Valentine’s Day Special #14
One Piece World: No Specific Time (No Spoilers)
“She/Her” 💙with Sanji for about 6 months requested by musicmarble
It felt so nice. His fingers had barely brushed against her waist, but her skin still tingled just from the memory and her cheeks burned. His soft grip against her flesh, a part of her body that she would consciously hide, even when she would dance, felt warm and she wanted nothing more than to stay in his grip.
“H….”
It didn’t last long, much to her disappointment, as the “threat” that was her captain and the fellow sniper had run past. If she hadn’t been pulled back, she would have been trampled. Well, that’s what Sanji had said, although his hand was still on her waist. He brought his hand back to his side, much to her dismay, coughing into his closed fist before stepping away from her.
“(Y/N)...” The soft smile that was directed specifically at her had made her heart race even now, 20 minutes after they had interacted. Suddenly, that warmth that filled her body was replaced with a bitter cold and a frown painted her face. As soon as the blonde stepped away, his attention had flitted to the orange haired navigator, who shouted a compliment of the drink in her hand, and he was off to get her a refill, happy as can be.
“Hey…” Why had it bothered her so much? It was so funny and, honestly, kind of adorable in the beginning. When she joined the crew, the attention Sanji gave her was surprising and, yet, flattered. His comments were the only times that she felt actually beautiful, even belly dancing hadn’t done that and she had danced for years. Lately, the comments and admiration to women that weren’t her… started to hurt. It didn’t make any sense! Sanji was just her crewmate! He was a phenomenal cook, a great fighter, and a kind man. He always made her feel better, making her laugh or checking on her. He made sure that everyone was fed. He was so focused on the crew eating that she often worried about when he would eat. Not to mention how handsome he was. Calloused hands that were still so gentle, blonde hair, soft eyes, not to mention toned legs-
“(Y/N)!” She jumped, her fingers releasing the arrow she had been pulling against her bow string. Her eyes widened as the arrow pierced through the air, the speed of it causing a whistle to fill the space. Usopp yelped and the man would have been skewered if his reflexes hadn’t made him dive into the ground. A loud crack came from where the arrow hit the wall instead of her target, adding a punch to her pride along with the embarrassment. She dropped her bow and scrambled over to her sniping buddy, holding her hands out to the man as he got to his knees.
“I’m so sorry, Usopp!” She cried, embarrassment causing her face to heat up. He took her hands and, with her help, stood up before patting the top of his head where the arrow whizzed past. Giving himself a once over, he sighed in relief and looked at her.
“What’s up with you lately?” He looked back at the target and raised his thumb to it, closing one eye and sticking his tongue out, before slowly moving to where the arrow actually hit. “You’re kind of off there. I’d say… a foot or so.” The lilt in his voice made her groan and she hid her face in her hands.
“Don’t rub it in, alright? I was training and I just started thinking… I guess I got lost in my thoughts a little…” She murmured, lowering her hands and going over to the pillar.
“Oh~ Can I guess about what?”
“Sure. Might as well drown in further embarrassment.” She glanced at him over her shoulder, seeing him already grasping his chin in thought. She turned back to the task at hand; trying to get arrow out of the damn pillar. She gripped the spine of the arrow and, after some struggling, she was able to pull it out of the woodwork. She grimaced. Franky would not be happy about that, she thought as she held the arrow in her hands.
“Ah! It’s about Sanji again!” At the sniper’s words, the arrow snapped in her hands and the blush she just got down came back with full force, making her feel it even at her ears. “Oh ho~ I… hit the target.” He quickly ducked again when the arrow, now in two pieces, was thrown at him. Her face was turned away and, although her face was burning already, the burning was more prominent in her eyes. She was tired. If there was anyone she could rely on, other than the object of her attention, it was her sniping buddy.
“I don’t know what’s going on with me… He’s… He’s always ogling other girls, to the point that he can’t fight sometimes. Always bending backwards just to see a woman look in his direction! It was funny in the beginning and I didn’t find anything wrong with it! But… lately…” She stuttered, hand going to her chest and gripping her shirt. “It’s been so painful lately… I want his compliments- No… his attention on me… When he does something for Nami or Robin, I just feel so upset… I feel like I’m going crazy…” She rubbed her stinging eyes and she wanted nothing to do more than to go to the girl’s room and cocoon herself in a blanket.
She jumped slightly as Usopp placed his hand on her shoulder after he stepped forward. She cupped her own face so she could see him clearly when she looked up at him. Despite her disheveled appearance, he had a soft smile on his face. His free hand raised and jabbed at her forehead, making her yelp and pout at him.
“Hey, why-!”
“You’re so dense. You like him. You know, ‘like like.’ That pain you’re feeling, well, that’s jealousy.” Her eyes went wide as his words hit her like a train. It all made sense now. Usopp watched the wheels in her head turn and Usopp jabbed her forehead again. “Earth to (Y/N). Stay grounded here.”
Her face was red and she gripped her head, groaning at the sudden racing in her heart and annoyance. “I didn’t realize it but you did… Was I really that obvious?” She whimpered softly.
“I’ve got a good eye. It comes with the job of being a sniper.” He teased before crossing his arms over his chest. “But… you know what the best way to get through this is?” (Y/N) snapped her head up at him and nodded, clutching her hands together in front of her.
“What?! W-What is it?!”
“You. Tell. Him.” He emphasized each word and held his hand up when her mouth opened. “Next week is Valentine’s Day. It’s a perfect opportunity to confess. When you confess, it’ll stop you from getting hurt when you see him.”
“... But what if he rejects me?” She whimpered, clutching at the hem of her shirt.
“Well… what if he doesn’t?” They both stared at each other for a while before Usopp smiled at her. “You got this, (Y/N).” He pointed his thumb at himself. “You’ve got your sniper bud on your side.”
She took a breath and, despite the clenching in her stomach, there was a warmth that spread across her chest.
“Thank you, Usopp…”
She put training aside for the day and, with the help of her sniper buddy, came up with a plan for the next day.
~
It was nerve wracking. (Y/N) decided on coming up with a dance for Valentine’s Day. She practiced for the next couple of days, reassuring her crew mates that her surprise was worth all the secrecy. The last few days had only confirmed Usopp’s suspicions when Sanji would bring her snacks and drinks with little notes of encouragement. Not even hours of practice could make her heart race as much as his little notes did. She would clutch them to her chest before folding them carefully and putting them away, going back to practicing with a new vigor. By the end of the week, she had fully embraced her feelings for the cook and, even though her nerves were through the roof, she was committed to telling him.
The deck was decorated with simple red, white, and pink ribbons with some balloons attached at the end of some. The crew was already indulging in the food and music that flowed from their musician’s violin. (Y/N) was peeking out from the door that led to below deck, fingers gripping the wood as she looked at the other members. She could see that the food was nearly gone and that everyone had moved on to dancing and enjoying Brook’s music. She clutched the den den mushi in her hands before giving herself a once over. She wore one of her favorite outfits that, coincidentally, was the same color that Sanji would be if he were a color; a blue open shoulder fitted top that cut off right under her chest, a long matching dark blue skirt with colorful feather like designs on the bottom, and, to top it all off, a light blue belt that fitted around the top of the skirt. Her free hand smoothed the fabric of her belly cover, a soft sigh leaving her lips at the small comfort that the fabric provided. Glancing out at the crew once again, she noticed that the blonde wasn’t on deck with the others, making her peek out further.
“My dear (Y/N)-swan~ Why are you hiding over here?” She squeaked and turned her head to look at the blonde that slid in right by her side. His smile made her clutch the den den mushi in her hand and her blood rushed into her cheeks. At her silence, he tilted his head and took the cigarette away from his mouth. “I haven’t seen you all morning. Have you eaten?” At that, he glanced over at the table and he tensed up. “(Y/N)-swan! You haven’t eaten, have you?! Don’t you worry! I’ll make you a meal fit for a queen and I apologize for not noticing earlier! Give me one moment-”
“No!” (Y/N) stepped out from her hiding spot fully, grasping the man’s hand as he had pivoted on his foot to walk away. When he turned to face her again, both of their faces were now beet red. She because his calloused hand felt so nice against her own and he because he got a good look at what she was wearing.
“Wow, (Y/N)-swan… You look-”
“Please don’t go into the kitchen,” she stuttered out. “I… I’m going to dance right now and… it’s dedicated to y-you…” She swore that she could see steam coming out from the top of his head. They stayed quiet once again before he put the cigarette back in his mouth. He squeezed her hand and a bright smile almost blinded her.
“I’ll watch every second, sweet (Y/N). I would wish you good luck but your talent needs no luck.” At his words, she became a flustered mess. She shakily excused herself, hesitating a bit before letting his hand go. Lifting her skirt a bit to jog over to Usopp, who was grinning at her. She placed the den den mushi in his hand and let him figure out the technicalities.
Her crew cheered for what was to come but she closed her eyes to take a breath, confidence rising. The music, a recording that she had saved even before joining the crew, started playing and she opened her eyes to face her audience. Her movements followed the beats, shimmying and hips jutting, throughout the music and the fluttering in her stomach earlier only enhanced her confidence. She struck a final pose as the music ended, the crew cheering as she struggled to catch her breath. Usopp gave her a thumbs up when she took a bow. When she stood straight again, her eyes couldn’t help but drift over to a certain man in the corner of the deck. Her eyes widened as she realized that he was running up to her. Before she could process what was happening, he had scooped her in his arms, eliciting a yelp from her. Instead of tensing up, she melted into his embrace and wrapped her arms around him, feeling him squeeze her. She could feel his breath against her hair and the warmth that emitted from him made her feel like it was a dream.
“Sweet (Y/N)... I’d like to make you a meal and confess something to you as well.” Her heart was racing against her chest but she felt better at feeling his heart going as fast (if not faster) than hers.
