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You tried to minimize your time thinking about your old crew. Everything that happened was in the past. But more than that you couldn’t help but feel selfish and your pain unjustifiable at times. You knew you suffered, and you knew the things your old crew and captain did weren’t right or something you would ever do to others yourself. However, when you heard everything Sanji or Nami or any of the people you had met so far during your journey with the Straw Hat Pirates, you couldn’t help but feel pathetic and ridiculous about your worries, fears, and sadness.
I’m upset because some people didn’t like me.
No one died. At least no one you could remember, and all your injuries were never fatal and had long since healed. You couldn’t find a single scar that would be proof that your life truly was so bad. All that remained were fading memories and occasional nightmares that left a bad aftertaste inside your mouth.
Today, you decided to actively think about your past for a different reason, and that of your current occupation within the Straw Hat Pirates and aboard Going Merry.
You didn’t remember much before your time with your old crew, but ever since you joined them, you were in charge of the inventory. At first, there was another member, a much older and always drunk pirate who sloppily showed you the ropes, but very soon it was just you. Cataloging, taking notes, making sure you had enough supplies for however long you needed, and managing to squeeze in whatever new extravagance, your mad captain decided he needed aboard his ship.
You roughly did the same on Going Merry although Captain Luffy was much easier to convince that you couldn’t get another canon or a horse statue. Trying to cut back on meat was impossible though.
One aspect that changed was that now you were also responsible for negotiating, purchasing, and getting the supplies you needed.
Your old captain always did that by himself. He was probably worried you would run away, snitch, or get him a bad deal, but Luffy simply handed you whatever number of berries he had or got from Nami, with interest of course, and left you in charge.
‘I know you can do it,’ he said with that bright grin that always got you to smile and genuinely feel like maybe you could do it. It was hard not to share his enthusiasm, and you knew you weren’t the only one who was affected by Luffy’s hopefulness. He managed to convince four other people to join him.
If you didn’t work at your shop before you joined the Straw Hat Pirates, you would probably be screwed, and even now, you weren’t always sure, you would manage well on your own, despite Luffy’s encouragements.
You would have liked to be confident enough to think you could and if necessary, you surely would have managed on your own, but if you had an option for a safe choice of having someone as a companion on your duties, you always took it.
Reinforcement was always very much appreciated, and so, you often tried to get someone from your crew to join you.
For example, if you took, Nami you were certain she would find a way to scheme or convince even the toughest negotiator for a better price.
If you took Usopp, he would fabricate a story so unbelievable and confusing, that the seller would usually just tell you to take whatever you wanted, pay what you could, and leave.
Zoro’s serious and silent demeanor along with the fact that he carried three swords everywhere ensured you never had any problems with anyone being rude or trying to scheme you at all out of fear.
And Luffy with his never-ending optimism seemed the type of person everyone instantly adored and wanted to give everything he could possibly need if only because he helped them recall their own past dreams and youth.
The only one who didn’t join you in your duties so far was your flirtatious and charming blond chef.
It was truly surprising given how one aspect of your job was to make sure you had enough food for your journeys, but honestly, given the amount of meat Luffy ate, it was easier and faster to have Sanji go on his own to gather enough while you dealt with the rest.
However, since you were finally passing the last stop before the Grand Line, you needed to get a lot of things apart from food that forced you to stay another day in the docks despite how nervous Nami seemed to be about it because of Luffy’s wanted poster.
‘Do you have a moment?’ you asked as you entered the kitchen. You hoped you didn’t sound as nervous as you felt and tried to convince yourself that you seriously didn’t have a reason to be anxious even if you were an easily stressed person to begin with.
Sanji, who was in the process of cleaning the dishes from dinner turned around and offered you one of his signature charming smirks that lately sparked something warm inside your chest, ‘For you, beloved? Always.’
You offered him a small smile feeling both reassured and more nervous. It was silly that you were acting like this in front of him. You were crewmates for a while now, so whatever problem you had with him being too handsome and sweetly flirty should have been long since dealt with. Yet, there you were in the kitchen almost returning to your self-harming nervous habit because you were about to ask something of him.
‘Uh, there are still a lot of things that we need to get before we sail again,’ you said feeling like an idiot who was repeating themselves, as you literally discussed this over dinner less than an hour again.
Sanji raised his brows a bit probably wondering why you were talking about it again, but as always didn’t make fun of you merely continued to calmly watch you giving you his full attention which both warmed your heart and made you sweat.
‘S-so, I was wondering if you could help me,’ you said and took a deep breath to continue only for the blond chef to chuckle and nod, ‘Of course, darling, I’ll happily run your errands. I already did Nami’s today.’
You closed your mouth as he turned back to his work looking pleased with himself, ‘If you tell me what you need, I’ll easily manage. No need to worry yourself with that.’ If it was anyone else, you would have assumed they were making fun of you or being sarcastic, but by now you knew Sanji well enough to know that doing anything for any woman was considered a time well spent in his book. Even more, an honor, which was why he not once complained about the number of times Nami very obviously used him for anything.
‘Oh, thank you,’ you cursed yourself mentally for not being able to say what you wanted.
The truth was you wanted Sanji to join you tomorrow because he didn’t before. It was also true, that you wanted him to join you tomorrow because you really liked his company.
You liked everyone from your new crew, but it was nice to be in the presence of someone who constantly gave you compliments and treated you with as much care as the blond chef did. Even if you knew, he did so to every woman, it was nice to be included because honestly, you never felt as pretty or amazing as those other women seemed to be.
So, there you had it.
You didn’t know what else to say, so you turned around ready to exit the kitchen feeling like a fool before you stopped.
You came to ask Sanji something, and as he told you on several occasions you could have asked him anything. He always made a point of never making fun of you or purposely making you feel bad. You often did that to yourself, but he never did, and more often than not did his best to make you feel good about yourself or improved the shitty mood you ended up in.
You turned back around with a sudden burst of something close to confidence, ‘Sanji.’
He finished drying the final plate with the towel and looked at you, ‘Yes, darling.’
He looked amused, and you felt your heart speeded up not for the first and certainly not for the last time.
‘I misspoke. I don’t want you to do my duties for me. I can…do them on my own,’ your voice flinched just once so you took it as a small victory, ‘I-I got it covered. I would…I would just like you to accompany me to the town tomorrow. We’ve never been before just the two of us,’ you said almost impressed by how confident you sounded although on the inside you felt like a trembling and rambling mess.
However, as your words soaked in you caught doubts and couldn’t help but quickly add, ‘Unless you’re busy or you don’t want-’
‘I’m sorry, beloved,’ he spoke quickly his thick accent even more prominent for some reason as you watched surprised morphed across his handsome face and his lips parted again, ‘You’re asking me to go to the town tomorrow with you?’ he asked his voice lowering with each word which made you even less sure about your request.
‘Well, yes, but only if you want to-’
‘My darling,’ he let out a breathless chuckle, drying his hands into the towel, ‘Of course, I’ll go with you. Anywhere you would like to, love.’
In a flash, he tossed the towel on the kitchen sink and snatched your hand into his pressing a long kiss against the back of it causing your face to catch on fire as did the rest of your body.
‘O-oh,’ you let out and immediately shut your mouth worried what other weird noises you might start to make.
Perhaps, this was a mistake, you thought desperate for your heart rate to settle down. At times it was a wonder your poor heart didn’t give up over the affection this man showered you with.
‘My love,’ he whispered causing shivers to run down your back. It was hardly the first time, he used such a nickname, but the effect seemed still the same. You never dared to tell him that it might have been inappropriate for him to call you that. Partly because you would probably die out of embarrassment despite how close of friends you became and partly because you were worried, he would stop. You would hate it if he stopped.
Fondness and happiness were shining from his grey-blue eyes, ‘What hour would you like to leave tomorrow?’
‘Uh, early,’ you managed to get out deciding if you should list all the places you needed to go or not.
The blond kept on smirking, ‘Very well, darling. Then, I suggest you don’t stay up too late rechecking your inventory notes and head to bed soon.’
You let out a chuckle and looked away knowing you were being silly with how often you checked everything to make sure you didn’t make a mistake anywhere, but you would probably go drown yourself if you realized you forgot something or didn’t have enough of something before Grand Line.
‘Promise?’
You nodded since it was impossible to argue with him when he looked so concerned and soft for you, ‘Promise.’
Sanji smirked again and released your hand while guiding you out of the kitchen, ‘I’ll check in an hour. You better not be in anywhere near the storage room.’
‘Noted,’ you said still smiling and shaking your head at the man’s empty threats. It was one thing to have someone who would protect you if you were in trouble, but it was absolutely something else to have someone who took care of you.
Feeling infinity times better than before you turned around, ‘Good night, Sanji. Don’t stay up too late either.’
‘Thank you, my love, but I know it will be a lost battle to catch a wink of sleep when I know tomorrow, I have a date with such a beautiful woman. Good night.’
You almost stumbled when you heard him say something like that, but when you turned around, he was still there in the doorway. He might have been smirking, but the way he looked at you was far too soft.
When he caught your widened eyes, he shot you a wink and just like that returned to the kitchen.
A date?
A DATE?
A DATE?!
A DATE???!!!
You turned around and practically ran over Usopp trying to get to the storage room and reorganize your thoughts.
He said it, didn’t he? It wasn’t that you misheard him, or your mind was playing tricks on you.
Sanji, your handsome chef, said date.
Both of your hands pressed against your chest because, after the last time, Sanji stopped you from giving into your nervous habit, you made him promise you would stop.
It was a joke, right?
You tried to reason with yourself. Of course, it was. It had to be. He often said things like that. Flirty, romantic, suggestive but harmless in the end things to get a bit under your skin, make you blush, cover your face, or stutter. It seemed he took great pleasure in making you feel as embarrassed and good as possible with his sweet nothings.
They never really meant anything, so this shouldn’t either.
You somehow managed to calm your heart and sneak back to the women’s quarters without running into the cook.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the morning, you tried to get up as quickly and quietly as possible to avoid Nami. As much as you liked her, at times you felt absolutely embarrassed and horrified at the idea that she would know or see something between Sanji and you. It wasn’t an issue before, but lately, you felt a bit more protective about what others could see or tell about you regarding the cook.
However, as if your ginger-haired companion knew something was going on, she was up and about at the same time getting ready for the day, ‘So do you want me to come with you to buy the rest of the supplies?’
You pressed your lips into a tight line hoping to sound as casual as possible when you replied, ‘No, I’m good.’
‘You sure?’ she asked, and based on the teasing smile, she was giving you, you knew she was very much aware of who would be accompanying you today, ‘Shut up.’
She full-on grinned, ‘I didn’t say anything.’
‘You’re horrible.’
‘Untrue. A horrible person would have said have fun on your date.’
You didn’t expect her to say that which caused you to remain speechless and feel absolutely humiliated for a moment.
‘It’s not a date,’ you argued once you came back to it, and a bit childishly slammed the door in her face as she attempted to follow you out of the room. Sometimes Nami was like a sister, you never asked for.
Of course, because Nami never got discouraged easily, she quickly rushed after you before she caught up to you in the hallways, ‘I’m sorry. Look, just enjoy today and don’t overstress about whatever happens.’
You avoided looking directly into her eyes trying and failing to sound more confident than you felt, ‘Why would I stress about it? Nothing’s going to happen. We’re just going on a supply run.’
‘Yes, but Sanji might…,’ she started, and you finally met her gaze wondering how she would even know you were going with the blond cook in the first place. Did they talk about it?
The idea that they were discussing you, even if they no doubt had the best of intentions in their hearts, left you feeling worse if you were being honest with yourself. You still had a very hard time believing people weren’t out to mock you or betray you in one way or another.
Even if you knew they weren’t like that. You couldn’t shake cruel thoughts about how they would most likely make fun of you because of your reactions. You always overthought everything you did and said and knowing that people talked about you and what you did only made it worse.
Nami sighed a bit, ‘Look, whatever he has planned for today…just keep an open mind, alright?’
Your stomach started to protest against the idea that there was something planned. Surprises and being an anxious person in general never went well together, ‘So…he’s planning something? But…this isn’t…I mean…it’s not...’
A date.
Your friend gave you a look, ‘Please. You’re not that oblivious or stupid. He’s so into you. If you weren’t so anxious all the time, he would be on his knees begging you for more attention or affection. It’s painful to watch honestly.’
You felt your heart rate spike, and heat crept into your face and neck, but the person inside you who all so rarely allowed you to feel like you did a good job or was good at something forced you sarcastically say, ‘Right.’
‘I’m serious,’ she said, but you already started to walk to the deck raising your hand in a goodbye, ‘Talk to you later.’
‘Just think about all those things he does for you!’ she called after you, but you didn’t bother turning back toward her and continued to walk.
You found Sanji waiting for you on the deck with one of his hands in his pocket looking at the horizon while smoking.
Since it didn’t seem he noticed you, you took your time to watch him.
Sure, he did a lot of things for you. He cooked meals you liked more than others, and still tried desperately at times to find your favorite one. Even if you tried to tell him he didn’t have to, or you really liked something he refused your words with ‘like something is not good enough, my beloved. I want you to be hopelessly in love.’
You shivered while remembering his voice saying those words because all so often when he did say them while his grey-blue eyes were looking at you like there was nothing else important in the world, you felt like he wasn’t just talking about food anymore.
But that was just Sanji for you. He put women on a high pedestal and wanted to do good things for them. Not to mention he considered food sacred, so of course he was invested in you and your issue with it.
He often stopped by the storage room with tea or snacks and kept you company. But that was only because he picked up on the fact that you liked having people around. Especially him, since despite how often he made you blush and caused your heart to speed up, his presence was soothing and not as overwhelming as anyone else’s could be. You loved your new crew, but honest to God, they could be a loud and stressful bunch.
If you were staying at a local tavern or bar, Sanji always made sure you got back on the ship with him. But not before he was certain Nami had the same arrangement with one of your crewmates too. You were certain, he only accompanied you personally because he knew you weren’t as useful in a fight as the others.
He all so often said the kindest and sweetest things about you, but you knew he said those things about every woman. Despite it being embarrassing at times, he was a gentleman through and through.
So sure, Sanji did a lot of nice things for you. Nice things that along with his handsome face and charm might have started to mess with your feelings toward him if your elevated heartbeat, overheating face, and delicate warmth that spread from your chest every time you saw him lately had anything to go by.
But nevertheless, these were nice things he would do for every woman.
Whatever Nami got into her head had to be wrong.
As if Sanji finally caught you staring, he turned to face you with that typical smirk across his face and a soft look behind his eyes just as the sun slowly rose higher behind him, ‘Good morning, my beloved. Ready to go?’
He casually put out his cigarette, and for some reason, you couldn’t help but think he looked absolutely surreal at that moment. Standing there in his expensive suit with the sun rising behind him, he looked more like some long-lost royal than an ordinary cook. He just looked far too handsome and far too charming for being anything but brilliant.
And you? Well, you felt like you were just you. And looking at him in that moment, you just didn’t feel enough for someone like him. And you doubted you ever would.
You should have been sad at the knowledge, but really you were mostly angry with yourself. Here you were about to spend time with Sanji even if running errands, who was nothing but kind and good to you, and you were about to ruin your own mood before the day even started. You were angry at yourself that you all so often seemed to do that.
Well, not today! You thought with a sudden burst of confidence that truly shocked you.
‘Good morning,’ you said a bit louder than usual which earned you a chuckle from the blond cook, ‘I’m assuming you slept well?’
You nodded, ‘Quite. Shall we?’
The blond kept on smirking with amusement behind his eyes as he motioned for you to take the lead, ‘Adorable women first.’
Even though it sounded ridiculous, you knew he meant it and couldn’t help but chuckle and shake your head, ‘It’s starting to get old.’
Sanji followed you close by on your way off the ship, ‘As long as it still brings that beautiful smile to your face, I’ll gladly use it until it’s ancient history.’
You giggled with fondness in your heart for the man further forgetting about your worries and leading the way to the first place you needed to go.
The town itself was lovely, but today it seemed far more livid than it was yesterday with dozens of more people passing you by on the street and in every shop, you seemed to come across.
‘Perhaps a festival or holiday is about to take place,’ suggested Sanji when you commented on the fact.
You turned toward him and nodded momentarily catching a sight of a corner shop that sold clothing.
That’s a pretty one, a lonely thought crossed your mind as you were eyeing a cute-looking dress in a color you adored. Truth be told, you didn’t really have much time to even think about clothes shopping since you joined the Straw Hat Pirates, but for some reason, the dress caught your eye immediately.
The blond turned to look as well, and for some reason, your panic arose even if there shouldn’t have been any reason for it. Sanji would never make fun of you for liking anything girly. If anything he would find it adorable as he seemed to enjoy every aspect of your personality and likes.
Not once did you ever confide in him with something and was met with ridicule, mockery, or full-on disgust. If the worst you got was some teasing, but even you with your overthinking and anxiety had to admit it was all in good fun and felt stupidly charmed whenever he used it on you.
Still, you quickly motioned for him to the direction you needed to go, ‘This way.’ You just didn’t want him to see the dress since it was pointless to look at anyway. You had a job to do, and you severely lacked the berries for anything that nice looking.
‘As the madam commands,’ joked Sanji except, you knew he really meant his words and easily followed you.
The crowd was too big and even if you did your best a lot of people ran into you or accidentally hit you with their shoulders causing you to groan and mentally curse at them. You were already uncomfortable, but the addition of strangers touching you was making the whole experience almost unbearable for you.
‘Come here, my love,’ said Sanji when a very tall man almost hit you over the head as he was pointing at something to his friend.
You instinctively stepped closer to the blond. It would be a lie if you claimed you didn’t find safety in his proximity lately. More often than not you found yourself searching for him if you were thrown into an uncomfortable or stressful situation with strangers. Once you did, without a single exception, Sanji was there for you pulling you closer and easily telling people off or without a single word to spare to the strangers taking you elsewhere, ‘How about something to drink, hm?’
Now, your blond cook took it further by putting his arm over your shoulders and bringing you as close to his side as possible.
‘Is this alright?’ he asked with a low accented voice as his eyes carefully searched your face for signs of distress.
The distress was there alright. Just not the kind Sanji might expect, and you did your best not to let it show.
You felt your face heat up and your heartbeat increase from the impossibly close proximity to this man hoping that the crowd was just loud enough that he wouldn’t hear it, ‘Y-yeah, thank you.’
It probably wasn’t good for the state of your health to have him this close to you and touching, but you tried to convince yourself it was for the best. Less people would knock into you and at least you wouldn’t get separated in the crowd or have to yell to hear one another.
It was hardly the first time, Sanji touched you or even put his arm around you, but you still couldn’t stop yourself but be affected by him.
Curse you, you thought with little anger behind the threat and unsure if you meant him, your body, or your heart.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After a while, you forgot about your soulful thoughts and focused on shopping and arranging everything to be brought to your ship.
It was overall a fine experience.
Sanji let you work only occasionally sneaking a small whisper with praise when the sellers when to retreat something or were out of earshot to humor you but not undercut your negotiations or your position.
However, when you were talking, he made sure to be a silent observant reminding you a bit of Zoro which the blond didn’t take too lightly when you mentioned.
‘That stupid-?!’ he took a deep breath rushing you to the next shop, ‘Beloved, please, I beg of you don’t insult me like that again. My heart won’t handle it.’
You chuckled confused as to why he picked up the pace like that, ‘I’m sorry. But to be fair you’re not like him. He just intimidates people, and he never compliments me.’
Sanji stopped by the next shop and went to open the door for you, ‘I’m unsure if that should please me because I only want you to enjoy my compliments, or if I should have a word with Mossy and teach him some manners.’
‘Please don’t,’ you beg and walk into the shop, ‘Zoro’s compliments are not…good,’ you said thinking back to the time, you were sure the swordsman was trying to be polite but ended up practically calling you stupid sort of.
Once you finished with that shop as well, Sanji eagerly led you to another one.
You once again noticed that you picked up quite a pace and found it confusing but catching the sight of the dress you were eyeing earlier again, and the cook’s next question made you forget about it.
‘Do you often take mosshead as your companion for the day?’
You shook your head and smirked at the way he practically spat the words out revealing just as deep as his annoyance with Zoro went, ‘Only when I think I need the muscles. But sometimes I don’t feel like getting lost, so I rather take someone else instead.’
Sanji looked at you puzzled. Once out of the shop, he once again took it upon himself to shield you from the crowdy streets by keeping you close.
The action still forced a strange yet familiar by now sensation inside your stomach as well as a fluttering heart, but you enjoyed the gesture too much to complain or ask him to stop. He really did not want him to stop.
‘You never struck me as someone who has trouble with directions. If anything, you seem to be rather quick at figuring out where a place was even if we had never been there,’ he said encouragingly with a spark behind his eyes.
‘Thank you?’ you asked unsure if it was the right thing to do, ‘Maybe.’ It was sort of true that you somehow always managed to find any shop you needed, ‘but Zoro tends to just go? And I don’t always…know how to tell him we’re going the wrong way?’
The blond cook looked at you even more dumbfounded than before until he smiled and shook his head, ‘You don’t have a single assertive bone in your body, do you, love?’
You shrugged your shoulders, ‘It’s easier than to get into a conflict over small stuff.’
‘It’s easier to even get lost?’ he asked you, and you knew it was silly but nodded.
Even if you knew Sanji would never mock you, you were certain, you were making it incredibly hard for him in that moment not to at least tease you a bit.
He shook his head and hurriedly rushed you across the street before opening another door for you, ‘How about next time you have trouble saying something to Zoro you tell me, and I’ll do it for you?’
You gave him a look, ‘Thank you, but I rather not you to fight over me on top of everything else you two fight about,’ you then paused and thought about it, ‘Also I don’t think I want to be the person who needs others all the time to solve her problems.’
Sanji offered you a soft look, ‘You’re hardly that person, my darling. From everything I have seen so far, you’re your own person. And a very strong one at that. Just a bit unsure of herself.’
He reached out and touched your cheek with the back of his fingers, ‘But I assure you, my love. I won’t stop until you feel confident in your own skin and see yourself just as I see you.’
His words knocked the air right out of your lungs, and you were tempted to ask him just how exactly he saw you, but before you could make up your mind, the shopkeeper called out for you. Honestly, you didn’t understand how the blond chef could always say so many wonderful things to you so carelessly when you had to mentally prepare each sentence at times.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After the third ship, you were sure, Sanji was rushing you on purpose although you didn’t know why. Was he busy today? Did he plan a big feast or something later? If that was the case, you felt guilty that you took his time like this.
‘Sanji, if you need to return to the ship, I can finish the rest on my own,’ you told him at one point before catching the sight of a corner shop with clothing again.
‘Don’t be absurd, my love. I told you I would help, and I certainly have nowhere else I’d rather be than here with you,’ he assured you once again and even pulled you a bit firmer against him as he continued to lead you around the crowds and town.
You honestly didn’t think you believed him but even before lunchtime, you found yourself finished with your work successfully crossing out everything you needed and arranging for it all to be delivered to the ship in the evening, ‘That’s probably the fastest I ever managed to finish my list.’
The truth was you were more disappointed than you would think you would be because, with no more errands, you and Sanji could return to the ship. The others were probably hungry and waiting for lunch anyway, but it still left you feeling a bit sour about the fact that your time with the chef was over so soon.
You’re being greedy again, you thought to yourself and went to thank him.
Sanji offered you a grin, ‘You’re more than welcome, my beloved.’
You noted how genuinely happy he looked probably satisfied he aided you in finishing so quickly so you could rest on the ship or did something you liked like reading or one of your other hobbies.
You felt bad for being disappointed when he was in such a good mood, so you forced yourself to smile for his benefit ready to return to the ship only for the man to take hold of your shoulders again and lead you in the opposite direction.
Blinking you glanced around wondering if you were wrong, but the longer you walked the more sure you were this was not the direction of the port and ship.
‘Uh, Sanji?’
‘Yes, my love?’ he asked as fondly as ever while glancing over at you.
‘The ship’s the other way,’ you said and pointed behind your shoulder for good measures wondering if Sanji was trying to pull a prank given your debate about Zoro.
The man gave you an amused look and winked, ‘You’re quite right. But we’re not going to our ship just yet.’
‘No?’ you asked your surprise obvious and the curiosity getting the best of you.
Sanji’s laughter was warm and deep, ‘No, we’re just getting started after all. What good would it be if we went back just yet.’
You were focused on what he meant, and while you were trying to figure it out, you failed to notice where exactly the blond led you.
Once again, he opened the door for you at another shop, and you blindly went inside only to find yourself inside the clothing store you had passed so many times.
‘Hello there,’ said the older woman who owned the shop before you could ask the blond what you were doing there in the first place, ‘How may I help you?’
You weren’t sure what to tell her as you were still thrown off by what was happening. You thought you did a good job in dismissing the place, but obviously, the chef had no intention of missing out on anything that might have caught your interest. Even something so silly and small as a cute dress.
Sanji took a place behind you close enough that you could feel the warmth of his body behind your back. It was both reassuring and overwhelming if your stomach and chest had anything to say about it.
His hand fell on your shoulder and his accented voice took a cheerful tone, ‘This beautiful woman would like to try that pretty dress you have there.’
Your eyes widened, and you turned to look at the man noticing he was pointing at the exact dress you were eyeing every time you passed the shop today.
Your panic kicked in, ‘N-no,’ you turned to face the woman, ‘That’s not necessary-’
‘Excellent choice!’ she said as if you didn’t say anything at all and with a speed you wouldn’t think she possessed was by the window and dress pulling it from the mannequin.
‘Sanji!’ you said as you turned to the man ready to give him an earful – well or a toned-down version of an earful since you weren’t the type to jump into conflicts least of all conflicts with your charming cook that caused your body to flush with a simply smirk, ‘Beloved, you’ve been looking at the dress far too often for us to just leave without you trying it on at least once.’
You started to shake your head, ‘It’s a pretty dress, but…,’ you glanced at the woman who was holding the dress smiling at you not too far away and then back at Sanji purposely lowering your voice, ‘we’re pirates,’ you reminded him, ‘we don’t really need stuff like that.’
‘Precisely because we’re pirates,’ he purposely grinned when he whispered the word obviously teasing you as he leaned his face very close to your own, ‘we look for and keep treasures.’
You looked away ready to argue some more, but the blond surprised you by putting his palms on your waists, ‘Beloved, try it on.’
His touch there of all places caused you to go into a short-lived shock which was enough for the skillful chef to push you toward the side of the shop that worked as a small changing place.
You caught yourself before you would end up behind the curtain just as the woman handed you the dress.
You turned around ready to tell something to Sanji about how there was no point in trying on a dress you wouldn’t buy, but the look of pure begging he gave you along with that accented voice reaching the depths of your heart when he asked, ‘Please? For me?’, completely wrecked your determination.
Sighing you accepted your defeat that came in the form of taking the dress from the saleswoman stepping behind the curtain.
Even if the woman wouldn’t probably give you a dress if it didn’t fit you, but you were still a bit surprised how well it framed your body even if you knew you wouldn’t buy it. The material felt good against your skin, and you liked the length and everything else about the dress.
Doesn’t matter, you reminded yourself tempted to just take it off when you heard the woman’s voice, ‘I have a mirror here if you want to look at yourself.’
You were certain Sanji would be disappointed if you at least didn’t show yourself to him in the dress, but even so it took you a moment to gather the courage to do so. Something about being in a nice dress like that made you feel like a phony. You couldn’t help but think that if possible saw you in pretty things they might assume you thought you were pretty which you didn’t.
‘Beloved?’ asked Sanji with a slight concern edge to it, and despite your personal doubts and fears, you didn’t have the heart to keep him worried for too long.
You stepped out from behind the curtain and spread your arms a bit as if you were an artist at a show ready to cheer Ta-da.
The blond was already waiting for you and the moment you stepped out, he took his hands from his pocket with a surprised look on his face. It wasn’t the first time you caught that look on Sanji when he was looking at you, but you could never understand what it meant even if it was usually followed by a beautifully soft and adoring smile or delicate touch.
This time, the blond touched his chest right over his heart and breathed out, ‘My love.’
He shook his head a bit and smiled, ‘I cannot remember a single word that would do you justice, but believe me when I say, you look absolutely breathtaking.’
The corner of your lips pulled into a smile before you could stop them from feeling beyond grateful and happy about his words even if you always had a hard time accepting them.
The saleswoman motioned for you to the side where she had a tall mirror for you to look at yourself, ‘It really suits you.’
You looked at yourself in the mirror and just like that your good mood caused by Sanji took a sour hit. Looking at yourself in a dress that pretty genuinely made you feel like you didn’t deserve it as it usually did. It was a nice dress sure, and maybe objectively it suited you, but you knew deep in your heart you wouldn’t probably have the courage to ever wear it, being a pirate or not.
You looked away ready to return behind the curtain and put the dress off, only a hand at your wrist to step you, ‘You don’t like it?’
‘It’s really pretty. My favorite color,’ you said offhanded and glanced at his hand on your wrist waiting for him to let you go so you could change, but instead, Sanji spoke again, ‘Is there anything I can ever say that would make you believe me when I say you’re beautiful?’
Your heart stopped at those words before it jump-started and beat faster than ever.
Your eyes rose to Sanji’s face, and unsurprisingly, you found him looking at you.
His own eyes revealed a hint of sadness, but as if he realized you saw him, he quickly replaced it with the familiar adoration.
‘I don’t know,’ you admitted hoping he could somehow read your mind and understand that you wanted to believe him. You just didn’t know how.
The blond tugged at your wrist causing you to step closer to him, ‘Allow me to try, my love.’
You once again followed his lead as he took you closer to the mirror.
The saleswoman was completely forgotten by you both.
His hand took yours in a very loose and light way, with your fingers carelessly spread across his palm and raising it almost like he was inviting you to dance.
Your cheeks caught on fire, and you could see in the mirror that their color changed accordingly.
Swallowing you almost gasped when you felt Sanji put his spare hand on your side and slowly stroke the fabric of the pretty dress with his fingers.
Regardless of every time you two touched or were close, you found yourself thrown back by just how intimate it felt to be standing there with this man in front of the mirror looking far more than just simple crewmembers or even friends when he purposely leaned closer to your ear all the while looking at you.
‘Each morning when you wander into the kitchen for some coffee or tea to settle your stomach before breakfast greeting me with that still sleepy ‘good morning’ and shy smile, I cannot do anything but smile at how grateful I am to be met with such beauty right from the start of the day. And every day that I do, I know it will be a good day.’
Your lips parted as you gasped all too aware of his fingers against your side while meeting his eyes in the mirror, ‘Every time, I catch a sight of you on deck or hallway when you smile or laugh at something regardless of if I’m the cause or not, I feel beyond words happy. It doesn’t matter if I’m pissed off by that stupid Marimo, or annoyed with Luffy, or overworked, or stressed, the moment I see you, all of that fades away and I’m just happy to be able to see your face.’
His lips moved toward your cheek where he pressed a quick chaste kiss that might as well be the most indecent and scandalous love-making act with how it absolutely wrecked your mind and body for a moment.
‘So, believe me when I say, that seeing you in this dress, the one, you have been eyeing so shyly for the past few hours, the one that’s made in your favorite color and fits you so brilliantly as if it was made just for you, my love, steals the breath from my lungs and ruins me in the best way imaginable.’
He took his hand off your side which made it a bit easier to breathe, but only to snatch your free one.
He then spread your arms further away from your body so you could properly see yourself in the dress. For some reason, when he did that, your eyes moved from his toward your reflection.
It’s a very pretty dress, you thought again. Even if the person who’s wearing it was just you although the mean voice inside you that usually told you such things was suspiciously less convincing when faced with Sanji’s charming words as opponent.
His accented voice toyed with your name when he whispered it against your ear again.
‘Hm?’ you asked eyeing yourself and thinking that maybe just maybe it wasn’t a bad thing to have that dress on and maybe you even looked good in it.
‘You’re beautiful,’ he said and despite everything, you couldn’t help but smile at yourself in the mirror. You felt ridiculous and tried to look away while still smiling.
However, just as you did Sanji surprised you by letting go of one of your hands in order to spin you around with the other as if you truly were dancing.
A giggle escaped from your lips before you found yourself in front of his chest holding onto it with your free hand so you wouldn’t lose your balance.
You felt his free hand press at your back behind your shoulder blades.
You were certain you were red as a tomato for everyone to see, ‘Do you believe me, my darling?’
You stole a single glance at your reflection in the mirror finding it hard to come up with negative thoughts at that moment even if you felt a tiny bit overwhelmed to be in Sanji’s arms like that, ‘Maybe a little bit.’
‘Fair enough,’ said the chef more than pleased with the outcome, and nodded for you, ‘How about you go take your things? I’m famished, and we passed an interesting-looking place I wanted us to try.’
You blinked surprised by this, ‘Oh-okay, I’ll just change real quick.’
‘Nonsense,’ he said carelessly and walked you toward the curtain before he started to pick up your bag and clothing, ‘Wait-’
‘You wanted to know where you would wear a dress like this, well, here is your answer. You can wear it today on our date,’ he said with a wink packing your clothes before you could stop him and taking your bag for you on your way out of the store.
Date?!
‘Wait!’ you tried again confused not just by his choice of words but also by why was the woman allowing you to steal the dress like that and even waving at you so kindly.
‘We haven’t paid. We shouldn’t steal it-’
Sanji chuckled, ‘Relax, we didn’t rob that nice woman. Pirates or not. We’re not heartless,’ he assured you with ease, but you still couldn’t help but stop forcing him to do the same.
‘Gods! Nami will kill you if you use her berries for clothes that aren’t for her-’
‘Well then it’s a good thing, I didn’t use Nami’s berries, but my own,’ said the blond forcing your eyes to widen as his words sunk in and then causing you to start shaking your head, ‘What?! No! No way! I-can’t accept that. How much? I…I’ll pay you back.’
The man gave you a look and snatched your bag out of reach before you could get your hands on it, ‘You will do absolutely no such thing, my love.’
You shook your head, ‘I can’t just…I can’t accept this-’
‘Do you like it? The dress?’
You took in a deep breath knowing the clever and smooth-talking cook was full-on planning for you to submit to this.
You admitted with a sigh of another defeat, ‘Yes.’
Sanji smirked very much aware, you wouldn’t be able to convince him to take your berries, ‘Good, now come along, we’ve been on our feet all day, and we need to eat.’
He offered you his arm instead of putting it around your shoulders, and you read enough romance books to know how it would look like especially when he kept on tossing words like date, beautiful, and breathtaking around and buying you pretty dresses.
Still, you would be the biggest liar in the four seas if you didn’t admit at least to yourself the warmth that spread across your chest to the rest of your body was soft and comforting, when you accepted his arm, ‘Alright.’
Walking down the streets holding onto Sanji’s arm like that made you feel like a proper leading lady of a romance book. You still felt a bit embarrassed whenever you thought you caught someone looking at you two, but you had to also admit it felt nice.
‘You noticed a restaurant you wanted to try earlier?’
‘Yes, it’s not that fair,’ he assured you.
You bit the inside of your cheek to hide another smile although it still came out as you wondered about how Sanji purposely rushed you to have more time, bought you a dress he noticed you liked, and wanted to take you to eat. You were still unsure or at least in denial, but more and more it truly started to feel like a date.
‘Then-then I’ll pay for-’
‘If you so much as open your bag, you’ll make me terribly sad. It’s my pleasure to pay for all of this,’ he said and smiled at you looking and sounding nothing but genuine.
You felt more than giddy before you confessed, ‘Sanji, it’s too much.’
‘Nothing for you could ever be too much, my love,’ he replied quickly before he spoke to the hostess charming or annoying her enough to find you a table even during the rush hour.
You wondered if you shouldn’t have been mad or jealous, but honestly, you mostly felt amused.
She led you to your table, and Sanji took his place behind your chair to pull it out for you before taking his own seat.
When the hostess left you kept on smiling at the compliment the blond left her which caused him to flinch.
‘What’s wrong?’ you asked surprised especially since he now seemed more serious than before.
You went to look around catching worries that you might have some danger nearby, but Sanji’s words quickly redirected your thoughts, ‘I’m sorry, my love.’
‘For what?’ you asked genuinely confused before a waitress stopped by and offered you both a menu. Surprisingly, Sanji didn’t tell her a thing, but you could see he was desperate to do so and felt genuinely bad he didn’t. Almost like he was pushing against a habit, that wouldn’t allow him to breathe normally until he would do it. You knew a thing or two about those.
After you thanked the kind waitress for both of you, you turned to the man and smiled, ‘Sanji, it doesn’t bother me you compliment other women.’
He seemed nervous and unsure even when you said that playing with his tie a bit which was very unlike him, ‘Are you certain? I don’t want to upset you…I assure you it doesn’t take away from what I think about you or how you make me feel.’
Your confidence slipped away from you, and you hid a bit behind your menu, ‘I – I know. I actually liked that you’re like this. It’s…personally speaking it’s nice to be complimented and considered as pretty as the other women. I don’t really…well, you can tell I don’t really feel as pretty as them.’
‘Beloved-’
‘What I mean is… for me? It’s nice to hear a compliment from you no matter how embarrassed I get or how often I don’t believe it. I’m sure those women are happy with your praise as well,’ you glanced at him from under the menu, ‘Even if they don’t show it, it’s always nice to hear someone finds you beautiful especially when it’s someone…handsome as you,’ you lowered your voice as much as possible but the quiet chuckle made it clear he heard you rather well, ‘Anyway, please don’t stop being yourself. A gentleman.’
The look he gave you spoke volumes about how much he adored you before he reached for your palm, ‘My love.’
He pressed a soft kiss against your fingers causing you to cover your face with the menu for a moment before you glanced at him again. He was too handsome and made you feel too good to stay hidden forever.
His eyes sparked with fondness, ‘You’re the most wonderful woman I’ve ever met. Inside and out, and I’m grateful every day that Zeff threw me out of the kitchen that day, so I got a chance to meet you.’
You didn’t know what to say to such a declaration, but you offered the man a small smile, and it seemed to have been enough.
Feeling a bit lost with the menu, Sanji gratefully offered you help and explained and suggested what would be a good fit for you.
You thought of something during those moments and after the hostess took your orders this time getting a compliment on her skills from Sanji that she brushed off with an eye-roll, you asked, ‘Uh, if…this is a…date sort of situation, I would think you would want to cook for me yourself.’
‘Ah, but this is a first date, so it should be special,’ explained the blond, ‘Besides, I plan to have a date with you where I cook every day until Grand Line and then after depending on our adventures.’
You felt shy at the idea, ‘Every day? That might spoil me.’
‘Good,’ he said and suddenly snatched the side of your chair pulling you closer to him so that you were more side by side. You still remained facing each other, but the truth was, this proximity made it all the more intimate, ‘You should be spoiled and never expect anything but perfection from me.’
You chuckled, ‘I don’t need perfection,’ you watched his hand on the table for a moment before you finally found the courage to take it your hand entwining your fingers together, ‘You’re more than enough as you are.’
‘I’m glad, my love, but I still intend to be more for you,’ he said, and you could tell you wouldn’t probably change his mind, so you smiled at him, ‘Alright.’
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The food was delicious, although you told him no one cooked as well as him, which earned you a beautiful smile, and a series of praises since Sanji apparently couldn’t allow a beautiful woman to go without receiving compliments if she ever complimented him.
Despite the ever-present awkwardness over the fact that this probably was a date you enjoyed Sanji’s company and felt comfortable enough to act as you would whenever he came to keep you company in the storage room. You discussed your past, your crew, your captain, your spare time, your duties, and everything and anything you could think of.
It should have been surprising that even after all those weeks you knew each other, you still found things to talk about. Let alone new things you didn’t know about each other such as that Sanji saw even before you entered the Baratie or that at first you assumed he was mocking you with his flirting.
You liked how easy-going and comfortable the conversations were, but you couldn’t help but secretly adore the instances when Sanji lightened up a cigarette looking like you got him flustered or embarrassed looking away from you while smiling almost shyly too.
Since it was a better-than-average establishment, and Sanji was adamant that you should try some of all the courses, your little date ran for a couple of extra hours.
‘Did the others cook for themselves or go somewhere to eat?’ you asked Sanji after he paid, and you both thanked the staff for everything they did. You tried and failed not to feel too guilty that the blond paid for everything, but you promised yourself you would do something nice for him soon to repay him somehow.
‘Since I was afraid, they might attempt to cook, I asked Nami to take them out to eat, so I’m sure they’re alright,’ he confessed, and you nodded realizing that it must have been when he told her that he would take you out.
‘So you really planned everything, huh?’ you asked only partly joking feeling like your insides were made out of cotton candy from how everything he did for you affected you that day.
Sanji smirked as he led you through the streets, ‘Some things more than others. The dress was a nice addition, but I did plan to get you something else.’
He stopped, and you did too before you followed his line of vision and gasped, ‘A bookstore?’
He leaned his head closer to your ear and whispered, ‘I took a moment to ask the owner to save one for me since I didn’t want to rush us during dinner.’
You were left in awe and even more so when you saw the book, he brought you which was exactly the type you read which meant he had to read some of your books and know you were a hopeless romantic.
You were still stunned when he took advantage of your still-in-shock mind and pressed another small kiss against your cheek. A second one that day. And the first one you could openly admit to yourself that you wished had been placed on your lips instead.
‘Beloved,’ he grinned before you handed him the book and he safely added it to your bag.
He lightened up a cigarette and then continued to lead you all the way to the center of the town square only to carefully almost like you were on a secret mission direct you toward a dark alley away from the crowd that was gathered around.
Once there you felt yourself shiver both from cold and anticipation of what did the mystifying blond chef planned next because if you learned one thing about him it was that he fully planned on surprising you every step of the way today.
Without having to even mention you were cold, Sanji finished his cigarette half-unfinished and took off his jacket and put it around your shoulders ignoring your weak protests, ‘You should know by now, my love, that I’d rather have you upset at me for overdoing it than to have you catch a cold.’
You chuckled a bit, ‘Thank you, Sanji.’
He then put his arm around your shoulders and looked up at the sky.
You followed his line of vision. It was dark now but given that this was a town with artificial lights there weren’t many stars or moon to admire, yet you felt too good to question his motive for this stop.
You waited for a couple of moments before you finally heard the whistle sound and understood why Sanji brought you there and why there were so many people around. A second later red and blue lights illuminated the night sky followed by green, yellow, and every other color you could think of.
You found yourself giggling and smiling soaking in the moment like the most precious of treasures into your mind hoping to keep it for eternity and then some. You were in the center of the spectacle, but still far away and hidden enough to feel comfortable.
In that moment, despite being you didn’t feel any of the negative things that haunted you. Not a single one. In that moment all that existed was you and Sanji and the waterfalls of colors that were shooting from the sky but never reaching you.
You turned toward the blond only to find him already looking at you. Like he had ever since you met him. Every time you glanced at him, you found him either looking at you or feeling he did a moment ago. It was unbearable. It was beautiful.
‘Sanji,’ you called out his name so he could hear you over the sounds of the fireworks exploding above you, ‘you’re going to miss it.’
His eyes never once left your face, ‘Impossible, my love.’
With the way he was looking at you and only you if he asked you again if you believed him when he called you beautiful, there would be no other answer besides an honest and confident yes.
Feeling braver, happier, and at peace with yourself and everything else, more than ever before, you leaned toward him and caught the corner of his mouth with your lips with a touch far too soft and quick to be considered a kiss despite how hard your heart was hammering afterward.
Another explosion went off above you, and you saw how Sanji closed his eyes and tilted his head down with a small smirk as if he was taking the touch and moment in storing it in his own treasure box forever.
His hands were inside your hair and against your face before he even opened his eyes and the final warning for what was about to happen came in the sound of your name whispered by his mouth like a question and promise all the same.
The rapid pounding of your delicate heart left you dizzy, but you didn’t look away. You couldn’t.
The warmth that was inside your chest whenever you were with him was still there, but apart from it, you could also feel a sort of zing that now went through your body.
Your eyes locked, and you would have thought everything else but the magnetic pull that was forcing you closer ceased to exist.
May I?
You didn’t trust your voice, so you simply nodded before you felt his lips against your own. The touch was just a tad longer than your own from a moment ago, and yet it filled your body with something you never felt before.
He tasted like smoke, spices, and everything that made him Sanji, but it was the way he kissed you that got right under your skin, over your ribcage, and into your heart. Because he kissed you softly with nothing but love, care, and adoration just as he did everything else for you ever since you met him.
The short kiss was broken far too soon, but you smiled anyway feeling weak in the knees and yet bursting with energy at the same time.
‘Sanji.’
Your name was the last thing you heard before another explosion muted everything else and lips touched yours again.
Tomorrow, hell, perhaps even tonight in your chambers you would overthink and overanalyze everything and anxiously stress about it all as you usually did, but for once, in this moment, you simply allowed yourself to enjoy it free of the burned of spare thoughts others than those that Sanji was as good of a kiss as he was cook.
Koniec