Made for Two
A/N: This might be the last part of Made for Two?? Idk let me know what you guys think (you are allowed to send me feedback or requests for more of this fic only right now)
Characters: gn reader x Sanji
Cw: usual angst, some slightly possessive themes and fighting going on
Total word count: 5.5k
Part One | Masterlist
Dance for Two
The first thing you noticed was the heat. It was stifling, and you threw your covers off of you to get some relief. A stark contrast to the bone chilling cold you felt last night.
A body stirred beside you, and you looked over to find Sanji rubbing sleep from his eyes. He sat up, still half asleep, and his eyes scanned your room.
Sanji’s voice was groggy when he spoke. “We must’ve left the winter climate last night. Franky needs to get the heating and cooling system fixed soon.”
Your eyes were trying to look anywhere but at the man next to you. He must’ve gotten hot in the night and thrown his shirt off. He appeared unfazed by his current position, but you were painfully aware of the lack of clothing he had around his torso at the moment.
You had seen Sanji shirtless several times, and you had never thought twice about it. But you had been with Zoro then. And Sanji hadn’t been in your bed. He had never been so close.
Now though, you were trying your best to ignore that fact and how much it was affecting you in this moment.
“Are you hungry?” Sanji asked, and your eyes finally looked over at him.
You nod, forcing yourself to maintain eye contact with him, even though you desperately wanted to let your eyes linger downward over his body.
He smiled, unaware of your thoughts, and got up from the bed, heading towards the door. “Let’s both change into something more comfortable with the weather, and I’ll be back to get you.”
He left you alone, and you sat there for a few moments trying to process it all. He had been so casual about the whole encounter, it made you wonder if you were missing something. But you couldn’t think of anything, so you decided to push it to the side for now. You got up, trading your sweatshirt and pants for a tanktop and shorts.
You opened your door to find that Sanji had also opted for a casual shirt and shorts as well. As you left the cabin area, you found the sun had also just started its day, and you stood to watch its brilliant colors paint the sky. Even though the sun wasn’t fully up yet, the humidity was high and the heat was sweltering. At least it wasn’t just your room that was stuffy, but it was the whole damn ocean.
“It’s going to be a boiling day,” you noted, looking at the horizon.
“Not a good day for macaron making,” Sanji said, frowning.
“What do you mean?”
Sanji walked over to the railing and leaned against it, watching the sunrise. You followed suit, standing next to him.
“Macarons need a very specific atmosphere in order to cook. If the temperature or humidity is too high or too low, they won’t set right. It’s all about finding the perfect middle.” He smiled at you, shrugging at the unfortunate event. “We’ll have to find something else to do today.”
You smiled politely, but your mind was racing. You hadn’t expected Sanji to actually make desserts with you, or even hang out with you at all. You thought about how you had spent the last four days, and how you were just planning to do it again. The only person you really wanted to be around right now was Sanji, and a small piece of you was afraid he’d get sick of you if you stuck around for too long.
“Any ideas?” You kept your eyes on the horizon, watching the sky and sea begin to come alive with color.
“Whatever you want.” His voice was so kind and welcoming, you wanted to believe him.
It was responses like that when you were reminded just how different Sanji and Zoro were. Zoro would simply grunt at your requests to spend time together, offering to let you be his spotter while he trained. Zoro was silent and dark, but Sanji was the combination of a million colors and emotions. Zoro was unreadable, but Sanji was always speaking his mind. If Zoro was the night, then Sanji was the sun, bringing the dawn of a new day.
Sanji must’ve noticed you lost in thought, but he let you sit with them while you watched the sunrise in silence. When the sky of pinks and reds melted away and turned into the soft blue you were familiar with, you bumped against him. It looked like he was lost in thoughts of his own, and you wanted to bring him back to the present.
“Breakfast?” you asked, smiling up at him. He beamed back and offered you his arm, leading you to the kitchen.
“Are you hungry for anything in particular?” He asks, pulling a chair out for you to sit in.
You hum, thinking for a moment. “A yogurt parfait?”
He grins and nods, heading over to the fridge to gather the ingredients. “Fruit? Granola?”
“Both please! And honey too, if we have it.”
“If we have it,” Sanji scoffs. “You mock me as a chef. Of course we have it!”
You giggle at his upset, and watch him quickly whip up two parfaits with mixed berries and granola. He drizzles honey on them both, and walks over to the table to place them both down.
You take a bite, and delightful flavors fill your mouth. “Do you know when we’re supposed to reach another island?”
“Why? Is something wrong?” He asked, glancing between you and the parfait in a concerned manner.
“No, no,” you reassure him. “The food is delicious! I was just thinking how nice it’ll be to get off the ship and go do something, you know?”
“Ah, I see.” His body relaxes back, relieved it wasn’t anything serious. “I hope it's a warm island.”
“Me too,” you say dreamily. “Heat like this is only enjoyable when you’re at the beach.”
Sanji looks at you, a shocked expression on his face. “You like the beach?”
You nod, taking another spoonful of yogurt. “Love it,” you say in between bites. “Those islands where nobody else lives, and it’s just a small little beach and a jungle are the best.”
Sanji nodded, still watching you with intrigue. “What do you like about it?”
“Beach volleyball, laying in the sun,” you take another bite of your breakfast. “Oh! And I love your barbeque days, especially when you barbeque the fresh fruit we find on the island and when we fish and cook it over the fire!”
Sanji couldn’t remember you doing any of those things in his recent memories, but he didn’t comment on that. Most of the time you sat in the shade with Zoro and kept to yourselves. Sanji prided himself in being in tune with the crew’s likes and dislikes, but he would’ve put money on you hating the beach days that you just described.
“Maybe we’ll get lucky, then,” Sanji said hopefully. “And we’ll find a beach nearby.”
Unfortunately, Nami later reported that luck was against you. There wasn’t another island for at least another two days.
You sighed and walked up to the library, trying to ignore the blasting music radiating from the crow’s nest.
“Got any recommendations?” You asked Robin, who was sitting at the desk.
“Oh! Y/N,” Robin said, sounding surprised to see you. “A book?”
“Yeah,” you sighed. “Not much else to do on a day like today, you know?”
She chuckled lightly, and picked a book out of a pile. “This is a pretty good one. I’d read it again.”
You reach out and grab the book from her. It was romance, but Robin recommended it, so you decided to give it a shot. “Thanks!” You turned around and left the way you came, bounding back down to the kitchen to rejoin Sanji. Now that you had something of your own to do, you wanted to keep Sanji some silent company while he worked.
The morning came and went, you sitting at the table engrossed in your book while Sanji cooked breakfast for the crew in shifts as they woke up. Every time someone came through the door, you looked up and smiled at them. You tried to ignore the look of surprise that flashed across each person’s face when they saw you, but you understood why. You had to admit you were dreading having to see Zoro after your last breakfast encounter, and it was bold of you to sit somewhere you knew he would eventually end up. You weren’t even sure why you were sitting in a place where you were sure to see him, but you didn’t feel as scared with Sanji nearby.
But you never had to worry about it, because Zoro never showed up for breakfast.
When the last member had come and gone from the kitchen, Sanji started cleaning up, and you got up to start helping him.
“Nope!” Sanji says, grabbing your hands as you reach for some dishes.
You groan. Sanji was so chivalrous, sometimes it was annoying. “Please let me help, Sanji. Then we can both enjoy our free time.”
Sanji shakes his head to refuse your help again, and you know you won’t win this battle. Him letting you help last night was an outlier situation, and it would probably never happen again. You returned to your seat and reopened your book.
“Why don’t you go lay out on the deck? Get some sun.” Sanji offered, starting to scrub at the dishes.
“No thanks,” you say, finding your spot where you left off. “I prefer being with you.”
Your cheeks redden at the sentence that slipped out of your mouth, and you can see him freeze in the corner of your eye. He opened his mouth to say something but no words came out, so he shut it and turned back to the dishes.
You couldn’t focus on your book after that. You tried, but your eyes kept drifting over to Sanji, watching him at the sink. Your eyes lingered on him, completely in his own world while he cleaned.
Nami barged into the kitchen, interrupting your thought process. Thankfully she was too frustrated to notice your eyes on the cook.
“It’s going to rain!” She huffed, collapsing into the booth across from you.
“Really?” you asked, looking at the window. “Where’s it coming from?”
“Starboard bow. Probably about 20 minutes from now.”
You didn’t see anything, but you knew Nami wasn’t wrong about these things. “How long will it last?”
Nami groaned, flopping backwards onto the seat. “All day! And Chopper and Franky just got the pool set up! It’s not fair!”
You laugh at that and close your book, standing to your feet. “I think I’m going to go watch the storm roll in. Want to come?”
Nami rolled her eyes. “And be reminded of my ruined sunny day? No thanks.”
You exit out of the kitchen, throwing one last look at Sanji before you leave. You catch his eye, and he smiles at you. Your heart skips a beat involuntarily.
You can’t stop the question before it’s out. “Come join me when you’re done, Sanji?”
“Of course.”
You walked onto the deck, and looked towards the starboard bow, like Nami had said. There were clouds gathering in the horizon, and you assumed that would turn into a storm, so you walked over and leaned against the railing to watch.
A shadow cast over you. “Super great to see you out and about, kiddo!”
You turned to find Franky, and you smiled at him. “Hey Franky. How have you been?”
“I'm not going to lie, pretty busy.” He leaned against the railing next to you. “Between the heating and cooling issues and other projects, I’ve got my hands full. But how are you?”
“Okay,” you said. It was the typical response you gave, and every time you said it, it started to feel a little more true.
“Super!” Franky yelled, patting you on the back just a tad too hard. “Listen I gotta run, but I’m glad you’re doing good. If you ever need to get your hands dirty and your mind clear, come let me know, okay?”
You laugh lightly and nod at his offer. “Thanks Franky. That means a lot.”
“Anytime!” And then you’re alone again.
You notice a lot more standing on the deck by yourself. You can hear Chopper’s and Luffy’s shouts and splashes from their makeshift pool, and the soft bass of the music from the crow’s nest is mostly overshadowed by Brook’s violin. It’s lively, but there’s comfort in it all. You don’t feel as alone, listening to the sounds of your crew. But you still feel tense, like something is missing.
The soft clicking of shoes on wood melts the tension away, and you glance in the direction of the sound to find eyes as blue as the sky.
“Hey,” you say, a smile forming on your lips as you see him.
He mirrors your grin, and comes to stand next to you, looking out over the horizon. The clouds in the distance have grown closer and darker, and you can feel the excitement growing in your stomach.
“Do you like storms?” Sanji asks, looking out at the clouds.
“I love them.” Your eyes stay on the storm. You can start to see sheets of rain pouring across the ocean, getting closer by the second. “There’s something comforting about them. It’s like they cleanse everything and give it a fresh start.”
Sanji lights a cigarette next to you and takes a long inhale, and then blows it out. “A fresh start, huh? I like that.”
“Do you like them?”
He shrugged. “I normally don’t mind them, but the really bad ones remind me of when I was a kid and got stranded on a desert island. It’s usually fine, but they always give me a bit of anxiety.”
In a move of boldness, you lean over and rest your head on his shoulder. At first you can feel him stiffen and you think you’ve misinterpreted the situation, but then he relaxes and you do too.
You watch the rain grow closer, slowly lessening the visibility by the rain.
“You ready?” you ask, watching the rain approach at a fast pace.
“You sure you want to be outside for this?” Sanji said, looking at you with a bit of weariness.
You felt a big raindrop hit your arm, and soon after hundreds joined it in coating your skin with water. The sound of rain smacking against the wood becomes deafening, pierced only by the slight cries of Chopper and the gleeful shouts of Luffy, who both rush inside. You breathe out a sigh of relief, letting the rain wash away your pain and sorrow.
You pull away from Sanji and spin in a circle with your eyes closed, swaying lightly in the breeze by yourself. You feel a hand grab yours, and you open your eyes to see Sanji trying to speak to you, but you can’t hear any words over the rain.
You lean in close to him and yell as loud as you can. “What?”
“Will you dance with me?” He shouts back, and you wrap your arms around his neck.
His arms wrap around your waist, and you lay your head on his chest. You all stand there for a long while, just swaying in each other's arms. Finally the rain starts to lighten up a tad, and you can hear a song being played on the violin. You both turn to look, and you find Brook under the tree, serenading you into a dance.
Sanji picks up the pace a bit to match the tempo and readjusts your grip so you are doing more of a ballroom waltz than simple swaying. You’re a bit clumsy on your feet, but Sanji leads you confidently, spinning and dipping you with perfect elegance. The whole thing made you feel equally silly and giddy.
“I didn’t know you could dance!” You shout over the music and the rain.
“I’m not very good at most of them,” he admits. “But I like the dances that are made for two.”
“Not very good?” You scoff. “Sanji, you’re amazing!”
“Well, I-” A bolt of lightning strikes near the ship, and you yelp in surprise. You can feel Sanji’s grip tighten on you for a moment as he looks around.
“That's enough of that!” Brook yells, running to the door of the interior of the ship.
“Hey!” Nami opened a door to scream at the two of you. “The storm’s getting bad! Get inside!”
You pull Sanji along with you, laughing as you dance to the door. You all dance down the hallway to the aquarium, stopping occasionally for Sanji to dip or spin you around. The music is long gone, but neither of you seem to notice.
You dance a lap around the aquarium, leaving a trail of dripping water as you go. You’re about to make a second lap around when you slip on a puddle, and Sanji catches you before you face plant onto the floor.
“I’m going to go get us some towels,” he said, looking at you and then the floor. “And…maybe a mop.”
You giggle at that, still high with adrenaline and giddiness from dancing in the rain. “Hurry back, okay?”
He bows as he exits through the door, and you find yourself staring at it after he’s gone, waiting for him to come back.
“Didn’t know the cook fancied sloppy seconds.”
The dark voice came from behind you in the aquarium, causing your breath to catch in your throat. Your hands clenched into fists, but you refused to give Zoro the satisfaction of answering him. Answering him would just lead to an argument, which is exactly what he wanted. You stayed there, facing away from him and staring at the door, willing Sanji to come back.
“Tell me, Y/N,” the swordsman said your name like poison, and you flinched at the sharpness of his words. “Why do you think that man is being so nice to you?”
You hear Zoro get up, the sound of his boots echoing throughout the aquarium as he approaches you. The hair on your neck tingled, but you attributed that to the cold rain instead of the man behind you. You bit your lip to keep yourself from crying, eyes still glued to the door. Sanji would be back any second, and you wouldn’t be alone.
“I can tell you why,” he whispered in your ear, and you flinched again at his sudden closeness.
He walked around to face you, staring at you in the eyes. It was hard to look at him. There were so many conflicted emotions you held connected to his face. But you refused to be the one to break eye contact, and you could feel the daggers he was staring into your soul.
“It’s because that love cook wants to fuck you.”
He was just saying it to get you to react in some way. You were certain. You stared back at him, doing your best to show no emotion. You must’ve been successful, because he pressed further.
“I figured you’d be dumb enough to fall for it, of course,” he said with a devilish smirk on his face. His voice was low and threatening, like a predator who was about to pounce on his prey.
“But you couldn’t even wait until we arrived at the next island before you hopped on his dick, could you?”
Zoro was cruel and manipulative. You knew that, which is why you were so mad that it worked. You could feel tears welling up in your eyes, and you tried desperately to blink them away.
“It’s not like that,” you say, shaking your head. You can feel tears leak out onto your cheeks.
Zoro laughed at you, and all you want to do is run away and hide. “It is like that, and that's why you’re crying. ‘My love,’” he mocks Sanji. “‘Anything for you!’”
He returns back to his usual, harsh voice and leans in close to you. He’s so close that you can smell the sake on his breath when he speaks.
“More like anything for what’s in your pants.”
Your hand connects with his face before you realize what you’re doing, and a loud, sharp sound echoes through the room. Both of you stand there staring at each other, stunned for a moment. You can’t believe you got a hit on Roronoa Zoro, and you wonder if he was too busy taunting you to see it coming or if he let you slap him on purpose to start an argument.
“Get. Out.” you growl, pushing on his chest. He doesn’t budge. He’s just standing and staring at you, one side of his face starting to grow red.
“Get out!” you shriek, pushing his chest, and then resorting to punching it when that doesn’t work. “I’m not doing this anymore, Zoro! I’m done! Get out!”
You see his facial expression change slightly, and he steps out of range from your swings. But you step toward him, trying to push him toward the door. He stumbled backwards for a moment, not expecting you to continue your assault, before he regained his footing.
“That cook doesn’t love you,” he spat out.
“I never asked him to!” You scream back.
You had given him what he wanted. You had fought back. You push him again, trying to get him away from you. But he’s expecting it this time, and he grabs your wrists and pulls you close to him. His face is only centimeters away from yours, and you curse your heart for fluttering in your chest.
“Calm down,” he whispered, his eyes fixated on your lips.
You knew what was coming. This was the duality of Roronoa Zoro. Screaming matches one moment, tender and caring the next. He loved to get you riled up one second just so he could calm you down the next.
And you almost fell for it again. Almost. But as his head dipped down to meet yours, you thought of the cold dark nights alone in your room, his hostile glares and comments from the day before. You thought of the warm string of lights that were now illuminating the once dark space, the sunrise and dancing.
His lips met yours for only a second before you pulled away from him and shoved your palms hard into his chest, pushing him away from you.
You wiped your mouth with the back of your hand, trying to get the taste of him off your lips. You let out a shaky breath and glared at him.
You hated him, and you hated how inferior he made you feel. But you really hated that a small part of you wanted to curl back into him and let him hold you, like nothing happened.
“I said get out.” You put all of your anger and hatred into your words, willing yourself to stand your ground.
He stared at you, half bewildered and half amused. This was uncharted territory for him. Normally you fell back into his touch, desperate and eager for more of his love. But today, you stood there with defiance in your eyes.
“You’ll see.” He chuckled lightly to himself. “He’s gotten you wrapped around his finger now, but you’ll see, darling,” he raised his pitch to imitate Sanji on the last word. “He’ll get bored of you, and he’ll leave you, and you’ll be alone again. And nobody will come to save you this time.”
Satisfied with having the last word, Zoro turned on his heels and walked out the door.
Once the door slammed shut behind him, you fell to your knees. Your hands flew up to your mouth to stifle a sob.
Sanji wasn’t manipulative like Zoro. He was kind, and sweet, and he made you your favorite meal even when you had barely ever spoken to him just to see you smile. He wasn’t doing all of this just to get laid, was he?
Your mind drifted back to yesterday morning, at breakfast with Nami.
“I heard he didn’t go back to the boys cabin last night. You’ve been around Sanji almost as long as I have, and you really think its-”
Even the navigator seemed to think Sanji had an ultimatum for his kindness. Your heart ached at the thought of you being used like that, and you clutched at your chest in pain. You didn’t know what to do or who to believe. You wanted to run away, restart the day, or just go back to when you and Zoro first broke up and beg for his forgiveness. Everything was so much more complicated now that you had Sanji beside you.
“Sorry I took so long! It took me a while to find the-” You hear things clatter to the floor and the click of Sanji shoes rushing over to you.
“What happened?” He asked, kneeling down next to you. He hand presses against your forehead and you pull away from him, still covering your eyes. “Are you sick? Do I need to go get Chopper?”
“Just leave me alone,” you sob. “I just want to be alone.”
“It’s okay, my love. Talk-”
You’re reminded of Zoro and how he mocked Sanji, and rage flares up in you. “Go away!” you scream, tears thick in your voice. “Get out!”
Sanji sighs, and you hear him stand to his feet. You hear him start to walk away from you, and your heart constricts. You know you told him to go, but you don’t want him to. And you’re too cowardly to beg him to stay now.
You can hear him reach the far side of the room, and he pauses for a moment, then he begins walking back to you. You start wiping your eyes, and you feel a soft cloth wrap around your shoulders. Your eyes open to find his sky blue eyes staring back at you, holding a towel around you.
He looks at you nervously, like he’s waiting for you to scream again. But you just sit there, wrapped in a towel. The only sound is the occasional drip of water from your clothes.
“Please don’t leave me,” you whisper to him, your voice breaking.
“I won’t, I won’t,” he coos, trying to soothe you. He wipes the tears from your cheeks and pushes the hair away from your face, keeping his eyes on you the whole time.
“I hate him.” You can’t bring yourself to say Zoro’s name, but Sanji knows what you mean.
“Did you see him?” He asks, looking around the room.
You nod, tears starting to form in your eyes again.
“What did he say?” Sanji’s voice is calm, but you can feel the anger radiating from his body.
You just shake your head, not wanting to respond. You lean forward, pressing your head against his rain-soaked shirt. He lets you rest there, stroking your wet hair absentmindedly while you work to steady your breathing. You inhale the familiar smell of cigarette smoke and slowly calm down, finding yourself drifting off to sleep.
You’re not sure how much time has passed when your eyes reopen, but you’re in your room, wrapped in blankets. You can still hear the rain falling outside, and you sit up to assess yourself and your surroundings. You’re still in wet clothes, and you quickly strip them and replace them with new ones. Your fairy lights are on, but there’s no other indication of someone in your room.
You exit your room into the main cabin area, and head towards the deck, but raised voices stop you before you leave. You stand near the door, listening.
“I don’t give a damn about your feelings!” Sanji’s voice yells from outside, muffled by the rain still falling.
“No shit!” Zoro screamed back. “You’re so far up Y/N’s ass you can’t see anything else!”
“You don’t know anything about me, mosshead, so stay out of it!”
“I know you took what wasn’t yours, cook.” Zoro’s voice turns into a growl, and you struggle to hear his words. “Y/N belongs to me.”
Sanji chuckled at the swordsman’s words. “Y/N doesn’t belong to anyone, idiot.” You hear his shoes coming closer to the door, until he stops on the other side. “The fact that you don’t get that proves you don’t know anything at all.”
“I know more about Y/N than you’ll ever know,” Zoro shot back, and you could feel a knot forming in your stomach. “You can’t compete. I know the best positions to make-”
“Piss off!” Sanji yelled, slamming into the swinging door in front of you wide open. His mouth falls open when he sees your figure in front of him, and the lit cigarette falls from his lips.
You turn on your heels and dart back to your room, but Sanji’s quick to follow you.
“Y/N-” He trails after you into your room.
You spun around to face him, glaring at him. “Why are you being nice to me?” you demand.
He froze, confused at your sudden hostility. “I don’t understand.”
“You’re out there defending me, making me food, being so nice to me…why?!”
“Because,” Sanji hesitates, his eyes scanning the room nervously. “Because I…”
It didn’t add up, Sanji never took any special interest in you before. He was always kind and cordial, bringing you food and making your favorite snack. And he just treated you better because he wanted to piss Zoro off. But now you were broken up, and there was no reason to keep up the act after you and Zoro broke up. Unless what Zoro said was true.
You’re sure you’ve got him. Sanji can’t lie to you. So you ask him point blank. “Are you just trying to fuck me?”
“What?” He takes a step back, alarmed with your bluntness. “What are you even saying?”
“Just answer the question!” You don’t care if he thinks you’re crazy. Maybe you are.
Sanji clicked his tongue and pulled out a cigarette. “That swordsman is in your head,” he said, putting it to his lips.
You resist the urge to grab him and shake him. You knew he was avoiding giving an answer.
“So you are,” you say, your voice trembling. “You’re just doing this for-”
“You love to watch the sunrise,” Sanji said, rushing to cut you off. “The sunsets too, but you only did that with mosshead, so it’s painful to see it now. You like barbequed fruit and rainstorms and you don’t really enjoy romance novels but you’ll read them if Robin recommends them. You prefer the quiet moments and the soft, fluffy desserts and you love your crewmates.”
Sanji paused for a moment and stepped forward, reaching for your hands to hold. You let him take them, and he interlocks his fingers with yours. You watch his hands, intertwined with yours, and you like how nicely they fit together. You feel calmer now, all of the anger inside of you suddenly feels small and unimportant.
“I’m doing all of this because I think you deserve it. You deserve to be treated well. You deserve to have someone who lays with you while you sleep. Who watches the sunsets with you. Who dances in the rain. I just want you to feel important, okay? So if you’re not feeling that way, tell me and I promise I’ll find a different way to show my love for you”
“Your love…” you swallow the lump caught in your throat. “For me?”
His cheeks turn red, and you can see his nervous energy reach a new level. He fidgets with your fingers, and you can feel his hands start to get clammy. He doesn’t speak for a while, and your eyes glance up to his, but he’s watching your hands as well.
“Sanji?” you prompt, peering up at him through your lashes.
“It’s nothing,” he whispered, and he pulled you closer to him. His face is only centimeters away from yours, and you can feel your heart fluttering in your chest.
You thought you knew what was coming, and you tensed in suspense, ready to pull away at any moment.
“Do you want to dance?” he said, the smell of tobacco rolling off his tongue with each word.
You nod in response and lean against his chest. You both gently sway to a beat that doesn’t exist, and you can’t help but feel more at peace now than you ever have in your entire life.
