being sanji's first boyfriend
2nd POV (you pronouns) | male reader
a/n: been pretty enamored with the idea of being Sanji's first official boyfriend so have this; fair warning this is a bit old and i only did a brief reread for errors lmk if you catch any i didn't see
CW: brief mentions of reader/you drinking
It's an interesting position to be in. Sanji has always been a wonderful lover, kind and considerate, always doing a little extra just for you, but since you met him you had always assumed he knew he liked guys, just not you. It was surprising when he had confessed that you were the first guy he really thought about in a romantic way, or at least that he could recall and identify as such because you had always felt like he was a little flirty with other guys before. It often felt even more surprising that you were his first real relationship. The way he seems so open and proud of his feelings even if it’s simply being so unashamed to look at you so tenderly or the soft smiles he sends your way as he's cooking. It feels wrong to know such a lover boy hasn't received the same care and love he gives out so freely. It's a learning curve for the both of you for sure. Regardless of your relationship experience. If you have relationship experience Sanji feels pressured to measure up to your past experiences. He tends to try to move the relationship too fast and further than he's comfortable with. It’s a battle to slow him down and affirm that you want him to be just as happy and comfortable in the relationship as you are. He eventually levels out but before there's a period of time it practically feels like the two of you have weekly meetings about your relationship to ensure the both of you are feeling like your needs are being met and that you're both still happy and enthusiastic about being together. And maybe that's what makes you happy but if not he slowly gets comfortable without that time and he finds himself coming to you when he has concerns or needs, even for the simplest comfort hug on a particularly frustrating day. If you have little or no relationship experience Sanji feels a lot of pressure to be perfect and not scar you for life with a bad relationship. He knows the both of you are literally in the same boat physically and metaphorically since your relationship together will be formative regardless of how good or bad it is. He feels the needs to go above and beyond with his gestures and dates, because he needs to make sure he doesn't ruin relationships forever for you. And if you try doing the same for him, he'll only feel guilty for making you feel like you have to do so much for him. It probably leads the two of you into an argument or misunderstanding that eventually leads Sanji to start hosting what feels like weekly meetings on your relationship to ensure the both of you are feeling like your needs are being met and that you're both focusing on the relationship together rather than focusing on each other. He'd be happy to continue such a thing if you enjoyed it, but otherwise he's happy to bring such a thing up as they come. It's all truly so enduring though;
Sanji is the type of guy who is smooth and charming with any girl, but flusters immediately when you start flirting with him, his face and ears turn red, and you can practically see the gears turning in his head as he struggles to get any words out, the way his pretty eyes look anywhere that isn't you, and when you really fluster him he lets out a whimper, a truly pathetic noise, the kind that makes you want to tease him more.
Even when you've been together for a while, he's flusters just the same when you're physically affectionate. Early on it's mortifying to him that he can't hold your hand without blushing a little, or fully blushing when you kiss, and when you get a little breathless after a particularly long or steamy kiss he wishes the sea would open up and eat him when his nose starts bleeding. but as your relationship goes on his reactions because a minimal flush and the sweetest smile he reserves especially for you.
GOD the nosebleeds, Sanji is embarrassed to admit the amount of kitchen towels he's had to surrender to his nose bleeds, and he doesnt want to admit when he had to use them. That one time you come into the kitchen for a quick snack in your bathing suit, or the times you've beat Zoro in one of his stupid drinking games and you gave Zoro a stupid cocky little smirk, or the time you greeted Sanji while calling him pretty boy, still breathless from a workout. He knows without a doubt the rest of the crew, you included, have caught on to the nosebleeds but he's very grateful that no one has yet to bring it up.
And he's so very soft in your arms, especially when the two of you manage to lay in an actual bed together and not a hammock on the ship. It’s funny how different he is as you cuddle together compared to the stiff board he was the first few times you two cuddled. You practically had to pry his arm from his side to show him how to hold you. After the initial nervousness Sanji found himself in a flustered frenzy until you managed to melt him into a state of cozy. Sanji is def a small spoon enjoyer btw, doesn't matter your height, hold him in your arms and kiss his shoulders, and don't let him fool you, he likes it, it just feels embarrassing the first few times because it's new to him.
And for a man who would naturally use so many gender neutral terms of endearments like my love, light of my life, darling, etc. Sanji struggles to find a pet name for you for so long. Instead of picking his favorite Sanji works to see which names give him the best reaction, as easy as it is to fluster him, he likes to return the favor even if he has to work for it.
It takes a while for Sanji to simmer into the relationship and a little longer to really deconstruct some of the internal discomfort and worries about being in a gay relationship but at some point he had an epiphany about how being happy with you, for as long as you'd have him, was worth so much more than anything his brain or anyone else could say or do to him over it.