You looked down at Sanji, whose eyes were shimmering with anticipation and hope, and your heart swelled upon the sight.
How could you deny his request now?
Hearing your approval brought the galaxy into his eyes, and he unconsciously clutched onto your coat tighter. Realizing he will not be letting go anytime soon, you gently tugged your coat in the direction of the counter where the elderly woman stood behind. Sanji followed you with a skip in his steps while Law lagged behind with his hand still in your own.
A swipe of the hand and the bags containing your purchased commodities floated behind you.
Before exiting the store, you asked Sanji if he wanted any winter attire. He politely declined your offer.
Sensing that he was being genuine, you reluctantly let the matter go, but not before you summoned a scarf out of thin air and snuggly secured it around his neck. Sanji presented you with a flustered smile.
After that, you grabbed Sanji's occupied hand with your now free one and guided both him and Law outside and onto the empty stone road. The townspeople have already retreated to their abodes, and merchants are closing up their shops or stalls.
It was only you, Law, and Sanji under the night sky now.
Law seemed to be more awake than before, but there was clear exhaustion that traced his every movement. Sanji was the opposite, happily humming a soft tune while leading you in a direction you assumed was his home.
For some reason, the quaint melody lulls you into an almost slumber-like state...
The trance is broken when you feel Law's footsteps stutter as he trips over a gap in the road.
Your attention switches to the sluggish snow leopard hybrid. You could tell Law was on his last string of patience and his mood would only worsen as you take the trip to Sanji's home. You should have checked in with Law before impulsively agreeing to Sanji.
I suppose the time to amend with Law is now.
"Law? You must be extremely tired now, hmm?"
Law simply nods. He was too tired to even speak.
You lightly tighten his small hand, which gained you dreary, golden eyes locked on your own.
"If your legs can no longer carry you, I could instead." You caress his black locks as reassurance that doing so would not hinder you. And you knew Law understood what you meant for the moment your hands were off from his hair, he made his move.
A jump with the elegance of a feline was all you registered before you had a handful of Law. The action caused you to let go of Sanji's hand to catch Law. You quickly adjust Law in your arms, who was excessively purring as he digs deeper in your arms while you continued to trot down the road.
Law must be extremely wary if he's able to be this affectionate out in the open.
As endeared as you were by Law, you felt a rivulet of guilt for letting go of Sanji's hand because the boy seemed elated about the contact. You pass an apologetic glance toward Sanji, only to find the boy staring at you with a lost gaze. But his smile returns to his face as he moves back to your side and clutches your coat instead.
These kids are causing my heart to melt...
Without realizing it, Sanji had led you to the outskirts of town. Your little navigator points to a faded path almost entirely covered in snow.
You were certain that this was the final stage before you see who Sanji's siblings were.
-
A lake.
Sanji had brought you to a lake, the surface of which was layered in a rather thick sheen of ice.
Well, this was not what I expected.
You circled your gaze around the place, looking for any sort of shelter that indicated signs of life.
Your search came up with nothing, so you scanned the land area once more, hoping that with just a sliver of magic, you could pick up any life forms.
But there were none. Though, there was something that was vaguely prodding your sight.
"Sanji?" the boy looks up to you, "where are your siblings?"
Sanji gives you a cute, confused face before pointing at the middle of the lake and saying, "They're right there."
The wind whistles among the sudden streak of silence.
An epiphany finally struck your mind.
Oh! They must be underwater!
A fool you perhaps were, but now that you realized, you look down at the frozen lake, focusing on the depths of the water.
You make out the presence of four kids who were idly swimming along the bottom. You guessed these four were Sanji's siblings.
But where are his parents?
The temptation to ask Sanji where his guardians were was rising, but seeing as how Sanji has not made an attempt to bring them up clues you in on what his situation may be. You bite your lips in hopes that you do not spout something insensitive to the blonde.
Sanji carefully undoes the scarf around his neck and holds them up to you. When you retrieve the scarf from him, he clumsily slides over the snow, the torn rags of his clothes catch the wind as he does, and he jumps onto the ice with force, consequently breaking through and making a splash.
You hung back from levitating Sanji out of the frigid water, realizing that he was able to withstand the cold considering how he was never fazed by it during the trip here. And the fact that his siblings are in the lake right now, all of them at ease with no sense of alarm, means that it most likely runs in the family.
You hug the now-sleeping Law a little closer to your chest, softly brushing your nose against one of his ears in need of comfort.
Minutes passed by before the water ripples. Upon closer inspection, you spot murky silhouettes growing larger as they approach the surface. Then, a loud splash echoes throughout the clearing. You form a thin shield to protect Law and yourself from the shower of frozen droplets raining down.
As the crystal mist ebbs away, you see Sanji and the four kids behind him, all now standing on the ice while you remained on land.
Red, blue, green, and pink...
They're certainly a colorful bunch. The colors are a bit abnormal, but somehow it suits them.
Ah, their eyebrows are swirly, too. Ah, that's too adorable of a sight.
But their auras are so muddled, just what is the severity of their conditions?
Just as Sanji was about to speak, the red-haired goes up to hit him in the back of the head. A gasp slips out of your mouth as Sanji cowers away from his aggressor to hide behind the pink-haired girl.
"Ichiji! Don't just suddenly hit Sanji like that." The girl reprimands as she wraps her arms around a tearing Sanji.
"Oh, c'mon, Reiju! I had a good reason to bonk him on the head," Ichiji defends himself, "he leaves to do his thing like, years ago, without telling any of us where he went off to! I- we, were worried!"
Sanji peeks an eye out from his sister's shoulder, "It wasn't years ago, it was an hour ago. Don't make me look like a bad person... please."
You awkwardly shift your feet in place, eyeing what you supposed was a tiny family feud.
The blue-haired boy sneers at Sanji's response, "You're right, Sanji. Instead, you're actually a bad brother! 'Cause you didn't tell any of us where you were going!"
Sanji's eyes were incredibly glossy now.
"Yeah, what Niji said," Ichiji then nods towards your direction, "and you even brought this mystery, magical person who's carrying what looks like dinner."
"Dinner? Where? Gimme gimme!" You heard from the green-haired, chomping his sharp teeth as though his mouth already had something in it for him to tear apart, "it's been so long since we last bit into something juicy!"
What? Have they been starving this whole winter? Or potentially for even longer? Gods, is that why their frames appear so thin?
"Yonji, keep your mouth shut for once, please." Reiju exasperatedly advised.
"I would like to kindly point out that the child in my arms is not dinner," You said in a light tone, but the hard glint in your eyes was enough to get your message across.
You did not appreciate Law being labeled as food.
"Then I guess we'll just settle for you then!" And with that, they stomped their way towards you. Reiju simply placed a hand over her forehead and exhaled a tired sigh.
It was strangely cute how determined they were to reach you.
As they were about to get close enough, you summoned a small wind current to push the three boys back into the lake. Reiju and Sanji let out chiming giggles at the whimsical display.
Law would have thoroughly basked in their misery.
The brothers surfaced from the water and threw weak glares in your direction. They drag themselves back onto the ice and prepared themselves to move again.
"Guys, wait!" Sanji moves away from his sister to block his brothers from advancing, "I told you guys the situation already. This nice person is going to help us! They have a kid already though, but that's okay, right?"
And Sanji looks over his shoulders to cast his endearing puppy eyes onto you and oh, how feeble you were under its power.
"Of course I do not mind, sweetie," you gently assured Sanji. You look at the others, more specifically the other brothers, with a worried expression, "but you boys cannot go around assuming everything is edible, okay? And do not even try to convince me otherwise."
"Even if we sing to you to give us food?" Niji asked, perplexed by your words.
"I can find ways to ensure your lullabies never reach my ears, trust me." You teased, spurring the three brothers to gawk at you in disbelief. But your confident gaze soon transitions to that of bewilderment.
"Wait, sing? Does that mean you are all..?"
"Isn't it obvious? We're sirens! Duh!" Yonji exclaims.
"Is that a problem for you?" Reiju questions you skeptically, trotting over to Sanji to protectively cocoon him. The other brothers step away as well to be packed closer together.
Sanji's eyes now seem to have regret pooling in them.
You shyly turn your head to the side, your eyebrows furrowed in contemplation, "Well, sirens are notorious for their appetites, are they not?"
Sanji is courteous enough to answer with a meek nod.
"I am not quite sure if my current occupation will help pay for enough food to satisfy your hunger entirely," you solemnly noted, before an optimistic smile graces your features, "but if you truly wish to feast on more, then I will happily go beyond to make that come true."
The family of five could only stand in shock by your words.
Your words held no cruelty or apathy; you spoke to them so kindly.
There was now a glimmer of hope for the siblings.
You slowly walk over to the small group, Law still tightly secured in your arms, before bending now. The scarf you were holding onto was now hovering over Sanji.
It was a silent request.
Sanji nods once more, and with that, you eased the woven cloth around his neck.
"Let's head home now, shall we?"