Single mom Reader who has a crush on baker Sanji. And uhhh. She and her child go to his store every week. When her kid finds out that Sanjis birthday is coming up they force her to stay up late to make him cookies.
The cookies suck really really bad but when you present them to him he’s almost moved to tears.
As your kid is rambling on about the ingredients they used he leans over and whispers in your ear that this is nice but if you really wanted to get him something special then you’d let him take you out on a date.
Summary: Sanji notices pretty quickly when you stop eating.
Warnings: unspecified eating disorder, reader gets dizzy a lot and passes out
Author’s Note: hella self indulgent but what is fanfiction if not self indulgent? i tried keeping the disordered eating habits neutral but they may be leaning into arfid habits. anywaysss enjoy the sanji fic :) there's another one on the wip list!
Masterlist here!
Word Count: 2.3k
Likes and comments are much appreciated! Do not repost anywhere! Works will be posted from my ao3 account soon.
Sanji stands at the counter, whipping up a quick dessert while the rest of the crew eats dinner. His eyes are on you, noticing how you cut up and stir the food on your plate but don’t eat very much of it. You start to lift a bite to your mouth but set it back on the plate as you laugh at something Usopp said.
Sanji counts maybe five total bites in the whole meal before you and Nami head out of the galley. He pulls a small notebook out of a drawer and adds tonight’s dinner to the list of food you don’t like. He sighs at the length of foods you don’t like as he struggles to add even a third thing to the other list.
Zoro comes up to the counter, blatantly ignoring the stressed look on Sanji’s face. “Hey cook, we’re out of booze.”
“Go tell Nami to stop at the next island, mosshead. Not my job to stock your drinks.” Zoro grumbles in response before leaving the galley with the last bottle on the ship.
Sanji sighs and closes the notebook, tucking it back in the drawer before returning to the dessert.
-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-
The next day, the Going Merry docks at a nearby island. The crew prepares to disembark and explore while restocking for the next leg of the journey. Nervous about approaching you with his plan, Sanji instead ropes Usopp in to get food.
They look for foods you haven’t yet had on the ship, hopeful that you’ll like them. Usopp suggests mild foods that Sanji can then slowly add other flavors and ingredients to if you like the base food.
The two end up with many bags of the usual food for the rest of the crew and some new ingredients in hopes that you’ll start eating more.
Dinner that night goes a little bit better. Turns out, Usopp was right and you like the mild food. Sanji watches you eat an entire plate before asking for dessert. He happily hands a small plate over, giving you a smile as he does.
As the crew clears out, Sanji’s notebook is back out as he finally adds to the list of foods you like.
-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-
This goes on for about another few weeks. Sanji’s able to add a lot to the list of foods you like, despite having to add a few more to the dislike list. Overall, he’s grateful that you’ve started eating more and that he’s able to help.
All is going well with Sanji’s plan until you enter the galley by yourself one afternoon. Needing a drink, you take one of the premade smoothies out of the fridge and search for a straw. Your search lands you in one of Sanji’s drawers. A small notebook catches your eye and your curiosity gets the best of you.
Foods she likes Foods she doesn’t like
Your heart drops reading the list. Shoving the notebook back in the drawer and closing it, you quickly return the smoothie to the fridge and run out of the room. Your heart is racing. Why is he doing that? How did he figure out my safe foods? You start to close yourself off to the crew, freaked out that Sanji has been able to figure out so much about you.
-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-
Sanji wanders into the galley later that same day, excited for the meal he has planned tonight. He opens the drawer and immediately notices the notebook is not in its usual spot. He pauses for only a moment, remembering that he did rush out after lunch. He decides it’s probably fine. No one probably saw it. He takes it out and opens it to the list of foods you like.
He spends the next hour carefully making a meal catered to your preferences, very excited for you have a meal you enjoy.
Ten minutes later, confusion lines his features and his heart aches as you pick at the food. He spots pain in your eyes as you lift a bite off your plate just to set it right back down. Relaxation dawns on him and his face softens as he looks over to the drawer the notebook’s in. The confusion returns as the connected dots fail to make a picture.
Luffy starts loudly telling a story, distracting Sanji while the crew continues to eat. You end up slipping away unnoticed during the story.
The crew starts to clear out and Sanji clears your plate off the table first. He sets it on the counter and takes out the notebook to compare the food to the lists. It’s entirely foods you’ve previously enjoyed. He turns the page and writes out the combination of flavors he used, thinking maybe two of the foods mixed together caused the problem.
He sighs before sliding the notebook back away and cleaning up dinner. He’ll try again tomorrow.
-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-
Sanji fails for four more days to get you to eat anything. The rest of the crew is starting to notice something wrong but no one’s discussing it so Sanji hasn’t figured out how much the malnutrition is affecting you.
It happens first when you’re navigating with Nami. Luckily you’re leaning on a table when your vision starts to blur. You can still hear, and continue answering Nami’s questions while waiting for your vision to clear again.
It happens again when you’re helping Usopp with some of his new inventions. He notices you pause with one of the tools in your hand and asks if you’re okay. You slowly nod as you wait for the room to stop spinning.
The third time it happens, you’re training with Zoro. He gets a hit in and freezes as he watches the blood start to drip from your arm. You don’t even notice as you will your vision to come back, having gone mostly dark this time.
Chopper doesn’t question it when he bandages up your cut, assuming it’s just a normal training injury.
The fourth time it happens, you’re helping Sanji put away the haul from an island in the galley. He watches you freeze with a box of rice halfway to the cupboard. You hold still, trying to let the dizziness pass and your vision restabilize.
Sanji slowly takes the box from you as you grab the counter. “Darling..? Are you okay..?” You try to turn to him to answer, thinking your vision’s almost back. Sanji ends up having to catch you as you pass out, landing right on his chest.
-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-
You wake up a few hours later in your bed. Turning to the side, you notice the plate of your safe foods on the desk, each clearly separated from the rest so none of them touch. Your eyes move up to Sanji, sitting in your chair.
“Sanji? What happened?”
“You passed out in the kitchen, sweetheart.” Your eyes widen and you quickly look away from him. Fuck. “You haven’t been eating either. What’s going on, my love?”
Pushing yourself up, you sit against your pillows, looking anywhere except at Sanji. “Umm…” One thing at a time. “I umm… keep getting dizzy and I have to pause in the middle of doing stuff.” Tears start to slip out of your eyes voicing the problems you’re struggling with. Sanji quietly listens, chin resting in his palm as he watches you, tears starting to fill his own eyes. “I get too dizzy to trust myself to safely move and-” A sob rips through your body, stopping your words as you pull your legs up to your chest.
Sanji waits a moment before getting up. You squeeze your eyes shut, expecting to hear the door open. Instead, the mattress sinks besides you as he sits. Cracking an eye open, you see him reach out a hand, simply laying it on the bed beside you. You take his hand, giving it a weak squeezing. He gives you a firmer squeeze back before you continue, still hiding your face.
“I’m sorry I don’t eat the food you make. It’s not-” You sniffle back another sob, trying to figure out the words to explain how you feel. “If I eat certain foods, it triggers my gag reflex and I can’t swallow them. I can’t sleep either and I don’t know if it’s the lack of food or if the lack of sleep is causing the lack of hunger.” You swallow back another sob, so close to fully opening up. “I don’t know, I want to eat all the food you make, Sanji. It always looks so good but I can’t. My body won’t let me and I don’t know how to fix it.” Your hands move up to your forehead, sobs shaking through your body as tears stream down your face.
Sanji’s voice is quiet, not wanting to push any boundaries you still have up. “How long have you felt like this?”
You lift your head, finally looking at him again. Your tears filled eyes meet his and your heart aches in equal pressure to his. “I don’t remember.”
“How can I help?”
“I don’t know.”
Sanji’s quiet for a minute before he starts to get up and almost speaks. “Wait, Sanji?” You reach back out for his hand and pull it, keep him near you. “Can you umm…” He sits back down and gives your hand a comforting squeeze, patient while you fight to get the words out. “Can you stay with me?” His expression softens but you don’t give him a chance to answer. “It’s probably dumb but I thought if someone else was here, it might be easier to sleep.”
“Of course I can stay, beautiful, whatever you need.” He gives you a sweet smile before letting go of your hand to take his shoes off. He turns towards you and takes in the fact that you’re still curled up in a ball. “Do you want me to just hang out or do you want me in the bed? Either way is perfectly fine with me, whatever makes you com-”
“In the bed.” His eyes stay on you but he doesn’t move. “I’m sorry, I’ve never done this before.”
He slowly nods, connecting the dots in his head so that you don’t have to voice the connection. “It’s okay, love. I’ll lay down first, okay?” He waits for you to nod before laying down beside you and laying an arm behind your back. You turn to look at him and he almost continues talking before you start to move. He’s quiet as you lay beside him, using his bicep as a pillow. You reach over him to grab your favorite throw pillow to hug. “Are you comfortable, sweetheart?” You nod and he lets himself relax as you curl slightly into him.
-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-
Your eyes slowly flutter open a couple hours later and you turn to see Sanji, still awake and reading a book that was on your desk. His arm is tightly around your waist as he holds you against his side. He looks down at you as you loosen your grip around your pillow.
“Did you get some sleep, sweetheart?” You nod and push yourself up and out of his arms.
“Thank you, Sanji. I think I’m gonna take a shower now. I’ll see you at dinner?” His heart drops slightly as he watches you. But he slowly gets off your bed and sets the book back on your desk. He gives you a small smile as he slides his shoes back on and heads out the door. I can handle this myself. Sanji doesn’t need to help.
-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-
Sanji’s about halfway through making dinner when you come into the galley. He catches a whiff of your body wash as you come up to the stove to peek at what he’s making.
He spots the concern on your face and points over to a bowl on the side. “Don’t worry, darling. I got you.”
You peer into the bowl housing one of your safe foods. “You don’t have to do this for me, Sanji. I’ll figure it out.”
“I know I don’t have to. I want to.”
You return his sweet smile with a small one. “Thank you.”
He wraps an arm around your shoulder and softly kisses your temple as you reach for a bite of the food. His hand stirring the other food pauses as he sees you grimace. “What’s wrong?”
You shake your head, forcing the bite down. “Nothing.”
“Sweetheart, what’s wrong with the food?” Sanji puts the spatula down and turns you to face him.
Your eyes are on the ground between your feet as the guilt starts to eat at you. “It’s the pepper. I’m sorry.”
“No worries, sweets.” You look back up to see Sanji moving the bowl away and starting to remake your food from scratch. “Is there anything else wrong with it?”
You step away from him as the guilt consumes your heart. “No, I’m sorry, I can eat the-”
He’s careful to keep the pepper away from the food. “It’s not a problem, dear.” He looks over with a comforting smile as he works.
Shyly leaning against the counter, you watch him continue to work, effortlessly making two very different meals with no problems.
After a few minutes, he slides a fresh bowl in front of you and nervously watches as you try a bite. He lets out a breath as you smile and take another bite. Your voice is quiet, still guilty he had to do this. “This is delicious, Sanji. Thank you.”
You move behind him and wrap your arms around his waist, not wanting to disrupt the cooking he’s doing for the rest of the crew.
“Of course, my love. We’ll get through this together.” You smile against his back as his hand moves to hold your joined ones against his stomach.
⊹ the kingdom's older princess needs "taming"—sanji is presented a challenge he can't refuse
⊹ fem!reader, princess!reader, reader is a nefertari, bullying via rumors, reader is referred to as a "shrew", betting, marriage, courtship, inspired by william shaespeare's taming of the shrew, pt. 1
"She's such a shrew! No one wants to marry her and why would they?"
"I can't believe she can act that way and expect a husband! The poor King.. I've bet he's tried hundreds of men."
"No no, her sister is the better of the two. Go for her instead."
"They couldn't possibly even get scum of the Grand Line to marry her!"
The pulling of a corset snapped the harsh thoughts from your mind. The seamstress apologized briefly, moving back to her ministrations. Across the way, your sister is in a similar state, only her seamstress is more talkative. That was typically how it was; everyone wanted to talk to her more than you.
Looking out the window, you see a group of men approaching the palace, all laughing. They were definitely there for your sister—their smug looks said it all. Lately, she's had more male suitors than ever. They usually all leave quite disappointed, though. They have no idea what they're truly signing up for.
"Your Highness?" The voice of the seamstress cut into your mind. "You're fidgeting. Please remain still."
You apologize, though it comes out harsh. That’s how they usually sound; everything you say seems hostile.
Your sister finally looks out into the courtyard, seeing all of the young men. She sighs and smiles.
“Another poor group of helpless lords.” She giggles, turning to you. “Father wants you married before I. It’s a tragedy, really.”
You raise an eyebrow. “What’s the tragedy? That none of these awful men can court you?”
“The tragedy is that I can’t pick!”
You sigh and roll your eyes, but there was a smile behind that charade. You had always taken your sister to be somewhat of a drama, though this recent arrangement has seemingly made it worse.
Your father had grown tired of your attitude towards your suitors. Ever since you were young, any time someone showed a semblance of interest in courtship, you drove them away. Rumors began to spread in your town, and they all named you a shrew. You were aggressive and ill-tempered, at least, according to the town.
Now no one wanted to court you, or even be your friend. No one besides your sister.
So, your father made a decree; no one was allowed to marry the younger princess until the older was wed. That way, a man truly devoted to the younger sister would manage for the older to find someone. If no one married the older, then no one was good enough to marry the younger.
The seamstresses finished up, quickly leaving the room to draw out their sketches. As you sit on the edge of your bed, your sister rubs your shoulder comfortingly.
“Hey, I’m not upset about the whole suitors thing. It really isn’t your fault.”
You shrug. “I know, but you could have been married by now if it weren’t for me, Vivi. Father’s rule is ridiculous.”
Before the conversation could continue, a maid entered, informing Vivi she was being summoned. She gives you an apologetic smile before walking out of the room, as graceful as ever.
You look back out the window, the port of Alabasta in your view. A few ships are slowly pulling in, including a pirate ship. Though most of them are definitely there for your birthday party the following night, a pirate ship is something out of the ordinary. Regardless, you choose to ignore the curiosity in your heart.
You had to think about how to drive away the annoying suitors of tomorrow.
Sanji steps off the deck of the Going Merry, taking in the fresh, desert air. His fellow crewmates were also taking their first steps, absorbing the feeling of a new island. Alubarna was visible in the distance, a good sign they were in the right place.
"Woah! It's all desert!" Luffy exclaims, holding his hat from the wind. "Hey, look! There's Alubarna! Let's go get some food!"
There was some bickering between Usopp and Luffy, but Sanji paid it no mind. Instead, he chose to look around the entrance. It was pretty heavily guarded, accompanied with a multitude of guests also arriving.
"Must be some kind of event going on." Sanji muttered.
As they reach Alubarna, Sanji and Usopp locate a bulletin board, curious about directions. Usopp begins staring at the map, finding the nearest restaurant. Something different catches Sanji's eye.
"'Celebrating the eldest Nefertari daughter's eighteenth birthday'. Hm.."
As Sanji looked over the flyer, a local whistled. "Don't show too much interest, boy! Those girls are off limits."
"What do you mean?" Zoro chimes in, crossing his arms.
"I mean that those girls are impossible to marry! The youngest is such a pretty one, everyone wants a piece of her. There's probably hundreds in line for her hand."
Sanji glances back at the poster. "And what about her? The eldest?"
The local laughs, as if asked a rhetorical question. "She's an utter shrew. The King declared that if she's not to marry, then the younger can't either! No one has enough will to deal with her. The only reason they're throwing a ball tomorrow is to get a suitor for the girl."
Sanji raises an eyebrow, looking closer at the face on the poster. You didn't seem to be this terrible, intolerable girl the local described you to be. You seem to have this glimmer behind your eye, despite no smile gracing the picture. There had to be more than others let on.
A ball tomorrow? Hmm..
"No one has enough will, or no one actually understand the eldest daughter?" Sanji proposes, turning back to the man. "Maybe she purposely acts that way to scare you all off."
Zoro laughs, shaking his head. "You don't actually think you could possibly be different, Shitty Cook?"
"The ladies love me, unlike you, Mosshead. I could very easily win her love."
Sanji had been a ladies man for as long as he could remember. He held a secret to wooing them that other men didn't. There was a larger amount of respect in Sanji that allowed him that secret. Surely if this girl was such a shrew, maybe no man has just respected her enough.
"Wanna bet?" Zoro asks, stepping up to Sanji. "A hundred thousand berries say that you could never get that princess to fall for you."
Sanji chuckled, taking out a cigarette from his pocket. "You don't even have that kind of money."
"Doesn't matter. I'm so confident I won't need it because you can't do it."
"You're on."
Sanji was not one to make bets at a woman's expense. You were someone with autonomy, a life and a mind. Your affection was not Sanji's for the taking. And yet, Zoro's smug expression drove him to decide to take the bet. Who was he to think Sanji couldn't woo you?
Besides, it could serve as a message for others. If anyone truly wanted to love the princesses, maybe they could take from Sanji and treat them right. Especially you.
As Sanji shook hands with Zoro, a group of slumped lords passed by. They seemingly heard the conversation.
"You're going to go for the eldest Nefertari daughter? Dude, you'd be doing us a favor!" One of them says, taking out some money. "Let me pay you for your trouble."
Sanji was taken aback. "What?"
Another lord shoved some berries in Sanji's hand. "You'd be doing everyone a favor! We could finally marry her sister if you took away the older."
Before Sanji could say anything, Nami stepped in, swipping the money from them. There was that gleam in her eyes that reminded Sanji why she was known as "the cat burglar".
"Happily, gentleman! Go get your girl!"
After paying Nami a large sum of berries, they all ran off, in happier moods than before. She turned to Sanji with a smile.
"Looks like you've got a girl to woo!" She says, tucking the money away. "You'll need something to wear for that ball tomorrow."
As they began to move to the restaurant Luffy ran off to, Sanji took one last look at the poster. He studies your face, completely entranced by how you look.
'Surely she isn't that bad.. right?'
You take a deep breath, trying to ignore the pounding in your head as another lord walks up to your sister. He does the same routine as the others: bow, a hand kiss, a bit of flirting, then a nasty side eye to you. Though, they'd still greet you. It was the respectful thing to do.
"Your Highness, happy birthday." The lord said in a deep bow. "It's always a pleasure, Princess Nefertari."
"Oh, I'm sure it is." You respond, looking elsewhere.
His eyes narrow, but he doesn't bite back. Instead, he turns back to Vivi, continuing to converse with her. His demeanor is immediately cheery, so you were definitely his issue.
Glancing to your side, you see your father at large, scanning the room. You slip from the conversation, making your way to him.
"Father." You say with a smile. "Any meaningful discussions?"
Your father chuckles, shaking his head. "You know that's not your concern here today. You're in the market for a suitor."
"You should allow me to handle royal matters instead."
"This is a royal matter." Your father insists, patting your shoulder. "Try to make a friend, at least one."
As your father walks away, a small sigh escapes your lips. Your father wants what is best for you, you knew that. He thinks marriage is what you need. It was some good old fashioned tough love.
But maybe he was right. The only person who you could really call a friend was Vivi. No one wanted to be friends with the shrew of a princess. You've always been too mean, too nasty, too awful in their eyes.
They truly had no idea.
"Well, looks like the belle of the ball is all alone." A voice speaks behind you.
Turning around, you see a tall man with gorgeous blonde hair. He's dressed differently than the lords, which meant he probably wasn't an elite. Still, something about him felt enigmatic. Who was he?
"Can I help you?" You ask, arms crossed.
The man steps forward, taking your visible hand in his. "Your highness, allow me to introduce myself." He says, kneeling and placing a kiss on your hand. "My name is Sanji. I was utterly mesmerized by you when I first laid eyes on you, and had to meet you personally."
Oh, another suitor.
You yank your hand away, rubbing it carefully. "With all due respect, I'm not interested."
"Well, unfortunately for you, I am." He says with a wink.
You started thinking about how creepy that was of him to say. But then again, the other lords were more crude with their words. Regardless, he wasn't going to woo you with a few words and some winks.
"Yeah, no thanks." You say, excusing yourself quickly after.
You move past him, bumping your shoulder into his. Your eyes set to Vivi, who's trying to get herself out of a conversation. You reach her, shooing the pesky lord away.
Your sister grins. "Thank you! He was really pushy." She picks up her drink, glancing at you. "Find anyone who catches your eye?"
You glance back down at Sanji, who's speaking with someone with green hair. His eyes meet yours, but you quickly look away. He was not special, nothing different. Just another man trying to marry for the riches.
"No, not yet."
Better luck next time.
₊˚⊹ enjoy my work? please consider visiting my ko-fi !
PAIRING: Sanji/Female Reader. CONTENTS: Graphics Depictions of Violence, Canon-Typical Violence, Jealousy, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Worth Issues, Misunderstandings, Light Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Love Confessions. WORDCOUNT: 6.6k
Summary:
Your heart growing fonder for Sanji was unexpected in the grand scheme of things. You knew his attention wasn’t singularly focused on you; he was that way with every woman, particularly Nami.
It was a different kind of tenderness he held for her, and as much as you loved her, you couldn't help an ugly feeling creeping up inside you.
Notes:
I wanted this fic to be about insecurities, the reader and Nami's friendship, and obviously, misunderstandings when it comes to Sanji.
It's been a while since I wrote a fic with no suggestiveness? no implied sexual content? who even am i? This fic was planned for this tho, and i'm not soooo sure it came out that great but I'm glad i could let some stuff out! I hope you guys enjoy it!
If you have a few bucks to spare, consider buying me a kofi!
Your heart growing fonder for Sanji was unexpected in the grand scheme of things; you had never liked a man like him before. Someone so attentive towards you, never letting you go a minute without offering his service, whether that was a meal or a beverage or almost anything. You could ask him to jump into the ocean and get a pearl from the bottom of it and he would most likely do it without a single complaint. However, you would never ask anything of him; he was free to do as he pleased, and you loved to see the things that he could come up with to show his admiration for anyone.
You knew well that was a mask on his part, you could see through the cracks and what it could mean for him to be so loud about his adoration and his acts of service. And you wanted to know more about him, if he would let you.
You knew his attention wasn’t singularly focused on you; he was that way with every woman, particularly Robin and Nami.
Nami.
It wasn’t like you didn’t know about Sanji’s affection for her, it had been obvious since the moment you joined the crew. It was in the way he looked at her, looked after her, in his praises spilling so naturally from his lips whenever she was around. It was a different kind of tenderness he held for her, and as much as you loved her, you couldn't help an ugly feeling creeping up inside you.
It was unbearable sometimes, especially when you were sharing time with her, gossiping about whatever had caught your attention one day, lounging on the deck of the Thousand Sunny, when Sanji would show up like he usually did, offering treats for you.
“Ladies, a drink especially made for you, so the hot weather doesn’t affect you!” Sanji announced with a grand gesture, showing you the glasses on a plate.
You smiled, content that he had been considerate without you even asking, and took the drink in your hand. You thanked him just as Nami showed him a smile, almost simultaneously, and you witnessed his eyes turning into hearts in a beat.
You couldn’t blame him at all. You also had eyes, you saw what a gorgeous woman Nami was, her every move was gracious, and she was smart and feisty. Nonetheless, you couldn’t help your feelings, and it annoyed you every time you were near them.
“Nami, dearest, would you like dessert?”
“Nami, your kindness knows no boundaries!”
“Nami, if there’s anything you need, you only need to call for me!”
You wondered if her name would ever wear out with how much he called for her.
At some point, you had decided to distance yourself from them whenever you notice it was going to be intense (it wasn’t on Nami’s part, Sanji was in for the theatrics and the only one to blame for being loud about his attraction).
You adored the Strawhats, incredibly so, but until your feelings passed, until you felt safe again, you decided it’d be for the best to step away when you knew it’d be too much.
“Are you okay, my love?”
You eyed Sanji carefully from your seat at the bar. The drink in your hand was only half full, as you had started to drink probably 10 minutes before he walked in. The expression on his face showed his concern, and you knew you must have made some kind of grimace. Or maybe he could see right through you, who knows.
“I’m okay.” You replied, flatly.
“Are you sure? You disappeared just to be here on your own.” He still offered you a small smile, like he was trying to appease you. It made you ache. “Do you want some company? I could prepare some drinks for you, anything you want-”
“I just need some time alone.” You interrupted him. You didn’t mean for your tone to be cold, but it wasn’t the first drink you had, and it wasn’t the right emotions you were feeling.
Sanji didn’t look hurt, but he did look even more worried than before.
“I’m sorry, I just…” You started, sighing loudly before forcing a smile. “I’m fine, I just want to be by myself right now, Sanji. Thank you.”
“Of course. I’ll prepare a meal for you whenever you’re ready to go upstairs.”
He showed you his usually charming grin, and it made you melt inside.
It didn’t melt the jealousy brewing in your stomach, and it made you all the more angry with yourself. It wasn’t the first time Sanji had checked on you whenever you retracted, and you appreciated intensively; but it wasn’t what you needed considering you were the problem.
You had condemned your feelings before they could even be put into words out loud. You had neither told Sanji how you felt, or Nami that it was bothering you how close he was to her. Not that she had anything to do with it, but as your friend, you figured you should tell her everything that was currently bothering you. You were just putting it off, afraid to seem like an insane woman.
After a couple of drinks that made you a little dizzy, Sanji was waiting for you at the galley with cream filled pastries, ones you had mentioned some time ago that you loved. You were thankful you weren’t drunk enough to cry.
*
It had all happened so fast that you didn’t even know how it happened when you opened your eyes.
You were laying on a cold hard floor, in a room that was entirely foreign. While your eyes adjusted to your surroundings and the lack of light, a very familiar voice called your name.
“Are you okay?” Nami whispered nearby.
You blinked repeatedly, until you could notice her silhouette not far away.
“Where are we?” You countered.
The immediate thing you felt was nausea. When you tried to move your arms, handcuffs were tying you to what you assumed was a post. You promptly understood the position you were in.
“Another pirates’ ship, they took us when they tried to invade the Sunny. Are you okay?” She repeated, concern obvious in her tone.
“I’m chained with Seastone handcuffs…” You replied meekly, groaning when you tried to sit up.
You heard her suspire desperately.
“I’m trying to undo my chains, but it might take some time.” Nami reassured you.
The more you blinked, the more you could figure out where she was and what she was doing, especially because there was a little light coming from a porthole nearby, enough to let you see that she didn’t seem injured, but she was similarly chained to a post, maybe six feet away.
“They’ll come for us, don’t worry.” She said, without a single drop of trepidation in her voice.
“Yeah.” You smiled weakly, dizzy once you sat up, immediately resting your head against the post.
There was no doubt in your mind that they would come for you.
But it would be nice if you could get the goddamn cuffs off you.
It made sense that they had bound you like this, not only putting handcuffs on you but also making sure that you could only move so much by chaining you to the post by your hands and feet. Your Devil Fruit powers allowed you to destroy almost anything you could touch, transmitting your energy to any surface, enough to drill a hole through a wall or destroy an entire ship if you desire. There were some disadvantages with it, but none of it mattered if you couldn’t use them anyway.
You stared at Nami’s figure as she tried to pick at the lock restricting her legs. The longer you stared, the better your eyesight adjusted, and you noticed how focused she was, tongue peeking out like it usually did when she had her full attention on something. You hated to think, in moments like those, that you understood why Sanji would fall for her, why anyone would fall for her.
This wasn’t a difficult task for someone like Nami, she was called the “Cat Burglar” for a reason, and you knew that sooner or later she would break free from her restraints. And soon enough, she did.
“Ha!” She exclaimed, hands free as she stretched her wrists.
It took her only a minute to free herself from the chains of her feet, and she was kneeling beside you in the blink of an eye, undoing your own restraints.
“Nami.” You called for her, and when she only replied with a hum, not looking at you, you repeated her name. “Nami, listen to me, you have to leave.”
“What?” She did look at you then, deep frown on her face, that much you could make out in the darkened room. “I’m not leaving you here.”
“Yes, you have to. You cannot undo these cuffs.” You reasoned, knowing fully well that the chains were no issue for her, but the cuffs could only be opened with the key, or be destroyed with how hard the material was. “You would have to carry me!”
“Then I’ll carry you.” She replied like it was no big deal.
“You’ll get us both killed. They are after our bounties for sure, they won’t hesitate to kill us!” You insisted, though she didn’t even acknowledge your words. “You have to leave, you can come back with the others!”
“I’m not leaving you!”
“Nami, fo fuck’s sake, just go!”
“I said no!” She raised her voice enough that you worried someone outside the room might hear. “There’s no way I’m leaving you here, are you crazy?”
You huffed, exasperated. You were stubborn, but she was as thick as you were. Then again, in a situation like this, you would do the same thing, and it would never cross your mind to leave her alone in a ship full of stinky pirates.
“Fine, but if you’re not gonna go, don’t waste time like this.”
“I’ll undo the chains at least.”
“Try to look around, maybe you can check what the situation in this ship is, and where Luffy and the guys are.
“You’re too bossy.” Nami quipped, and you noticed her smile in the shadows, which made you smile in return.
“Look who’s talking.”
You both chuckled, surprisingly lighthearted considering the situations you were in. You knew her enough to know that she was considering your last idea, it might even have crossed her mind before you even said it.
“I’ll be back in no time.” She declared, standing at full height once your chains were undone. “Sit tight and don’t do anything stupid.”
“I’m not Luffy!” You arched your eyebrow at her joke, but she only laughed in response before sneakily walking out through the door.
You sighed, leaning against the post. You trusted Nami that she would keep herself safe, and maybe even encounter the rest of the crew.
You briefly recalled how you got there; a blunt hit to the head before you could even think about using any kind of defense. It had been a sneaky raid on the Sunny, or at least those were the small fragments you got in your mind. You only had a brief glimpse of what happened; if you got yourself out of the cuff, maybe you’d have a clearer mind.
That strike would explain the nausea and the blood you felt trickling down your neck, though the cuffs were doing their work in making you dizzy.
It had only been a few minutes before the door bursted open, and anxiety made your hair stand on end when you saw a big man in the doorway.
You could only see so much in the dark, with the light from outside the room creating a darkened figure in front of you, but you could tell he was pissed off when his deep voice echoed through the room.
“Where is your friend?”
“Fuck off.”
Before you could even register what happened, you fell backwards against the wooden floor after being hit in the side of the head. Blood splurted from your mouth, making you cough. You couldn’t really see, vision blurry as your brain readjusted to what was happening, but you still tried to defend yourself with what little strength you had, putting your hands up and attempting to hit whoever was in front of you.
You only got a mocking laughter in return.
“You’re so pathetic without your silly powers, aren’t you?” He taunted you, grabbing your wrists by the cuffs.
“And you’re not even a man without that bat.” You responded, eyeing the weapon he had hit you with, currently stained with your blood.
His fist making contact with your cheek right after made you even dizzier, your mouth filling with your own blood, and you panicked when you felt like passing out.
“Your bounties are the same even if you’re dead, you know that, right?”
“Our friends are coming for us…” You managed to say, voice slurry as you tasted your blood in your tongue.
“And we are counting on that.”
He laughed again, and you heard it so distant despite him being right on top of you.
You groaned, in and out of it as he tied you back up to the post, not nearly tight enough as it was before. You weren’t a risk in your state.
There was no doubt in your mind that anyone in the crew was going to burst through that door at any minute, but you weren’t sure if you’d be awake to see it. And with the amount of blood you felt oozing down the side of your face and onto the floor, you started to doubt you’d even see Nami again.
But you had at least been wrong in that assumption when the door opened and she was there, being held with her hand behind her back by the same man that got you in your current state.
“What did you do to her?!” Nami exclaimed, struggling to get free but to no avail.
“Nothing she didn’t deserve.”
Nami argued with the man as if none of your lives were at risk, and you admired her for it, even if you couldn’t really hear most of it. You lacked the strength to do it yourself in that moment, otherwise you’d be kicking and screaming just like her.
She was tied to the post in no time, double the amount of locks on her this time, before the door closed a minute later, leaving the two of you alone.
“What happened?!” Nami asked, worry seeping through her voice. “I told you not to do anything stupid!”
“I guess I’ve been hanging out with Luffy for too long…”
“Well, don’t worry, I managed to use their snail phone! And I did a little something fun too that will help us!”
You turned your head to look at her when you recognized her playful tone, but you realized your injury must have looked a lot worse than you thought when her expression showed only concern.
“What did you do?”
“You’ll see.” She offered a small smile and a wink. “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine.”
“Don’t fall asleep, you know head injuries make you tired but keep talking to me.”
“Should I tell some jokes?” You quipped with a lopsided smile. You grimaced afterward when your lip stung; it probably split when you got punched in the face.
“If you want.” Nami chuckled, fumbling with the chains, though she could barely move her hands. “I haven’t actually talked to you in a while, or that’s what it feels like.”
You remained silent, looking at the ceiling.
“You haven’t been hanging out with us as much, which is weird ‘cause we are always together.” Nami went on with a lighthearted tone, but you could feel her hesitation. “Is everything okay? You know, besides the fact that you’re bleeding right now.”
“I just felt like having a little me time.” You huffed out a laugh before replying.
“Why?”
Maybe if you hadn’t been friends, if you hadn’t shared so much in all the time you’ve been crewmates, she wouldn’t press so hard. But you knew her well enough, she wasn’t going to let it go. You ponder on what to say for a moment, the injury in your head making it difficult to actually think for longer than that, before speaking.
“I like Sanji.”
“I’m shocked.” Nami teased you with a chuckle. “Me and Robin already know.”
“I figured.” You replied with a smile.
“You’re not that obvious, but we noticed. I don’t think the guys know, you’d have to hit them in the face with it for them to figure it out.”
“Maybe not even then.”
“So what, you are just avoiding us because of him?” Nami paused and her expression changed into a frown. “Did he do something?”
“No, that’s not it.”
“Then what?”
With a sigh, you gather the courage to admit to something you didn’t really want to, especially not in front of Nami, to Nami, who was not only Sanji’s object of affection, but rightfully so, because she truly was beautiful, smart and kind. While it’d be unfair to compare yourself to her, you couldn’t help it; no matter how many amiable qualities you might have, pertinent for a pirate in Luffy’s crew, you feared it wouldn’t be enough.
“I’m jealous.” You confessed like it was air, so low she might not be able to hear you. But she did.
“Jealous? Of who?”
“Of you.”
“Me?” Nami was offended, brows furrowed so deep it almost made you laugh. “What do I have to do with this?”
“Sanji likes you.” She opened her mouth to respond, but you didn’t give her the chance to, not wanting to hear what her reasoning would be when she denied it. “He’s always fluttering around you, attending to your every need, and I can’t blame him because I can see what he sees in you. You’re perfect and…”
‘And I’m not’ was what you wanted to say, but you stopped yourself. Confessions and self-pity were two different things.
“And I’m not mad at you, I don’t blame you either. You’re my friend and I adore you so much, and I hate that I feel this way, but I can’t help it… Especially when he says your name all the time…” You sighed, unable to go on, afraid you might have ruined your friendship with Nami with the amount of vulnerable information you just shared.
She sighed as well, louder and much more exasperated than you expected.
“Man, you and Sanji are both really thick.”
“What do you mean?” You asked with a frown.
“He’s crazy about you.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about Sanji, who worries nonstop about you, especially since you started being distant with us. And I’m talking about times when you mention to him in passing that you like a certain pastry or sweet stuff, and then we have it for dessert for a week. Or when he thinks he’s being sneaky and gives you a little more extra food than he gives me or Robin. Or when he looks at you when you’re fighting someone and kicking their ass and he’s trying to keep a massive nosebleed at bay.”
You looked at Nami like she was crazy, a look that she mirrored, obviously in disbelief of your own ignorance.
“Right now is clearly not a good example of that ‘ass-kicking', but I know he’s swimming faster than the Sunny can go to get here, and he’s not doing it specifically for me.”
“That doesn’t make any sense. He’s literally always at your beck and call.”
“Yeah, probably because I’m cute, but he’d be at your beck and call if you wanted to, you just don’t take the opportunity. And he’d probably trip over to get it done in no time, too.”
“He makes desserts for you too!”
“He does when I ask him to, but he makes a bunch of it when you mention your favorites. And you don’t even have to ask.”
You teared your eyes away from her to look at the ceiling again. If what Nami said was true, you never even registered those little details in Sanji’s behaviour towards you. Nami’s wit was one of the sharpest in the crew, so you knew she wasn’t just making stuff up to make you feel better.
That was the thing about liking someone like Sanji, whose affection scattered effortlessly in every direction, like the wind; how could you even tell when he was treating you differently than anyone else?
It’d be so much easier to think about everything and anything if you weren’t having a massive bleeding at that moment. You feared you might start to feel cold any second, and the urge of passing out would be too strong (though it was getting hot in the room, for some reason).
“Everything you just said about me.” Nami spoke after a bit of silence, and you eyed her, anxiety bubbling inside your chest. “I’ll take it as a compliment. I know I’m cute and all, but I’m not competing with my friend.”
“I’m sorry, Nami.” You whispered when relief washed over you, making you feel slightly embarrassed over your outburst. “I’m not-”
“Don’t worry. I mean it.” She offered you a genuine smile, one that showed all the affection she had for you. “It surprises me to see you like this, but I want you to know that you’re perfect, too.”
“Thank you.” You mirrored her expression, wishing you were strong enough to reach for her and hold her hand.
“And if Sanji makes you feel less than perfect, you can kick his ass. And I’ll join you.”
You managed to laugh weakly only to cough up blood afterwards. Nami called your name and you heard her, but as if she was coming from the other side of the room. You were starting to feel drowsy, cursing under your breath, angry at yourself for having this conversation under these circumstances and for allowing all of this to happen. It was a common occurrence with the life you had to be kidnapped, but it was rare that you felt so out of it, so depending on your crewmates that it made you feel weak and helpless.
Why was it getting so hot in there?
The harsh noise of the door breaking open startled you, bringing you back from your mind to the situation at hand as you saw the man who had inflicted those injuries on you fly across the room and land beside you with harsh thud.
He was bloodied himself, and almost completely pathetic when he looked at Sanji, who was standing in the doorway, responsible for kicking him through the door.
The small amount of blood you had left in your body was already boiling with ire, giving you a small amount of strength but enough to make you wrap your arms around the bastard’s neck, using the chains tying the cuffs together to choke him. Adrenaline coursed through you, enough to tighten your hold on him, and to deafen whatever noise and ruckus that was happening around you.
Until you felt Sanji’s hands on yours, and his voice so close it created goosebumps on your skin.
“Sweetheart, let go.” He said into your ear, almost like a whisper, as his touch, so delicate, tried to pry your hands open. “It’s me, darling. You have to let go.”
You only did so after a moment, releasing a loud, trembling sigh, when you realized that Sanji was actually touching you and embracing you safely.
He held you in his arms, fumbling with the key he most likely took from the poor bastard before he kicked his ass, and freeing you from the cuffs quickly.
When you didn’t regain your usual energy, Sanji panicked, eyes wide open, his one visible brow furrowed upward in deep concern. You briefly wondered how bad you looked for him to make an expression like that, though the amount of blood on your face must have made any injury you had looked infinitely worse.
He swiftly scooped you in his arms, one hand grasping your legs and the other on your back, tightly holding onto you as he made his way out. You didn’t have the strength in you to hold your head up high, leaning against his shoulder instead, feeling so warm in his hold you could fall asleep.
“Nami, Nami-” You weakly called for her, voice slurry as you tried to look around the room. “Where’s Nami?”
“I’m here, I’m okay!” She replied, somewhere behind Sanji.
“She’s half dead and she still tried to choke me!” You heard the man’s voice yelling, desperately, like he was trying to look for an explanation of what happened. A strangled whimper followed immediately.
“Shut up, she should’ve killed you.” Zoro’s voice was unmistakable to your ears, and you huffed, amused by his words.
Once outside on the deck, you came to the realization of what Nami had done when she slipped out the room earlier.
“You-You set the ship on fire?” You asked her, in disbelief.
“No!” She yelled, exasperated. “I only set a tiny part of it on fire! I didn’t think the idiots on this ship would let it get this bad!”
You huffed out a small laugh, closing your eyes as you sank your face into Sanji’s chest. He had held you like this on other occasions when you needed saving, but you’ve never felt like you could doze off so easily before. You heard him call out your name repeatedly, and it took a lot of willpower on your part to respond.
“You gotta stay with me! We’re getting you to Chopper in a heartbeat!” Sanji pleaded, squeezing you in his hold.
“I’m dizzy…” You could only muster.
His voice was still talking to you, desperately, but you had stopped registering actual words before you lost consciousness.
*
It took a lot of effort to simply open your eyes, vision blurry for a moment as you blinked away the tiredness of your eyes. There was a dull ache in your head, and you slowly moved your hand to check your own forehead. Only then you noticed that someone was holding it tightly.
“She’s awake!” Chopper exclaimed right beside you, and you felt his hoof touch your forehead.
“Darling, are you okay?” Sanji’s face came into view, and your heart softened when you realized it was him holding your hand. “Do you remember what happened?”
“Who are you?” The look in Sanji’s face made you feel immediately guilty, and you managed to smile, a sign that you were only kidding. “Where am I? What year is it?”
He let out a long, loud sigh as he sank his face into the bed, pressing his forehead to the back of your hand.
Chopper didn’t look amused, and you knew he was on the verge of scolding you but held back.
“Very funny. Are you in pain? Nauseous?”
“I’m tired. And there’s like a pressure in my head, but not too bad…”
“You should stay in bed for a couple of days.” When you groaned, Chopper chastised you as he checked the bandages on your head. “We have to make sure this won’t worsen! Bed rest, lots of water, and you’ll be good to go if there are no other symptoms! So no strenuous activities for now!”
“Fine, you don’t have to boss me around…” You replied, smiling when he beamed at you. “Thank you, Chopper, you’re so sweet.”
“You know I don’t like compliments!” Chopper said, with a smile and blush on his cheeks as he stepped out of the room. “Don’t move! I’ll change your bandages soon!”
You giggled, turning your eyes at Sanji, who was looking at you intensely.
“I’m okay, Sanji.” You reassured him, purposely saying his name as softly as you could.
“That wasn’t funny.” He berated you half-heartedly, a small smile tugging at his lips.
You moved your other hand to check on your head, most of it covered in bandages, before sliding it down your face. The cut in your split lip sting, and you felt multiple cuts on the side of your face, a big one that had been stitched on your cheekbone. You probably had a nasty bruise, feeling how sore the skin was there.
Embarrassed to be looking so weak in front of Sanji, you turned your head to the side, groaning slightly when you pressed your cheek into the pillow.
“Are you alright? Are you hurting anywhere?” He asked, running one hand over the side of your face, so delicate it felt like the brush of a feather. He ran his fingers through your hair when you didn’t reply, gently patting your head. “I’ll call Chopper again-”
“I’m okay, I mean it.” You turned to him, disregarding your shame, tightly holding onto his hand. The hand that had never let go of yours.
You sat up as Sanji helped you, arranging the pillow on the headboard.
“Could I-” Before you could even finish the question, he was already pouring water in a glass from a tray by the bedside table, handing it to you gently. “Thank you.”
You felt some tension in the air, but you were aware that it was only from your part. Your memory was fragmentary, with some puzzle pieces missing, but you remembered the conversation you had with Nami when you were both abducted. It turned out that saying things out loud gave your feelings a certain kind of materiality that you didn’t know how to handle.
“How long was I out?” You asked him, as Sanji watched you carefully.
“Almost a day.”
You grimaced. No wonder he seemed more concerned than usual.
“How’s Nami?”
“She’s fine, she only has a bruise on her side. She was here to check on you a minute ago, Robin is helping her take a bath now.” When you arched your eyebrow, he explained further. “The bruise doesn’t let her move her arm around much.”
“I should have been more careful…” You said without much thought.
“Darling, you were hit in the head. There wasn’t much you could have done.” Sanji chastised you sternly this time. You sensed that he wanted to say more, but he didn’t.
You studied his expression; he had dark circles under his one visible eye, his hair was tousled. He definitely seemed tired, and you came to the conclusion that he had spent all the time you were unconscious holding your hand. He was gazing at you softly, like he usually did. The words Nami said to you rang in your mind; that he liked you, more than you could tell.
Attempting to distract yourself, you slowly drank from the glass, hissing when your swollen lip touched the rim.
“Does it hurt?” He asked with a frown. His hand tried to reach for you but it stopped midway.
“It stings. Does it look too bad?”
“You had never looked more beautiful.”
You huffed out a small laugh, looking away.
“Don’t pull that on me.”
"I mean it.” Sanji reached for your hand this time, holding it gently as he ran his thumb through your knuckles. It flustered you, but you didn’t pull away. “Doesn’t mean I don’t wanna go back to that ship and kill the man who put you in this state.”
“Thank you for saving me.”
“There’s nothing to thank me for. I didn’t get there in time.”
“What are you talking about?” You asked, bemused, as you set the glass on the bedside table. “If you hadn’t gotten there when you did, I might have bled out, or died from the fire.”
“If I had gotten there earlier, you wouldn’t even be in this bed.” You pursed your lips when you realized how upset he was, the hand that was holding yours trembling. “And… I saw when they took you and Nami away, and I also didn’t get there in time…”
“Enough, Sanji. It was my fault that I wasn’t alert when it happened.”
“I-”
“Thank you for saving me.” You repeated, firmly this time, squeezing his hand.
“I’ll always save you.”
With tenderness you had never seen before, Sanji placed a kiss to the back of your hand. You couldn’t hide the gasp that escaped you, and blood rushed to your face so fast you felt dizzy again.
“I know that you don’t… want me that way-” Sanji started, nervously looking down.
“What?”
“That’s why you’ve been avoiding me, right?” His eyes went to you again, trepidation obvious in his expression. “I wasn’t trying to make you uncomfortable, if my feelings felt like a burden for you. But I still wanted to take care of you, make you feel like nothing has really changed-”
“Wait. Is that what it seemed like? That I was avoiding you?” When he nodded, you stared back at him in incredulity. Without thinking, you asked: “What about Nami?”
“What about Nami?” He mirrored your expression.
“You…” You felt embarrassed to even bring her up, but he was staring at you with such focus, like he really wanted to understand everything you were saying, that you couldn’t even think about hiding anything. “You’re always all over her, and doing everything she asks…”
“I can’t say no to a beautiful lady.” Sanji anxiously ran one hand down his pants (probably looking for his pack of smokes, though he didn’t even attempt to grab them), eyes darting elsewhere for a brief second before coming back to you. “And Nami is Nami. But I’m always looking at you, looking for you. I like… tending to your needs, catering to your whims.”
The weight of Sanji’s words were hitting you like a thunderbolt, and you couldn’t help your dumbfounded expression as he went on.
“But you rarely ask me anything, and since you’ve been a little more reserved, I figured it would be better to let you be, to not overwhelm you…”
Maybe Nami was right. You were both really thick.
“You thought I had feelings for Nami?” Sanji asked carefully.
“Yeah…”
“I love women.” He admitted promptly, making you chuckle. As if you had no idea.
“I know.”
“I can admire their beauty, and I will always let them know that they deserve the world. But what I feel for you, my love…” Sanji brought your hand to his lips again, pressing a small kiss before continuing. “You’re always on my mind. All this time you kept your distance, when I noticed you didn’t want to be around me… Giving you space, holding back my tongue from calling you “my dear”, “my sweet”, “my angel”, all of it killed me because I was dying to tell you how special you were. None of this can compare to whatever sentiment I might have for any other woman.”
You had to avert your eyes from his so as to let his words sink in. Sanji was saying he was attracted to you, that you had been wrong all this time, and for all the insecurity you still had in your heart, somehow you believed everything he said. You had never seen him more vulnerable, sitting by your side and holding your hand; he wasn’t sacrificing his life but you still knew it took a lot for him to materialize his feelings into words.
“I know I flirt a lot, with any woman I see, and-”
“And you’re a perv.” You added, teasingly.
“That too.” He added without an ounce of shame. “It might be difficult for you to believe me, but I hope you find it in your heart to never doubt any of my feelings…”
“Sanji,” You held his gaze this time, feeling your cheeks burning but with enough confidence to ask: “You have feelings for me?”
With a sigh that implied the heavy weight that he was getting off his shoulder, he replied with confidence:
“Yeah. Yes. Desperately so. I can’t even contain them.”
“I like you. A lot.” Sanji’s face lit up like you’ve never seen before, making you smile. “I wasn’t avoiding you, I just. I couldn’t stand seeing you fawn over someone else, especially Nami. She’s gorgeous, and-”
“She is. It doesn’t mean that you aren’t.” He interrupted you, caressing your hand while he reached for your face with the other, carefully stroking your cheek with his thumb. “I was captivated by you the moment I first saw you, and not only did your beauty blinded me, but your kindness, your passion and sense of humor made it so easy for me to fall for you. I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to convince you of all that. If you let me.”
Sanji was overdramatic, you knew that. But in the intimate space that was currently the sick bay, you couldn’t help but believe everything he had just said. Leaning into his touch, nuzzling the palm of his hand, you smiled softly.
“Okay.”
“Okay?” Sanji beamed, inclining closer.
“Okay.” You repeated, feeling the warmth of his skin the closer he got.
The smell of smoke and spices invaded your senses as his lips ghosted over yours for a second, as if giving you the opportunity to pull away. When you didn’t, Sanji kissed you, gently yet passionately, pressing his lips to yours with an intensity that made you gasp.
A hiss did escape your lips when he pressed closer, and he pulled back.
“Damn, sorry!” He cautiously ran his thumb over your bottom lip. “Did I hurt you?”
“It’s just a little tender.” You flinched a little; he wasn’t using any pressure but the cut hurt more than you expected. “You’ll have to give me another kiss when I’m better.”
“Oh, darling, I’ll give you as many as you want!”
You pecked his lips promptly, quick and soft, and to your amusement, Sanji looked like he was about to have a heart attack, cheeks flushed and small hearts forming in his pupils. So much for someone who just confessed his feelings in such a sentimental way.
“And you know what?” You smile playfully, determined to tease him when he gave you a quizzical look. “I also love women, as much as you do. So if your eyes ever wander to someone else, mine will too.”
For a moment, you couldn’t tell if Sanji was still alive.
Until his nose started bleeding.
You chortled, totally pleased with his reaction as he desperately tried to wipe away the blood.
“You’re a mischievous lady.”
“But you like my sense of humor, right?”
“Yo-You were joking?!”
“Was I?”
You grinned cheekily as a response, and Sanji could only groan in response.
“Don’t do that to me again, please, my love.” Sanji begged, holding tightly onto your hand. “That joke you made when you woke up… I wouldn’t know what to do…”
“Sorry.” You pet his head, running your fingers through his hair. He looked like he could melt underneath your touch. “I couldn’t let the opportunity to mess with you slip.”
Your breath hitched when his lips trailed up your wrist and forearm, tenderly whispering your name against your skin. You weren’t sure if your teasing could compare to what he was doing to you.
When the door opened, you were startled, and seeing the knowing smile on Nami’s face as she stood next to Chopper made your cheeks burn with embarrassment. Sanji simply looked mildly annoyed to be interrupted when Chopper yelled.
Request: How about a Sanji x female reader where Sanji keeps complimenting women in his usual way, but the reader feels jealous because he doesn't do it with her. Then he tells her the reason he doesn't flirt with her: he loves her and doesn't want to treat her like other women he gets crushes on. Thanks!
A/N: So I changed the request a little bit because I found it really hard to make Sanji redeemable, and I added a lot more angst. I hope you still like it though! Requests are open!
Sanji x Female Reader
Ultimate Masterlist. One Piece Masterlist.
There he goes again, another girl catching his attention while you just sat here, like what? Chopped liver? You told yourself that this is just what he was like: his attention span too small that he has to jump around from one woman to another in the span of a second.
You thought you had already gotten over the worst of it on Fishman Island; you had practically buried yourself on the Sunny while everyone else explored. You just couldn’t stand walking around with someone who clearly had so little respect for what was right in front of him.
The crew would wince too; they knew of your peculiar crush on the ship’s cook. They tried to help where they could; Nami would scold him when he flirted with women at bars. And you once saw Zoro grab him by the collar when he floated, literally floated, after a woman.
But it was never enough for him; you weren’t enough for him. You looked at yourself in the mirror, the lonely walls of your cabin giving you privacy while you listed everything wrong with your looks. Nami and Robin always said you were gorgeous; even Franky would flirt with you from time to time. So why didn’t Sanji ever bat an eye at you?
He used to flirt with you when you first joined the crew, many moons ago. So what had changed? Did you put on weight? Age too quickly?
There was a knock at your door; you looked away from the mirror. Your heart was practically crying out while your brain was suffocating from the imaginary scenarios you had conjured up. Nami held a solemn expression as you opened the door, the corner of her lips tilting into a smile before soon disappearing.
“So I have good news and bad news,” she started, “Good news is we're almost to our next island.”
“What’s the bad news?” You sighed. Nami looked uncomfortable, “We’re going to Amazon Lily.”
“What! Are you kidding me?” You rushed back to your bed, grabbing a pillow and screaming into it. Nami soon joined you; she placed a comforting hand on your back, slowly rubbing it in circles. She shuffled her feet on the floor, “I know, it wasn’t my choice either. But Luffy got an invite from Boa, and it mentioned free food, and you know how he is so…” she drifted off.
“This is going to be unbearable. Can I just stay on the ship?” you huffed, voice muffled by the pillow. Nami shook her head, “Maybe you should try letting go? I know it wouldn’t be straight away, but if it hurts this much? You know? A-and if this crush is affecting you this much, it’s not healthy.”
“I know, Nami. I’ve thought about it a lot. And yeah, it’s shitty. But then he’ll do something so nice for me, my feelings keep flipping around. I don’t know what to do. It’s not like I can avoid him, and I don’t want to make anything awkward either.”
“I can…I can have a word with Sanji if you want? Tell him to calm it down a bit? I can probably make something up and say it’s a crime to flirt with a woman there.” You laughed at Nami’s idea, although you did consider it. You sat up, shaking your head, “No, it’s okay. I think I just have to suck it up and accept it.”
Nami sucked in a breath, standing up to leave, “Oookay, if you say so. But if you need to talk, or want me to hit him, you know where to find me.” You nodded your head, watching as Nami’s smile fell from her lips as she left. You sat back in miserable silence; Amazon Lily was going to be a nightmare. Sanji in Amazon Lily was going to be a nightmare.
An hour or so later, you had finally emerged from your cabin. You had done a lot of thinking in there, and you had come to the decision to give up on Sanji. You were jealous, plain and simple. You were jealous of the women he flirted with because he never gave you that attention, something which you so deeply craved. And Brook had told you once that “Jealousy can lead to worlds ending.”
You don’t think he necessarily meant for it to sound so life-threatening, but he was right in a way. Jealousy would consume you, and you didn’t want that to happen. As you approached the main deck, you could see Nami and Robin lounging in the sun, Sanji hovering over them.
“Would you fine ladies care for any drinks or light snacks before dinner?” he mused, cigarette propped against his lips. Robin gave out a light chuckle, “No thank you, but perhaps another fine lady would like something?”
“Oh, Nami?” Sanji turned to face the navigator, Nami shook her head, “Nope, not me!”
Sanji stood back, a little confused, until Nami pointed to your meek form behind them. When Sanji’s attention turned to you, you almost shrank. He looked you up and down, then shrugged, “I’m sure she’s fine.” With that, he quickly walked back to the kitchen.
Rage bubbled up in you, your face going red with anger. Nami and Robin could see your emotions taking over; Nami, in an attempt to calm you down, spoke: “Hey, remember when I said that you should forget about him? Maybe we should start doing that now?”
“Forget that; I’m giving that cook a piece of my mind!” You stomped in after him, nails buried into your palms. You snapped the door open, the sunlight invading the kitchen quicker than Luffy could eat a piece of meat. Sanji didn’t react; he just kept his back to you while he stirred something in a pan.
“What the hell is wrong with you!” you started, marching towards the counter. Sanji didn’t say a word; he just kept on stirring. Your mouth was agape, frustration on the tip of your tongue, “Are you really not going to say anything? Nothing at all?”
All you could hear was the wooden spoon scraping against the bottom of the metal pot. Steam puffed out of your nose; you were so angry.
“Fine, I’ll start!” You smacked your fist against the counter, “Why are you always ignoring me? What have I done to you to deserve this? Did I- Did I say something to offend you, or did I…Did I do something?” You were starting to tear up, your voice cracking.
“Why do you suddenly hate me? Please just tell me. I wan- I want to fix it, whatever- ever it takes…” Tears started pooling onto the counter; your sniffles were getting louder and louder. You sat in an awkward silence for a few minutes, just the sizzling of onions breaking up the silence.
“I- I don’t hate you,” he whispered out, his head hanging low. He dropped the wooden spoon onto the counter with a loud bang, “I could never hate you, (Y/N).”
“Then why- wh- why are you ig- ignoring me!” You rubbed your eyes with the back of your hand. Sanji stood up straight, his back still towards you.
“I didn’t mean to ignore you, I was just trying to-” he cut himself off, “I-”
“You flirt with so many women, right in front of me too! It hurts to see that!” you blurted out, your mind was numb; you were just saying anything and everything at this point. Sanji stuttered for a brief moment, his arms stretched out on the counter holding up his body weight.
“W-what?” he questioned. You only whimpered in response, “Every island we go to, every market we visit or restaurant we eat in, you flirt with someone. A-and it drives me crazy! You never do that to me; you do it to everyone, even Nami and Robin…But not- not me!”
“I can’t- I can’t flirt with you (Y/N),” he calmly stated.
“W-why?” Your voice was a mess; you felt like you were coming in and out of consciousness.
“Because you’re not the same as other girls. With other girls I can say whatever I want and not have to think about it. I don’t care about them because I’ll never see them again. But with you…” Sanji turned around, slamming his hands against the counter you sat at. Tears were streaming down his face, eyes red; he had been crying for a while.
“But with you it’s different! I have to think about what I’m going to say, I have to see you every day, I can’t ruin this.”
“Ruin what?” you sniffled. Sanji took your hand in his, looking you in the eyes, “I thought for the longest time that you and Franky liked each other; he was always flirting with you, and you never told him to stop. So I took a step back. I thought you were happy and I didn’t want to ruin that for you. I kept my distancing, hoping what I felt for you would go away.”
“Did it go away?” you asked meekly. Sanji shook his head, “No.”
You leant over the counter, encapsulating Sanji in a big hug. You pushed your face into his shoulder, crying harder, “You’re such a dumb asshole, you know that right?”
“(Y/N)-” Sanji pulled away, “I don’t deserve this, I don’t deserve your kindness, not after what I did.”
“I know, and you’re going to have to work hard to get me back. I haven’t completely forgiven you yet. But knowing why you were doing what you were doing is a start.” Sanji pulled you back into the hug, holding you desperately, like if he let go you would simply fall apart. You stayed like that for a while, just holding each other while you cried out the pain until there was nothing left.
Headcanon: What the East Blue gang are like in a relationship.
Straw Hats x GN Reader
Ultimate Masterlist. One Piece Masterlist.
🍖Luffy🍖:
Doesn’t fully understand the term “PDA”, he just knows he likes kissing you and holding you, and he doesn’t really care who sees it. It often leaves you a blubbering mess in front of the other Straw Hats, repeatedly apologising after a particularly long kiss from Luffy.
“Oi, (Y/N), why are you apologising? I liked it!” Nami gave him a bonk on the head for that one.
You frequently wonder what Luffy considers a relationship to be; most of the time he just treats you like everyone else. Which is fine; you obviously weren’t dating him to get any special privileges. But to know he values you differently from the others would be nice.
That moment comes unexpectedly too, during dinner one night on the Sunny. You sat by Luffy, like always; your meal quite small. You hadn’t been feeling so great this past week and had asked Sanji to shrink your meal down for your low appetite. Luffy, however, didn’t like the sight of such a sad plate and, without hesitation, offered you some meat.
The entire room went quiet; Usopp and Chopper had their jaws on the ground.
“What’s everyone lookin’ at?” he huffed, still holding the meat in his hand.
On nights where you’re on guard, he sometimes joins you. He wraps his arms around you to keep you warm, often falling asleep first and using you as his pillow.
And when he’s wide awake in the morning, jumping for joy when a new island comes into view, he’s grabbing your hand first and jumping straight to land.
He keeps your hands intertwined, holding you close in case anything were to jump at you.
If you’re in an uninhabitable jungle, he fends off all the bugs and monsters. But if you’re in a nice village or city, he drags you over to all the market stalls, drooling at the food and umming and awing at the trinkets.
You laugh at his goofiness, his own grin warming your soul.
“You have a nice smile, Luffy.”
“Thanks, you have a nice face!” he beams, your cheeks blushing in response.
⚔️Zoro⚔️:
Isn’t big on PDA; the most he will do in front of the crew is seek you out when he naps. Anything to do with kissing or hugs is strictly private. Sanji is pretty sure Zoro is incapable of doing those things, truth be told.
Zoro’s way of affection is in how he protects you and trains you to protect yourself. You weren’t weak by any means, but Zoro likes to be prepared for anything. He doesn’t want to relive Sabaody.
Zoro likes to join you when you’re on night duty; you both sit and watch the stars, enjoying the silence.
When you’re both alone, he acts a lot more like a romcom boyfriend. He yawns while putting his arm around your shoulders, holds your waist when you’re coming down the last few steps on the ladder, lets you walk through doorways first.
Like previously stated, his affection comes through his training. Once he thinks you’re ready, he allows you to train with swords.
“Just in case you ever need to use them.”
“Can I use yours?”
“No.”
Be prepared to sit and watch him train for hours, too. But you don’t mind that; you love watching him work on new techniques and practising forms.
A lot of your relationship is Usopp and Nami begging you to get Zoro to take a bath more than once a week. But what they don’t know is that Zoro regularly showers.
You had once brought him some nice soap from a small shop; he was at first outraged and offended by the notion. But he soon started using it and fell in love with the scent because it was the same as what you used.
During battles, he knows he can’t protect you forever. But even when separated, he keeps his eye on you. And whoever hurts you should pray to God, as Zoro will ravage them until they can no longer move. No one hurts you and gets away with it.
He stays close to you if you are injured, even when back on the Sunny. If you are bed-bound, he won’t leave your side, doing everything he can to make you feel better.
“I need to be stronger, I need to train-”
“Hey, don’t beat yourself up, who’s going to look after me if you do?” You mused, a weak smile gracing your lips. Zoro only huffed in response, but you soon found his hand intertwined with yours.
🍊Nami🍊:
Nami is still sometimes a very secretive and private person, although not as bad as before her time on the crew. She still prefers to keep some moments private, and that includes you.
She’s not big on showing PDA unless it’s after an intense battle or she’s completely drunk.
During big celebrations, she’s usually all over you, lying on your lap, playing with your fingers or her head on your shoulder. It was well known that if you couldn’t find Nami at one of these events, find you and she wouldn’t be too far away.
During big battles, when the opposing side has finally lost, she’ll search for you straight away. Running over to you and check for any injuries. During Whole Cake Island, you both got separated, having to deal with your own demons.
“Oi, Nami!” you shouted, seeing that ginger hair a mile away. Before you knew it, Nami had crushed her lips onto yours. Her full body weight nearly toppled you over, “Don’t ever leave me again!” she scolded.
Be prepared to be scolded a lot, not as much as the boys do, but enough. It’s not that she’s mean, but she cares deeply about you; she doesn’t want to see you doing anything stupid. And you’re not going to be given any special treatment.
When you arrive at a new island, expect to follow Nami’s lead; she has everything planned out for the perfect day. She’ll take you through little markets, find cute clothing stores and cafes and end the trip with a sunset on a beach or hillside.
Although Nami is known to be a little cheap with her berries, she will sometimes splurge when she sees something has caught your eye. Buuuut, it is still Nami we’re talking about here; she’s still a pirate who will not pay ridiculous prices.
“Did you steal that?”
“Yeah, but I stole it for you, so it’s cute and romantic.”
🎯Usopp🎯:
Usopp still gets a little embarrassed during PDA; it’s not that he hates it, he’s just not used to someone like you giving someone like him any attention.
So whenever you give him a peck on the cheek, or wrap your arms around him, he’s a blushing, mumbling mess.
He loves to play pranks with you; he learnt the hard way to include you in his hijinks.
“I said I was sorry!”
“You covered me in cola and feathers!” Definitely learnt his lesson.
Usopp loves exploring new islands with you, particularly if they have any cool plant life. He will hold your hand and drag you along if anything catches his eye.
On slower days aboard the Sunny, Usopp will sit and beg you to play some board games with him, which you usually do; who could say no to a face like that?
When it’s your birthday, he plans a party with the whole crew. He takes charge and becomes erratic if something isn’t going to plan. You still love it anyway, even if the cake has a few bite marks in it.
It’s during your birthday that Usopp reveals his secret project. He’d been working on it for months without you ever figuring it out; he had to thank Franky for the most part.
It was a new weapon for you to try out. It was everything you could have ever dreamed of, all in one! Usopp was going through it with you, pointing at buttons and dials, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck; a habit of his when he was nervous.
“I’m still figuring out the kinks; it’s not exactly perfect-”
“I love it!”
🍽️Sanji🍽️:
Loves PDA, will happily smother you in kisses in front of the others, much to their displeasure.
Sanji would do almost anything for you, no matter how embarrassing or stupid. You want your drink with a tiny pink umbrella; he’ll dig through an entire box just to find one for you.
He often cooks your favourite meals, even if you’ve had the same thing for three days.
“Cook, do something else; this food is boring.”
“Absolutely not! If (Y/N) is enjoying it, I will keep cooking it! Go and make your own meal, Mosshead!”
During night shifts, Sanji will join you on the crowsnest. He wraps a blanket around you, basking in the warmth your buddy emits next to him.
While you’re watching the stars, you can feel his eyes on you.
“The stars are beautiful, aren’t they?”
“They sure are.” He’s definitely not looking at the stars right now.
Once a week, Sanji will ask Brook to play a slow song on his violin and will offer his hand to you. When you gladly accept, he swings you around to the rhythm. Your bodies are pressed close, your breath fanning across his lips.
Even if you’re not that great at dancing, Sanji takes the lead. He doesn’t say a single thing when you step on his toes.
If you ever get sick or injured, Sanji is right there to help. He’ll make you soup for your colds, ice cream for your fevers and demand Chopper when you’re hurt.
“CHOPPER, YOU DAMN REINDEER, WHERE ARE YOU!”
“Sanji, I’m right here.”
“Oh.”
If you smoke, he’ll offer you a cigarette. You both stand at the back of the ship watching the sunset, your hands linked and swinging freely in the breeze.
