Spiders & The Flames Of Love

Chp. 4

Lauren just nodded back at Cleo with a soft smile on her face. That was enough for Cleo to proceed and poke into Lauren's skin, being ever so careful with not hitting any of her vital organs. A painful groan came from Lauren's lips, Cleo's eyebrows frowned as she didn't like hearing or seeing someone that she knew being in pain.

'Please do bear with it, Lil Lauren. This will be over before you know it.' Cleo thought as she poked a hole into her own finger, letting some of her blood flow and fall. Placing the finger that had blood on it, on to the open and made needle hole. And said "Ketsue Ketsue No... Harmonia". The blood flowed from Cleo's finger throw the hole and into Lauren's body, and the bloodstream finding its way to the two fractures. As painful it was for everyone to both hear and see, it didn't take that long for the process to be over (probably 4 minutes) even if it felt longer as Sanji had to bear witness to seeing no hearing Lauren in pain, as he only gazed on her not caring for the voice of Cleo telling him that everything should be okay now.

Lauren... He thought before feeling a light chop on the top of his head being brought back to reality, "Yo~ Earth to Straw Hat Chef~ Lill Lauren is fully healed now so there is no need to worry for her." said Cleo bluntly but being on a more joking manner. As she then petted his head and he looked down at Lauren who looked to be breathing more normally, which put him at ease, as a soft smile formed on his lips. Moving his head closer to hers, placing a light kiss on her forehead.

This cook sure knows how to treat a lady, even though from what Lauren told us about the other side of him. He can get a nose-bleed. Cleo thought as she lightly chuckled while walking over to her own crew and sheepishly smiled over to Sergey and said "See what I tell ya. Doc," with Sergey just sighing heavily and looked at Cleo before looking at Lauren and Sanji, as Lauren were more awake now and was sitting up talking to Sanji whilst also going over the wounds he got. Sanji was clearly lightly chuckling telling Lauren that he's gonna be fine once everything is over. "You did good, Cleo.", "and I may let you into the Med-bay once in a while..." he mumbled the last part "You what~?" Cleo asked mischievously while leaning on to Sergey being curious.

"I said that I'd let you into the Med-bay once in a while..." he said a bit louder for her to hear, which seemed to make her happy to hear.

"You sure that you are going to be okay? You a hundred percent sure, Sanji?" Lauren said whilst she was looking all over Sanji's head and face. He chuckled as he took her hands into his own, "Hehe.. Don't worry, Lauren I'm gonna be fine. I'm just more relieved that you are gonna be okay." he softly said, smiling at her taking in, how her worried look turn into a more relieved one as she too smiled. Helping her stand up since he was still worried that her body probably still shaken from everything she/it went through.

"You two should get going, and maybe help your friends," said Ren, as he walked over to Sanji and Lauren, while also carrying something in his arms. "Brother, what is that you are carrying?" Lauren asked pointing at it. Sanji had lit another cigarette since the one he had in his mouth had been put out. "Oh? this well it's something for your cook," he answered while unfolding it and placing it around Sanji's shoulders, "wear it with pride and make me--no make us proud, you dumb cook" he added while lightly laughing a bit, not in a bad manner but in a family manner. What he placed on his shoulders was a traditional jacket of the Cheng family, it was usually given to people who were either going to get married or were married. But right now since Ren and his siblings were the next-in-line in the Cheng family, he thought to change some traditions to make moments more trustworthy between people, as he trusted Sanji more now than he did in Zou and Whole Cake Island.

Being a bit shocked yet surprised by this gesture by Lauren's older brother, he wondered if he had the right to have such an important thing from Lauren's family. "Y-You sure?" he stuttered, looking at Ren to which Ren only shook his head "Yeah. Cuz I can tell that you care a lot about my little sister and so does her older sister, Suiren. So," Ren then bowed to Sanji and continued "please promise me and our family that you'll make her happy!" he exclaimed, his voice cracking at one point, was he... Was he going to cry?

Sanji looked from Lauren to the jacket on his shoulder, thinking back to many times when he heard Lauren call out to him in worry. As well as the pain he put her through...

From Baratie

"Sanji! Look out!"

To Sabaody, when he pushed her over to Franky so he could get her to safety. As he had been touched? or better sent away by Kuma.

"SANJI!!!!"

To Fishman Island, as he remembered what Chopper told him about what Lauren did back then.

"Sanji is dear to me... I want him to know how I feel about him by making this choice..."

To Dressrosa, after Lauren had reverted back to herself after being a toy.

"Promise me that you'll always remember me, even if something happens to me, Sanj?"

To what happened on Zou.

"SANJI!!! DON'T GO!!!"

And to what on Whole Cake, when he made her cry even if he was trying to protect the crew, Zeff, her and 'help' his family. Seeing her have her back turned towards him and speak in such a broken yet stern tone to him.

"I guess this is it... Goodbye Vinsmoke Sanji."

And then to her confession on Whole Cake.

"I love you, Sanji"

But now that was all going to change because he promised himself when he confessed his romantic feelings to her when they were leaving Whole Cake and saw each other again in Wano. That he was going to stay with her and only look at her with loving eyes and give her the bigger attention than he would give other ladies... But sometimes he couldn't help himself from letting go of his habit. But she, his personal Treasure will be the only thing that he put all his time in and receive love and kindness in return.

He put his arms through the shelves of the jacket, fixing it to sit just right, and looked Ren straight in the eyes. "You can count on me, three-eyed brother," he said to Ren, smiling with confidence and determination. Ren returned the smile and nodded to Sanji, before smiling softly to his little sister as he was proud of how far she come since he heard that she left their home to sail out and find this 'old friend' of hers, "take good care of each other, okay? Lauren" he asked her.

Lauren nodded back and replied, "you got it, big brother!" smiling at him as she had glanced from Sanji to him as she answered him. Then heard Sanji say "Pardon me, my lady, ~" as she got lifted up from the floor, being swept off her feet, up into Sanji's arms bridal-style, "S-Sanji?!" she exclaimed, as her face flushed a light pink. Hearing a whistle coming from Cleo as well as "You go, Straw Hat Cook~".

"Thank you for all of the help, everyone but as you said Ren, Lauren, and I should get going and help out our friends," said Sanji before bowing to them all and got going while carrying Lauren in his arms not caring about her outburst of embarrassment "S-Sanji?! I can walk so please put down. This is kinda embarrassing for me~".

Ren and his crew laughed a bit as they saw those leave and Ren couldn't be any prouder than he could be right at the moment.

Having gotten to where he split from Luffy and Jinbei, Sanji came to a stop as he looked down at Lauren, who was still red as a tomato. He smiled softly and said "Sorry for carrying you like this in front of your brother and his crew but we are a bit short on time... Soo~ I had to do something that'd cut our time a bit shorter..." to her, Lauren looked up at him it was clear that she wanted to say something then felt like something or someone was watching them... And it wasn't a good feeling.