Love Never Comes Easy

Hello there :D
After some time I decided to try and lay my hand on a One Piece fanfiction again. It's still about my favorite pairing, Nami x Sanji.

Why am I doing this? Well, I think there are not enough stories of this pairing. Plus, since I am learning to be an educator and I have English Language as an suject in school, I decided that I needed to improve my English. I have the feeling that it had gotten quiet bad over the years. So I hope you enjoy it, while I try my best to write it and update it once a week. Have fun! :D

Disclaimer: One Piece and the characters in it belong to Eiichiro Oda. And it's AU, but I will try my best to have the characters like those who they are. Also I am rating this M just to be absolutely sure :D

1: Late at night

'What the hell of a party', the young woman with fiery-orange hair thought smiling to herself, as her friends had gathered by the door and bid their goodbyes. It had been her birthday and what better time it was to celebrate than on a Saturday night? All her friends took free from work and came to visit her. She was always too happy to meet them, since she knew most of them ever since she visited school. But since all of them had regular jobs, their time together suffered. Still, they always try to meet each other and stay in contact.

"This party was Super!", her friend Franky said, who had quite a strange, turquoise hairstyle and a very muscular body, standing in his signature pose.

"Yohoho, I hope it was most joyful for you. As I hope to see now your pan-"

"No", she instantly interrupted the professional Musician Brook, as she looked up in his face. He was very thin and somehow reminded her of a skeleton. He was the oldest in their little group of nine and, as long as she knows him, she will never understand his love for his afro.

"Nah, there could have been more booze...", mumbled the green-haired man with a grumpy look on his face. Yet, Zoro always had something to be grumpy about. His girlfriend and her best friend Robin just smiled.

"Don't worry, everything was just fine" she said, embracing her as a sign of goodbye.

"The meat was awesome! Hey, Zoro, can't we stop somewhere to grab some more food. I am hungry" said Luffy, a young man with a stomach as big as his heart. "Please?" he insisted with a whiney voice, while Usopp, a man with the longest and strangest nose she had ever seen began to imitate Luffy.

Zoro rolled his eyes at the two and while shaking his head, he went through the door and down the stairs. "That sounds like a yes!", cheered Usopp, as they started to follow him.

"I hope that this time not much time will pass, until we meet again" Chopper, their youngest friend, mumbled under his breath. She smiled and patted his head. He was always like a little brother to her and it somehow made her sad, when he said that.

"Don't worry, Chopper. As long as we all have some time in our schedules once or twice a month... And we are all friends, right? So, it's always easy to stay in contact as long as there are phones and the internet. Plus – you can always visit me" she said, trying to cheer him up.

He nodded, then turned and left together with Robin and Brook.

She smiled, as she leaned against the closed door, being happy and glad at the same time that she had such great friends.

She lingered there for some minutes, knowing that there was one of her friends still left. Then she heard the noises of plates and dishes carried around from the kitchen and she knew he had finished smoking on her small balcony.

As she entered her kitchen, he looked up from the sink, smiling that warm smile, that was only meant for her. His blonde hair was hiding one of his eyes, yet showed freely his other and that strange curly eyebrow.

Sanji was always dressed probably, with nice suits, matching dress shirts and ties. Ever since she knew him, he tried to be liked by any pretty female and has a very flirty, loveseeking site to him. But he was always smart and kind. Not to forget that he is the best cook she knew.

She had to admit, that she liked for some time now, but tried to avoid her feelings. She never wanted a relationship with a friend. That was to difficult and too annoying, she thought. So she always tried to ignore his flirty behavior.

"Don't you want to go home? It's already late and everybody else left."

His jacket laid next to his tie on the counter, while he was washing the dirty dishes for her. Yep, he was always too kind, while he was helping her in any way possible.

"It's just those plates, my dearest Nami-swan. And since it's your birthday you have all the rights to lean back and relax. I will do it for you."

"But it's already late and you still need to get home" Nami reminded him, while pushing her hair back in a high ponytail and grabbing a towel to assist him. Before she started, she glanced at him, standing to his right. Never would she admit it but she was worried. It was already past 2 in the morning and he also drank a few glasses of wine. So he couldn't drive by himself and needed to take a taxi.

"I am a big boy, you know? I can handle that by myself, so don't worry, Nami-swan."

But she did.

She would drive him over to his apartment but she did also drink. And she didn't want to get caught by the officals, since she would definitely loose her licence, especially since she already has a ticket for driving to far, only two weeks ago.

In silence the cleaned the dishes and when she finished trying them, he put them in the drawers for her.

"Then stay here, overnight. You have to work late tomorrow, right? So you can sober up all day and then take your car home. Please..." Nami pleaded, not trusting the shady taxi drivers at this time of night.

"But I don't want to be any trouble for you."

"You won't be. Don't worry. I have enough pillows and blankets for you to keep warm" Not that he needed them on the beginning of July. "And I can make you some breakfast. So, don't worry. You are one of my friends, remember?"

"Nami-swan is so kind! So I won't decline your offer" Sanji happily sighed.

"I will stay, then."

"I found some light blankets and a few more pillows. I hope-" Nami said, more mumbling to herself than anybody else, while stepping into her living room. As a good host she wanted to provide Sanji with the best sleeping place possible, which was her bed. But this offer he declined, saying that the couch would be just fine.

Yet, when she entered the room, she found him sitting shirtless before her, looking surprised by himself.

"That's very kind of you, Nami-swan. I very much appreciate it."

"Do you need anything else?" Nami asked while handing him everything. "You know, where you can grab yourself something to drink. And the toilette is right-"
"Everything is just perfect." Sanji interrupted her, still smiling very kindly. "You are a great host, believe me. Now go to sleep, I can handle everything."

Nami nodded.

She just wanted to be absolutely sure, that everything was okay, since this was the first time that any of her friends was staying at her home overnight. This was a whole new experience for her.

Backing out slowly of the room, glancing nervously between his naked chest and that kind smile on his face, she added:

"Are you sure, you can sleep on this couch? It's not the most comfortable piece of furniture."

"Nami-swan..." he murmured with a daring voice, while his visible eyebrow was slowly rising. "If it's bothering you, that I am staying here, then I will just call myself a taxi."

"No, everything is fine." Yet there was this little bit of uneasiness. It's not like she didn't trust him, yet she couldn't suppress this feeling in her stomach. The reason was just her memories, remembering the last time she had somebody staying with her overnight.

Slowly Sanji stood up from where he was sitting, walking over to her. He knew what the problem was. She knew it by the look on his face.

"Nothing will happen to you. I promise, my dearest Nami-swan. And again I am telling you: If there is a problem with me staying here, then I will leave immediately."

She nodded again, slower this time. Then she looked up to his eyes, smiling softly.

"You know me too well, Sanji-kun." She sighed before she continued. "I just need to settle my nerves. Will you give me some company while drinking a glass of wine."

"Sure."

No, Nami wasn't the girl, that would normally do something like this.

Yet, being up so late at night, having a birthday party and somebody staying over in your flat, plus drinking some wine, ones brain can do strange things.

Right now Nami and Sanji were standing in the kitchen, chatting, while both of them were holding a glass of wine. It was already past 4 in the morning and their mood was very high. They laughed and make jokes, while coming closer and closer to each other.

No, she wasn't such a girl, but with him standing shirtless before her, while being so kind, funny and flattering at the same time, she couldn't handle herself anymore. So she grapped his glass and put them on the counter, surprising him by her strange behavior.

Then, in a swift motion, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling her against him and pressing her lips on his. The kiss was intoxicating, while the world was starting to spend around her. First there was this little fear rising up inside her, wondering if she stepped to far. Then he embraced her, too, leaning into the kiss more.

There was passion and fire between them. Chest were pressing against eachother. Finger interwined in hair. They pulled against remaining clothing.

And as Nami started to lead him into her bedroom, they both knew, that he wouldn't sleep on the couch that night.