Work Text:
Listen, Nami loves her friends. She loves when they're happy, and she would do anything within her power to fight for that happiness... But she has her limits.
Sanji and Zoro's getting-together was inevitable—even Luffy could have seen it coming. Which... isn’t actually that surprising when she thinks about it. He might be a little bit of an airhead at times, but he’s surprisingly perceptive when it comes to their ragtag band of misfits. But that’s aside the point.
Ever since Sanji and Zoro got together last Christmas, they’ve been driving Nami crazy with their romance and their bickering and their touching—Jesus, there was so much touching. All. The. Time.
(Like the last time they all managed to have the same night off—which rarely happens with their schedules—and Sanji was preparing dinner for the four of them. While Sanji was in the kitchen, Nami, Luffy, and Zoro were squeezed together on their shitty couch in front of the TV trying to decide on a movie to watch after they finish eating. It always has to be a group decision, obviously, so the process is tedious. Nami and Luffy were passionately arguing their cases for the movie of their choice (Now You See Me and any of the muppet movies, respectively) when Zoro gets up without saying a word. Zoro doesn’t really care for movies, so it didn’t surpise Nami that he didn’t want to be a part of the discussion. That’s fine. Sanji would just have to be the tie breaker. Nami craned her neck towards the kitchen.
“Hey, what do you—?” The question died on her lips. Sanji is faced away from her, pressed firmly against the counter by Zoro, who’s mumbling something directly into his ear, both hands planted on his waist. Nami could see Sanji’s blush run down the back of his neck. “Seriously?!”
Sanji jumped at the sudden interruption and pushed Zoro off of him. Their green haired roommate couldn’t look any less bothered.)
(Or like that other time when she couldn’t find her phone before work. She was almost out the door when she realized she didn’t have it on her. The apartment wasn’t that big to begin with so there weren’t very many places to check. Since it clearly wasn’t on the kitchen counter, and she was sure it wasn’t it her room, the last place it could be was the bathroom.
Nami doesn’t usually knock on the bathroom door. The four of them are good about locking it when they need to, so she didn’t think twice when the doorknob easily turned. What greeted her were wasn’t one roommate, but two, and they were definitely not just getting ready for the day.
Sanji was sitting up on the small vanity top with Zoro wedged between his thighs. He had a leg wrapped around his waist to keep him close while they kissed—tongue and all. It was barely nine in the morning…
“Oh my god.” Nami slapped a hand over her eyes. Gross. She didn’t need to see that. The two broke away as soon as they noticed her. “What are you even doing in here? You both have your own rooms!”
“We’re gonna save water,” Zoro said, as if it were the most obvious answer in the world, and Sanji slapped the back of his head.
“Shut the hell up,” he muttered.
“Ugh! I don’t want to know! Just give me my phone. I have to go buy some bleach for my eyes.” She extended a hand, and once she felt the weight of her phone, she made a hasty escape.)
(Or that time just last week where they were getting groceries together and Zoro had a hand in Sanji’s back pocket the entire time. That’s not even the only time he did that, either. He does it whenever they go out, really, and Sanji has stopped trying to get him to stop at this point...)
“I can’t take it anymore!” Nami blurts out one lazy afternoon. They’re huddled around the TV watching some Hallmark movie that happened to be on. It’s just not fair to her. So many of these stories happen in cities just like theirs, but nothing remotely romantic ever happens to her. “If something romantic doesn’t happen to me by Christmas I’m moving to the countryside and joining a nunnery!”
“Well, don’t do that,” Zoro drawls. “You’re not really the nun-ly type either, so I don’t know why that’s your plan.”
“Fuck you.” Nami glares. “I’m plenty virtuous. They’d be lucky to have me.”
“They sure would be,” Sanji chimes in. “But what’s this about, anyway?”
“Y’know, just you and your stupidly sweet relationship and my lack of women who want me,” she groans, leaning her head back so far that it hangs off the back of the couch. She knows that the two of them won’t take any offense to her comment, so she’s not too concerned about offending either of them.
“Oh, come on.” And then, and idea came to mind. It was like a light bulb lit above Sanji’s head. “I heard the city is setting up for a Christmas market down in the park this weekend. We should go. Maybe it’ll lift your spirits.”
“Yeah! Worst case scenario is basking in the holiday spirit, and best case scenario is having the perfect Christmas meet-cute.” Luffy adds.
“How do you know what a meet-cute is?” Nami asks.
“We’ve watched nothing but these funny movies since December started, I’ve picked up enough of the tropes by now.”
“Fair enough…” Nami thinks on it for a moment. “Fine! We’ll go. There’s no use moping about my nonexistent love life, and it’ll be fun anyway. Besides, I can never say no to a good shopping trip.”
“Ok, remember not to blow all your money in one place,” Nami says sternly. “You each have an allotted budget and if you use it all up, I don’t have any more for you.” They all have their own jobs and, theoretically, they should all be responsible with their own money but… that’s not entirely the case. Each roommate pays their share of rent and utilities on time, so that’s not the problem. The problem is that their spending money is the quickest to go. Since Nami’s the best with budgeting, it’s best to let her handle their funds in times like this.
The market was set up in the park. Rows and rows of vendors have set up their stalls, displaying their Christmas wares. It seemed like every small business in town was here to take advantage of the holiday season. In the immediate vicinity, Nami could see all the different ornaments and trinkets that were being sold. Further down the lane, she could see more clothing-like items displayed on racks and forms.
“Wow! Look at all this stuff!” Luffy can hardly contain his excitement. He darts around the first few stalls, examining their wares quickly before something else had caught his attention. There was a faint aroma in the air. It was sweet, but not like a dessert. It was more on the savory side. Once Luffy caught a whiff of it, it was like watching a cartoon character float towards a freshly-made pie. Without another word, he skipped off.
“Hey!” Ugh. Boys these days. She turns to look at her other two roommates, but only one remains. Zoro, somehow, has gone the completely opposite direction even though Nami is pretty sure they all watched Luffy run off. “… Is he serious?”
“I never know,” Sanji sighs. He shoots a quick glance at Zoro’s retreating figure. “…”
They stare at each other for a moment in exasperated silence. “Well, go get your man, I guess.” Nami shrugs. Zoro hasn’t gotten far yet. If there weren’t any stalls, she’s sure he would be halfway across the park by now.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Sanji waves her off. “We’ll text when to meet up again, right?”
“Sure.” And with that, Sanji turns on his heel, giving her a mock salute before he goes and catches up to Zoro. Once he’s within reach, he kicks the back of one of Zoro’s legs, making the man stumble. They argue for a moment, exchanging words that Nami is too far away to properly hear, before settling down again.
And then there was one… Nami had expected to at least walk with someone, but she could work with this. Hopefully she’ll catch Luffy at some point during this trip without having to text him first.
And so she walks, spending a little time looking at each booth she passes. Most have your typical selection of Christmas items: ornaments, ceramics, paintings, and some other neat stuff. Not too much is catching her eye, but she did buy herself a new knit scarf since her current one is getting a little ratty, and a container of peppermint tea that she just couldn’t pass up.
The others were right. This is lifting her spirits, but Nami can’t help but feel at least a little disappointed that she’s alone.
And then suddenly the crowd parts, revealing possibly the most gorgeous woman Nami has ever laid eyes on. Her stall is a little ways away, on the opposite side of where Nami is standing. Even among the glittering jewelry she’s selling, she’s the most radiant one there. Her blue hair stands out against the sea of festive reds and greens. She dons a long, light pink overcoat, buttoned to the very top to protect her from the chill. Nami didn’t think it was that cold out today, but that’s probably because she’s lived here for a while. Maybe this beautiful woman is new to town? That must be it because Nami is sure she’d remember a face like that.
The next thing Nami notices is her strained smile, and then her gaze drifts to one of the customers talking to the stall owner and her mood immediately sours. The blue-haired beauty is talking to ugliest man alive. Nami has met her fair share of ugly men, and he is definitely in the top five, maybe even top three.
Nami walks up to the stall, partially to look at the necklaces on display, but also to listen to what this ugly, ugly man is saying.
“—sorry, sir, but this isn’t really the place to haggle…” There are other people looking at the displays, but they’re all conveniently avoiding eye contact. Cowards.
“You aren’t trying to convince me that this trash is actually worth this much, right?”
In contrast to the woman in charge, the man is even uglier up close. He has the vibe of a discount mafia boss. He’s wearing a long, fur-lined black coat that absolutely reeks of cigars. Not even cigarettes, but straight up cigars… Like, who the hell even is this guy. Nami is pretty sure no one under the age of 70 has smoked a cigar. She’s sure that his slicked back hair is supposed to be giving “business man” but it’s really giving “I haven’t showered, I hope you can’t tell.” It also exposes his big ass forehead. The worst part, in her opinion, is his face. It’s just generally unpleasant to look at. The scar that runs across the middle of his face doesn’t help either. Not that facial scars automatically make you uglier. Zoro has a facial scar and he’s cool as fuck. It probably depends on whether the person is pure of heart, which this guy is definitely not.
The way he’s looking at the young woman inside the stall is giving Nami the creeps. It’s not in a perverted-old-man kind of way, at least, but it’s condescending. No man should ever look at a woman that way. He should die.
“Sir, if I’m being honest, these are severely under-priced, I just—” The blue-haired girl tries to placate the man, but he continues anyway.
“Under priced?” He scoffs. “There must be something wrong with your product then.”
Oh my god, Nami thinks. What a dickhead… Who goes to a Christmas market just to be miserable? And what was he even talking about anyway? The jewelry was absolutely stunning. She’s no expert, but all of this stuff looks like the real deal. Nami can imagine some of this stuff sitting in a pristine glass case with a price tag that’s at least four times her monthly paycheck. Instead, it’s out here, displayed on cute wooden stands, priced for the average person to buy. What is this guy’s deal?
“—some kind of joke? There’s no way you actually—”
“Are you even going to buy anything?” Nami cuts in. She’s had enough of this. “Or are you going to keep bitching for no reason?”
“Excuse me?” The man turns to her, his scowl deepening. He crosses his arms over his chest in a way that’s supposed to be intimidating, but Nami isn’t fazed. She’s dealt with worse men in her life.
“If you don’t like the product, just move on, dude.”
“You have no idea who you’re talking to,” the man starts.
“And I don’t care,” Nami groans. “Can’t you go and ruin someone else’s day?”
The man makes an offended sound that Nami has only heard come out of old ladies. Seriously, what a drama queen. If he were any more dramatic, she’s sure he would have been clutching his nonexistent pearls. He practically storms off, but not before sending one last glare towards the two of them. Good riddance, if you asked her.
“You didn’t have to do that,” the blue haired woman says sheepishly. “B-But thank you. He’s sort of a, um, family enemy, if you will.”
“Wow…” Nami whistles through his teeth. So he’s just like that… all year round. Loser. “But it’s no problem, uh…”
Nami hasn’t asked for her name yet. She’s such a stupid idiot. Internally, she’s banging her head against the wall. She finally meets a beautiful woman and she doesn’t even remember to ask for her name. The other woman must sense her inner turmoil because she quickly extends a slender hand to Nami. “Vivi, Vivi Nefertari.”
Nami graciously takes her hand in her own gloved one. “I’m Nami. It’s nice to meet you.”
She takes in the meticulous display again. “So, what’s your story? This all looks super high quality, and the prices are really, well, normal.”
This must have been the right question to ask because Vivi’s face practically lights up. She launches into this whole idea she has about giving back to the community. All the jewelry she has on display is from her family, stuff she knows they won’t miss because they have way too much sitting around and collecting dust. Vivi thought that she would sell it for cheap so any regular person could enjoy it. And, since she doesn’t really need the money, she’s decided to donate all the proceeds to charity.
Nami listens to her entire spiel and she’s surprisingly very touched. It’s very in tune with the Christmas spirit, and she can appreciate that. They get onto chatting more about general, surface-level things about their lives, but Nami can’t say she minds. Time must have passed faster than she thought, because eventually their conversation is interrupted by a familiar voice.
“Hey, we’ve been looking for you.” Sanji jokingly scolds. Behind him, Zoro is holding onto a couple of bags, the handles looped over his forearms. They’re definitely not all his, but he doesn’t seem too bothered by carrying Sanji’s stuff. Luffy is back again, too, and he’s already eating out of the bag of whatever he bought. “Maybe check your phone like we talked about?”
“Oh shit.” Nami scrambles to get her phone out of her coat pocket, struggling to open it with her gloves on. Eight texts in their group chat and two missed calls… Oops. “Sorry, guys. Guess I didn’t feel it buzz.”
“It’s fine.” Sanji eyes Vivi for a second, and then a smirk pulls at his lips. “I can tell you were preoccupied.”
Heat floods her cheeks. Asshole. He didn’t have to say it out loud like that. “Yeah, whatever. Are you guys ready to go?” Nami deflects.
“Just about ready, but if you haven’t looked at everything, then we can do another wrap around with you if you want.” Sanji shrugs. The boys don’t look like they’re in much of a rush, even with the cold biting at their faces.
“Um, yeah, sure.” She didn’t really want to leave yet, but obviously it had nothing to do with the actual Christmas market itself.
“Hey, wait! Before I go,” Nami turns back to Vivi, suddenly started feeling shy. Come on, man. Pull it together… “Could I maybe get your number… or something?”
Wow, that was smooth, said absolutely no one! That was awful! It’s like she’s suddenly forgotten how to speak to a woman. But despite how lame that must have sounded, Vivi just laughs behind her hand and grabs one of her business cards from the little card stand on the edge of the display. She then procures a pen from her coat pocket and cribbles something on the back of the card.
“Here,” she smiles. “Text me whenever you’d like.”
Nami texted the number almost as soon as they got back to the apartment, and she was pleased to receive an equally fast reply. And then, it was like everything fell into place. The two women texted constantly, it was like Nami was completely glued to her phone. And when neither of them had time to text, they turned to calls or the rare face-time. It was only natural that all of their calls and texting would turn into little “dates” as everyone else seemed to call them. But they weren’t dates because they weren’t dating. Not yet, anyway.
So that leads to where they are now. Nami took Vivi to one of her favorite coffee places. It’s a small business not too far from the apartment, and it’s just the right price. And obviously the coffee isn’t bad, either.
“So, I was thinking,” Vivi sets her chin in her hands while they wait for their drinks. “My dad is hosting a bit of a Christmas get-together next week at our house, and I was wondering if you and your friends wanted to come.”
“That sounds great!” And it does. Vivi’s been to their apartment on a few occasions, but Nami still hasn’t been to her house yet. It’s exciting but also a little intimidating. “This isn’t, like, super fancy is it?”
“Oh! No, no, no,” Vivi assures her. “It’s super casual! It’s just my dad, a few of our closer relatives, and his friends. He didn’t want me to feel left out, so he’s letting me invite whoever I want.”
“That’s really sweet.” Nami reaches out and grabs one of her hands from across the table. “Of course, we’ll come!”
And so the day of the Christmas party has arrived, and the apartment has been chaos. But not for Nami, though. Sanji has been cooking all morning, even though Vivi texted her saying that they didn’t have to bring anything. But by this point, she should know that nothing is going to stop him. So, now he has two appetizers ready and one on the way.
Nami’s roped her other two roommates into giving her a fashion show. It might be casual, but boys don’t know the difference between going-out casual and staying-in casual, so it’s her job to make sure they don’t go out looking like a mess. Sanji’s fine though. She knows he can dress himself. As for Nami, she already knows what she’s going to wear. She got this cute red sweater dress she got a few years back but didn’t have anywhere to wear it. It’s perfect for the occasion if you ask her. In between showing Nami their outfits, Luffy and Zoro have been attempting to steal food from the stealed containers that their resident cook left out. They’ve yet to be successful. All of their attempts have been met with a swift kick or a smack with whatever utensil was closest.
The boys have finally picked out something acceptable when her phone rings in her pocket. Seeing that Nami has released them, Zoro and Luffy can now use their full energy on invading the kitchen.
“Hey Vivi!” Nami picks up the phone after the first ring, eager to get away from their tomfoolery. “What’s up?”
“I was just wondering when you guys were planning on coming over tonight.” There’s some shuffling on the other end, which means she’s probably getting some things set up for the party tonight.
“Well…” Nami glances back at the three in the kitchen. Sanji had just taken his last batch of food out of the oven, and he’s already fighting off both Luffy and Zoro so they don’t eat any before they arrive. They must have been vultures in their past lives. She’s not exactly sure what he made, but it smells delicious. It’s something cheesy and savory, for sure. “Sanji is almost done cooking, but we still need to finish getting ready, and then we need to get on the subway… so it might be a bit until we get there.”
“You’re taking the subway?” Vivi sounds surprised. “I could send someone to pick you guys up if you’d like. I’d hate for you guys to bring all that food on the train and have something happen to it on the way.”
“Well…” Nami really hates the subway. She hates how it smells and how many people cram themselves into one space and especially how some people act like it’s their first day alive. But she doesn’t want to inconvenience Vivi, especially if she’s still taking care of things. “Only if it’s not too much trouble.”
“Oh, it’s no problem at all!” Nami can imagine her literally waving off her concerns on the other end. “Is 30 minutes enough time to finish everything there? I can have him wait longer if you want.”
“N-No, 30 minutes sounds perfect.” You’re perfect, she wants to say, but she won’t because that would be embarrassing. “Thanks a ton. You’re the best!”
“Yay! Ok, great! I’ll see you soon! Bye!” And then the line cuts off. This is going to be great. Now all that’s left is to get ready, round up the boys, and get out of here.
The car ride is long, but still shorter than it would have been if they took the subway. The driver takes them out of the city and into a more suburban area that none of them have ever been to. They drive past huge houses, and the crew can’t help but wonder which one is Vivi’s. They don’t have to wonder for long, though. The home—no, more like the estate the driver pulls up to is massive.
“Oh my god,” Sanji’s mouth drops open. The rest of them are in a similar state too. “You never mentioned your new girlfriend lives in a fucking mansion.”
“I-I-I didn’t know!” Nami sputters. And also Vivi isn’t her girlfriend… not yet, at least. But that fact doesn’t even matter right now.
“This is the nicest home I will ever go to, and I’m wearing this stupid Christmas sweater!” Sanji laments, putting his head in his hands. The sweater in question isn’t even that bad. It’s green with what looks like a reindeer on the front? They couldn’t really tell when they first saw it. But the more you look at it, the more blob-like it becomes.
When they pull up to the front of the mansion, Vivi runs out of the font before they’ve even opened the doors, coat seemingly forgotten inside. Her plain white dress flows behind her. Phew. At least she doesn’t feel so under dressed anymore. Nami steps out to greet her and is immediately wrapped into a tight hug.
“I’m so glad you guys could make it!” Vivi laughs next to her ear. Nami can feel heat practically radiate from her skin. Something she’s learned since they’ve started seeing each other is that Vivi always runs a little hot, which is really nice during the winter. Up close like this, Nami can faintly smell her vanilla perfume. The scent is subtle, blending perfectly with Vivi’s natural smell. Nami could honestly stay here forever, wrapped up in the other woman’s arms. Unfortunately for her, Vivi pulls away from the embrace far too soon. “Oh! It’s cold out here. Come in! I’ll show you around!”
Vivi grabs Nami’s hand and pulls her into the house and the redhead is ok with just letting it happen. The boys can take care of the food and stuff. Stealing a quick glance behind her, Sanji is thanking the driver profusely while shoving all of the dishes into Zoro’s arms. Zoro, for the most part, only grumbles faintly under his breath but accepts his duty nonetheless. Luffy bounds closely behind, taking in the sight of the beautifully maintained grounds.
Inside of the house is just as Nami expected, and by that she means it looks exactly like a Hallmark movie. The entryway connects to three different rooms, one to the left, one to the right, and another past the grand staircases leading to the second floor. Frosted garland wraps loosely around the banister, soft yellow lights glowing from inside the fake pines. The room to the left looks like a kind of living or family room. From here, Nami can see several expensive armchairs and couches. The room in the center holds a very, very large Christmas tree. Their apartment would need to be at least three times taller if they ever wanted to fit something like that in their own home. Neatly wrapped presents have been piled under the tree, all varying in size. The tree is decorated in yellow lights, similar in color to the ones on the banisters, and glittering crystal ornaments. Finally, the room to the right looks like a banquet hall of sorts. A long table lines the opposite wall underneath the large windows, seemingly set up to serve food buffet-style. Round tables are scattered around the room, leaving enough space between them to walk around and mingle if needed.
This is where Vivi leads them (assuming Sanji and Zoro are actually behind them still). The waitstaff bustle in and out of what Nami can only guess is the kitchen. They’re not the only ones here, though. Amid the holiday hustle is a man in a wheelchair directing the staff on where to go. Even though he’s sitting, his presence takes up a lot of space.
“Dad!” Vivi calls out. The man—her father—turns towards them, his previously stoic face breaking into a large grin.
“Vivi!” He greets, making his way towards them. Facing the group, Nami can see the grey hair that adorns the underside his hair and parts of his beard. “Are these the friends you’ve told me so much about?”
“Well, I mean-!” Vivi fidgets with Nami’s fingers, still holding her hand. It’s good to know that parents embarrassing their children is a universal thing. “I don’t think I’ve talked that much about them…”
He pays no mind to Vivi’s answer and continues onward. “I’m so glad you all could make it. I hope you’re able to make yourselves at home this evening.”
Her father beckons one of the waitstaff over. “Why don’t you take these to the kitchen to keep them warm until dinner,” he says, gesturing to the small stack of dishes sitting in Zoro’s arms.
“Yes, sir.” Zoro has no qualms with this plan, probably grateful to have his hands free again. He hands them over wordlessly, letting the waiter disappear with them into the next room.
“Well, then!” Vivi’s father claps his hands together. “Dinner won’t be for a while still, so you should show our guests around.”
“Are you sure? We can help finish the setting up if you need—”
“Nonsense! I have more than enough help down here. You kids go have fun.” Leaving no room for discussion, he simply leaves, opting to check in with the chefs to see how dinner preparations are going.
“Well,” Vivi laughs. “I guess that means I should start the grand tour!”
Their tour of the house mainly focuses on the upper floor, since the first floor has a pretty open layout and they can already see what’s around—except for the kitchen and other work rooms. The upper floor is almost reminiscent of a fancy hotel with the way the hallway stretches on with doors lining both sides. Along the walls are tasteful paintings and other decorations among the seasonal embellishments.
Nami tries to pay attention to Vivi, but she can’t help it when the boys are so—UGH! Luffy’s fine, but it’s those two that are causing her issues. Unsurprisingly, every room is impeccably decorated to suit the holiday season, but that also includes mistletoe hanging in almost every doorway. This wouldn’t be a problem if Zoro knew how to behave himself and if Sanji knew how to control his weird man.
The worst part about it is that it’s totally, completely obvious. Either they think they’re being subtle, or they just don’t care. Like, Sanji will stay towards the back of the group and pretend to admire the wallpaper or whatever, and Zoro will take that as his cue to go over and kiss him. Or Zoro will straight up grab Sanji to bring him back under the mistletoe’d door frame. They’re not making out per se, but it’s never chaste.
However, the thing that annoys Nami even more is that those two are doing exactly what she wants to do with Vivi! Why can’t she be the one to have a beautiful holiday kiss? It would be way more romantic than whatever those two have going on. Nami’s tried sending brainwaves to Vivi from across the room, but whenever she catches her eye, Vivi just goes red and looks away.
There are more rooms in this house than Nami can count. Surely, she can get one kiss before the night is over! But as the end of the hall grows nearer, Nami feels like her chances dwindle with each room passed.
They’re at the final few rooms and it’s now or never. At the next room—a large art studio that previously belonged to Vivi’s mother—Nami will go for it. She just has to wait for the right moment… obviously. The boys admire the art displayed in the room, some on easels and others simply leaning against the wall. The paintings don’t depict anything specific—just regular things like bowls of fruit, sunsets from this room’s window, those kinds of things. The works that especially catch her eye are a series of portraits. Each depict Vivi when she was a baby and a toddler. Some include her father, or other family members, but Vivi is clearly the main subject. They were so lifelike and she could really tell that love was put into every brushstroke.
“Wow, these are amazing,” Sanji comments. In front of him is a painting of a large hydrangea bush. If it wasn’t the middle of winter, then maybe Nami would be able to recognize where it was on the property. Maybe in the front? That seems like a likely place for hydrangeas to be… Anyway, that’s beside the point.
“Aha, they’re all my mother’s. I tried to pick up painting a few times, but I just didn’t have the knack for it.”
If Nami’s going to do this, she has to commit to it, no matter who stands in her way. Vivi goes to follow the rest of the group further into the room but Nami stops her beneath the mistletoe-adorned frame.
“It really is lovely, um, the room. I mean.” Nami is already stumbling, but hope is not lost yet!
“I’m glad you all like the artwork. All of these just sit up here, so it’s nice to have people who aren’t me or my dad admiring them.” Vivi tucks a stray lock of hair behind her ear, and Nami can’t help but track the movement. Everything about Vivi is just so elegant! To distract herself before she gets in too deep, Nami glances up at that damn mistletoe again. It’s just a quick look, but Vivi still notices anyway, following her gaze and bringing it back to Nami’s face. Her cheeks redden just slightly and the redhead can’t help but wonder what she’s thinking about.
“Soooo, um,” Nami starts.
“Oh yeah, our staff like to help us decorate this time of year. Kind of cheesy right?” Vivi jokes, but she seems nervous for some reason.
“I don’t think being cheesy is a bad thing…” THIS TIME IT’S FOR REAL! Nami screams at herself, internally, of course. She’s going to do it! She leans in slowly. Close up, she can see the light sheen of Vivi’s chapstick on her lips. Soon enough, it’ll be on her lips too. Nami puckers her lips in a way she hopes doesn’t look comical and… and—
Ding! A bell’s chime rang throughout the house, sharp and resonant. The two pull away in suprise, letting the charged air hang between them.
“We should probably get going now,” Vivi laughs softly, blush still high on her cheeks. “It sounds like dinner is ready now.”
A DINNER BELL?! A literal bell! What kind of world is this?! The one moment when she finally gathers the courage to kiss this beautiful woman is when an actual bell goes off and interrupts her. UGH! Maybe this is fate telling Nami that she’s never going to get this kiss…
“Eheh… yeah. We should go.” Nami feels sort of like a dog with its tail between its legs. That couldn’t have been her last chance, right?
Dinner is wonderful. The buffet table is packed with food, plates being shoved right to the edge. Sanji’s appetizers end up somewhere in the middle of the table near the main courses, much to his delight. Even when grabbing a little of everything, Nami will still have to go back for seconds if she wants to try everything that’s offered.
The group was placed at one table together but, soon after everyone got settled it, some of Vivi’s relatives came over to chat. They endure the lighthearted questioning about their jobs, their lives, their relationship to one another, etc. The conversation is pleasant but Nami can’t help but think about Vivi’s reactions earlier. They’ve held hands plenty of times before, so does she just not like kissing or has Nami gotten herself in over her head?
The dinner finishes without a hitch, and people start milling about the banquet hall. The crew splits off into their own little groups. Sanji and Luffy head over to the head chef, most likely to compliment the food and (in Sanji’s case) do a little networking. Zoro gets dragged into conversation with Vivi’s father. He gesticulates wildly, earning a hearty laugh from the older man. Meanwhile, Nami mainly sticks to Vivi’s side and lets her introduce her to relatives and family friends alike. She doesn’t do much talking while Vivi catches up with the others, so she just watches. And, man. Vivi is beautiful and poised and it makes Nami want to kiss her even more.
After Vivi has seemingly run out of people to talk to, she offers her arm in an exaggerated motion, waiting for Nami to link them together. “Shall we?”
Nami doesn’t exactly know what the plan is, but she would never turn down an offer from her. She links their arms together with a wide smile across her face. “We shall,” she replies in an equally exaggerated manner.
With that, Vivi uses their link to guide her out of the hall. Before they leave, she catches her fathers eyes from across the room. He doesn’t move to speak to them, he just dismisses them with a small nod and a wave. A testament to how close the two are, surely.
Vivi leads Nami through the house again, this time taking her towards the back balcony. Outside, the air nips at her exposed skin. She looks over at Vivi to see if she’s feels it, but the other woman doesn’t seem bothered at all. The balcony, predictably, is as gorgeous and aesthetic as the rest of the house. Unlikethe inside of the house, the balcony has a much better view of the back of the property. The backyard is impeccably well kept. There hasn’t been much snow this season, so you can still see the green of the pine bushes under a light powder and the stone pathways are clear. A ways from the house is a small pond, not yet frozen over. Behind that is a small, white gazebo—akin to something you would see in The Sims. The balcony also has two symmetrical staircases that lead to the ground level.
The pair make their way down, their shoes clicking against the marble stairs. While Nami truly takes in the view, Vivi fills the silence with stories of her childhood, of hiding among the flowers in the summer. Before long, they’ve made it to the gazebo. Garland lines the edge of the roof and wraps around the supporting columns. Lights hang from the inside of the roof, gently illuminating a small seating area: Two chairs and a table. On the table is an ice bucket with a bottle of champagne and two glasses.
“Oh, wow,” Nami breathes. “This is- woah.”
Vivi blushes up to her ears, unrelated to the cold. “Well, I mean, I just wanted to do something special. For us. I mean.”
“I love it,” Nami says before Vivi can start to ramble. She turn to face her, unlinking their arms. “Seriously, you’re amazing. I couldn’t ask for a better Christmas celebration.”
“Oh phew,” she sighs, but not all of the tension leaves her shoulders. “That makes this a lot easier for me.”
“What?”
Nami doesn’t get an answer, but Vivi’s eyes flit up to the curve of the roof and everything clicked into place. Nestled into the garland is a bundle of mistletoe. The red ribbon is a stark contrast against all the green. If it wasn’t for that, Nami might not have seen it. Vivi gently cups her face in her hands and Nami can’t help but feel nervous. This isn’t her first kiss, but this is the most important one by far.
Vivi’s hands are warm against her cool skin. She drags her thumbs over her cheekbones and each movement feels like it leaves a wake of fire. Or maybe electricity. Whatever it is, it’s otherworldly, enticing. It takes her a few more moments to build up the courage, but eventually she leans in and presses a shy kiss to her lips.
Butterflies erupt in her stomach, and Nami’s lips tingle from whatever vitamin-infused chapstick she used after dinner and the magical feeling of romance blossoming into something more. She hums into it, pushing back when Vivi starts to pull away. It must be ok with her, because she doesn’t protest at all. They stand there with each other for another moment before finally separating. Only minutely, of course.
“Oh my god, finally,” Nami laughs softly, her lips still brushing against Vivi’s.
“Eager much?” The other grins.
“Well, I mean, yeah.” Nami tries not to downplay it, but how could she? This super awesome girl she met a few weeks ago is actually interested in her. Kissing is one step closer to becoming girlfriends too. “And, I don’t know, you didn’t seem too interested in kissing earlier?”
“What?” Vivi widens the gap between them to get a better look at Nami’s face. She tilts her head cutely, like how a puppy or a fox would.
“When we were touring the house with the others?”
“Oh! Well, I didn’t want to say anything then, but…” Vivi chuckles awkwardly. “I know they’re your friends but Sanji and Zoro can be a lot sometimes… I guess it made me a little nervous.”
“FINALLY! Finally someone else is saying it!” She could either sigh with relief or jump with joy right now. No one else in their circle has mentioned it and Nami was starting to think she was just being a prude. “They’re all over each other all the time! It’s been driving me crazy!”
“Enough about them.” Vivi holds Nami’s face in her hands again, smoothing away the stubborn crease between her eyebrows with her thumbs. “Shall we?” She gestures with her head to the well-lit table for two. It sits serenely in the gazebo, just waiting for them to sit down at it.
“We shall.”