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Every time Luffy did something, anything, Sanji fell a little more in love with him.
It was the little moments that made his heart flutter. Luffy's sleepy face in the morning while he munched on his ridiculously large breakfast made especially for him, his little dance when he caught a big fish to put inside the aquarium, the sounds of joy after getting a special unexpected snack in the afternoon, and his peaceful expression after falling asleep on his hammock.
Sanji knew all of this, he loved to watch his captain laugh, smile, and play, as well as fight for them without hesitation. He watched in silent adoration but never said anything about his feelings, there was no reason for him to disrupt the relationship they already had. He was more than content with being able to watch Luffy shine.
He found joy in giving him happiness, always offering and never receiving. 'That's the way it should be' Sanji always thought, he was his cook and Luffy was his captain, he was part of the crew to make him King of Pirates, to help him rise to the top and fight by his side, loyalty before anything. Sanji still had his own dreams to follow of course, but one of them was pleasing his captain.
And Sanji could give him all of him with subtlety in a language they both spoke: food.
It wasn't a mystery for the crew that Sanji cooked with all of them in mind, taking into consideration their likings and preferences. Still, they all knew that outside of the special treatment Nami and Robin had, all the love the cook had was directed to his captain's dishes. Sanji crafted each dish with skill and grace, only to be inhaled seconds later by Luffy.
Nonetheless, Sanji didn't need his creations to be complimented, he wanted them to be enjoyed. After a day of hard work in the kitchen, all he could ask for was Luffy's pleased expression with every bite he took, the cute little sounds he produced after tasting something particularly tasty, and the final sigh of satisfaction after finishing it all.
"Thanks for the food, Sanji!" Those words followed by his shiny bright smile were all he needed to feel loved. The warm feeling in his chest never went away after Luffy dedicated him a smile. If he could make his captain happy with food, then he would never stop cooking for him.
Still, Sanji sometimes wished things could be different between them, their relationship surpassed friendship and transformed into pure admiration on Sanji's part, but he understood that Luffy probably wasn't interested in forming that kind of bond with him. Since he never showed interest in romantic relationships Sanji assumed he didn't find an interest in them, and the cook had to respect his decision.
He had never asked his captain about it, embarrassment and panic always winning at the last moment. Luffy was an enigma to most of the crew when it came to feelings seeing that he only displayed platonic affection and never gave hints of something more.
Even if Sanji wanted to say something, the thought of ruining their friendship made him feel sick. So, if he could stay by Luffy's side and watch him shine and thrive, it was more than enough for him... or at least for now.
All the thoughts and fears that wrapped around his brain went away once he saw him there: bright and stunning as always, playing with Chopper in the swing of the tree's deck, laughing loudly without a care in the world.
Some day Sanji would feel worthy of that smile, of touching those strong yet gentle hands, of kissing those lips he so much desired to feel.
"Sanji! Come down to play!" Luffy called for him, turning his gaze at the cook that quietly observed the scene from the top of the stairs, with an expression anyone but Luffy could read as pure adoration.
He wanted to respond something different, to comment on how wonderful that smile made him feel, or how handsome Luffy looked wearing a different colored vest, he desired to comment on all the little details he noticed every day and loved seeing. But he kept silent and took a long drag of his cigarette, walking down the stairs and letting his thoughts slip away with the smoke.
"Aye aye captain" He sighed and let the smoke escape his mouth, he could think about his feelings later, all he wanted to focus on now was how Luffy was watching expectantly with a smirk that made his heart skip a beat.
For now, a silent love would do.