, and he sits down without a second thought, actually grateful to be off his feet. He leans forward and curls his arms on the table top]

Scratched up a bit, but I'm not hurt. [Can't say the same for any unlucky bastards he met on the field, but details.] And it's the same as always. [He pauses, searching for something else to say. His missions are never exciting affairs worthy of conversations]

I'm just glad to be home now. Can't have you girls dealing with Luffy and Brook's shitty appetites alone.

[Nami noticeably stills at Luffy's name-- Brook, she's still angry with, but that's nothing Sanji has to concern himself about. But...

...continuing on making the tea, pouring both cups.]

I'm glad you're back, too. A lot of us have been gone, lately. [Adding cream for Sanji. She keeps hers black. One small thing she remembers with relief, and that's that Zoro was here when she returned, so Sanji must know already; it's a topic she can safely avoid for now.

She comes back to the table, offering him his mug before sliding into the seat opposite as she cracks a small grin.] You know, one day they're going to let us come home from these things at a reasonable time of day.

Edited 2013-01-05 07:40 (UTC)

[... Something's wrong with Luffy, then. Or maybe Brook? Sanji only catches the tail-end of Nami's weighted pause, causing the pit of his stomach to briefly clench.

But then she doesn't say anything outside the norm. Unsure how to read that, he decides to keep his silence on the issue until she's ready to tell him.]

Thank you, Nami-san. [He smiles into the cup, warming his hands on it.] And they wouldn't be the shitty Malnosso if they were reasonable. [He manages not to sound bitter, to his surprise; knowing Nami of all people understands how much this place can suck probably helps.]

Everything been alright on this side? [He takes a sip of his tea, relishing the slight burn on his tongue] No crazy experiments or-- [He almost says "draft", but at the last second switches out the word] --kidnappings?

...we've had better times. But we've had worse.

[Her answer is delivered softly, almost gently. With a question like that, Nami can't delay telling him any longer. It wouldn't be right.] Vivi's not here right now. She got taken... a while ago.

[It's wearying to note that a kidnapping now means just... being on standby. Not like their reactions to Usopp being taken, all those years ago. She knows Vivi's kidnapping will hurt, but Sanji will deal with it. And the other news...]

...

...Luffy went home last week.

[Sanji takes the news of Vivi's kidnapping as expected: with noticeable weariness overtaking his frame, until he's slightly hunched over the table as if in mourning. The news about Luffy, however--]

... Aa... [So their captain's gone home. The corners of his lips pinch, caught between a wry smile and a saddened frown, until he gives up deciding on either expression completely and stares thoughtfully into his tea. Should he bother acting upset? Luffy's always come back to them, even when the crew would rather one of their own escape this prison. No, despite the ache the news leaves behind, it's a different sort of sorrow]

Well, I think we'll manage okay without the shithead for now. [Now he does smile, the same sad, fond one from before] Who knows? Maybe this just means we better get home soon so he doesn't have to come back after us.

[Make the best of things, right?]

Maybe so. [Nami smiles back, a wistful, cautious sort of smile. She misses him. But she's very glad he's gone.] Still, it's... not the best kind of news to come back to, huh.

[She hesitates, stirring her tea, and then glances off into space behind him somewhere.]

How have you been? Aside from the mission, I mean. [Soft.]

[Sanji almost shrugs. Bad news in Luceti is like a standard weather report; even if it hurricanes, you nod and accept it, because that's the nature of the land they're living in. Every hurt comes with its own side-order of apathy.

That next question Sanji doesn't know what to do with, though. He quiets immediately. Oh sure, there's honesty - and then there's what he'd actually say. On habit, he attempts to gather the latter up, only for every word in his head to scatter in disarray.

Still too painful, then. He swallows a mouthful a tea before chancing a reply.]

As... well as you could expect, given all the shit that's happened. [He doesn't line the words with much detail, but it is the truth, he notes - and Nami didn't broach an easy topic. Though to be clear--] It's gotten better.

[Because Zoro's not dead and Sanji doesn't hate himself as much]

--Nami-san. [His head bows a little more, until his bangs fall over both eyes.]

... And you? Are you feeling okay? [Not what he wanted to say, hinted by the constricted way his carries his words. But this way might be better.]

[That question is met with the same sort of confusion how to answer. She'd like to say she's fine, and in one sense she is. On another, the reasons behind why she's fine are... probably guaranteed to prove that actually, she really isn't. So which is true?

But she broached her question first for a reason. She watches that fall of Sanji's hair, heavily reminded of Kotetsu, in a hurtful sort of ironic way. (Because when Kotetsu did this, well. All she could think of was Sanji.]

I'm sorry. [It's very quiet, and it's probably the most forthright and honest thing she can say.] I was... I wasn't coping. And it wasn't your fault at all.

[Not really a direct answer. Sorry about that.]

[His shoulders wilt. It's not because of her apology, either, much as that pains him too, but dredging everything on top of the table comes with its consequences. He'd hoped by now a conversation like this would be easier to bear, and with someone he trusts, too, instead of reminding him how much living here can hurt.]

You don't-- [he stops himself from finishing, and amends his words. If she wants to apologize - if it might bring her some peace - then he's not gonna stop her.] I wasn't coping, either. [Softly:] I don't think any of us were.

It wasn't anyone's fault. [Despite himself, he cracks a smile] Even if it might take a shitty while to believe that.

[It's the closest he'll get to admitting he still holds himself accountable.]

[...she wants to take that and run. She really does. It's tempting, in a cowardly sort of way, to take all of that at face value, absolve herself of any blame, move on.

She can't. Not quite. Probably, she acknowledges wearily to herself, because they'll all be blaming themselves for a while no matter what pretty words they say in the meantime.

What she does take from that is that Sanji doesn't-- hate is a strong word, and no matter what happens, she knows the ties will always be there. They're nakama. But--

He's not blaming her, either. She's sure he's honest on that score, far beyond just trying to be a gentleman. Not at this dark time of the morning. Not when he looks so tired and weary and sad.

So a knot loosens, just a little.]

I'm still sorry. [And she smiles at that, quick and shaky, but. Hey.]

I missed you.

[He gives her a knowing grin at the first line, but manages to settle for looking content all the same. Nothing but shitty time will take care of that, and that's maybe the only thing Luceti promises for as long as they're stuck here.

The second line is what gets him, catches his breath in his throat. His stare turns blind and vulnerable, and he bites his bottom lip.

... It hadn't seemed fair to hope that she might miss him. And after her departure from Luceti, his greatest wish and cruelest punishment had been administered: she was safe (as safe as the New World would allow) with him left behind in Luceti, wondering how far their bond had been strained. Only strained, because the bond between nakama is worth more than that, but it can be bent and warped with enough time and pressure.

For this one moment, he doesn't care how selfish it is, but--] I'm glad. [He laughs a little shakily, probably looking close to tears save the fact his visible eye is completely dry] That Nami-san came back.

[He needed to hear that]

[The fact there's a table between them is really all that stops Nami from trying to hug that look off his face, but really his reaction is what she needs to see in any case. She feels better than she has in a long time.

Which is why she's nearly in tears herself, mind. Relief does that to a person. She takes a breath, then smiles at Sanji, reaching across the table to lay her hand on his.]

Well. It's not like this house can function without me.

[Sass at 3 am.]

[And just like that, it's like everything clicks back into place, and it happens so quickly his worries seem laughably exaggerated in hindsight. When he grins again, for the first time that night, Sanji looks wholly like his usual self.]

Of course it can't! How else is everyone supposed to stay in line? [He's only partially joking. They managed okay, but it didn't stop them from wandering throughout the town likes ghosts with no purpose for a while.

It really is nice to have her back]

We need our navigator to help us navigate through life~! [Dorky, yet true]

That was terrible. [She would look more unimpressed, but Nami's still grinning, so the whole sort of you are a moron vibe she's trying to give kind of ...fails. Oh well. She leans back in her chair, picking up her cup.] I'll put it down to being exhausted, just this once. Drink your tea and go to bed.

[What can he say? Sanji enjoys reveling in his own silliness sometimes, and thus looks decidedly unapologetic for the sap.

Though he does appear surprised at the mention of bed, having forgotten his own exhaustion in the midst of their conversation -- but then Nami says the B word. Add to that the fatigue only relief can bring and it hits him like a ton of bricks. While he'd like nothing better than to chatter at the woman all night...

Well. He's currently fighting back a yawn, even if the huge smile continues to take up space]

Right, right~ I'll get to bed in a second. But what about you, Nami-san?

Oh, don't worry. I think I'll be right behind you. [She doesn't feel all that tired, but Nami suspects she'll have no trouble going back to sleep now. This horrible tension gone between them, she thinks she'll at least be able to go back to bed in a far better state of mind and snuggle under the blankets.

Sleep won't be that far off.]

I guess I'll see you in the morning. Though it's pretty late. Want me to make breakfast in the morning? One time offer. [Sleep in. She'll only make you pay for it a little. >.>a]

[To exhausted chefs who would like nothing more than five hours of sleep, that is a very tempting offer, and there's a breath of moment where the man sits there, considering.

-- But in the end Sanji's still a chivalrousness bastard who'd rather Nami get to sleep in his steed. The smile from before becomes rueful, in preparation for turning down her hospitality.]

How wonderful Nami-san's kindness is~! But I think I'll manage alright. [He stands up, tea in tow - he'll drink it in his room - but before leaving he reaches over and gives her shoulder a small, fond squeeze]

I'll see you in the morning.

[She smiles up at him.

There is... a lot of comfort to be drawn from that farewell.]

That you will. G'night, Sanji-kun.

[She'll finish her own drink at the table, though. But when she does return to bed, sleep comes swiftly.

One small piece of the universe put right.]

[Voice]

And now super backdated? >> <<

LOL indeed. |D

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