The day Luffy rejected you on Valentine’s Day was the day you thought you could move on. But since then he began noticing you everywhere, seeing you in ways he didn’t before.
༯ ℒuffy x reader / highschool au / fem reader / humor / hurt and comfort / first kiss / sfw / oblivious / luffy being a fat ass /6.2k wc / one shot
A/N: it was actually so fun writing this idk why!! I have a soft spot for Luffy. Another song I wanted for the title was “Banana shake”, but instead I only referenced it. It’s a cute song though!
Afternoon light spilled through the tall windows in long golden strips, catching the floating particles in the air and making everything look softer than it felt. Outside, you could hear distant laughter, people exchanging chocolates, confessions.
Inside, it was just you and Luffy in a classroom.
He was sitting on top of one of the desks instead of in it, legs dangling, heel knocking idly against the wood. His hands were planted behind him for some balance, head tilting ever so slightly to the side.
What was once a fun crush turned into an overly long school year for you.
Luffy blinked at you, curious but not concerned. You realized he probably thought you were about to say something casual.
But maybe the distinctness of the red roses in each room gave him a fair guess.
Your throat felt tight, opening your mouth with a ghostly smile. “I like you, Luffy.”
For a second, he didn’t react.
He looked at you the same way he always has, which wasn’t complicated. The boy probably barely even knew you besides your name. Then his gaze drifted, your face, the envelope. You’re shaking hands. The box tucked awkwardly against your chest.
You could almost see the thought process, or rather his lack of one.
He tilted his head slightly, confusion, like he was trying to figure out if you meant it the way he thought you did. “Oh.”
You waited. Your heart was pounding so loudly you were sure he could hear it. You tried to straighten your posture, tried to stop your fingers from trembling so obviously.
He scratched the back of his head.
“Sorry,” he said easily, “Not interested.”
You’d prepared for this outcome, hadn’t you? You told yourself that if you just said it out loud, if you just ripped the bandage off, you could finally stop watching him from across rooms. Stop waiting for him to glance back.
You liked this outcome out of everything, no awkwardness, no doubt to make this any more harder. You nodded before your brain caught up.
It would hurt, but it would end.
Your lips trembled, and you forced them upward. If you smiled, your body might follow. “Yeah,” you managed. “That’s okay.”
His eyes dropped to the box in your hands.
“Oh! Is that chocolate for me?”
There it was, that brightness. That immediate spark of interest that made him oddly alluring. You froze when he asked.
He slid off the desk in one smooth motion and stepped closer, close enough that you could feel the warmth of him. Close enough that for half a second your heart betrayed you and jumped with hope.
He reached out and took the box.
And with your heart still processing a reasonable pace that wouldn’t kill you, you didn’t protest.
“Thanks for the food!” he grinned, giving you a quick, playful bow that felt rehearsed from a hundred other harmless exchanges before leaving.
Food. That’s what this was to him.
Your smile dropped the second you were alone. You stared at the closed door, blinking hard, as if that might push everything back into place.
Did he seriously take the chocolates?
A small, almost hysterical laugh bubbled up in your chest and died there. Of course he did. That’s who he is, that’s the exact person you liked and he showed it right in your face.
You pressed your fingers to your lips and winced at the sting from where you’d bitten them too much. “Shit, I need some chapstick.”
Luffy dragged the hem of his shirt up to his face, wiping sweat from his forehead before letting out a long, miserable groan. “So.. so hot..” he whined.
The heat clung to him like glue. His sandals slapped lazily against the pavement as he wandered through the crowded rows of vendors without any real destination in mind
Ace had suggested the new market a few days ago. He’s known it as Remate, though most people in the area called it the swap meet. The second he mentioned it, everyone wanted in. It’s the kind of place they’d spend an entire afternoon.
At some point, Luffy had completely lost track of everyone else.
Not that he minded much. Someone would find him eventually or he’d find them. Any works.
He turned another corner before abruptly stopping in front of a faded poster taped crookedly against a tent. It could’ve been consider a dirty one, something that Sanji would hang on his wall.
A woman stared back at him through peeling paper edges, lips slightly parted while holding a tube of lipstick near her mouth. The shade was pinkish red, a bit of glitter with the sun.
And somehow, immediately, he thought of you.
You didn’t even wear lipstick, but it’s not like he knew enough to understand the difference between gloss and stick. Or even enough for him to remember the brands or shades or anything complicated like that.
But he remembered seeing the tubes left behind on your desk during sixth period. Usually Tuesdays. Maybe Wednesdays too.
His brows furrowed faintly.
It had been over a month since your confession, yet you kept appearing in his head at random moments like this. He didn’t even fully understand why. It wasn’t like he spent every second thinking about you.
..But lately, things kept reminding him of you before he could stop it.
He thought of what you’d like in that shade, or rather if you’d even wear it. Your mouth slightly parted, wiping the edge of your lip.
Luffy didn’t know why that interested him.
“Since when were you interested in lipstick?” Nami sneered, shoving yet another shopping bag into the growing pile already hanging from everyone’s arms. “The shade’s cute though.”
Zoro nearly buckled under the weight of everything. “How much more crap are you gonna buy?”
It was left on empty ears.
Luffy stiffened at the correct accusation, or rather how he was caught.
“..Me? I’m not interested in lipstick.” His answer came out too fast. He scratched the back of his neck, the guilty look spreading made it even worse
Sanji let out a strangled, envious cough from behind. “He’s probably interested since Boa has been following around our third period.” He shot a jealous glare, dragging out another smoke. “Some guys get all the luck.”
Usopp snorted, his hands occupied by what looked like two plastic cups. “What’d you expect? He’s an idiot.”
“It’s not like that!” Luffy protested immediately, tugging the collar of his shirt away from his neck. “She buys me food.”
It was way too hot. Or maybe that was just him.
In the end, the offense lasted all of maybe two seconds before his eyes drifted toward the shaved ice in Usopp’s hands.
He coughed. “So who’s that for?”
Usopp grinned, his face proud like he planned for this moment. “Take it already.”
Luffy brightened instantly. “Seriously?!” The cup was in his hands before Usopp could even finish nodding.
Luffy dug straight into the bright red edge of the rainbow ice, inhaling it. The cold hit his tongue and spread through his body immediately, cooling him down enough that his shoulders finally relaxed.
“Mmf.. thank you!” he mumbled through a mouthful of ice.
Zoro had a concerned look on his face. “You’re gonna get a brain freeze.”
“Alright,” Nami announced, adjusting the single bag in her hand. “Let’s get moving.”
“Right away, Nami-swaaan!” Sanji chirped, nearly sparkling despite the ridiculous amount of bags he was carrying. He immediately pointed at Zoro. “Don’t you dare drop any of them, mosshead.”
“Not all of us want to carry bags.” He growled.
“You’re right.” He suddenly agreed, catching the other off guard for just a second till it made sense “Should’ve known you were too weak to hold a few bags then. Pass them to me.”
The argument started instantly.
Neither of them slowed down as they shoved shoulders through the crowded street. Bickering between every market, but too occupied to really fight.
Usopp scooped another bite of shaved ice into his mouth. “What’s the hurry anyway?”
“Yea,” Luffy agreed absently around another spoonful. “There’sh shtill more shtufff..”
Nami rolled her eyes, the sound of him taking with a mouth full got to her. “I’m meeting a friend after this. Her name is..”
Luffy’s mind went completely blank, every thought in his head had slammed into a wall all at once. His eyes widened before he could stop them, heartbeat stumbling so suddenly it genuinely startled him.
Before he could even process the thought properly, the melted ice slid went the wrong way.
The spoon clattered onto the pavement as he doubled over coughing, shaved ice going down the wrong way so badly his eyes instantly watered. His hat nearly slid off his head as he dropped to his hands and knees.
“Holy shit!” Usopp yelped. “Luffy’s dying—“
“He is not dying,” Zoro said flatly.
“Luffy?!” Nami crouched slightly, startled by the sudden fall. “Are you okay?!”
Luffy coughed again, face burning red as he tried, and failed— to breathe normally. Why did hearing your name do that to him? His chest felt weird. His stomach felt weird. Everything felt so weird.
And the worst part was he didn’t even know why.
It took nearly a full minute before he could stand again, still wheezing slightly while Sanji smacked his back hard enough to nearly send him forward again.
“You eat food like an animal,” Sanji muttered, the plastic clear bags wrinkling down his arm.
Luffy barely heard him, your name still bouncing around inside his head. It caught him completely off guard.
The others exchanged looks before collectively deciding it was just an accident, continuing to move through the place with a pouty Luffy. None of them thought anything of it.
In that moment, lungs burning, he decided he was gonna figure out what it meant.
Luffy tried handling it himself first, for a few pretty good reasons.
Mostly because the last thing he wanted was Usopp yelling “LUFFY HAS A CRUSH!” across the hallway, not intentionally but wouldn’t be surprising. Or Sanji giving advice that would probably work for Boa, not you.
At school, it started with small excuses.
He’d suddenly remember he had a friend to talk to near your classroom. He’d take slightly different routes between periods if he knew you walked that way, lingering slightly behind. If he spotted you in the courtyard, he’d watch over naturally.
And every single time, he’d act weirdly normal. Which for Luffy meant trying way too hard to seem casual.
At some point, he was going to talk.
“You got chips?” was the first thing he asked one afternoon, dropping into the seat across from you without invitation.
You stared, completely baffled by the interaction. You looked around once, then twice, and realized he really was talking to you. For one, you still havn’t recovered from the rejection.
Your gaze flickered between the bag and him, you were extremely confused. “Hello to you too.”
“Oh, right.” He grinned. “Hi.”
Then immediately pointed at your food again. “Can I have one?”
There was something disarming about how straightforward he was. There wasn’t any build up, he truly just came up to you without a thought in mind. Which somehow made you more nervous instead.
You narrowed your eyes at him suspiciously, you should say no. Should’ve.
And since you accepted one gesture, it became a pattern.
He’d appear out of nowhere, say something random, hang around for a bit, then leave once it became clear class was starting in seconds.
Sometimes he’d ask bizarre questions just to keep conversations going, mainly because his thought process came from what he believed in the moment.
“You think you could beat a raccoon in a fight?”
You hissed under your breath, bringing the book down from your face. “No.”
“What? Why?” He asked with such a genuine tone it made others hate how honest he could be, including you.
And because it was Luffy, it somehow came off natural instead of crush like. You didn’t question how he oddly wanted to know a lot about you, mainly because you didn’t want to believe it as anything more than acquaintances.
But there were moments where his nervousness slipped through. Like when you unexpectedly smiled at him in the hallway first one morning, finally getting used to the interaction enough to reciprocate his smile.
He froze mid step, actually froze.
Then pointed at himself like there was no way you meant him. “You’re saying hi to me?”
You laughed, a bit hesitant yourself like you overthought what you guys had. “Who else?”
Luffy didn’t doubt you, not even a little bit. But he still turned to check if anyone was potentially behind him that you might know. “Oh.”
You smiled again, smaller this time. “Hi, Luffy.”
And for some reason hearing his name from you did something strange to him.
You didn’t notice the faint warmth rising on his ears afterward, too busy adjusting your bag while continuing down the hallway beside him. But Luffy noticed. Mostly because suddenly he could hear his own heartbeat for some reason.
It’s fine, he could survive that.
Or when he sat beside you during free period and became weirdly aware of how close your shoulder was to his. Suddenly he couldn’t focus on anything. He tapped his pencil against the desk too fast, glanced everywhere except directly at you, then blurted..
Silence. You stopped writing on the paper, looking up at him with a shocked expression.
Luffy still hasn’t registered what that even did to you. “Was that weird?”
“It sounded weird.” You replied.
“Yeah,” he admitted honestly, face warm now, dipping his face into his hands. “Okay.”
Your laugh escaped before you could stop it, bright enough to make him groan dramatically in embarrassment.
“You said it so seriously!”
Still flustered, he shoved your shoulder lightly in retaliation without thinking. Unfortunately, Luffy’s version of lightly was still stronger than most people expected.
Your chair tipped dangerously sideways, you yelped in instinct.
His hand shot out instantly, grabbing your arm before you could actually fall. “Sorry! Sorry, I forgot!”
And for a second he just stared, heaving a bit like he was the one who almost fell off a chair.
Then you started laughing again.
And despite the embarrassment still burning across his face, Luffy found himself laughing too. Because somewhere along the way, without realizing it, that weird restless excitement feeling began happening with you.
“You remember Luffy?” You suddenly asked, throwing your bag over your arm with a huff at the parking lot.
“As in the guy who rejected you in Valentine’s Day?”
You frowned, the bluntness of it did not come in softly. “..Yea. He’s been greeting me everyday before class.”
Well, that happened a two months ago.
You left out the part where it had somehow turned into brief conversations, never more than a couple of minutes. Or even how you began saying hi back.
“Huh?” She blinked, the silence slowly turning into her laughter. “So he’s your friend now then.”
“Don’t know.” You said a bit too quickly, the uncertainty in your tone was undeniably there. He wasn’t a bad guy, not at all. But that part of you still questioned his intention. “It’s weird, but it’s not like he’s doing anything bad.”
“Maybe not,” she said, tilting her head. “But it’s too weird. He rejected you, and now he’s just.. acting normal? And he even took the food you bought him after that? That’s messed up.”
Your jaw tightened slightly, the reminder didn’t really help.
“It wasn’t like that,” you argued, eyes drifting anywhere but her. “I don’t think he meant anything by it. Or maybe he just.. didn’t think? I don’t know. I don’t want to over do it.”
“Me personally I’d tell him to fuck off.”
“Seriously,” she reasoned, “if someone rejects you, they should give you space. That’s just normal.”
You nodded, well you had to. It made sense. It should make sense.
But then you thought about him again, how he looked at you the in the hallway. Or how he brushed your arm without a single thought. And how confusing it was that you didn’t want him to stop.
“As my final advice,” she said more quietly, “don’t keep doing it if it hurts you.”
That was the part that finally made you stop pretending you didn’t know what this was. Your gaze lowered to the pavement, fingers tightening slightly around your bag strap.
But not in a way you wanted to walk away from. Because somehow, his kindness felt worse to lose than the rejection ever did.
But you’ll try. Try and put some distance.
Luffy chewed on the stick of a finished popsicle, an arm slumped on the arm of the bench. It was hot, unbearably hot that day. It starts to settle that it’s gonna be like this for a long time.
Beside him, Zoro exhaled through his nose, arm draped over the back of the bench “I’m gonna..” He breathed, a hand running down his face. “Find our way back.”
“No ya’ ain’t.” Luffy replied instantly, the heat took his patience with him.
“Hey!” His friend growled, lifting his head in order to properly glare. But even that was a bit too tedious for him so he laid it back down. “Yea you’re right. Let’s hope Nami finds us.”
Suddenly he heard a distinct sound that reminded him of you, a laugh. With how quickly he turned his head you could assumed he snapped his neck.
Zoro noticed immediately, a burst of energy he definitely didn’t have seconds before that.
“Oh,” he muttered, following Luffy’s line of sight, letting out an amused huff that could be mistaken as a laugh when he saw you.
Down the street, you were walking with a friend, a small plastic bag swinging lightly at your side. You were still smiling at something she said.
Luffy instantly felt his face light up, heart beating that didn’t feel quite like adrenaline. He didn’t why he was so happy to see you, see you laugh, all that boredom he had was replaced with something else.
He noticed you long before you did, only turning your head when he yelled your name.
You winced, giving a slow agonizing look to your friend.
The one you told that you weren’t going to be friends with Luffy anymore.
The bag in your right hand rattled in crinkles, trinkets and cloths inside. Luffy didn’t particularly care about it, just taking a curious glance down as he stepped up to you.
“Hey!” He grinned, getting scarily close. “Didn’t expect to see you outside of school.”
“Yea..” you replied carefully, still adjusting to his sudden appearance.
Zoro strolled up behind him more slowly, hands in his pockets. He was definitely eyeing you, it was embarrassingly intrusive. “You’re scaring her, idiot.”
“I am not,” Luffy shot back instantly, without even looking. Then, turning to you like that settled it. “Right? I’m not scary.”
There was no real intimidation in it, just Luffy being Luffy. But it was oddly persistent.
“I..” you started, then stopped when he leaned in slightly, waiting like your answer was the most important thing in the world.
“Uh, yeah, I know him,” you said, mostly to end the staring contest forming between the three of you.
Luffy’s face lit up immediately, a hint of confidence in his face. “See?! I told you!”
Zoro sighed, shrugging his shoulders. “No one said you didn’t.”
Luffy ignored him completely, his attention heading right back to you. “Do you know where the mall is? We got lost.”
“Lost?” You repeated, letting out a short laugh.
“Just tell us the way, it’s already as embarrassing as it is.” Zoro sighed.
“Alright.” You nodded with a chuckle. “It’s just right around the corner—“
“—But.” Your friend added in, suddenly super smiley. “We’re actually heading the same way, so if you want we can walk together.”
That was an easy yes from them, and unsure ‘ok..’ From you.
The walk to the mall ended up way louder than expected, well first you didn’t expect to actually join their entire group.
Mostly because Usopp spotted Luffy from across the street and immediately started yelling about how they “managed to find them,” while Sanji complained none of them texted him where they disappeared to. Nami looked one second away from hitting all of them with her bag.
That was their concern until they saw you and Luffy shoulder to Shoulder.
Nami called your name first, giving you a quick hug before pulling back. “I’m glad you’re coming with us,” she added with a bright, suspicious smile. “And your friend.”
Her tone was welcoming, but there was already that subtle assessing look she gave.
She hooked a finger around one of the bags she was carrying and gave it a light swing. “Ignore my friends.”
“Not me though right?” Usopp grinned, tilting his head into the conversation.
The moment barely had time to settle before Sanji came in.
“Ohhh a beloved angel has arrived!” Sanji practically appeared out of nowhere and took your hand delicately. “I am at your service,” he declared.
You froze for a second, caught off guard by the sudden intensity. “Thank you?” you managed.
Of course, Luffy from behind was a bit hurt, jealous is a better word. He was trying to decide which part he didn’t like up until the group moved on. The following moments became more natural, it was weird to see how you clicked with them so easily.
But a separate thought was how attached Luffy was.
Not obvious enough for anyone else to call it out directly, but enough that you to notice it. Every time the walkways got crowded, his hand would lightly touch your back to guide you through people. If someone accidentally bumped into you, he’d immediately glance over. Even inside stores, he kept drifting back toward wherever you were like he forgot the others existed.
Nami didn’t even get a chance to finish handing out the shopping bags properly before the situation immediately spiraled.
“Here— Luffy, hold these,” she said, already shoving a couple of heavy bags into his arms.
Luffy caught them, stared at them for half a second and immediately reconsidering all his choices that brought him here. “Why me…” he muttered.
“Because you’re strong,” Nami replied sweetly, which somehow made it sound more threatening than anything else.
Usopp took a glance. “How do you even have the money for this?”
“I’m shopping for Vivi too of course.”
Luffy only grumbled, shifting the weight awkwardly, already bored in one position
That was when your voice cut in.
“Ah,” you said, slowing just a bit, grin forming like a thought had struck. “Anyone wanna get boba with me?”
Silence lasted exactly one second.
“I will!” Luffy’s response was instant, raising his hand. Even faster than the words came out, he dumped every single bag straight into Zoro’s arms.
Zoro, who absolutely did not have time to react, lurched forward under the sudden weight.
“The hell?” His knees dipped before he caught himself, glaring down at the pile of responsibility now in his hands. He slowly looked up, following Luffy’s trajectory.
Luffy was already gone, the world had narrowed down to one objective and one objective only.
Zoro exhaled through his nose, ending up saying nothing instead.
Meanwhile, the moment you and Luffy drifted ahead, the group naturally slowed without even realizing it. Then came the instant huddle together at the corner of a shoe store.
It started subtle, Usopp leaning in first like it was a secret briefing.
“Operation: Luffy totally likes her,” he whispered, dead serious about himself.
Nami pinched the bridge of her nose, letting out a deep sigh. “We are not naming it that.”
Sanji, however, was already too invested since the start of the hangout to question it. “Of course he likes her,” he said. “Have you seen the way he looks at her? He was jealous when I held her hand. It’s romantic. It’s—”
“Focus,” Nami cut in, and Sanji instantly stoped talking, getting gushy already. “I can’t believe my friends like each other and I never knew.”
Usopp pressed on anyway. “How long has this been happening? He’s never mentioned her before this!”
Your friend, walking slightly behind them, answered without hesitation. “Four months I think?” She let out a disappointed sigh. “She didn’t even tell me they that so close..”
That alone made Usopp choke. “Four months?!”
“But didn’t he reject her on Valentine’s Day?” Zoro murmured. “So less than that.”
“Oh, right.” She thought about it again, calculating every time she noticed a change in you. Luckily for them, she paid attention. “so maybe three months? Let’s go with two and a half”
He nodded. “That’s pretty accurate.”
Nami put a hand out. “Pause! How do you know about this? You’re as dull as a rock.”
“I’m his best friend,” He scoffed, rolling his eyes like it was obvious. “I know everything.”
“Thanks for telling us when you found out Zoro.” Usopp said sarcastically
This time it was Sanji who let out a strangled cry.
Sanji clutched his chest as if he witnessed it. “Who rejects a girl on Valentine’s Day and then turns around and falls in love later?!”
“So it’s mutual,” Usopp concluded, bringing a hand to his chin. “But knowing my friend, he probably doesn’t even register it. Does your friend know he likes her?”
“Nope. She’s just as oblivious.”
Nami let out an agonizing, slow groan. “This just hurts to watch at this point.”
Just as the conversation started settling into collective resignation, you guys appeared again, shoulder to shoulder.
Waking like nothing in the world had changed. Except Luffy was already leaning in way too close to your drink, that was natural.
“But yours tastes way better..” he complained, practically hanging off your arm just to get another sip.
“Yeah, I told you that fatass!” you shot back, trying to angle the cup away from him. “Your greed sickens me.”
“Just one sip,” he insisted, completely undeterred.
Behind you, the entire group froze in synchronized disbelief. No one had the guts to say it, but it was hard watching.
The worst part was how sincere he looked about it, he wasn’t even in denial or even a tiny bit embarrassed by the way he acted around you.
You tried ignoring how warm your face felt after that.
The day dragged into evening fast. Stores started closing one by one, lights dimming outside while everyone slowly split off.
Usopp left first. Then your friend got picked up. Sanji insisted on walking home with Nami but got quickly turned down, leaving only you, Zoro, Sanji. and Luffy standing near the entrance.
Zoro stretched. “I’m heading home.”
Luffy blinked. “You sure you know the way?”
“Shut up.” Zoro scowled. “Of course I do, it’s my house.”
“I’ll take this idiot home.” Sanji grumbled, remembering his home is oddly close to his. The car keys rattled in his hand. “You’re driving Marimo.”
He eyed the keys, a smirk on his face. “Deal.”
And then suddenly it was just you and him left.
“You need me to walk you home?” he asked, a single bag in hand and a straw in his mouth, it was weird seeing him make gentleman like remarks like that.
It was too uncharacteristic for him.
You hesitated, checking the time with your phone before looking up again. “Actually, do you wanna stop by your place first?”
His eyes widened slightly, a flickering of thoughts running through his head. “Huh?”
“You mentioned earlier Ace was making food.” You went one time before, so it was easier saying it again. “I miss his rice.”
That immediately sold him.
By the time you reached his house, the heat outside had settled into a warm summer evening. You slipped your shoes off at the door while Luffy loudly announced he was home. He mentioned having two siblings, both seniors at your school. Usually only Ace was home.
No answer besides the shower turning on.
“Guess Ace is upstairs.” He shrugged casually before walking into the kitchen.
You followed behind him, setting your bag down near the counter. The room smelled faintly like leftover spices and something fried earlier.
Luffy opened the fridge. Closed it. Opened it again like the answer changed, “Want anything to drink?”
You eyed the fridge on its side, a little bit hesitant despite the fact you’ve been here before. “Just water.”
He grinned before suddenly tossing you a plastic bottle that was definitely not water. You barely caught it with two fingers, holding onto it against your chest with a yelp.
“Seriously, Luffy.” You bit out, taking a deep breath. You took a good look at it this time, it had pink and yellow wrapping, it was a Banana shake. “This is a kids drink.” You laughed.
“So? It’s better than water, right?”
You stared at him for another second before the seriousness cracked entirely. A laugh slipped out of you first, and Luffy joined immediately after, loud and unrestrained like always.
You popped it open, taking a few sips with a simple hum. It was good, and you tried not letting him know it.
But it got silent in the kitchen, the only thing audible was the shower water going off. He stood there awkwardly, hand still on the counter edge. It was honestly the quietest you’d ever seen him.
“You know,” he started, hand on the back of his head. “I thought you were mad at me.”
You almost dropped the drink, settling it on the counter. “What?”
“Well you’ve been avoiding me a bit at school. I rarely see you in the hallways anymore, so I thought I did something.” He admitted, seemingly avoiding your gaze till he finally looked up with the most beautiful smile you’ve seen. “I’m glad I was wrong.”
You were avoiding him, or trying your best to do so. You still liked him, but you didn’t expect it to go this far at all. You’re too comfortable with him, and you respect the friendship more than anything.
You stared at him for a second too long, making him panic slightly. “Was I wrong?”
“I was avoiding you.” You admitted, it caught his attention. “But I wasn’t mad, I was just.. nevermind. Are you my friend because you felt bad for rejecting me?”
Luffy’s face twisted immediately. “Felt bad?”
“Yeah.” You shrugged, trying to sound less affected than you actually were. “I mean, I don’t get it. You rejected me and now you’re trying to make up for it by hanging around me all the time. Was that it?”
“No..” it came out hesitant at first, the second one came faster. “No! I’m not doing that.”
You looked up at him properly for the first time since the conversation started, heart thumping. “Then what are you doing?”
Luffy opened his mouth, but nothing came out at first.
His brows furrowed hard like he was actively trying to untangle something in his own head. One hand rubbed the back of his neck while the other flexed uselessly at his side.
“I just,” He stopped. “I wanna be around you.”
Your heartbeat stumbled, not in a good way. You felt dissatisfied with the answer, or maybe you were actually disappointed. “That doesn’t answer the question.”
“I know, hold on.” He looked genuinely frustrated now, not at you, at himself.
“I didn’t get it before, okay?” he blurted suddenly. “When you confessed the first time, I didn’t think about stuff like that a lot. But then after, I started noticing you more” He grimaced. “Like a lot.”
“And then every time you laughed with somebody else I got annoyed for no reason.” He frowned harder. “And I kept wanting to talk to you first whenever something happened.”
Luffy looked down briefly before speaking again, quieter this time. “I’m pretty sure that I like you,” He swallowed once.
When the silence lingered, he started getting hesitant.
“I mean, unless that’s bad? Is that bad? Cause Zoro kept looking at me weird all day and I think everyone already noticed and—”
You stepped forward before he could keep rambling.
Then kissed him quickly, short enough to leave him frozen. When you pulled away, Luffy looked completely stunned.
“God, I hate you sometimes.” You breathed, feeling your heartbeat race. “I thought you wouldn’t—“
This time it was you who got cut off.
He entangled his hands into yours, leaning in until he was right in front of your face. You stepped back as far as you could until your back was against the counter top. Then suddenly he gives you a long kiss against the side of your lips, it was awkward and a little wet, but you chuckle anyways.
When Luffy finally pulled back, you could see the flush on his face, the dimple on his cheek when he giggles. “I like you—“ kiss. “a lot.” kiss. “So you have to date me.”
You could barely contain your own laugh. “Yes, will. Now get off my face, I can’t see.”
For a second, it was silent.
“Was it really that easy?” He huffed, a little bit mad at himself for how unsatisfying that was. “I really thought I was gonna die.”
“You’e still an ass.” You reminded him, head leaning back. “I literally asked you out on Valentine’s Day. How quickly do you think I lose feelings?”
“That doesn’t count!” He defended instantly.
“But you still like me.” He grinned again, way too confident for someone who almost gave out on standing a second ago.
Unfortunately, he was very right. “Maybe a little bit.”
“A little?” Luffy repeated dramatically, leaning closer again. “After all that kissing?”
When the needy, mushy, ushy feelings began to die down, his forehead pressed against yours. He didn’t want to pull away yet, or even at all. You felt nervous from the way he looked at you, a desire that wasn’t familiar.
Luffy’s hands slowly settled at the bottom of your shirt, hesitating until you nodded. Then instantly, his fingers went until he felt the coldness of your skin.
He didn’t have anything dirty in mind, he just truly thought he wasn’t close enough.
You flinched for a second, then slowly eased into the feeling. Your hands settled at the side of his face, fingers curled into his soft hair.
When you guys leaned in again, you curiously pressed against his lips to try it. You wondered if he kissed anyone before, or if he was just following you. Because honestly you had no idea what you were doing.
The second time was a lot more satisfying, your lips parted briefly, whispering his name before you surged up again. He kissed you just as deeply, he licked into you slowly before drawing back.
“Was s’that alright?” He breathed.
You nodded quickly. “It was new.”
He slowly leaned in, “Good.” You kissed him with more confidence, chasing after each breath of air, the mixture of Banana Shake and Taro boba lingering in your mouth.
It was gross, pretty gross if you thought about it. But you didn’t, the only thing audible in your mind was how hot and tingly you felt, or the way you could feel his smile.
Suddenly you heard footsteps against the floor. It put you out of the daze, pushing him back despite his whine.
Both of you snapped your heads toward the entrance.
“Hey, Luffy!” His brother yelled, grinning ear to ear. “Who’s the friend—“
Ace stood in the doorway with a towel draped over his shoulder, still damp from the shower, blinking slowly like his brain was trying, and failing— to make sense of what he was seeing.
You and Luffy were still too close.
Not just standing near each other close. Hands still loosely tangled in his hair, his body half angled toward you. Hell— his hands were still on your waist.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me.” he murmured, letting out a groan that was familiar to exhausted disbelief.
Your whole body went rigid realizing this was barely your second time meeting Luffy’s brother. You pulled your hands back from Luffy quickly, like you could physically undo what had just been happening by pretending it wasn’t real.
“I..uh..” Your voice cracked immediately. You cleared your throat, looking anywhere except at Ace. The counter. The floor. The ceiling. The Banana Shake bottle that was on the counter. Anywhere that wasn’t him.
Luffy, on the other hand, barely changed at all. He just blinked at Ace like he’d finally registered him. “Oh,” Luffy said. “Hey, Ace.”
Ace stared at him, then at you, then back at Luffy. His expression twisted slowly into something between disgust and resignation.
“I leave you alone for like ten minutes,” he muttered, dragging a hand down his face, “and I come back to this.”
You made a small sound of protest, half mortified, half defensive. “I mean, it just—”
“Don’t,” Ace cut in immediately, holding up a hand. “I don’t need details. I really don’t, I pinky promise with a cherry on top.” He used his fingers to ‘zip’ his mouth.
Luffy, completely unfazed, gave a small shrug like he didn’t see what the issue was at all. “She said yes,” he added simply.
Ace slowly turned his head toward him. “To what?”
Luffy smiled. “Dating me.”
Ace closed his eyes for a second like he was considering walking back out of the kitchen and pretending none of this existed. His towel slipped slightly in his hand as he exhaled through his nose.
“Well,” he muttered, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly, “guess that explains why you’ve been acting weird for like months.”
Luffy tilted his head. “I was acting weird?”
“Yes,” both you and Ace answered instantly.
Ace shook his head, still recovering mentally from the scene he’d walked into. “You two are disgusting, by the way.”
You groaned quietly in humiliation, even worst when your support was on lala land. “Luffy, I swear to god, stop smiling.”
“But,” Ace added after a second, pointing lazily at you both, “I’m happy for you idiots, even if you made out in the kitchen.”
You buried it partially behind your hands, shoulders hunched in pure embarrassment, wishing you didn’t start this in his house of all places. “Can we please not talk about it like that? I appreciate the support.”
“Exactly.” Your boyfriend crossed his arms. “You’ve done worse with—“
“—I’m not talking about it at all!” he yelled over Luffy. “Actually, what are talking about? My delicious food? Good, let’s go eat.”
“Sounds good.” Luffy gave a thumbs up, taking your hand to grab a plate like nothing happened at all. For a second you wondered if you had to get used to this.
In the next second, you regretted nothing at all.
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