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“Hey Luffy, you know…”
“Hm?”
It was one of those cloudless nights, the groggy cook muttering a half-hearted complaint as he got up in the middle of the night to whispers begging for food. Clinking echoed on the ship’s deck not long later as the young captain of the Straw Hats finished the last bites of their midnight snack (ham and cheese on crackers), while that same cook sat next to him, smoking a cigarette.
Pale hands gripped the blanket they shared, unsure of where to begin. “What...do you plan to do when you become Pirate King?”
There was a hum from the other man as he put the empty plate down on the fake grass, next to his beloved straw hat. “I want to hold a big banquet.”
Typical. “Who will provide the food?”
“You?”
He chuckled a little at that. “Right.” He breathed out, relishing in the smoke escaping his nostrils as he willed himself to try again. “And then? What will you do after?”
“Dunno. Travel some more, maybe?” He shrugged. “Depends on whether everyone else has already achieved their dreams. Nami still needs to draw a world map, Zoro wants to be the greatest swordsman…” his fist struck his palm in realisation, “oh, and we still need to find the All-Blue, remember?”
“Yeah, I remember.”
“Yeah, I’ll do all those. Well, even after that I might still want to have more adventures,” the man in the red vest giggled as he flopped on his back against the deck. “What about you? What do you wanna do after you find All-Blue?”
There was silence for a moment. He scuffed the cigarette on the ashtray he brought with him, before lying down next to his captain. “I’ve always wanted to open my own restaurant in the All-Blue, and cook food for anyone who’s hungry.”
“That sounds nice.”
“Yeah, but…” his leg jiggled restlessly, “if I’m running a restaurant in the All-Blue, who will cook for you? How can I travel with you?”
“Oh yeah, you’re crazy fast, but even you can’t be in two places at once.”
“Yeah.”
He glanced at him from behind golden bangs. “Are you disappointed?”
“Why would I?”
“Our plans are incompatible.”
“I have no right to stop you from your dream.”
“I know, but see-” he gulped, “your ridiculous dream motivated me to follow my own ridiculous dream, and you let me join the crew, and I’m always grateful for that...”
“Are you thinking of leaving the crew once you find All-Blue so you can build your restaurant?”
“I-I guess I’ll have to eventually, right?”
“What do you mean you ‘have to’? Isn’t it your dream?”
“Yeah, but- thinking about how I might have to leave the crew, and be away from you all while I’m at my restaurant...” he trailed off again, wincing at the pit in his stomach, “...it feels lonely…”
Luffy said nothing, his gaze on the cook intense.
“I- gosh captain, I wish you can just order me to stay so you can make it easier for me to choose. I know I’d listen and do what it takes to make you happy, but-” he huffed in resigned amusement, “you’re not gonna ask me to do that, are you?”
“Nope.” The other man’s eyebrows crinkled, concentrating on the blonde man’s words.
“N-never mind. I’m just being selfish again.” Golden strands waved as he shook his head quickly. “I should just be happy with my dream right now, I shouldn’t be asking for more.”
“Sanji.”
He flinched as his captain grabbed his hand, squeezing it gently. Brown eyes bore into him, expectant. His brain scrambled for U-turns, ready to burst from his mouth, to plead to the other man don’t worry about it. I was just rambling, it’s the middle of the night, I’m tired. I’m fine. He focused on the warmth of Luffy’s calloused hand cradling his own, soft and untouched by battle, as if it was a delicate treasure. He slowly urged his inner fears to quiet themselves. “Hey, Luffy?”
“Yeah?”
“Once you become Pirate King…and, once we find the All-Blue...”
Another warm palm landed on the blonde’s cheek, and he could feel tightness rise in his chest. Never mind, forget it. It’s stupid. He’ll never accept. You’re just holding him back-
“Do you wanna...come live with me?”
Silence. A light breeze tousled the captain’s mop of black hair.
Fuck, fuck, fuck. “I-I know your freedom’s the most important thing to you, and I have no right to stop your dream either, I just thought- shit, I’m sorry…” he gasped a soft laugh as he tried to blink away the welling tears suddenly creeping behind his eyelids. “I’m just so torn, I mean- I want to continue travelling with you, but there’s my dream too, and I don’t want to leave the crew, and you probably won’t survive a day without me feeding you, but…”
The thumb on the hand resting against Sanji’s face wiped the salty water off.
“Yes.”
“Huh?”
“Sure, I’ll come live with you.”
“Uh-” his companion pinched his cheek lightly, waking him up. “Eh?!” He couldn’t help his shock, using his free hand to wipe across his face quickly. “You- are you sure? Are you really okay with it?”
“Yeah, why?”
“I didn’t expect you to say yes right off the bat! I mean, living together, doesn’t that sound a bit weird? What if you meet a girl, and want to get married, and settle down?”
Luffy just laughed. “I dunno if I wanna get married. Hancock has asked about it one time, but I declined.”
“You declined the Pirate Empress ?!” He sputtered incoherently. God, what is he? Lots of men would kill to be in your position right now! “Stop laughing, this is serious business! The world’s most beautiful woman (except Nami of course) proposed to you and you rejected her!”
“Hancock’s just a friend,” he waved him off. “I don’t really see myself marrying her. Besides…”
The cook snapped out of his thoughts as he heard the young captain muse, his tanned hand off his face and gaze now turned to the stars, “it does suck to be lonely. Even when I’m Pirate King, if I’m alone, I wouldn’t like that.”
“You’ll still have the rest of the crew.”
“Still not the same without you.”
That deep brown stare returned to him, and he felt broad fingers move to entwine with his own. His breath hitched.
“Good thing for me, the Pirate King is the freest person in the world,” he murmured. “Free enough to spend every day with someone he loves.”
He felt hot, too hot. But he couldn’t bring himself to break their hand-hold. He cringed when he heard himself whimper.
“I’m glad you’re telling me what you want.” His familiar grin gleamed with the moonlight. “Once we achieve our dreams, let’s live together.”
He managed a shaky smile in return. “Mm.”
They fell into comfortable silence once again, only soft waves lapping against Sunny’s hull as the only noise in the background. Sanji timed his breaths to the undulations, focusing on the weight of Luffy’s hand atop his own, his longer, leaner fingers tracing the man’s knuckles that were scarred white from countless battles. He leaned into the comfort from the other’s thumb stroking small circles on the base of his palm.
“Running your own restaurant, you’re gonna be busy aren’t you?”
“Yeah.” He sighed, memories flooding back of the work he and Zeff did to get the Baratie open. “What does a Pirate King do, day-to-day?”
“Whatever he wants.”
“Can he help with building a restaurant?”
“Sure!”
Soft giggles erupted out of his nose. “Never mind, you can’t build for shit.”
“Franky can help, then!”
“Yeah, he would be more reliable.” His laughter slowly faded, as his blue eyes grew wistful once again and he looked down. “Really, though. You don’t have to stay. I don’t ever want to bind you to me...”
“I know you’re not.” The grip tightened. “I want to. I’m choosing you .”
He sniffed again. He needs to stop saying embarrassing things like that.
“I wonder where the rest of the crew are planning to go.” The young captain rocked their entwined hands back and forth on the grass. “Personally I want all of us to be near each other.”
“I hope our crew can stay together too.”
“Maybe we can build cabins for all of them?”
“You mean like a floating village?” He hummed, visualising the image. “I think that sounds fun too. If they want to.”
“Yeah! And have a little port for Sunny to dock.”
He chuckled again. “Yeah, can’t forget about Sunny.”
“Nami’ll want a fancy house.”
“Of course, only the best for her and Robin-chwan too!”
“We can come and eat at your restaurant any time, right?”
He rolled his eyes. “As long as you don’t disturb the customers.”
“Yahoo! I can’t wait!”
“What about the two of us? Where will we be staying?”
He blushed at that. “Maybe upstairs, above the restaurant?”
“That’s just like your old man’s restaurant, huh.”
“Shut up, it’s the only floating restaurant I know. Can you blame me if I model my own restaurant after it?” He muttered, “if the shitty geezer makes fun of me for it, I’ll kick his ass.”
“Okay, it’s decided! We’ll live upstairs.”
“You’re not allowed to raid the restaurant’s fridges.”
“Stingy!”
There were times when pangs of guilt would hit him when he imposed a rule, but he tried his best to muster up forgiveness for himself. Boundaries are okay. He smiled as he squeezed their hands again. Besides, he understands.
“I’m hoping once the restaurant’s up and running, I can go on trips with you again.”
The cheer flying from the aspiring Pirate King never failed to lift his mood. “That’ll be great!”
Everything was too small and too big. They talked about small things, but it felt big. Or was it the other way around? The last wisps of smoke from the blonde’s cigarette dissolved into the spacious navy sky as it finally extinguished, secret feelings finally released.
Tension melted off his shoulders at last, the young cook began to drift off. The weight next to him shifted closer, and elastic arms wrapped snugly around his waist as his head was tucked under his captain’s chin. There was a loud yawn above him, before he felt chapped lips resting on his forehead, bringing him warmth under the blanket.
“Goodnight,” the word was slurred with sleep, and he murmured a reply against his neck, not sure whether it was clear enough for the other to hear. Maybe it’s okay.
“Goodnight.”